19 DAY CONGO NILE TRAIL

Day 1.Day 1; am pick up at Kigali Airport: Our company driver guide will pick you from Kigali international airport arrival in the morning proceed to the city tour, via Ubumwe Grande Hotel in the City Centre, the starting point of your Kigali walking tour. The walking trip of Kigali, prepared by the Skyway Tours team, will introduce you to the heart of the city. Everything in our standard program should be doable but all depends on your interest and speed. After your lunch in the city you will go to the genocide memorial and you will call it a day. Dinner and overnight at Classic Hotel.

Day 2.Transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park via Nyanza Kingdom. After breakfast you will drive to Nyungwe Forest National Park via Nyanza Kingdom Palace, Nyanza was the capital of the Kingdom of Rwanda from 1958 to 1962. In 1994, during the late stages of the Rwandan Civil War, the Rwandan Patriotic Front fought the Rwandan Armed Forces at Nyanza. its around 2 hours ride. Dinner and overnight at Nyungwenziza Ecolodge.

Day 3.am Canopy walk and proceed to Ruzizi-Kivu. Early morning transfer to Nyungwe Forest National Park offices takes 45 minutes drive and the enjoy the Canopy walk later proceed to Ruzizi-Lake Kivu for dinner and overnight at Peace Guest House. The canopy walk of Rwanda can be experienced in the Nyungwe forest. This canopy walk way of Rwanda is a 70-meter-high canopy bridge that guests get to use to have an elevated view of the forest. The canopy walk way in the Nyungwe forest is a 160-meter-long bridge and usually takes guests about 2 hours to finish this walk. Dinner and overnight at Peace guest House.

Day 4. Morning transfer to Congo. Kahuzi Biega. After breakfast you cross the Congo border Bukavu takes 2 hours drive so no need of going early , set off at 11 am is a good idea to the Kahuzi-Biega National Park. Dinner and overnight at Panorama Hotel.

Day5. am Gorilla trekking-Kahuzi biega. (French: Parc national de Kahuzi-Biega) is a protected area near Bukavu town in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is situated near the western bank of Lake Kivu and the Rwandan border. Established in 1970 by the Belgian photographer and conservationist Adrien Deschryver, the park is named after two dormant volcanoes, Mount Kahuzi and Mount Biega, Kahuzi-Biega is one of the biggest national parks in the country. Set in both mountainous and lowland terrain, it is one of the last refuges of the rare species of Eastern lowland gorilla, an endangered category under the IUCN Red List. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1980 for its unique biodiversity of rainforest habitat and its eastern lowland gorillas. In 1997, it was listed on the List of World Heritage in Danger because of the political instability of the region, an influx of refugees, and increasing wildlife exploitation. Dinner and overnight at Peace guest House.

Day 6. am boat along Lake Kivu-Ruzizi and transfer to Kibuye. After breakfast you will enjoy the boat along the Kivu is one of the African Great Lakes. It lies on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and is in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift. Lake Kivu empties into the Ruzizi River, which flows southwards into Lake Tanganyika. After the boat ride you will proceed to Kibuye for dinner and overnight at Hotel Paradise Malahide.

Day 7. Morning Transfer to Musanze via Pfunda Tea Factory. After breakfast you will visit the Pfunda Tea Factory on the way and after that proceed to Musanze. Pfunda Tea Cooperative is a Rwanda tea farmer’s cooperative that deals with Rwanda tea farming and supplies of tea-leaves to the Pfunda Tea Company. It is located 9km from Rubavu town, on the Kigali – Musanze- Rubavu main highway. With its multi-hectare tea plantation, farmers offer tea-farming. Spend a day at least an hour the green tea fields of Pfunda and experience how tea in Rwanda is picked, dried, fermented, packed and drunk. Dinner and overnight at Isange Paradise Resort.

Day 8. am Hiking Mount Karisoke. In the morning you will hike Mt Karisoke and learn about Dian Fossey, Gorillas in the Mist From her first two tents, Fossey created the name “Karisoke” using the names of the nearby Mt. Karisimbi and Mt. Bisoke. She eventually operated out of cabins built in the woods, and after her death the scientific work of Karisoke was carried out in a variety of rented buildings near Volcanoes National Park. Karisoke became the name for our all our operations in Rwanda including our work with communities and training conservationists, as well as protecting and studying the gorillas. Fossey’s original objectives were to study gorilla behavior and ecology. Dian Fossey was an American primatologist and conservationist known for undertaking an extensive study of mountain gorilla groups from 1966 until her murder in 1985. She studied them daily in the mountain forests of Rwanda. Dinner an overnight at Isange Paradise Resort.

Day 9. am tour to Musanze Caves and cross the border Cyanika to Mgahinga-Uganda. After morning tour to Musanze Caves you will cross the border called Cyanika between Uganda and Rwanda and its 3 hours drive to Mgahinga-Uganda. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Dinner and overnight at Travelers Rest Hotel.

Day 10. am gorilla Trekking in Mgahinga-Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi. In the morning you will go for the Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park usually takes between 2 to 6 hours to see them although it depends on where the ranger guides allocate them. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is located in the Virunga Mountains and encompasses three inactive volcanoes, namely Mount Muhabura, Mount Gahinga, and Mount Sabyinyo. Dinner and overnight at Kyahugye Island.

Day 11. Full day Lake Bunyonyi and relaxing at the Island. After breakfast you will use Canoe or engine boat depend on what you prefer while visiting among the 29 Islands especially the Punishment Island. Akampene (Punishment Island) The Bakiga used to leave unmarried pregnant girls on this small island-to die of hunger or while trying to swim to the mainland (swimming skills were rare). This was to intimidate the rest, to show them not to do the same. A man without cows to pay the bride price could go and look for such girls if they are still alive there. Dinner and overnight at Kyahugye Island.

Day 12. am Transfer to Queen Elizabeth NP. After breakfast you will drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Kitagata Hot Springs on the way, total time drive is 5 hours includes 1 hour stopover. Kitagata Hot Springs are natural hot springs in the Western Region of Uganda. The springs are said to have natural healing powers. The hot springs are located on the Ishaka-Kagamba Road, in Seema County, Dinner and overnight at Tembo Safari Lodge.

Day 13. am game drive in Queen Elizabeth NP. After breakfast you will enjoy the early morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel and have a lunch break at our chosen hotel. The Kazinga Channel in Uganda is a wide, 32-kilometre long natural channel that links Lake Edward and Lake George and you will search for the big five mammals and many more species. Queen Elizabeth NP Home to outstanding species including lion, leopard, antelope and over 650 types of birds. later you will proceed to Kibale National Park for the dinner and overnight at Kibale Forest Lodge.

Day 14. am Chimp trekking in Kibale Forest National Park. After breakfast you will you will go for the Chimp trekking in Kibale National Park is most popular for its population of chimpanzees and is considered the best place to track wild chimpanzees on earth. Chimpanzee tracking is the ultimate. In the afternoon you will do the Bigodi Community or Bigodi swamp walk depending the choice. While undertaking the Bigodi swamp walk, visitors always get a chance of spotting some of the 200 bird species in Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. Most of them are swamp-endemic birds of Uganda. However, some forest birds in Kibale National Parkcan also be spotted here. Commonly encountered. Another night at Kibale Forest Lodge.

Day 15. am drive to the Ituri Forest- Sempaya Springs. In the Morning you will drive to the Sempaya Hot Springs in Ituri Forest. The male hot springs is locally known as Mubungu by the local people (The Bamaga people), these people believe at the hot springs. Today your driver guide will surprise you with some fresh Irish potatoes or green bananas and eggs after putting them in water not more than 30 minutes already to test them as your picnic lunch. Later you will drive back to your chosen Hotel; Rwenzori view Guest House for dinner and overnight in Fort Portal.

Day 16. am transfer to Murchison Falls NP via Mparo Tombs. After breakfast you will drive to Murchison Falls National Park with a stopover at Mpalo Tombs in Hoima town; Mparo Royal Tombs also Mparo tombs is a historical royal burial site for Omukama Kabalega II and kings and royals of Bunyoro-Kitara kingdom. Dinner and overnight at Bwana Tembo Safari Cam. If times allows you will also pass via the Top of the Falls.

Day 17. am game drive in Murchison Falls National Park-Transfer to Ziwa. After breakfast you will do an early game drive in the park followed by the boat cruise at 11am to the Bottom of the Falls; Murchison Falls National Park is a national park in Uganda . It is in north-western Uganda, spreading inland from the shores of Lake Albert, around the Victoria Nile, up to the Karuma Falls. Viewing birds in the scenic landscape of Murchison is among the most interesting activities in Murchison Falls National Park Bird watching can be done during the launch cruise, game drives, and nature walks. Murchison Falls is one of the best places in Africa to find the prehistoric-looking shoebill stork and also big five can be done here. Later you will exit the park as you head for Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for the dinner and overnight at Rhino Lodge.

Day 18. am Rhino trucking and transfer to Entebbe. In the morning you will enjoy the Rhino trucking at Ziwa takes between 2 and 4 hours depends on where there are located Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is a private, animal sanctuary in Uganda. Established in 2005 to re-introduce Southern White Rhinos in the wild, the sanctuary is the only place in the country, where one can observe these endangered creatures in the wild. Later you and later proceed to Entebbe for dinner and overnight at Viavia Hotel..

Day 19. Morning visit to the UWEC - ZOO and the evening departure. After breakfast you will visit the ( UWEC) Uganda Wildlife Education Center and have a lunch break at Faze 3 or at the Anderita Beach and finally drop off to Entebbe International Airport for the evening flight back home. End Trip.