Ten days linking Uganda and Rwanda is the most efficient way to see mountain gorillas in both countries, track chimpanzees in Kibale, drive the Queen Elizabeth savannah, and visit Rwanda’s compact but diverse park network in a single self-drive circuit. The border crossing at Katuna/Gatuna connects the two countries in under 2 hours from the nearest Uganda park, and the roads on both sides of the crossing are manageable in a well-maintained 4×4. This itinerary covers the complete day-by-day route for 2027/2028, with driving distances, park activities, fee budgets, and the specific logistics of the Uganda-Rwanda border crossing by hire vehicle.
Day 1: Kampala to Queen Elizabeth National Park (420km)
Depart Kampala by 6am via the Mbarara highway. Top up fuel at Mbarara (270km). Continue west to Kasese and the park’s Katunguru Gate. Arrive mid-afternoon. Afternoon game drive on the Kasenyi plains. Overnight at Mweya peninsula (lodge or campsite).
Day 2: Full Day at Queen Elizabeth National Park
Dawn game drive on the Kasenyi plains for lion and buffalo. 2pm Kazinga Channel boat trip (2 hours). Optional: Kyambura Gorge chimp tracking in the morning instead of the Kasenyi drive. Overnight Mweya.
Day 3: Queen Elizabeth to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (180km)
From Mweya, drive south through the park’s Ishasha sector — look for the tree-climbing lions in the fig trees on the way through. Exit at the Ishasha Gate and continue south to Kabale (the road via Rukungiri and Kabale takes approximately 4 to 5 hours from Ishasha). Fill fuel at Kabale. Overnight in Kabale town (White Horse Inn or similar). Tomorrow’s gorilla trek requires a 6:30am departure from Kabale.
Day 4: Bwindi Gorilla Trekking (Buhoma or Rushaga Sector)
Depart Kabale at 6:30am. Reach the UWA gorilla trek briefing (Buhoma or Rushaga depending on permit sector) by 7:30am to 8am. Gorilla trek (2 to 8 hours depending on gorilla family location). Return to accommodation near Bwindi or in Kabale. This is the emotional centrepiece of the circuit — an hour with a mountain gorilla family in the forest. Overnight near Bwindi or return to Kabale.
Day 5: Bwindi to Kibale Forest via Fort Portal (250km)
From Bwindi/Kabale, drive north through Kasese to Fort Portal (approximately 200km, 3.5 to 4 hours). Top up fuel at Fort Portal. Continue south 35km to Kibale’s Kanyanchu gate. Afternoon: orientation walk in the forest edge or Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary afternoon visit. Overnight near Kibale.
Day 6: Kibale Chimpanzee Tracking
7:30am chimpanzee tracking briefing at Kanyanchu. Trek with the habituated chimp community (2 to 5 hours). Afternoon rest or Bigodi wetland walk. Overnight Kibale area.
Day 7: Kibale to Kabale (250km) and Border Crossing to Rwanda
Depart Kibale by 7am. Drive south to Kabale (approximately 250km, 4 to 5 hours via Kasese and Mbarara). Fill fuel at Kabale. Cross the Uganda-Rwanda border at Katuna/Gatuna (15km south of Kabale). Border processing: Uganda exit stamp, Rwanda entry visa (available on arrival for most nationalities), vehicle temporary import permit for Rwanda, COMESA Yellow Card check. Allow 1 to 2 hours for the crossing. Arrive in Rwanda — drive to Musanze (110km from the border crossing, approximately 2 hours on good roads). Overnight in Musanze.
Day 8: Rwanda Gorilla Trekking at Volcanoes National Park
Depart Musanze at 6am, reach the RDB headquarters at Kinigi by 6:30am for the 7am briefing. Rwanda gorilla trek — 1 to 4 hours depending on the gorilla family’s morning position. Return to Musanze for lunch. Afternoon: optional golden monkey tracking at Volcanoes (USD 100 per person) or rest after the trek. Overnight Musanze area. The Rwanda gorilla trek, coming 4 days after the Uganda gorilla trek, gives the extraordinary opportunity to compare gorilla family behaviour between two different habituation programmes in two countries.
Day 9: Musanze to Kigali and Akagera National Park (250km)
Depart Musanze at 7am. Drive to Kigali (110km, 1.5 hours). Fuel top-up in Kigali. Continue east to Akagera National Park via Kayonza (140km from Kigali, 2 hours). Arrive at Akagera south gate by 1pm. Afternoon game drive — lion tracking in the northern savannah, rhino sanctuary approach in the southern section. Overnight inside the park (Ruzizi Tented Lodge or public campsite) or at the Akagera Game Lodge.
Day 10: Akagera Morning and Return to Kigali (140km)
Dawn game drive from park camp (6am, before public gate opening). Morning boat trip on Lake Ihema (8am departure, 2 hours). Exit the park by 11am. Drive to Kigali (140km, 2 hours). Return hire vehicle at Kigali (or arrange drop-off per hire agreement). The circuit is complete: two gorilla treks across two countries, one chimpanzee trek, Queen Elizabeth savannah, Ishasha tree-climbing lions, and Akagera’s reintroduced Big Five.
Fee Budget: Two Adults, 10-Day Circuit
- Uganda gorilla permit x2: USD 1,600
- Rwanda gorilla permit x2: USD 3,000
- Kibale chimp tracking x2: USD 400
- Queen Elizabeth entry (2 days) + boat: 2 x USD 40 x 2 + USD 40 vehicle x 2 + USD 35 x 2 boat = USD 310
- Bwindi entry (1 day): 2 x USD 40 + USD 40 vehicle = USD 120
- Kibale entry (1 day): 2 x USD 40 + USD 40 vehicle = USD 120
- Volcanoes NP entry (1 day): 2 x USD 40 + vehicle = USD 120
- Akagera entry (2 days) + boat: 2 x USD 40 x 2 + USD 40 vehicle x 2 + USD 40 x 2 boat = USD 320
- Vehicle hire (10 days, approx USD 145/day): USD 1,450
- Fuel (approx 1,800km total): USD 290
- Total before accommodation: approx USD 7,730
The two gorilla permits — USD 4,600 combined for two adults — represent 59% of the total budget before accommodation. This is the reality of a dual-country gorilla circuit. The permits are fixed costs that cannot be reduced, but the combination of two gorilla experiences with chimpanzees, savannah wildlife, and East African landscapes in a single 10-day circuit makes the total cost exceptional value when spread across the breadth of the experience.
