Early breakfast then we head for the Buganda region tour with highlights of visiting the famous Mengo Palace, Amin’s torture chamber, King’s man-made Lake, Buganda Parliament and the tour of Royal mile. We also experience the preparation of local Kiganda food, a demonstration of Bark cloth making and banana juice making. This is a full day with activities dedicated to learning the Uganda culture, with traditional lunch included and ending the day with entertainment by Kiganda dancers.

Accommodation: Cassia Lodge

Meal Plan: D B

Early morning, we head out and drive to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary located in Nakasongola District. Arrival in time for lunch, then enter into the sanctuary for afternoon Rhino tracking. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary proudly harbors Uganda’s wild endangered rhinos. We will have a good time as we watch the rhinos at a close range as we take up close portraits.  Apart from rhinos, Ziwa is also home to a number of bird species, reptiles, and 40 mammal species. After this exciting activity, we return to Amuka Lodge, for dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation: Amuka Lodge

Meal Plan: B L D

After breakfast and check out we head for another exciting cultural experience of the Banyoro tribe based in Uganda. Arrive in time for lunch at Hoima town, then tour the famous ‘Omukama Palace’ and then drive to the ‘Royal tombs’ a place where the Kings of Banyoro are buried.

Later check in at Lake Albert Safari Lodge - inside Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Lake Albert Safari Lodge

Meal Plan:  D B

Early breakfast, and game drive in Kabwoyo Wildlife Reserve, then check out and continue to Fort Portal. This is also another cultural ground of the Batooro tribe in Uganda. Fort Portal is also a tourism city, endowed with scenic views of mountains and crater lakes. Arrive in time for lunch and afternoon tour of the Tooro King’s palace.

We later continue to Ihamba Safari Lodge, bordering Queen Elizabeth National park for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Ihamba Safari Lodge

Meal Plan: D B

Today we head out to Queen Elizabeth Park, Uganda’s most popular savannah reserve with the widest variety of wildlife if any Ugandan park. The variety of habitats includes grassland savannah, forests, wetlands and lakes. This provides the setting for an extensive range of large mammals and primates. We have lunch at Mweya Safari Lodge then go for a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel which takes about 2hours. The water joins 2 lakes; Edward and George and is filled with hippos, buffalos and elephants at the shores.  We will capture beautiful sceneries on this cruise and if we’re lucky, we may capture a beautiful sunset. After the cruise we drive straight to Mbarara, check in for dinner and overnight stay at Igongo Cultural Center.

Accommodation: Igongo Cultural Center

Meal Plan: D B

Breakfast then tour the cultural center set on the grounds of a former palace of the Ankole king, this quality museum explores the peoples of south western Uganda, particularly the Ankole, through artefacts, a cultural village replica and a heap of info.

We also visit the Biharwe Eclipse Monument atop Biharwe Hill. It was built to commemorate a victory for Ankole kingdom 500 years ago, following an eclipse that saw the invading king retreat in fear.  We later continue to Kabaale for Lake Bunyonyi with lunch enroute.  Arrive at Arcadia Cottages for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Arcadia Cottages

Meal Plan: B L D

Early breakfast, then go on a boat ride on Lake Bunyonyi, where we can visit and discover some of the 29 islands that dot Lake Bunyonyi some with tales of their own such as Prison Island. We return to lunch at the lodge and drive to the Rwandan border, where our other driver will be waiting and continue to Ruhengeri for dinner and overnight stay at La Palme Hotel.

Accommodation: La Palme Hotel

Meal Plan: B L D

We set off early in the morning, arriving at the Volcanoes National Park headquarters where we will meet our experienced local guide at around 07:00. From here we will be driven to the starting point of the trek. While on the trek we will pass through dense bamboo and hagenia forest en route. The trek takes around 3-4 hours, and on the journey our guide will be able to give us plenty of information on Dian Fossey and the impact of her research on mountain gorillas. On reaching the site we will be able to see the ruins of her house and we pay a visit to her grave. Lying next to her is the grave of her favorite gorilla, Digit, along with a number of other gorillas killed by poachers. After spending time at her grave we will head back down the mountain to meet our vehicle and drive to our hotel for lunch and rest.

In the afternoon, we will visit the Ellen De Generes Gorilla campus for a guided tour – we will experience the many immersive activities in the conservation Gallery – including a 360 theatre and replica of Dian Fossey’s original cabin-and learn about the region’s biodiversity through a network of outdoor trails; after the tour we return to hotel for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: La Palme Hotel

Meal Plan: B L D

After breakfast, we drive to Kigali arriving in time for lunch and a short city tour including a visit to Kigali’s Genocide Museum for a heart-wrenching experience but one that is a must for first-time visitors to the country. We aslso visit Inema Art Center, one of East African's major art galleries, housing a collection of artists from around the African Continent then we drive to Ubumwe Grande hotel for our rooftop dinner then proceed to Scheba hotel for overnight.

Accommodation: Scheba Hotel

Meal Plan: B B

After breakfast we drive southwest to Nyanza, we visit the King’s Palace Museum in Nyanza and learn about Rwanda's rich history and cultural heritage including the famed traditional cows, Inyambo.

Nyanza was the traditional seat of Rwanda’s kingdom. While on the tour we explore the replica King’s Palace, built using traditional materials and methods.Behind the royal compound we meet the long-horned cows, known as Inyambo (sacred cows) with their super-sized horns. They are beautiful to look at, with a stately elegance you don’t generally expect from cows, until you learn they’re part of the royal heritage, used in many important ceremonies.

Lunch at the museum cafeteria then we proceed to Butare for a visit to ethnographic museum for a rich insight into the Rwandan culture.

The museum is a gift from Belgium’s King Badouin in the late 1980s, housing one of Africa’s finest ethnographic collections. Seven galleries display historical, ethnographic, artistic and archaeological artefacts accompanied by visual aids.

After the tour we proceed to our accommodation for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Casa Hotel

Meal Plan: B L D

After breakfast, we drive to Nyungwe National Park headquarters for canopy walk briefing. We start the guided canopy walk at 11h00. We experience the rainforest from a dazzling new perspective – on the famous Canopy walkway. The only walk of its kind in East Africa, this breath taking construction hangs 60 metres above the forest floor between giant trees and towers, revealing a stunning view of the flora and fauna, both below and above.  After the trek we come back for lunch at Uwinka cafeteria then scenic drive to Kibuye for dinner and overnight at Cormoran Lodge.

Accommodation: Cormoran Lodge

Meal Plan: D B

Today we spend the day on the scenic Lake Kivu. After lunch at the lodge we can have an optional boat tour to bats’ island (Napoleon Island) one of the most popular and most visited islands on Lake Kivu.The profile of the island closely resembles the historical hats which were popular in European army uniforms at the end of the 18^th century and Napoleon is commonly seen depicted in this kind of hat. Hence the name Napoleon Island.

Dinner and overnight at Cormoran Lodge located on the shores of Lake Kivu.

Accommodation: Cormoran Lodge

Meal Plan: B L D

After a leisurely breakfast, we check out and drive back to Kigali for our evening departure marking the end of our cross border cultural experience.