Uganda & Rwanda Safari Destinations
Discover Uganda & Rwanda Safari Destinations from savannah national parks and tropical forests to volcanic mountains, lakes, cultural regions and vibrant cities. Explore Uganda’s wildlife and primate landscapes, Rwanda’s compact safari circuit, or combine destinations across both countries in a private tailor-made journey.
Popular Uganda & Rwanda Safari Destinations
Uganda offers exceptional destination diversity, with savannah parks, tropical forests, wetlands, lakes, mountains and culturally rich regions. Choose destinations around your interests in Wildlife Safaris, Gorilla Trekking, Chimpanzee Tracking, Birding, Cultural Experiences or scenic exploration.
Discover Uganda
- Murchison Falls National Park: combines classic Game Drives, the River Nile, wildlife viewing and the dramatic Murchison Falls landscape. It is one of Uganda’s leading destinations for combining savannah wildlife with a Boat Safari.
- Queen Elizabeth National Park: combines diverse wildlife habitats with the Kazinga Channel, making it particularly well suited to Game Drives, Boat Safaris and longer Uganda Wildlife Safaris.
- Kidepo Valley National Park: offers expansive savannah landscapes and a more remote safari experience, making it an excellent choice for travellers seeking a distinctive Uganda Wildlife Safari.
- Lake Mburo National Park: provides a compact wildlife destination with savannah landscapes, zebras and opportunities to combine wildlife viewing with nature-based experiences.
- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park: is one of Uganda’s most important destinations for Gorilla Trekking, while its forest environment also supports exceptional birding, nature experiences and community encounters.
- Kibale National Park: is a leading destination for Chimpanzee Tracking and primate experiences, with tropical forest habitats that also support birding and nature exploration.
Discover Rwanda
- Akagera National Park: provides Rwanda’s principal savannah wildlife experience, combining Game Drives, wetlands, lakes and diverse wildlife within the country’s eastern landscape.
- Volcanoes National Park: is Rwanda’s principal Gorilla Trekking destination, with dramatic volcanic landscapes and opportunities to combine gorilla experiences with other activities in the Virunga region.
- Nyungwe Forest National Park: Nyungwe Forest National Park provides Rwanda’s principal rainforest experience, with Chimpanzee Tracking, primate experiences, Birding, forest exploration and scenic landscapes.
Explore More Destinations
Choose Your Destination by Safari Collections
Choose your destination around the experience you want most. Uganda and Rwanda allow different destinations to be combined around wildlife, primates, birding, culture, scenery and private travel preferences.
- Gorilla Trekking: Bwindi, Mgahinga and Volcanoes National Park
- Chimpanzee Tracking: Kibale and Nyungwe, with additional primate experiences available in selected destinations
- Wildlife Safaris: Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Kidepo Valley, Lake Mburo and Akagera
- Birding: Bwindi, Kibale, Mabamba, Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Nyungwe and Akagera
- Cultural Experiences: Buganda, Ankole, Bunyoro, Tooro, Acholi, Karamoja and Rwanda’s cultural destinations
Choose Your Uganda & Rwanda Safari Destinations by Safari Activities
Choose destinations around the activities you want to experience. Uganda and Rwanda offer forests, savannahs, wetlands, lakes, mountains and cultural landscapes where activities can be combined into private and tailor-made journeys.
- Gorilla Trekking: Explore Bwindi, Mgahinga and Volcanoes National Park for mountain gorilla experiences.
- Chimpanzee Tracking: Discover Kibale and Nyungwe, with opportunities to combine chimpanzee tracking with other primate and forest experiences.
- Wildlife Viewing: Visit Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Kidepo Valley, Lake Mburo and Akagera for Game Drives, Boat Safaris and classic African wildlife.
- Birding: Explore Bwindi, Kibale, Mabamba, Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Nyungwe and Akagera across forests, wetlands, lakes and savannah habitats.
- Boat Safaris: Experience wildlife and landscapes from the River Nile, Kazinga Channel, Lake Victoria and other lakes and waterways.
- Nature Walks: Explore forests, wetlands, mountains and scenic landscapes on foot, with destinations selected around the type of nature experience you prefer.
- Cultural Experiences: Discover Buganda, Ankole, Bunyoro, Tooro, Acholi, Karamoja and Rwanda’s cultural destinations through heritage, communities, traditions and local experiences.
Choose Your Destination by Travel Style
The destination can also be selected around the way you prefer to travel. Private and tailor-made journeys can combine several destinations, while Luxury, Mid-Range, Honeymoon, Family, Fly-In and Self-Drive Safaris can be planned around your preferred pace, level of comfort and independence. Choose from our Mid-Range, Premium and Signature Stay Collections at your preferred destinations.
- Private Safaris: Combine destinations with private transportation, professional guiding and greater flexibility throughout your journey.
- Tailor-Made Safaris: Build a route around your preferred destinations, activities, accommodation, travel dates and available time.
- Luxury Safaris: Combine Uganda and Rwanda’s leading destinations with elevated accommodation, refined service and carefully planned experiences.
- Mid-Range Safaris: Explore major destinations with comfortable accommodation, private travel and a strong balance of quality and value.
- Honeymoon Safaris: Combine scenic destinations, privacy, memorable experiences and carefully selected accommodation.
- Family Safaris: Choose destinations and activities around your family’s ages, interests and preferred pace.
- Fly-In Safaris: Connect key destinations by carefully planned domestic flights where appropriate, reducing long road journeys.
- Self-Drive Safaris: Explore selected destinations with greater independence while benefiting from careful route planning and local destination knowledge.
Popular Safari Packages
Explore selected Safari Packages that bring Uganda & Rwanda Safari Destinations together through carefully planned private journeys. Choose a focused wildlife, primate or Gorilla Trekking experience, or combine several destinations and activities in a broader Uganda or Rwanda safari.
- 12-Day Best of Uganda Safari | UG-UC1 Pearl Heritage Package. Combine Uganda’s leading wildlife, primate and scenic destinations in a comprehensive private journey.
- 7-Day Uganda Classic Gorilla Trekking Safari | UG-M1 Classic Explorer. Focus on Bwindi and the mountain gorilla experience while allowing time to explore southwestern Uganda.
- 9-Day Uganda Gorilla and Chimpanzee Safari | UG-FKG Forest Kingdom Package. Combine Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi with Chimpanzee Tracking and forest experiences in Uganda.
- 7-Day Best of Rwanda Safari | RW-CL1 Rwanda Explorer Package. Explore Rwanda through a combination of wildlife, primates, scenic landscapes and cultural experiences.
Plan Your Safari Around Your Destinations
The right destination depends on the wildlife, primates, landscapes, activities and pace you want from your journey. Our private and tailor-made safaris can combine several destinations while allowing practical travel times, carefully selected accommodation and the experiences that matter most to you.
Useful Destination Resources
For reliable destination, wildlife and conservation information, consult the Uganda Tourism Board for official tourism information for Uganda, the Uganda Wildlife Authority for information on Uganda’s national parks, wildlife and conservation, Visit Rwanda for official tourism and destination information for Rwanda, and the Rwanda Development Board for tourism, conservation and destination information for Rwanda.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best safari destinations in Uganda?
Uganda’s leading safari destinations include Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Kidepo Valley and Lake Mburo for wildlife, while Bwindi, Kibale and Mgahinga provide major primate and forest experiences. The best combination depends on the wildlife, activities and travel style you want.
What are the best safari destinations in Rwanda?
Rwanda’s principal safari destinations include Volcanoes National Park for Gorilla Trekking, Nyungwe Forest National Park for Chimpanzee Tracking and rainforest experiences, and Akagera National Park for savannah wildlife. Kigali and Lake Kivu can add cultural and scenic experiences.
Can I combine Uganda and Rwanda in one safari?
Yes. A private Uganda Rwanda Safari can combine destinations such as Bwindi, Kibale, Volcanoes, Nyungwe and Akagera, depending on your available time and preferred experiences.
Which Uganda destination is best for Gorilla Trekking?
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are Uganda’s principal Gorilla Trekking destinations.
Which Uganda destination is best for Chimpanzee Tracking?
Kibale National Park is the principal chimpanzee tracking destination in Uganda and can also be combined with other primate, birding and wildlife experiences.
Which Rwanda destination is best for wildlife?
Akagera National Park is Rwanda’s principal savannah wildlife destination and can be combined with Volcanoes, Nyungwe, Kigali and Lake Kivu.
Where can I see wildlife in Uganda?
Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Kidepo Valley and Lake Mburo are among Uganda’s principal wildlife destinations, each offering a different landscape and safari experience.
Can I visit several destinations on a private safari?
Yes. Private travel allows the itinerary to be structured around several destinations while considering driving times, activities, accommodation, available time and your preferred pace.