Friday 7th March – Bujumbura (Burundi)

• Arrive at your own leisure into Bujumbura. The capital city of Burundi is well connected with many East African Countries, Addis-Abeba and Brussels. Self-transfer to our centrally located hotel. Pre-tour accommodation and airport pickup can be arranged for a fee.
• Pre-tour meeting will be held at the lobby of our hotel at 6:00pm to discuss the tour itinerary and to meet your fellow travellers and guide.
• We’ll head out for dinner at a local restaurant and get to know your fellow group members and guide.
• Overnight stay in stay in Bujumbura.

Saturday 8th March – Bujumbura

Morning

• At 9:00am, we’ll start the Bujumbura city tour including The Explorers Memorial. At this very place history was literally written. David Livingstone, explorer and missionary, went on a European geographical expedition to find the source of the River Nile, ultimately leading to his disappearance. Years later, Henry Morton Stanley went on an expedition to explore the Congo Basin. This led to their chance encounter with the famous words from Stanley “Doctor Livingstone, I presume?”.
• Our tour continues to the Independence Hero Mausoleum & Unity Monument which overlooks the scenic Lake Tanganyika and the capital city. Here you can find the National motto, “Unity, Work, Progress”, inscribed on the monument which represents the national unity. It is celebrated on the 5th of February every year.

Afternoon

• After lunch, we’ll continue onwards to Rusizi National Park, located north of Bujumbura. The Rusizi River runs through the park and we’ll take the opportunity to observe hippos from our boat. The river is famous for sightings of Gustave, a notorious Nile crocodile.
• We’ll continue to Saga Beach to enjoy a stunning view of Lake Tanganyika. This location is a perfect way to watch the local fishermen go about their business and you can enjoy a nice cold beer too.
• After a busy day, we’ll have dinner followed by a few refreshing drinks in a local establishment in Bujumbura.
• Overnight stay in Bujumbura.

Sunday 9th March – Bujumbura – Gitega – Karera Falls

Morning

• Early morning start with breakfast at our hotel.
• Today, you’ll discover the natural beauty of Burundi along our road trip. We’ll make rest stops along the way to enjoy the stunning scenery.
• Along the journey, we’ll make a stop at a local tea plantation, here you can explore the tea fields and learn about its history.
• We’ll drive to Gitega in our private air condition transport. There, we are going to visit the amazing Gishora drummer’s village. The cultural importance of Gishora has led it to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. You’ll experience and understand why when you visit this magnificent village.
• We continue on the scenic route south of Burundi to the spectacular series of waterfalls of Karera Falls, which were also added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. You can take your time here and take in the natural beauty.

Afternoon

• Lunch at the fall before we head back to Bujumbura. During our journey we’ll be passing through many rural villages. If we’re lucky, we may attend a traditional Burundian wedding.
• After our scenic drive we’ll have dinner in Bujumbura followed by drinks as we’ll depart Burundi the following day.
• Overnight stay in Bujumbura.

Monday 10th March – Bujumbura – Rwanda – Bukavu (DR Congo)

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel before we set off on our scenic ride towards the border with the second largest country in Africa, The Democratic Republic of the Congo – a country filled with great natural wonders and a complex history filled with greed and exploitations by foreign interests.
• Our drive will take us through Rwanda, famously known as the land of a thousand hills. Your guides will assist you through the border formalities.
• With a brief transit through Rwanda, we’ll cross the border and enter the DRC.

Afternoon

• Once we cross the border, we’ll have lunch at a local restaurant.
• We’ll see the mighty delta where the Ruzizi River flows into Lake Tanganyika from the scenic beautiful Lake Kivu. A perfect way to start the next leg of the journey.
• Later we’ll drive to Bukavu, a colourful, bright and vibrant city – also one of the biggest cities in Eastern DR Congo, located at the south-western edge of Lake Kivu.
• Dinner in Bukavu followed by drinks in the local area.
• Overnight stay in Bukavu.

Tuesday 11th March – Bukavu

Morning

• Bright and early start, you can either have breakfast at the hotel or have them pack it up for you to have on the road.
• We’ll start to head deep into the forest at Kahuzi-Biéga national park and have a briefing before the gorilla trek. It usually takes up to 2 hours of hiking one way, depending on the location of the gorilla troops and how difficult the path is. After spending one hour with the gorilla troops, we will make our way back to the gorilla centre. Remember to pack decent hiking boots and a raincoat and don’t worry about the difficulty of the hike as you can hire a local helper to carry your belongings and assist you along the way for an additional fee.
• We’ll continue to Bukavu, visiting the abandoned Luiro Research Centre built during the colonial era. Nowadays, it’s serves as a rehabilitation centre for primates.

Afternoon

• On our arrival to Bukavu, we’ll have lunch and reflect on the amazing Gorilla trek, then we’ll head back to the hotel to freshen up and relax.
• In the afternoon we’ll explore Bukavu where you can purchase local gifts and interact with the friendly local residents. There’s a beautiful viewpoint from a mountaintop, so we’ll head there just before sunset.
• Dinner and drinks in Bukavu after a memorable day.
• Overnight stay in Bukavu.

Wednesday 12th March – Bukavu – Idjwi

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel then we’ll move onto another exciting region in the DRC.
• Your morning begins with catching a speed boat to Idjwi Island, a major inland island in Lake Kivu. You can see Rwanda much closer from here and really appreciate the length of the Congo Nile trail from here.
• On the island, we will visit the local coffee farmers. They make one of the best coffees in the world with their indigenous farming methods. It’s defiantly worth purchasing some coffee to take back home.

Afternoon

• We’ll head to a Pygmy village, where we’ll learn more about the local village life on Idjwi Island and have a traditional lunch.
• After a busy day full of activities, we’ll have dinner on Idjwi Island.
• Overnight stay in Idjwi Island.

Thursday 13th March – Idjwi – Goma

Morning

• Locally sourced breakfast on Idjwi Island.
• After breakfast, we’ll take another boat ride. This time we’re taking our speedboat to Goma. The speedboat leaves at 10:00am and the journey will take approximately 2 hours. You can observe local village settlements along Lake Kivu.
• Goma is one of the biggest cities in Eastern Congo and has a rich cultural history. One of the most striking features is the famous chukudus (wooden bikes) which you’ll see local using. If we’re lucky, the locals will show us how their bikes work and the opportunity to ride it!

Afternoon

• We’ll have lunch at a local restaurant followed by a visit to Lava Park. Goma is located quite close to an active volcano, Mount Nyiragongo. Recent eruptions in 2002 and 2021 have come close to Goma. You can see how locals utilise volcanic rocks for building works and roads, hence the city’s dark appearance.
• Dinner and drinks at a local establishment in Goma as we depart the DRC tomorrow.
• Overnight stay in Goma.

Friday 14th March – Goma – Kigali (Rwanda)

Morning

• Breakfast in Goma.
• We’ll leave early in the morning towards the border with Rwanda city Gisenyi. The crossing is very interesting seeing the sheer volume of people transporting goods by card across the border.
• The border formalities are pretty much straight forwards and we’ll continue onwards to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.
• After crossing the border, you’ll see the stark difference between the two countries. Rwanda has worked hard to become a prime example of a state which has managed to recover from a devastating war to become a popular international destination with eco-friendly principles.

Afternoon

• On the way, we’ll be passing by Bigogwe. Here you’ll get to experience traditional Rwandan cow farming.
• The drive to the Rwanda capital will take approximately 4 hours in total.
• Overnight in Kigali

Saturday 15th March – Kigali

Morning

• Leisurely morning start with breakfast before we explore Kigali.
• We’ll see the Presidential Palace Museum (also known as the Rwanda Art Museum), which used to belong to Juvenal Habyarimana. You can still find remains from his nightclub, a plane wreck, and several hidden rooms.

Afternoon

• We’ll continue to visit Kigali and explore small neighbourhoods mixing with the locals and capturing amazing pictures of our experiences before heading for lunch.
• Next, we’ll visit an important site: The Kigali Genocide Memorial. The memorial commemorates the loss of 250,000 people during the Civil War. This was a dark time in Rwandan history that spilled across its border which you’ll learn about during the tour.
• We take a stroll around the Kigali City Market for some last minute souvenir shopping.
• Visit to the Hôtel des Mille Collines, made famous by the film Hotel Rwanda. During the Rwanda Genocide it became famous as it housed more then 1000 refugees.
• Dinner in Kigali followed by drinks in town.
• Overnight stay in Kigali.

Sunday 16th March – Kigali – Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Morning

• Breakfast at hotel.
• Group A members: Tour concludes in Kigali, Rwanda. YPT is able to arrange post-tour accommodation and airport drop off for a fee. We are also able to provide advice for ongoing flights.
• Group B members: Arrive at your convenience into Kigali. The capital city of Rwanda is well connected with flights from many African Countries, London, Amsterdam and Dubai.  Pre tour accommodation and airport pickup can be arranged for a fee.
• A 6:00am start for our journey to the Pearl of Africa, Uganda. We’ll have plenty of interesting stops along the way as we pass through Rwanda. One thing you will notice is its green hilly landscape, famously known as “the land of a thousand hills” and extremely friendly residents.
• Your smooth border crossing into Uganda will be accompanied by your experienced western and local guides.

Afternoon

• This route wouldn’t be complete without a quick stop at Lake Buke Bunyoni, one thing you will notice is the sound of birds. The name of the lake derives from the native word “small birds” hence why Lake Bunyoni is known as the “Place of many little birds”. We’ll have lunch in the local area.
• We continue onwards to Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP, or Queens), which is probably the best National Park in the country where you can encounter African lions.
• Dinner and drinks at hotel.
• Overnight stay in our hotel at the QENP.

Monday 17th March – Queen Elizabeth National Park

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Early rise, as we start the first game drive at 6.00am. For several hours we’ll drive around the park to try to spot the Big 5: lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and African buffalo. Although no guarantees, this is the best park to find them.  We’ll be able to the amazing wildlife throughout the park: Uganda homes some the best protected species!

Afternoon

• We’ll take a break after the first game drive, to visit a local village located within the national park where we will have lunch.
• Around 2:00pm we’ll hop on a boat to cruise along the Kazinga Channel, this is another great opportunity to spot wildlife in their natural environment.
• As the evening cools and the park stirs with the sound of animals, it’s time for another trip. At 4:30pm we’ll opt for another game drive around the park, hoping to see elephants, chimpanzees, giraffes, lions, and rhinos.
• Dinner at Hotel.
• Overnight stay in our hotel at the QENP.

Tuesday 18th March – Queen Elizabeth National Park – Kampala

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Today we’ll focus on finding the incredibly intelligent chimpanzees, as QENP is also known for its large population of chimps.
• We’ll take a short hike through a valley where there’s a population of chimps. You’ll be able to observe the troops from a safe distance.

Afternoon

• We’ll then head back and relax and have lunch. Once we’re ready our journey continues to the capital of Uganda, Kampala. On our road trip, you will have time to rest after those busy few days at the national park.
• Pass through the equator by foot. You’ll have plenty of time to take pictures with The Equator Monument. You can watch the Coriolis Effect demonstrated, it’s a pretty peculiar phenomenon.
• Dinner and much deserved drinks in Kampala after a busy few day seeing amazing wildlife.
• Overnight stay in Kampala.

Wednesday 19th March – Kampala

Morning

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Our day beings with city tour of Kampala, this is fantastic way to explore and learn about the fascinating history of Uganda.
• We’ll visit the Gaddafi Mosque, formally known as the Uganda National Mosque. The impressive mosque is the largest in East Africa and was a gift from The Colonel to benefit the Muslim population in the region.
• Then we’ll see the Kasubi Royal Tombs and learn more about the traditional houses in Uganda. These days it’s a UNESCO heritage site.

Afternoon

• We’ll have lunch in Kampala, which boast many regional traditional dishes as well as many international cuisines to choose from.
• We’ll make a trip to Kabaka’s Palace, where the Kabaka (King) reside. Although the monarchy was discontinued briefly by the Ugandan Government, The Buganda royalty still continues.
• No tour to Kampala is complete without learning about Idi Amin and visiting his Torture Chambers. Even till today Idi Amin is referred to as the “butcher of Uganda”.
• Our final visit will be at the film studios of Uganda better known as Ugawood – which is ever emerging and making a global impression.
• In the evening we’ll head to a restaurant for our farewell dinner and drinks.
• Overnight stay in Kampala.

Thursday 20th March – Kampala

• Breakfast at the hotel.
• Group B & C members: End of the tour depart at your own convenience. YPT can arrange additional nights in Kampala and airport drop off for a fee, we are more than happy to provide advice for ongoing flights.
• Continue further with YPT and board the Uganda Airlines – UR122 departing Kampala at 10:15am and arriving 10:40am in Juba ready for our South Sudan Tour. Flights not included in tour cost.

Read More