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Pure, wild, earthly, heavenly and primal: This motorbike tour through Uganda and Rwanda is nothingless than a revelation. It allows you to experience all the beauty and purity that the African continent has to offer. Excitement, beauty and unforgettable experiences await you. Sights, sounds and smells indulge your senses every day.
The development of tourismis still in its infancy, so now is the right time to embark on an adventurous motorcycle trip through Uganda and Rwanda. The highlight of the trip through these magnificent countries, apart from the challenging roads, is of course our visit to the mountain gorillas at the border area of Rwanda. This is a fantastic experience that you will never forget.
Everything you need to know about this tour. Do you have any further questions? Please contact us!
We arrive in Entebbe where the airport is located. Entebbe and Kampala together form so-called "twin cities". Our Uganda motorcycle tour starts by spending the first night in Entebbe after we get acquainted with our motorbikes.
Today we leave the lively city of Entebbe. After 80 kilometres southwards we pass the equator! Here we can do our own test on which side of the earth the water spins to the right or to the left. We then continue southbound to Lake Mburo, a small national park surrounding a beautiful lake with the same name. Here we see small groups of buffalos, zebras and giraffes. The many bird species here decorate our surroundings with colorful sights and sounds. There are hippos around us and we will probably hear lions tonight! This evening you have the option to go on a night safari with a professional ranger under the stars. It will allow you to spot animals that hide out during the day such as leopards, hyenas and bushbabies.
We start the day with a nice off-road tour towards Mbarara, followed by a stretch on the highway towards Kabale. Then we ride another short off-road stretch to a parkinglot where we park our bikes overnight. We then all embark into a hollowed treetrunk canoe that takes us to our accommodation for the night on an idyllic island. We spend the night in the midst of nature under starry skies in simple but convenient tents. This island lies in the crater lake Bunyonyi, which means "place of the small birds". Here we enjoy the abundant beauty, sounds and smells of nature and spectacular views of the volcanoes.
In the morning we canoe back to the mainland, get back on our bikes and continue our motorcycle adventure in the heart of Africa. From Mbarara we take an unpaved road heading south along the border with Tanzania, which leads us to the border triangle Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. We arrive at a very little used border outpost in Kakitumba. Once in Rwanda, the road takes us along Akagera National Park. Nyagatare is the capital of the province. Our accommodation for the night here is quite basic.
We take another dirtroad and climb slowly from the plains up into the hills. From Nyagatare the road widens but is still unpaved. Depending on our schedule and whether we have enough time left, we can either take the main road at the border with Gasabo, or we continue on unpaved roads to reach Kigali. In the afternoon you have the option to visit the Genocide Museum and the Hotel Milles Collines which housed 1600 refugees in the early 90’s (portrayed in the film Hotel Rwanda).
Today we continue south on beautiful dirt roads and then turn west. Another slip road takes us into the large and relatively unknown Nyungwa Forest, home to 13 species of monkeys. This park is one of the largest primeval forests in Central Africa and offers protection to baboons, chimpanzees, golden meerkats and fringe monkeys. This vast, immense forest has many species of flora and fauna. It is a paradise for birdwatchers and a feast for all your senses.
We spend the whole day in the national park. In the morning we go on a walking safari starting in the midst of bright green tea plantations. We pass picturesque villages, vast hillsand moist, dense forests full of primates and unique birds. Later today we take an adventurous canopy walk across a dangling bridge between the treetops at a height of no less than 50 metres! If there is still time, we can make an afternoon excursion into the surrounding area.
"An excellent and surprising trip! The highlight for me was the off-road riding, the guide was perfect! As a point of improvement I would better describe the possible conditions of the roads after rain."
We ride towards the large Lake Kivu following a beautiful route along the coastline. Our route winds over large mountain ridges, which in turn offer beautiful views over the lake. Experiencing Rwanda on a motorcycle is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see sights that regular tourists miss out of. Our road today takes us to Gitesi, a village on the freshwater lake. From here you can explore the lake with its fishing boats, relax on the beach or take a boat and kayak tour to discover exotic islands.
Today, we continue our ride for more wonderful mountainous views of Lake Kivu. In Ruhengeri, the road condition can be challenging from time to time, so your caution and attention to the slippery surface of the roads is needed. At the highest point of the route we turn onto another beautiful route along the many volcanoes of the Volcanoes National Park. From here you enjoy spectacular views from the freedom of riding a motorbike through unspoiled nature.
On a winding road between two lakes we arrive at the border to Uganda. In Uganda, we ride to Kisoro to take our motorbikes on a lava rock trail into the mountains. This will take us to our well-deserved place of rest for today at the beautifully situated resort on Lake Mutanda.
We will spend the whole day visiting gorillas. This is a pricey undertaking and therefore optional, but we highly recommend you take this tour. The necessary permits have already been reserved in advance for you. In order to protect these endangered animals, only eight people per day are allowed to visit each of the three gorilla families. A stay with a family of gorillas is for the duration of maximum one hour. A gorilla family sleeps in a different place every night. So every morning, so-called "trackers" are sent out to locate the families in the dense jungle. Later that day, the group of eight visitors led by a guide and rangers,are then carefully guided through the jungle to the gorillas with the help of GPS coordinates. How long we have to walk to get to the gorillas depends entirely on where the gorillas are at that moment. So hush and listen! You will never forget this experience.
Today we ride into the high mountains of Uganda. Our off-roading skills will be put to the test on the more challenging roads in Uganda. So prepare yourself for a very beautiful but also a strenuous day. Wonderful mountain ranges shrouded in misty clouds become visible, then they disappear and alternate with tea plantations. Groups of women in colorful clothes walk the roads and fields carrying loads on their heads. This is such a beautiful part of Uganda. Ruhija is a small village where the Bwindi Research Centre is located. Here we have our lunch break. The dirt roads lead us further over the mountain ranges and take us to the rolling hills landscape along Lake Edward. This is the entrance to the Queen Elisabeth National Park. We ride on a long dirt road through the park and we are sure to see wild animals on the way. Lucky for us, Uganda is the only country in Africa where motorbikes are still allowed in national parks. In the southernmost part of the park, called Ishasa Park, we will stay in a safari camp on the banks of a river. Elephants and hippos often walk along and through the river here.
We make our way further into Ishasha Park in search of the tree-climbing lions you can spot here. We have our own escort vehicle and an optional safari jeep that may be hired locally. This amazing tour of Uganda on a motorcycle gives us another day of amazing sights and sounds. In the afternoon we ride back north where we pass the equator again. On our west side we see the Rwenzori Mountains with Mount Baker at 4843 metres. On the east side lies Kibale Forest National Park where we will spend the night in a jungle lodge.
Early in the morning a ranger guides us into the dense jungle. From far away we will hear the chimpanzees that inhabit this part of the forest. They feast on food high up in the trees in large groups. When we approach them, they will first show us that they rule this forest. Showing their dominance, they will run towards us shouting, all to impress us. They will approach us from all sides to check us out. Once it is clear to them that they are the "boss", and we respect them, they leave us alone. That is when we can start observing the chimpanzees up close.We are allowed to stay close to the chimpanzees for a maximum of one hour. After this impressive walk we get back on our motorbikes and ride the long way back to Kampala. The ride into Kampala itself is an experience you won’t soon forget.
You will be taken to the airport in Entebbe with unforgettable experiences and memories in your backpocket.
Warning: this kind of travel is addictive.
During this trip we ride Kibo 250 cc motorbikes, made in Kenya and specially designed for use in Africa.
The highlight of this motorcycletrip is the visit to the mountain gorillas in the green volcanic highlands. To encounter gorillas so close in their natural habitat is simply magnificent. Guided by experienced game rangers, we move quietly through dense mountain rainforest until suddenly a gorilla family appears just a few metres away from us! To protect the animals, our stay is limited to one hour and the group size is maximum eight people. The duration of the hike to the gorillas depends on the location of the family in the rainforest. Due to the high cost, we offer this excursion as an option. The price for this excursion is adjusted annually by the Wildlife Authority. The current price is 800,- USD per person. You have to let us know beforehand if you want to participate in this excursion. It is notpossible to decide on the spot.
During this trip through Uganda and Rwanda we do not travel to any significant altitudes. The slippery and adventurous roads in the mountains around Bwindi can make the tour considerably more challenging and off road experience is needed. However, we will only ride in this area for two days.
There are only a few paved roads in Uganda leading in all directions from Kampala. Almost all other roads are unpaved. Due to the poor infrastructure, we do not have much choice of roads in this part of the world. Therefore, we alternately follow the paved main roads and narrow unpaved side roads.
With a few exceptions,we will stay in comfortable hotels or lodges during this trip. In Nyagatare we will stay in a simple hotel and in Lake Bunyony and Ishasha we will stay in a safari camp.
Uganda has two rainy seasons: Spring - March to May, and Autumn - October to November. Since Uganda is located exactly on the equator, the average temperature is almost 30 degrees all year round. The average altitude of this country is 1000 metres. This fact reduces the heat in many places. Especially in the evenings it can cool down considerably. There are four seasons in Rwanda, the longest dry season is from June to September.
A helmet, protective motorbike clothing, good gloves and boots or other sturdy, high footwear are compulsory. Sunglasses are also useful. A helmet with a visor or good glasses to protect against dust on dirt roads can also be useful.
Your passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry. Check if your nationality requires to obtain a visa for Uganda and Rwanda. Visas should be applied for in advance. Proof of a yellow fever vaccination must be submitted with the visaapplication for Uganda. Costs Visa Uganda (approx. 50 US$) https://visas.immigration.go.ug/ , Rwanda (approx. 50 US$) https://irembo.gov.rw/home/citizen/all_services . You will need an international driving license.
Rider starting at: € 3390,-
Pillion: € 2690,-
Single room occupancy additional charge: € 525,-
Pocket money to bring with you: € 500,-*
Minimum number of riding participants: 6
Maximum number of riding participants: 10
Maximum number of pillion riders: 0
This tour is available on these dates:
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