12 Days best of Uganda safari

Today you shall arrive in Uganda at Entebbe International Airport and transfer to your hotel in Entebbe where you will stay and shake off the jetlag.

In the evening you shall go for a sunset cruise on Lake Victoria and experience Africa’s biggest lake while relaxing and biting some snacks.

Accommodation to choose from:

Budget: Via Via Guesthouse

Midrange: 2 Friends Beach Hotel

Upmarket: Hotel Number 5

Meal plan: Dinner

After your breakfast the tour driver shall pick you from the hotel at 7am and set off for your trip to Murchison Falls National Park in northern Uganda. Along the way you shall visit the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and do the rhino tracking adventure. The Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary harbors Uganda’s only Rhinos in the wild. It will be a 1 hour experience and you shall see the rhinos and other wildlife on the sanctuary.

Accommodation options:

Budget: Fort Murchison Lodge

Midrange: Twiga Safari Lodge

Upmarket: Paraa Safari Lodge

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today you shall set out to experience the Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s biggest park and the prime destination for safaris in Uganda. After early breakfast you shall do a 4 hour game drive through the savannah in the northern part of the park and see a range of animals such as giraffes, elephants, lions, antelopes, buffaloes, warthogs, monkeys, etc…

After lunch you do the boat cruise along the River Nile. The Murchison Falls National Park is crossed by the mighty River Nile which harbors a range of wildlife and during the 2 hour Murchison Falls boat cruise safari you shall see hippos, crocodiles, monitor lizards, and lots of birds among others. The boat cruise will take you to the bottom of the Murchison Falls and from here you shall disembark from the boat and go on a 45 minutes hike to the top of the Murchison Falls following a trail on the side of the explosive of the explosive falls. You witness the most powerful waterfall in the world. On reaching the top you shall meet the driver and transfer back to the lodge.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast you leave for Kibale National Park driving along the Albertine rift valley and enjoying wonderful views of the escarpment, lush countryside, crater lakes, etc…

Accommodation options:

Budget: Kibale Forest Camp

Midrange: Turaco Treetops

Upmarket: Primates Lodge Kibale / Kyaninga Lodge

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today you will trek in the evergreen Kibale forest and enjoy an encounter with our closest relatives the chimps. Kibale National Park is popular for harboring the highest concentration of primates in the world with 13 species identified in the park which includes chimpanzees. The park has the biggest population of chimps in Uganda and arguably offers the best adventure to see these primates. You will meet the park guides at 7am and start the chimpanzee trekking adventure. You will spend one hour with the chimps after finding them, after which you shall return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation.

After lunch you shall go for a nature in the Bigodi wetlands near Kibale forest and spot monkeys, birds, and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Optional: chimpanzee habituation experience

Instead for the chimpanzee trekking/tracking tour which allows you only one hour with the chimps you can do the chimpanzee habituation experience which will allow you a full day with the chimps, from the time they walk early in the morning to the evening when you sleep. You can also end the experience any time in the day when you feel satisfied.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast you shall transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. After settling in and relaxing you shall go out for an evening game drive and experience the beautiful scenery and spot some animals.

Optional tour:

Night safari: after sunset you can go for a night safari in the park to look for the nocturnal wildlife such as hyenas, leopards, and other cats which are active at this time.

Accommodation options:

Budget: Bush Lodge

Midrange: Kasenyi Safari Camp

Upmarket: Mweya Safari Lodge

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After early breakfast you shall go into the park for a game drive to spot animals and enjoy the breathtaking scenery. Queen Elizabeth National Park boasts of one of the best scenery, with sparkling crater lakes and lush plains and grassy hills. The park is also one of Uganda’s prime safari destinations offering great sightings of animals and some of those to look out for on this safari include buffaloes, elephants, hyenas, lions, and antelopes among others. You will spend about 3 hours in the park and return to the lodge.

After lunch you shall go for the boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. This is a big stream of water joining lakes Edward and George in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The 2 hour rides will give you great sightings of hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, elephants and other animals and lots of birds along the banks and are spotted a few meters from the boat. This cruise is great for photography as you have a very close view of wildlife.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast you shall transfer to Ishasha part of Queen Elizabeth National Park which is famous for the tree climbing lions. You will do a game drive in Ishasha to look for the tree climbing lions and also spot other animals. You will then continue to the lodge for lunch and relaxation. In the late afternoon you shall enjoy a sundowner as you enjoy the scenery and spotting animals in a distance.

Accommodation options:

Budget: Topi Lodge

Midrange: Ishasha Jungle Lodge

Upmarket: Ishasha Wilderness Camp

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast you may do another game drive in Ishasha before continuing to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Accommodation options:

Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Camp

Midrange: Lake Mulehe Lodge

Upmarket: 4 Gorillas Lodge

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast you will pick your packed lunch and transfer to the park office where you are assigned the gorilla family you will be tracking. Bwindi National Park has up to 19 habituated gorilla families from a population of about 459 gorillas. You will be briefed about the gorilla trekking experience and thereafter transfer to the point where you start your the trek into the jungles to find the gorillas. You will finds are several hours of trekking and you will spend 1 hour with them.

Optional activity:

Gorilla habituation experience: You do the gorilla habituation experience which offers a 4 hour adventure to track the gorillas and see them for longer.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast you shall transfer to Kampala.

Accommodation options:

Budget: Kampala Forest Resort

Midrange: Cassia Lodge

Upmarket: Serena Hotel

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today you can do a day tour of Kampala Uganda’s capital city before transferring to the airport for your evening flight. You shall visit historical, cultural and economic spots and landmarks in Kampala.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch