All of Uganda’s main parks are included in this 12-day Best of Uganda Wildlife Safari, with the exception of the less frequented Kidepo in the northeast. The opportunity to see the critically endangered Mountain Gorillas in the mists of Bwindi is the highlight of this safari. But before you go on your date with the gentle giants, you may visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Murchison Falls National Park to discover what else Uganda has to offer. You will go west from Murchison to Kibale Forest National Park, which is among the greatest locations to see chimpanzees, our closest cousins. You’re going to Queen Elizabeth National Park after this. You visit Lake Mburo National Park on the final phase of your safari, where you may embark on a nature walk to get up close and personal with wildlife.
Detailed Itinerary.
Day 1: Arrival – Entebbe Airport.
Our corporate representative will greet you and take you to a hotel reserved for supper and overnight when you arrive at Entebbe International Airport, which is situated on a peninsula jutting into the largest freshwater lake in Africa.
Accommodation: Kampala Sheraton Hotel, Kampala Serena Hotel, Cassia Lodge.
Meals: (Dinner).
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park – Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
You leave Kampala this morning after breakfast, travelling through the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary on your way to Murchison Falls National Park. Once you reach the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, rhinos that were exterminated from the wild in Uganda are being bred in preparation for their eventual reintroduction into the national parks. A guide and armed rangers will take you on a nature walk to look for rhinos when you get to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. You can track the rhinos in your car if you don’t feel like doing the walk. After spending some time in the rhinos’ company, you will enjoy a picnic lunch at the location after you have seen them. After your lunch, you will continue to Murchison Falls National Park. On arrival, you will check-in at for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation: Paara Safari Lodge, Nile Safari Lodge, Murchison River Lodge.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 3: Morning Game Drive – Afternoon Boat Cruise to the Falls.
You will rise early this morning and go on a wildlife drive before breakfast to catch a glimpse of the magnificent dawn over the vast savannah, patchy woodland, and riverine vegetation along the Nile. In order to find wildlife, you will search the park for lions, buffalo, elephants, giraffes, antelope, and many other species. You will head back to the lodge for lunch and leisure between 10 and 11 a.m. You will depart for the boat launch to the base of the impressive Murchison Falls at 2:00 p.m. after lunch.
You will disembark from the boat and walk to the top of the falls once this three-hour boat ride reaches its peak at the edge of the rift valley escarpment (wear sports shoes while on the boat for ease of climbing to the top). After exerting yourself, reach the summit and immerse yourself in the misty spray created by the Nile forcing itself through the 7-meter crevice to form the renowned Murchison Falls. When it is time to head back to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay, your guides will be waiting for you up above.
Accommodation: Paara Safari Lodge, Nile Safari Lodge, Murchison River Lodge.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 4: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
Get up early this morning and eat breakfast at 6.30 a.m. Check out of the motel and drive from Murchison Falls to Fort Portal after breakfast. This segment of the safari crosses a gravel road that is undergoing construction. You will travel through lush, green countryside with traditional homesteads encircled by crop plantations before arriving in Fort Portal in the middle of the afternoon. You will proceed to the National Park of Kibale Forest. Upon arrival, you will eat dinner and spend the night.
Accommodation: Primate Lodge, Kyaninga Lodge, Kibale Forest Cottages.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 5: Chimpanzee Trekking Experience – Bigodi Community Walk
You’re in for some serious monkey business today! Following breakfast, you will be driven by your guides to the headquarters of Kibale Forest National Park in Kanyanchu for a briefing prior to starting your chimpanzee trekking adventure. It is said that in all of East Africa, Kibale Forest has the highest concentration and variety of primates. During a guided nature walk through the tropical rain forest, you will look for a variety of animals, including black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and wild chimpanzees. You will get to spend an entire hour up close and personal with the chimps after you’ve found them. Your guides/rangers will lead you back to your accommodation or the park headquarters after the required one-hour session is over.
You will either enjoy lunch at one of the lodges within the park or return to your lodge for lunch.
After lunch in the afternoon, set out for your two to three hour Bigodi community stroll. This stroll will introduce you to the locals who live close to the park, taking you through small towns, grasslands, and stunning landscapes. During this stroll, it’s not uncommon to see three or four different species of primates, but seeing the great blue Turaco up close can be the highlight. You will return to your lodge for some downtime, dinner, and an overnight stay following your stroll.
Accommodation: Primate Lodge, Kyaninga Lodge, Kibale Forest Cottages.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast and a leisurely morning as you awaken and unwind at your lodge. We will travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park at our leisure because we are not in a rush. As you descend to enter or pass through the Queen Elizabeth National Park, you will pass through Kasese village with the Rwenzori Mountains as a backdrop. After arriving and checking in, you unwind and have lunch. Visit the Katwe Crater Lake later in the evening after lunch, where the inhabitants have been mining salt for generations. This lake is considerably too salty for any species to live in, and it is located close north of the striking Mweya peninsula.
But since the sixteenth century, it has protected the survival of the people who live in Katwe, who spend their days collecting salt from the milky waters of the equatorial sun. Take in the breathtaking journey to Katwe while keeping an eye out for buffalo and elephants, among other animals. Be cautious when visiting Lake Kitagata, which is nourished by briny hot springs and offers breathtaking vistas but little fauna. When you reach the salt mines, you will be astounded at the intricate system of walkways and shelters constructed across the lake to house hundreds of labourers. Tradesmen from all around Uganda, as well as the Congo and Rwanda, purchase the salt.
In addition to giving tourists a unique perspective on the challenging but interesting process of salt mining, this tour affords Katwe a source of additional revenue. You will witness people from the village at work, cross mud pathways, and enjoy the remainder of the day to yourself while on the lake trip.
Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge, Elephant Plains Lodge, Bush Lodge.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 7: Morning Game Drive – Afternoon Boat Cruise along Kazinga Channel
After breakfast at six in the morning, we head out for a daytime wildlife drive across the park’s plains. We immediately make our way to the Uganda Kobs’ breeding grounds. After looking for buffalo, elephants, and lions in their natural habitat, we head back to the resort. After lunch, unwind about the lodge. One of the main highlights of your safari is the boat tour we take at 2:00 or 3:30 p.m. down the Kazinga Channel, a natural channel that connects Lakes Edward and George. During the voyage, a plethora of bird species are observed, and this section of the channel may be home to the largest hippopotamus population in Africa. The three-hour boat launch culminates with breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. You spend the night and dinner back at the lodge.
Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge, Elephant Plains Lodge, Bush Lodge.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 8: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Enjoy your meal and get up early. As you transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, we depart the Mweya (north) portion of the park around 8:00 am and go south to the Ishasha region. We will use this as our morning game drive, and the drive should take two to three hours. Keep an eye out for other games. When we go to the Ishasha region, we look for the renowned and distinctive tree-climbing lions. Make sure to locate them atop the sycamore fig or acacia trees that dominate this section of the park on hot days. In the region, there are roughly four prides of lions, totaling over forty. One distinguishing feature of the males is their black mane, which should be noted.
Additionally, the area is home to over a thousand elephants, and significant numbers are typically observed there. Antelopes like as Topi and Uganda Kob are abundant. It’s a great chance to shoot tonnes of photos during the drive. Later, you leave the park by the Ishasha gate and proceed to Buhoma, which is the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park’s northern region. After arriving and checking in, you get to enjoy a wonderful lunch at the lodge. You have the rest of the day to yourself after lunch as you get ready for tomorrow’s gorilla excursion.
Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge, Mahogany Springs, Silverback Lodge.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 9: Gorilla Trekking Experience in Bwindi.
Get up early and eat a light breakfast, ideally before six o’clock. Following breakfast, your guide will drive you to the park’s Buhoma gate and take you to the briefing area, where park rangers will explain the itinerary and assign you to the particular gorilla family you will be monitoring. The rangers/guides will then take you through the jungle, forcing your way through the undergrowth and dividing thick creepers, seeking for where the family of gorillas you are tracking spent the night. Bring a packed lunch in your carry-on, water, and any other permitted personal goods.
Trekking can take anywhere from 30 minutes to five hours; comfortable walking shoes and a reasonable level of fitness are prerequisites. When you eventually find the family you are tracking, sit among the gorillas in the forest and observe them bickering while you are astounded by the enormous size of the dominant male, the silverback. Being in the presence of the last remaining mountain gorillas in the wild while sitting in a lush rainforest is an incredible experience. The rangers and guides will lead you back to the starting area where your guide will be waiting for you to transfer you back to the lodge when the allocated one hour has passed.
Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge, Mahogany Springs, Silverback Lodge.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 10: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
You make your way to Lake Mburo National Park this morning, one of only two parks in Uganda where taking a close-up look at wildlife is permitted by going on a bush walk accompanied by a knowledgeable ranger. You could go on a mountain bike ride in the park, go on a bush walk, or go on a safari on horseback while watching wildlife. You will finish your transfer to Lake Mburo National Park after stopping for lunch in Mbarara town. You check into the lodge when you get at Mburo. You will either do a game drive in the evening or just unwind inside the resort.
Accommodation: Mihingo Lodge, Mantana Tented Camp, Eagles Nest Mburo Lodge.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 11: Horseback Riding in Lake Mburo National Park.
For two hours, guests can select between two optional activities: a safari on horseback or a safari on mountain bikes. Alternatively, you could decide to go on a game walk and see buffalo, zebra, gazelles, and other animals while escorted by an armed ranger. Whether you decide to cycle or go on a horseback ride, you will undoubtedly take in the breathtaking scenery as you travel. You are going to return to the resort for lunch after the activities this morning. If you’re an avid birdwatcher, you can take a boat ride on the lake to spot some of the park’s most notable birds. Otherwise, relax and have the rest of the day to yourself or you can head out in the vehicle for an evening game drive. Return later for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation: Mihingo Lodge, Mantana Tented Camp, Eagles Nest Mburo Lodge.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 12: Return to Entebbe – Departure.
Enjoy your breakfast and a leisurely start to the day this morning. At 10:00 am, check out of the resort and start your journey to Kampala, making a stop at Masaka’s Equator crossing. As they will be travelling more than 400 km from farther south, any party that chose to pursue gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park after you departed Queen Elizabeth can rejoin you here, or even in Kampala. At the Equator crossing, you can have a nice lunch, shop for mementos for your Uganda safari, and snap amusing photos. Following lunch, you will go to Entebbe, where you will arrive in the evening to check in for your flight home.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch).
End of the 12 Days Best of Uganda Wildlife Safari.
The 12 Days Best of Uganda Wildlife Safari includes;
- 1 Gorilla Permit per person.
- 1 Chimpanzee Tracking Permit per person.
- Accommodation and meals as per the itinerary.
- Transportation in a 4×4 safari vehicle.
- Services of an English-speaking tour guide.
- Park Entrance fees.
- Bottled Water in the vehicle.
- Tour guide allowances.
- Airport Transfer.
- Government Taxes.
However, the tour cost excludes; Visa fees, international airfare, personal travel insurance, personal shopping bills, telephone bills, tips to local guides, items of personal nature such as cigarettes, laundry, souvenirs and items not listed as included in the cost.