12 Days Explore Uganda

12 Days Explore Uganda

The safari takes you to Murchison Falls National Park for your Zziwa Rhino tracking, game drive and launch trip to the bottom of the falls. The safari continues to Kibale National Park for Chimpanzee trekking and primate watching since it hosts the highest population of primates in the country. Then continue to Queen Elizabeth National Park where you will enjoy game drives plus a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel that joins Lake George and Lake Edward. Continue with Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for your ultimate Gorilla experience hosting the highest population on mountain gorillas in the world. Then you will conclude your safari with Lake Mburo National Park for your game drive and wildlife viewing.

Activities

 

  • Game drives
  • Boat cruise
  • Zziwa rhino tracking
  • Chimpanzee tracking
  • Gorilla trekking
  • Nature walks
  • Top of the falls visit
  • Batwa Cultural Experience

 

Highlights

Day 1: Transfer to Murchison falls National Park – Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Day 2: Game drive – Boat cruise

Day 3: Transfer to Kibale National Park

Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking – Bigodi wetland visit

Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 6: Game drive – Afternoon boat cruise

Day 7: Nature walk – Afternoon game drive

Day 8: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Day 9: Gorilla Trekking-Batwa Cultural experience

Day 10: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park-Nature walk

Day 11: Game drive – afternoon boat cruise

Day 12: Return to Kampala/Entebbe

 

Detailed Itinerary

 

Day 1: Transfer to Murchison falls National Park – Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary

After breakfast, our driver will pick you up from the hotel and hit the road to Murchison Falls National Park. You will have a stopover at Zziwa Rhino sanctuary for your first Big 5 experience where you will have an hour of rhino tracking. As a matter of fact, this is the only place in the country where you are able to do you on-foot rhino tracking. You will have another stop in Masindi where you will enjoy your lunch. You will then proceed with your journey to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest Park where you will encounter with different wildlife. Upon arrival, you will check in your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

 

Accommodation

  • Pakuba Safari Lodge

 

Day 2: Game drive – Boat cruise

You will have your breakfast early in the morning and go for an early morning game drive across the rolling plains in the park. While here, lookout for wildlife including: lions, giraffe, elephants, buffalos, Jackson’s hartebeest, etc. For any birder, there are quite a number of birds to sight during the drive like the kingfishers, standard night jar, herons, etc. Later, head to the dock where you will board off to a 2-3hrs boat cruise to the bottom of the falls where you will be able to have clear views of the falls. Also watch out for aquatic animals including Hippos and Crocodiles and several water birds like the kingfishers, wagtails, herons, shoebill and many more.

 

Accommodation

  • Pakuba Safari Lodge

 

Day 3: Transfer to Kibale National Park

After breakfast, you will depart right away for Kibale Forest National Park and this drive is quite long but incredibly scenic, passing through villages, lush green countryside and hills dotted with tea plantations. You will have a stopover in Hoima for your lunch and after continue with your journey. You will as well enjoy fort portal which is in the foot hills of Rwenzori Mountains filled with tea plantations whereby you will have a chance to take some photos.
Kibale National Park is popular for its highest population of primates like the chimpanzees, black and white colobus, red-tailed monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkey, Olive baboons, blue monkeys, etc. Upon arrival, you will check into your lodge where you will have dinner and an overnight rest.

Accommodation

  • Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse

 

Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking-Bigodi wetland visit

You will have your early morning breakfast and later head to the park headquarters where you will be briefed about the do’s and don’ts while doing chimpanzee trekking. Afterwards, you will start your search for the chimpanzees within the park and this can take you half a day depending on the movements of these primates. However, there are other primates in the area like the Olive baboons, L’Hoest monkey, white and black Colobus, red Colobus and blue monkeys that you might encounter during your trekking. Other animals to watch include; forest elephants unique from the common type and giant forest hogs. Later after lunch, you will take a guided nature walk to Bigodi swamp sanctuary, a good site for birders and here watch out for the Great Blue Turaco, Papyrus Gonolek, herons and pied kingfishers among others. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.

Accommodation

  • Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse

 

Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Have your morning breakfast, and afterwards transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will drive Southwest through Fort portal and the Albertine Escarpment of the Western Rift Valley having lunch on the way.

From here, you will continue to Mweya peninsula found in the Queen Elizabeth national park. This Park was named after Queen Elizabeth the second and it has a variety of wildlife species including; the impalas, kobs, forest hogs, elephants, buffaloes, tree climbing lions, cape buffaloes, etc. The Park also contains 600 bird species making it a must visit destination for birders to Uganda. You will arrive the Park in the evening, have dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.

Accommodation

  • Buffalo Safari Lodge

Day 6: Game drive – Afternoon boat cruise

Early in the morning have your breakfast, proceed for a morning game drive to the Kasenyi plains and be on the look for Cape buffalos, herds of elephants plus the big cats: lions, leopard among others. Return to the lodge for some rest and lunch. After lunch, you will go for a 3-hour boat trip on the Kazinga Channel that connects Lakes George and Edward. During the trip, the sight of wildlife including giant hippos, elephants and crocodiles among others will fascinate you. You will also be able to spot out different species of birds at the water shores. Dinner and overnight stay.

 

 

Accommodation

  • Buffalo Safari Lodge

 

Day 7: Nature walk – Afternoon game drive

After breakfast, you will go for a walk through the Maramagambo forest which is one of the second largest forests in Uganda. This forest is a habitat to a number of primates and harbors many wildlife species including; the butterflies, birds, bats and the chimpanzees which are found in Kyambura Gorge with in the forest.

This walk will also take you to the volcanic caves which is a home to thousands of bat species as well as the predator pythons which prey on the bats that leave within the cave. Later in the afternoon after lunch, you will go for the game drive through the Ishasha sector where you will be able to view the tree climbing lions and other animal species including, elephants, buffalos, kobs, monkeys and many more.

Accommodation

  • Buffalo Safari Lodge

 

Day 8: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Have breakfast in the morning then set off for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park famously known for its resident tree-climbing lions. The chance of spotting these lions is about 80% though sometimes are hard to spot most especially when they are down in the grassland looking for prey. You will continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which is a big habitat for mountain gorillas in Uganda harboring an estimated 459 mountain gorillas, including several habituated groups, which you will trek. With a strenuous day ahead, you will do less on arrival but just check in your accommodation, relax as you prepare for the Bwindi gorilla trekking experience early in the morning.

 

 

Accommodation

  • Gorilla closeup lodge

Day 9: Gorilla Trekking-Batwa Cultural Experience

You will have breakfast and then move to the rangers’ post and here you will receive some briefing on the dos and don’ts during the trekking. Thereafter, you will enter the gorilla sanctuary for your adventure. The area offers dramatic steeply forested landscape and is incredibly dense but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails allowing access to tourists. The time taken and the terrain vary with the movements of these great primates and once you have located a gorilla group, you will be allowed an hour in their presence. The experience of coming face to face with these peaceful giants is very overwhelming. Later you will head back to your lodge, freshen up, have lunch and in the after go for the Batwa Cultural Experience. Here, you will have different forest demonstrations through fire making, herbal medicines, etc. They will also tell you their forest stories, as well as entertain you through songs and dances. You are free to join them in dancing as well as take videos and photos and memoreis. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

 

Accommodation

  • Gorilla closeup lodge

 

Day 10: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park – Nature walks

Early morning after breakfast transfer to Lake Mburo, a small but rich park hosting a big number of antelopes, Zebras, warthogs, reed bucks and a number of bird species. Along the way, you will go through the rolling terraced hills of Kabale and have a stopover in Mbarara for lunch and later continue with your journey. Afterwards, head for a nature walk through the park in the presence of an armed Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger/guide. Take the trail to the top of the hills and see Lake Mburo and beyond and from this vantage point, you will have a great view of 9 of the twelve lakes surrounding Lake Mburo National Park. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Accommodation:

  • Emburara Farm Lodge

 

Day 11: Game Drive-Afternoon boat cruise

After an early morning breakfast, you will set out for a game drive through the park where your eyes will be fed with amazing sights and wildlife such as Impalas, Kobs, antelopes and different bird species. Afterwards, you will head back to your lodge for lunch in preparation for an unforgettable experience on the boat ride along the lake. While here, you will see different animals like the crocodiles, hippos as well as different bird species.

Accommodation:

  • Mburara Farm Lodge

 

Day 12: Return to Kampala/Entebbe

After breakfast check out of the lodge and start your journey back To Kampal/Entebbe. You will have stopovers in Masaka for lunch and at the Equator for refreshments and photography. You will arrive Kampala/Entebbe late in the evening.

End of the safari


Included

  • All Park entry fees
  • Gorilla permits
  • Chimp permits
  • Meals
  • A professional driver/guide
  • All transportation including fuel
  • All activities (included in the itinerary)
  • All accommodation (included in the itinerary)
  • All Taxes/VAT
  • Airport transfers
  • Drinking water

 

Excluded

  • International flights
  • Personal items
  • Beverages
  • Tips
  • Laundry
  • Extra accommodation

 

Translate »