15-day Uganda wildlife and nature safari
Uganda safari starts and ends in Entebbe. It includes 1 gorilla permit of $700 and 1 chimp permit of $200 in the final cost. The safari will give you a chance of visiting the most fantastic tourist destinations in Uganda for the search of mammals, primates, wildlife and many wonderful spots like Kibale forest, Bwindi impenetrable forest, Mabira forest, and many other destinations. The safari will take you to Zziwa rhino sanctuary where you will do rhino trekking and continue to Uganda’s largest national park with the strongest waterfalls. Murchison falls is often referred to as Kabalega falls. The park is famous for a variety of wildlife and boat cruises, the animal species in the park include lions, elephants, kobs, and birds among others. This safari will also offer you an opportunity of visiting Kibale forest national park home to over 325 bird species and 1500 chimpanzees. Chimpanzees are visited by travellers for one hour which is the same as gorilla trekking. You will also get a chance to visit Uganda’s most visited park famous for the Kazinga channel and many animal species including the tree climbing lions found in the Ishasha sector of the park. The other animal species found in the park include birds, elephants, kobs, and antelopes among others. Lastly, you will visit Lake Mburo national park for several game drives and wildlife species.
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport
Welcome to Uganda! On your arrival at Entebbe airport, you will be met and greeted by our representative who will introduce you to your friendly and professional guide/ guide. Your driver guide will brief you and then take you through your travel plan. He will then transfer you to your place of accommodation. Do a city tour in the afternoon and visit local sights depending on your arrival time.
Accommodation options: Serena hotel, Sheraton hotel (Luxury) Protea hotel, Grand imperial hotel (Midrange)
Day 2: Ziplining at Mabira and Ssezibwa falls
On this day, you will an early breakfast at your hotel; you will depart for eastern Uganda on the Jinja highway passing through tea plantations, sugar plantations, and colourful roadside fruit and vegetable markets.
We shall make a stopover at Ssezibwa falls where we shall do some sightseeing. While at the falls, you will view the river emerging from the thickets, stumbling over the sharp rocks and plunging into the whirlpool. You will have an opportunity to take some pictures before continuing on a very calm course. We shall also take short walking trails around Ssezibwa where you can explore more of the beautiful surroundings and sight beautiful wildlife and sceneries. A stopover will be made at Namawojolo where you will buy some drinks and snacks at your convenience then proceed for the journey to Lugazi town.
The last stopover will be at the gryphon falls camp which is located in Mabira forest, 10km from Lugazi town. Here we shall experience a sky adventure. You will be led to pass through ancient trees by experienced sky captions/sky guides across a network of 5 lines that stretch 250 across the river Musamya. High up in the canopies you will be able to enjoy a view of the forest layers, mammals, and bird species, going for this zip line adventure can make you have a memorable day.
In the evening we drive back to Kampala for dinner and overnight at your accommodation facility.
Accommodation options: Serena hotel, Sheraton hotel (Luxury) Protea hotel, Grand imperial hotel (Midrange)
Day 3: Transfer to Zziwa Rhino sanctuary.
Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel in Kampala; you will be picked up by our driver/ guide for the transfer to the Zziwa rhino sanctuary passing through the traditional homesteads and arriving at the sanctuary in the early afternoon. Upon arrival at the sanctuary, you will do rhino trekking have lunch and drive to Masindi for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Masindi hotel
Day 4: Transfer to Murchison falls national park
After breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and then drive to Murchison Falls National Park. The journey will take you to Budongo Forest. At Budongo forest, you will do chimpanzee trekking this evening. Before your chimpanzee trek, you will be briefed by your ranger guide of the day about the dos and don’ts while with chimpanzees and then set off to the forest to look for our closest relatives. The walk will also expose you to other primates, plants and shrubs in this vast forest. After your chimpanzee trek, you will return to the lodge overnight.
Accommodation options; Kabalega wilderness (Moderate), Budongo eco lodge (Budget)
Day 5: Game drive and boat cruise
With your packed breakfast, you will go for a morning game drive with your guide who will help you spot the big number of wildlife found in the Park, you will be able to spot a lot of African animal wildlife for example elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, lions, leopards, different species of antelope and many tropical birds. After the game drive, you will drive back to the hotel for lunch as you prepare to enjoy the boat cruise on River Nile. This boat will allow you to get close to the water animals which include over 4000 hippos as well as the Nile crocodiles. The Nile has got much stunning bird life which is also enjoyed while taking your boat trip; these include; the bee-eaters, coloured kingfishers, shoebill stork, grey throated and the yellow-billed birds. After the boat cruise, you will go for a rest at the lodge in the Evening as you wait for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation options; Chobe Safari Lodge/ (Luxury), Pakuba lodge/ Murchison River lodge (Moderate), Red Chili Rest Camp (Budget)
Day 6: Delta launch and transfer to Hoima
After a relaxed breakfast, at around 09:00 am, we take a boat cruise to the Delta for another view of wildlife, especially the Shoe Billed Stork. We later come back to the Lodge, have lunch and later transfer to Hoima passing through the Bulisa escapement for a better view of Lake Albert and the Albertine Rift Valley and check in to the service of Hotel Kolping for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation options; Kolping hotel (midrange) Hoima cultural lodges (Budget)
Day 7: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
After Breakfast, start your trip to Kibale Forest. You will drive through the beautiful green scenery and tea plantations. Here you will have a chance to visit the local family and interact with local people during the walk. After lunch, you will have a 3-hour drive to Kibale forest where you will be able to spot some monkeys, birds and Baboons during the stop-overs. Also, visit the crater lakes for the nature walk that takes 2-3 hours.
Accommodation options; Ndali lodge (Luxury), Kibale Forest Camp/ Kibale Guest Cottages (Moderate)
Day 8: Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park
After an early breakfast, we drive to the Kibale National Park visitor’s centre for briefing and chimp tracking. The activity may last from a few hours to several hours. Kibale forest is home to 13 primates of Uganda. Birding in the afternoon along the main road may be productive. Depending on the weather predictions, birding in the Bigodi wetland is also productive with riverine forest birds. Kibale National Park is a good site for several birds that are hard to find elsewhere including Speckle-breasted Woodpecker, Cabanis’s Greenbul and Joyful Greenbul.
Accommodation options; Ndali lodge (Luxury), Kibale Forest Camp/ Kibale Guest Cottages (Moderate).
Day 9: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Today, we shall start early after breakfast and drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Our route to the park will be determined by road conditions, either passing through the Ishasha sector, well known for its climbing lions, or driving through the beautiful sceneries of the Rukungiri district. The park, which is named after Queen Elizabeth who visited it in 1954, is the second largest national park in Uganda, and ranks highest concerning overall diversity, with over 600 bird species listed. travel time is about 4 hours and is located in Queen Elizabeth national park western region of Uganda.
Accommodation options; Katara Lodge/Mweya safari lodge (Luxury), Kasenyi Safari Camp/Ihamba Safari Lodge (Moderate), Simba safari camp (Budget)
Day 10: Morning game drive & and afternoon boat cruise
Arise early enough and after breakfast and drive to the wild for a morning game drive where you will see various animals like elephants, elands, antelopes, buffaloes, and lions, among others.
A game drive gives you the chance to view different landscapes and ecosystems in Uganda. The park is the oldest and most visited in Uganda. The game drive will take place on the Kasenyi plains which are in the northeast section of the park and west of Lake George. There are a large number of various animals like elephants, elands, antelopes, buffaloes, lions, baboons and the odd leopard if you are lucky.
After the game drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch and then set out for an afternoon boat cruise on the Kazinga channel where you will see various numbers of animals like crocodiles, hippos, water bucks, buffaloes, as well as birds like the storks, Kingfishers among others.
Accommodation options; Katara Lodge/Mweya safari lodge (Luxury), Kasenyi Safari Camp/Ihamba Safari Lodge (Moderate), Simba safari camp (Budget)
Day 11: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park. This journey offers beautiful scenery taking you from cultivated hills to forest-covered mountains. You will observe the extinction of endangered mountain gorillas and thus contribute to the protection of these unique animals. We have lunch along the way and arrive for the check at the lodge in the late afternoon.
Accommodation options; Chameleon hill lodge (Luxury), Four Gorillas lodge (Moderate)
Day 12: Gorilla Trekking
Encountering the rare and endangered Mountain Gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is an experience of a lifetime. Half of the world’s population of gorillas lives under the mist-covered canopies of Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforest. In the company of an experienced park ranger, you will be tracking the whereabouts of one of the nine habituated family groups who live in the park. Your tracking experience will be an exciting, yet challenging, journey along forested (often muddy and slippery) slopes, tangled vines, thick vegetation and bamboo forests before you reach the territory of these gentle giants.
En route, your ranger will point out telltale signs of previous gorilla activity like dung, nests and chewed bamboo shoots. Depending on the location of the gorillas on any given day the walk can take anything from 2 to 7 hours. Once the family of gorillas has been located, settle into your surroundings and enjoy the hour you have to quietly observe these fascinating primates whose habits and mannerisms remind us so much of our own. Encountering the mountain gorillas in the wild is a truly humbling and emotional experience, one that you are sure to remember for the rest of your life. After gorilla trekking, you will return to the lodge for lunch and use the afternoon for relaxation.
Accommodation options; Chameleon hill lodge (Luxury), Four Gorillas lodge (Moderate)
Day 13: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park
After breakfast at your hotel, you will start your journey to Lake Mburo National park commonly known as the Zebra hearted land. Upon arrival at the park, you will check in at the lodge and have lunch. After lunch, you will do an afternoon game drive.
Lake Mburo National Park accommodates mammals like the Eland, antelope as well as zebras and waterbucks, making it among the most admirable places to visit in Uganda. The park is exceptional for its attractive, soothingly sloping hills and open grassland basins, intermingled with brushwood, woodlands and rich wetlands. While at the park you will see animals like the impalas, water-bucks, the Cape buffalo and zebras plus many other animal species. The journey takes approximately 5 hours to the park.
Accommodation options; Mihingo Lodge (Luxury), Rwakobo Rock (Moderate), Eagles nest/ Leopard’s rest camp (Budget)
Day 14: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
On this day, you will have an early breakfast and prepare to go to the park for the morning game drive. At exactly 7:00 am you will start searching for animals such as the eland, topis, impalas, zebras and many more with a chance to see the colourful beautiful birds in the evening flying to their resting places.
After lunch, you will be driven to the lake to meet your captain of the day who will take you for a two-hour boat excursion. Lake Mburo boat cruise is an opportunity to see hippos, crocodiles, water birds such as an African fish eagle, and the rare African fin foot. Many animals such as buffaloes and antelopes gather here to drink some water so there is an opportunity to enjoy wildlife, especially marine animals.
Accommodation options; Mihingo Lodge (Luxury), Rwakobo Rock (Moderate), Eagles nest/ Leopard’s rest camp (Budget)
15: Transfer back to Entebbe International airport.
After an early breakfast at your lodge, you will check out of the lodge with the help of your guide the lodge and then transfer back to Entebbe for your flight back home. On your way to Entebbe, you will make a stopover at the equator for a water experiment. It will not be inconveniencing if you bought a T-shirt with the words ‘’I crossed the Uganda Equator’’
We truly hope that you had a wonderful stay in Uganda and Uganda will always be close to our hearts!