Safari Overview
From Central to the far Southwestern Uganda, the 9-day safari is an epic African safari encompassing the country’s premier destinations. On this single trip, expect to explore key touristic sites including Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary (the only place currently where rhinos in Uganda are spotted in their natural habitat), Murchison Falls National Park –Uganda’s biggest park and Kibale National Park home to all 13 primate species.
This trip also covers Queen Elizabeth National Park and further takes you to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to enjoy up close and personal encounter with the rare mountain gorillas, Lake Bunyonyi for you to have the best of canoe ride to one of its 29 islands.
The different experiences awaiting you on this long Uganda tour include game drives for big game search in the wild, boat cruise, rhino tracking, chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking and canoe ride.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive at Entebbe and be transferred to your hotel
Entebbe International Airport (EBB) is Uganda’s main entry point for visitors taking flights and it is from here where you will meet our company representative. Get a warm welcome into the Pearl of Africa then a short briefing follows. After, you will be transferred from the airport to your hotel to have ultimate relaxation.
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Today, you will be collected by your safari guide at the hotel facility in Entebbe and then head off to Murchison Falls National Park. Your journey will involve navigating on the Kampala-Gulu highway and includes a break off at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. At Ziwa, expect to engage in active walk with rhinos in the wild with the lead of an experienced guide.
The rhino trek at Ziwa Sanctuary allows you to explore more about rhinos and taking pictures. From Ziwa, head off to Masindi to have another break but specifically for you to have lunch and finally, proceed up to the pre-booked lodge in Murchison Falls National Park in Northwestern Uganda.
Day 3: Morning game drive (Big game search) and afternoon boat cruise
Begin your with a delicious breakfast and as early as 6:00, set off for your big game search via the Northern game tracks with an experienced guide. In a classic 4WD safari vehicle with a pop up, keep eyes on the park’s myriad of animal species from small to big game. The expected sighting for the day include lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants plus the Rothschild giraffes, warthogs, bushbucks, oribis, Jackson’s hartebeest, Uganda Kobs and birds.
Return from the big game search and settle for a leisurely lunch at the lodge. After, proceed for an exciting excursion involving you to search for aquatic life –hippos, Nile crocodiles and water birds. Get back to the lodge by boat or proceed with a hike to the top of the falls and be picked up by the driver guide.
Day 4: Transfer to the edges of Kibale Forest National Park
At leisure, enjoy your breakfast and be picked up by your driver guide. Today, you will be taken to Kibale National Park in Kabarole district. Your journey may cover between 7 and 8 hours, but comes with great views of countryside breathtaking landscapes, sceneries, tea farms, the Rwenzori Mountain ranges and the Crater Lakes, etc. Enjoy lunch break on arrival at Fort Portal tourism city and after, continue up to the pre-booked lodge inside the park or around it.
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Kasese
Leave your safari lodge for briefing about chimpanzee tracking regulations and allocation of park guides. This exercise will be conducted at Kanyanchu Visitor Centre and after, embark on actual search for chimpanzees plus other primates. All 13 primate species all share one forest –Kibale Forest and today, your chimpanzee trek will go for 2-4 hours inclusive of an hour for up close and personal with chimps.
As you look out for chimp communities, expect to come across the red-tailed monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, vervet monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, black and white colobus monkeys and many birds. Begin trekking back after the 1 hour encounter with chimps and you will transferred to the lodge to have lunch, relax then proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Kasese.
Day 6: Morning game drive (Big game search and afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga channel
After breakfast, have another chance to look out for the big game in the wild and today, you will be exploring Kasenyi Plains of Queen Elizabeth NP. This game track is known for its great sights of African bush elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards and antelopes. The entire game drive takes 2-3 hours and you will be with an experienced driver guide. After, drive back and lunch will be provided to you at the lodge.
In the afternoon, embark on a journey to explore the aquatic life along the Kazinga channel. This is 2-3 hours guided launch cruise and comes with excellent sightings of hippos, crocodiles and water birds like fish eagle, cormorants, kingfishers, hornbills and more. Get back after your boat cruise and enjoy dinner then retire for the night.
Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi via the tree climbing lion sector –Ishasha
A hefty breakfast early morning and leave your lodge for Bwindi, driving via the tree climbing lion and topi sector –Ishasha. At Ishasha, a brief game drive will be enjoyed for you to search for the tree climbing lions often spotted lying on fig tree branches. Have lunch in the wild and later proceed to Bwindi National Park for relaxation, dinner and a night stay.
Day 8: Gorilla trekking and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
Wake up early and today is a special day to encounter your favorite apes –mountain gorillas. First, assemble at the park offices for briefing about gorilla trekking rules, allocation of park guides and gorilla families/groups. After, you will be led by a knowledgeable park guide on a search for the endangered mountain gorillas in the wild, about 2-6 hours but this may depend on the location of these apes and your speed of trekking.
Once you have met gorillas, your guide will allow you to have an hour of face-to-face encounter with these large apes, observe them breastfeed, playing, grooming the young ones, copulating, and also take pictures.
After, begin walking back to check out of the lodge then have the rest of the evening at Lake Bunyonyi. At Lake Bunyonyi, you may have sunset boat ride or just relax at the lake shores.
Day 9: Transfer back to Entebbe via the Equator
After breakfast, embark on morning canoe ride to one of the islands on Lake Bunyonyi while also spotting some of the birds that live here. From the canoe ride, get back and check out then set off to Kampala with a stopover expected to be made at the Equator crossing.
End of safari