12 Days Exclusive Uganda Safari

This 12-day Uganda safari takes you through the most popular Ugandan national parks with the goal of encountering the big five and the great primates.

Day 1: Transfer to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Your safari guide will pick you up at Entebbe airport and drive you to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. As this drive takes approximately 3½ hours, you will have plenty of time to rest from your long flight and will be ready for the following day’s morning tracking of the rhinos, the time when they are most active. Overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation: Amuka Lodge (midrange) or Ziwa rhino guest house (budget)

Day 2: Rhino tracking and transfer to Murchison Falls National Park

After breakfast, you will be driven to the park offices to register and get the briefing for your morning rhino tracking. On foot, your sanctuary guide will lead as you track the rhinos while they graze. You will have the chance to track one of the big five on foot and spend an hour photographing them in their environment. A unique experience to be found nowhere else! After lunch, you will drive through Masindi to Murchison Falls and observe one of the world’s most powerful falls from its heights. You will have the opportunity to enjoy an evening game drive en route to your lodge where you will have dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Paara safari lodge(luxury) Pakuba Safari Lodge(midrange) Murchison elephant view lodge (budget)

Day 3: Game drive and boat cruise

After your served breakfast early in the morning, you will then drive to the park for a game drive. An early morning game drive gives you the chance to see the early grazers and their predators. The drive lasts 3 to 4 hours, providing you a great chance to encounter a vast array of animals such as lions, leopards, giraffes, elephants, waterbucks, kobs, oribis and many others depending on the day’s luck. Following a picnic lunch, you will be driven to Paraa, where you will embark on a 3-hour boat cruise to the bottom of the falls where. Here, you can relax on the boat and observe such aquatic animals as crocodiles and hippos. Dinner and overnight at your lodge. 

Accommodation: Paara safari lodge(luxury) Pakuba Safari Lodge(midrange) Murchison elephant view lodge (budget)

Day 4: Transfer to Kibale National Park

After breakfast, you will be driven to the Kibale Forest National Park, exiting Murchison through the Mubaku Gate and passing through Bulisa along the eastern shore of Lake Albert, affording you extraordinary vistas. Lunch will be en route in Fort Portal prior to your arrival in Kibale. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation: Primate lodge (luxury) Kibale forest camp (midrange) Kibale guest cottages (budget)

Day 5: Chimpanzee tracking and community walk

After an early breakfast at your lodge (your lodge will provide you with a packed lunch), your safari guide will drive you to the park office for registration and briefing. Following a briefing on proper behavior in the park, you will proceed with your small group to track your assigned chimpanzee family. This can take anywhere from 2 to 5 hours. Once you locate the family, you will have 1 hour to photograph and observe them.

Following lunch, you can opt for a community visit where you expect to visit the local coffee processing people, craft makers, medicine man and more others or return directly to your lodge. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation: Primate lodge (luxury) Kibale forest camp (midrange) Kibale guest cottages (budget)

Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

After a relaxed late breakfast and check out, your safari guide will drive you to Queen Elizabeth National Park, an approximate 3-hour journey, where upon checking into your lodge, you will embark on a 2-hour boat cruise in the Kazinga Channel. There, you will be able to observe hippos and crocodiles, as well as some of the savanna wildlife that you will later see on the plains.

Following the cruise, your safari guide will take you on an evening game drive at a moment when some predators and their prey are active. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge (luxury) / Buffalo Safari Lodge (midrange) / Kazinga Wilderness Camp (budget)

Day 7: Morning game drive and transfer to Ishasha

After an early breakfast and check out of the lodge with your packed lunch, you will tour the Kasenyi Plain with your safari guide in search of the early grazers. Most animals, especially the predators, are active at night and in the early morning, thus this drive will offer you a great opportunity to chance seeing lions or leopards as the hunt for food. Following a 3- or 4-hour safari, your driver will then head in the direction of the Ishasha sector, known for its tree-climbing lions and topis — two species not found anywhere else in Queen Elizabeth. You should reach Ishasha in the late afternoon, giving you plenty of time for a late afternoon game drive in the sector. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation: Ishasha Jungle Lodge (luxury) / Enjojo lodge (midrange) Topi lodge (budget)

Day 8: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

After an early breakfast and check out from the lodge where you will be given the packed lunch, your safari guide will take you on one last game drive in Queen Elizabeth before exiting the park and traveling through the Kanungu region to arrive in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest later in the afternoon for relaxation. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation: Gorilla heights lodge (luxury) Bweza Lodge (midrange) /Rushaga Gorilla Havens lodge (budget)

Day 9: Gorilla tracking

After an early breakfast, your lodge will provide you with a packed lunch, your safari guide will drive you to the briefing point in the park where for check in. The briefing begins at 8:30 am, however guests are requested to arrive by 8:00 am. Following a briefing on proper behavior in the forest, with your ranger guide and small group you will begin your trek into the Impenetrable Forest in search of the gorillas. Depending upon where the gorillas slept the previous night, this trek can take 4 hours or more. Once you locate the gorilla family, you will have 1 hour to photograph them and observe their behavior, after which you will hike back to the ranger station for your graduation ceremony and receive your gorilla tracking certificate. Your safari guide will then drive you to your lodge for an afternoon of relaxation. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation: Gorilla heights lodge (luxury) Bweza Lodge (midrange) /Rushaga gorilla havens lodge (budget)

Day 10: Golden monkey tracking

Following an early breakfast and check out together with your packed lunch(or opt for a hot lunch after the activity), your safari guide will drive you to the Mgahinga National Park for golden monkey tracking, an activity only available in Mgahinga. You will be assigned a trek guide and instructed on proper behavior. Once again, upon finding your family (this can take 4 hours or so); you will have 1 hour to photograph and observe them.

In the afternoon, you will be driven to Lake Bunyonyi for a relaxing end of your day. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation: Bird nest Bunyonyi(luxury) lake Bunyonyi eco resort(midrange) Bunyonyi overland resort(budget)

Day 11: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

Following a leisurely breakfast, you can opt to partake in morning activities on the lake. Upon check out, your safari guide will drive you to Lake Mburo National Park. Lunch will be en route at ishanyu food centre. Entering the park through the Sanga gate, you will have a fine opportunity to enjoy the wildlife of Uganda’s smallest national park as you proceed to your lodge. If you missed spotting the zebras, impalas, topis, elands or giraffes, you will have another chance during an evening game drive. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation: Mihingo Lodge (luxury)/ Arcadia Lodge (midrange)/ Hyena Hill Lodge (budget)

Day 12: Transfer to Entebbe/Kampala

Following an early breakfast and check out, you will enjoy one final game drive through the park and then continue on to Entebbe or Kampala, as per your plans. Crossing the equator, you will have time for a photo-op. A lunch and souvenir shopping stop will be made at the equator prior to your drop off. Reach Entebbe/kampala later in the evening.

End of trip.

Trip includes

• Accommodation and meals as per the itinerary
• Safari 4x4 vehicle
• Drinking water
• Airport or hotel transfer on the first and last day
• Driver/Tour guide
• Fuel for the entire trip
• All park entrance fees
• Hand sanitizer

Trip excludes:

• International and/or internal flights
• Visa
• Tips
• Food and beverages not otherwise indicated
• Laundry
• Face masks
• Gorilla and chimpanzee tracking permit (to be booked and paid for in advance; preparation upon request)