16 Days Best of Uganda Safari – Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Big 5

On arrival at the airport, meet your safari driver and interact as he transfers you to your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala.

• Midrange: Papyrus Guesthouse Entebbe/2Friends Beach Hotel.
• Luxury: Entebbe Protea Hotel.

Bed&Breakfast.

With an early breakfast, you will transfer to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary on your way to Murchison Falls NP. Here, you will engage in rhino tracking under the instruction (which includes a briefing before the activity) of the ranger guide assigned to you. After your lunch at the sanctuary, proceed to Murchison Falls, accessing the park entrance through the northern bank, and immediately check in at your reserved lodge.

The ride takes about 7 hours.

Accommodation & meals:

• Luxury: Chobe Safari Lodge/Paraa/Nile safari Lodge.
• Midrange: Pakuba safari Lodge/Murchison River Lodge.
• Budget: Heritage safari Lodge/Red Chili Rest Camp.

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner 

Wake up at 06.30 in the morning and transfer to Paraa (about 20 minutes), where you’ll take a boat cruise on the Victoria Nile Delta. The delta area offers excellent animal sightings, many of which are endemic, such as the Rothschild’s giraffe and the African elephant, among others. The legendary Shoebill Stork is notable in the delta and a must-see species for avid birding enthusiasts.

Return to the lodge for lunch at about 1.45 p.m. and set out to Paraa for yet another amazing scheduled launch trip on the Nile to the foot of Murchison Falls. You shouldn’t skip viewing the Nile riverbanks, which often host the enormous elephants in the afternoon and are home to monstrous crocodiles, the red-throated bee-eater, a local endemic to Murchison Falls NP, and the spectacular waterfall itself.

You will have the opportunity to disembark the boat launch at the drop-off point close to the falls base (approximately 750m) to be met by a ranger guide (UWA) and follow the riverbank footpath that leads up to the top of the rainbow-lit falls. The walking trail from the drop-off point to the head of the falls will take about 4.5 hours. Your safari vehicle will join you at the top of the falls.

After an early breakfast, you will have a morning game drive through the African savanna plains to catch sight of wild drama. Watch the Rothschild’s giraffes, cape buffalos, elephants, Albert endemic birds, and, if you’re lucky, lions and leopards as they go about their daily drama.

You will have yet another action-packed African safari evening (after the lunch break) to explore the park again and retire your day to the lodge.

This African countryside road trip day may take up to 8 hours off your adventure life and reward you with some rare countryside views and Uganda road experiences.

You will depart Bakers Lodge via the rift valley escarpment road offering spectacular views over Lake Albert to DR Congo and West Nile, passing via the towns of Biso, Hoima, and Kyenjojo, and onto Fort Portal to your overnight accommodation venue within Kibale Forest National Park.

En-route to the lodge, you will shake off the long ride with a walk to the “top of the world,” a long Crater Lake area famous for Crater Lake and Mountain of the Moon views.

Accommodation & meals:

• Luxury: Kyaninga Lodge/ Primate Lodge.
• Mid-range: Kibale Forest Camp/Turaco Treetops.
• Budget: Chimps Nest/Wild Camping.

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner 

Wake up early for your next safari experience with free-roaming chimps in the Kibale forest jungle. Be at the trailhead in Kanyanchu by 7:00 a.m. for a briefing, ready to start your chimpanzee excursion under the guidance of a ranger guide. You’ll spend the better half of the morning with a habituated chimpanzee troop, following them around.

You will spot different animal species while tracking, like the red Colobus monkeys, black and white Colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, among others, and different bird species. In the depths of the lush green forest, you will be welcomed by different bird songs. The walking is fairly easy due to well-maintained trails and reasonably flat terrain.

In the afternoon, take a guided walk within the Bigodi swamps and through village communities, interacting with the locals before you retire to the lodge.

After an early morning breakfast, you will transfer to Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary for a nature walk. The birder’s paradise with about 138 species rich in biodiversity and beautiful scenery is located outside the park in Magombe Swamp, hosting eight primate species, including the black-and-white colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed, L”Hoest’s, and blue monkeys, and olive baboons. Bushbucks and mongooses can also be found here. The sanctuary, which is managed by the local community, was set up to preserve the exclusive environmental features and the wetland.

Later, leave for Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kasese, west of Uganda. It is undoubtedly Uganda’s most famous national park and a traveler’s destination. The presence of a varied bionetwork and diverse eco-system, not to mention the beautiful lakes, extensive savanna, and fertile wetlands, makes it home for the big game, 10 primate species, and numerous bird species.

After checking in, you will transfer to Mweya for an afternoon boat launch trip along the Kazinga channel.

The ride takes about 6.5 hours.

Accommodation & meals:

• Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge/Katara Lodge.
• Mid-range: Bush Lodge/Enganzi Game Lodge.
• Budget: Bush Lodge in the Tents/Simba Safari Camp.

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner 

The day begins with an early breakfast as you head to the fascinating plains of Kasenyi sector, with endless views of savanna and also a mating ground for Uganda kobs. Lions and other cats are often seen around the Kasenyi plains, where large numbers of antelope roam. These predators often swarm the unsuspecting antelopes. You will also see elephants, buffaloes, and other predators in their natural habitat before returning to the lodge for lunch.

In the early afternoon, you will have an opportunity to stretch your legs by visiting the Maramagambo Forest in the center of the park, which offers a very different experience for visitors. This remarkable rainforest boasts its crater lakes, Kyasanduka and Nyamasingiri, and an exceptional bat cave. The woodland side is home to a chimpanzee troop, L’Hoest monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, baboons, blue monkeys, pottos, bush babies, and Bates’s pygmy antelopes, among others.

The shady forest, which has 242 tree species, also conceals crater lakes and a “Bat Cave”. The cave has a viewing room from which visitors can observe bats and pythons that live together.

It includes the Kyambura Gorge, which is one hundred meters deep and adjoins the Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is home to a variety of wildlife. This centerpiece, surrounded by savanna, is an important water source for many animals. It is home to a high concentration of primate life, like chimpanzees, which occupy the gorge. Numerous bird and butterfly species are also notable here.

After breakfast, you may choose to explore Kyambura Wildlife Reserve (not included in the quote).

After lunch, you will proceed to the Ishasha sector, famous for its tree-climbing lions, and then retire to the lodge after this amazing experience.

Accommodation & meals:
Ishasha Wilderness Camp
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Ishasha occupies a 100-kilometer area south of Mweya consisting of savannah woodland, the Ishasha River, and Lake Edward. It has a diversity of wildlife, such as climbing lions, warthogs, giant forest hogs, waterbucks, bushbucks, leopards, Uganda kobs, elephants, countless bird species like the rare shoebill stork, and many others. Spend the day enjoying excellent animal sightings in the African savanna.

Accommodation & meals:
Ishasha Wilderness camp
Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

You will leave the beautiful area of Queen Elizabeth and drive southwest via the Ishasha sector on yet another game drive to catch sight of tree-climbing lions. Proceed to Nkuringo and Bwindi Gorilla Lodge through the Buhoma sector, or take an optional guided walk through the impenetrable forest.

You will meet a walking safari guide in Buhoma, on the northern side of the park, who will walk with you for up to 4 hours through the forest to Nkuringo, viewing birds and primates along the forest edge. The waterfall trail, which passes beneath tree ferns, epiphytic ferns, and orchids, allows you to visit three dazzling waterfalls: the Rushura Hill Trail, the Muzabajiro Loop Trail, and the River Ivy Trail, of which the latter follows an old road through the forest, emerging near Nkuringo on the southern edge of the impenetrable forest. The southern side, via the Ivy River Trail, is the shortest route you could follow. Your guide will drive around to the lodge and meet you there. Therefore, we recommend packing a little daypack, as the chances are high that you will arrive before him. A packed lunch will be provided.

NOTE: The walk through the forest to Nkuringo via the Ivy River Trail, which is the shortest route, is USD 150 for a group between 1 and 4 and covers ranger escort fees in the forest, a Nkuringo walking safari guide, and porters to carry the client’s luggage. Extras could be the park entrance fees at USD 40 per person and the vehicle transfer from Nteko Ridge to Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge at USD 100 per group in the vehicle with fuel.

You will be at 2160m above sea level on arrival at Nkuringo. A 270-degree panorama will hopefully unfold from the vantage point of Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge to reveal impressive views of the Virunga volcanoes, the western arm of the Great Rift Valley, and a huge swathe of primary forest that constitutes the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

Accommodation & meals:

• Luxury: Mountain Gorilla Lodge/Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge/Buhoma Lodge.
• Mid-range: Engagi Lodge/ Silverback Gorilla Lodge.
• Budget: Gorilla Valley Lodge/Bwindi Forest Lodge/Nshongi Camp.

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner 

After breakfast, you must report to the headquarters by 7:00 a.m. for registration and a briefing before embarking on tracking these great apes. The chances of seeing gorillas are so good that most estimate that visitors will get to see them over 90% of the time. However, so as to minimize disturbance to these primates, once you find a family, you are allowed to spend one hour with them. This time goes by very quickly, but you have plenty of time to observe them and get all the photos you want.

After this encounter, return to your vehicle and proceed directly to Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge. Visit the top of the world in the evening, and on a clear day, you will view a line of the 5 Volcano Mountains. Retire your day to the lodge.

Tracking mountain gorillas in their natural habitat is regarded by many of our travelers as the most rewarding experience and a major bucket-list highlight for many safari goers in Uganda. A face-to-face interaction with a bulky silverback is a spine-chilling moment that sticks for a lifetime. You’re prompted to ignore attention-seeking things like your camera for the urge of seeing the great apes for the first time and concentrate on receiving your great dose of emotions while spending your precious once-in-a-lifetime moment with a mountain gorilla family.

Remember: you have to purchase a second gorilla permit because the first permit cannot be reused.

After an early morning breakfast with a packed lunch, you will transfer to Rushaga Sector, located 23 km from Nkuringo Bwindi gorilla lodge (or choose to track the previous day’s group). Proceed to the park headquarters for a briefing before continuing to track the awe-inspiring gorillas. Remember, each gorilla family has different behaviours, so expect something unique from the one you are assigned to and later retire your day to the lodge.

After breakfast, take another exciting road trip through the misty mountains of western Uganda, characterized by emerald hills and winding roads, to the beautiful towns of Kabale and Mbarara, and stopover at the Igongo Cultural Centre for lunch.

After lunch, proceed a few kilometers to Lake Mburo National Park, with about 6 to 7 hours of riding between the venues.

The park hosts zebras, hippos, impalas, warthogs, common elands, cape buffalos, and over 300 bird species. Notable predators here are lions, leopards, hyenas, genets, civets, jackals, serval cats, and a population of Rothschild giraffes. You will have a boat trip on Lake Mburo in the afternoon and proceed with your guide on a game drive to the lodge.

Mihingo Lodge is situated on a series of rock outcrops on the park’s boundary, with views of Lake Opeta. Each of the accommodations is very private and beautifully situated. The lodge has a gorgeous infinity pool where the dining room overlooks a human-made waterhole that draws in game, including on occasion Eland antelope.

Accommodation & meals:

• Luxury: Mihingo Lodge
• Mid-range: Rwakobo Rock/Lake Mburo Safari Lodge
• Budget: Eagles Nest Lodge

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

With a picnic breakfast, allow a four-hour hike up to the hilltop viewpoints where exciting horse safaris start. Horseback safaris are an exciting way to view wildlife, including elands and buffalos. Also commonly sighted are warthogs, topis, impalas, duikers, bushbucks, waterbucks, and zebras. Return to the lodge for lunch and relax as you get ready for an evening game drive, which exposes you to wildlife you could have missed during the horse safari.

Note: The horse safari is conducted by Mihingo Lodge.

Return to Entebbe after a healthy breakfast. Along the journey, you will enjoy a warm lunch break and take photos at the equator. The ride takes six hours.

No accommodation
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch.

End of 16 Days Best of Uganda Safari.