Overview
The 15-day Uganda safari is a great way to explore the beautiful national parks and local communities. Different activities will take place during this great safari and among them are the mighty gorilla trekking adventure in Bwindi National Park, chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park, game drives and boat cruises in Savannah National Parks like Queen Elizabeth, and Lake Mburo and Murchison Falls National parks.
Cultural Tours are also included where you will encounter the Batwa community, Isunga community and Bigodi community. The safari is through scenic views of mountains, tea plantations and more.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe and transfer to your hotel in Kampala/Entebbe
The driver guide will pick you up from Entebbe International Airport on landing and he will immediately transfer you to the booked hotel in either Entebbe or Kampala for your first night.
Day 2: Transfer to Lake Mburo NP (home of zebras and impalas). Evening game drive.
The day will commence with breakfast, followed by a drive to Lake Mburo National Park, the smallest savannah national park known for homing unique wildlife such as elands and impalas that cannot be found elsewhere in Ugandan national parks. The journey takes about 4 hours, including a stopover at the equator point in Kayabwe for photos, experiments, and souvenirs.
Arrive at the park and have your packed lunch followed by an evening game drive into the park which will highlight animals like impalas, elands, zebras Ankole long-horned cattle, warthogs, buffalos, bush pigs and more. Head to the lodge booked for your dinner and night stay.
Day 3: Nature walk and afternoon boat cruise
Take part in a morning nature walk that will take you to the salt lick where you will spot Zebras, Impalas, Bushbucks, Waterbucks, Bush babies, Reed bucks, Elands and the birds that can be spotted are Bateleur, Rufous-bellied Heron, Grey-crowned crane, Coqui Francolin, Black-bellied Bustard, Grey Crowned crane and more others. The nature walk lasts for about 2 hours under the guidance of the armed park guide armed to offer protection in case of any attack from a wild animal.
In the afternoon after your lunch, take a boat cruise where you will explore more of the wildlife such as the Hippos, crocodiles and birds like African fish eagles, kingfishers, pelicans, Herons, hamerkops, cormorants, African finfoot and more others. The boat cruise lasts for 2 hours but it will be of full memories and adventure.
Day 4: Cultural tour and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
Take a cultural tour to one of the villages surrounding the park where you will encounter the Bahima culture (cattle keepers). During this time, take part in milking, Cattle grazing, processing cattle ghee and more. After, check out and head to Lake Bunyonyi the second deepest lake in Africa located in the southwestern part of Uganda.
The lake is dotted with 29 historical islands and some of them will be explored the next morning. The journey will include a stopover at the Igongo Cultural Centre to visit the Ankole-Kigezi Museum. Arrive and head to the resort hotel booked for your serenity, dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Boat cruise to explore the islands
Take a boat cruise to explore some of the historical islands such as Punishment Island, Leprosy Island, Bucuranika Island and more. This tour will include optional activities like zip lining and an obstacle course, visiting the nearby village on the shores of the lake tasting the local drink known as “obushera” and more. Later on, return to the lodge for your dinner and night stay.
Day 6: Hike around the lake and Transfer to Bwindi National Park
Take a hike to one of the surrounding hills which will give you a chance to explore the panoramic view of the surrounding and some of the islands. The hike is through the Bakiga homesteads and you get a chance to taste local drinks like “Obushera”, “omuramba” and more.
After, head to Bwindi National Park home to almost half of the remaining mountain gorillas. The journey is amazing as you pass through the rolling hills, terraced gardens and more others. Arrive and head to the lodge booked.
Day 7: Gorilla Trekking and community walk to Batwa villages
The trek will begin after briefing and breakfast where you expect to meet a group of gorillas in the Impenetrable Forest. They will be performing daily tasks such as the Silverback practicing its leadership skills, female breastfeeding, and juveniles playing as other members search for food. The overall experience lasts for about 5 hours including an hour spent in their presence.
After lunch, head to visit the Batwa community through a walk that will introduce you to traditional music and dances, fire making using local materials and more. Support the local economy by buying some handmade crafts. Return to the lodge for your dinner.
Day 8: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Have breakfast and head to Queen Elizabeth National Park the savannah protected area in western Uganda. The park is mainly visited due to various wildlife including the rare tree-climbing lions they will be spotted on your way to the lodge.
Have a game drive enroute where you expect to meet animals like elephants, buffalos, duikers, baboons, varvet monkeys, warthogs and many more. Head to the lodge for your dinner and overnight stay.
Day 9: Game drive and boat cruise on Kazinga channel
Take a morning game drive in the park which will last for about 2 hours watching animals like elephants, spotted hyenas, lions, leopards, warthogs, buffalos, jackals and many more. The game drive will last for 2 hours which will be followed by a lunch break.
After, take a boat cruise on the Kazinga channel to watch animals like hippos, crocodiles, isolated buffalos, elephants, duikers, Uganda kobs, warthogs and birds like pelicans, African skimmers, little bee- eaters, grey-capped warblers, yellow-backed weavers, pin-tailed whydah and more. After a game drive, you will have an enroute game drive which will create memories as you watch more wildlife.
Day 10: Transfer to Kibale Forest NP and Isunga community walk
Have breakfast and take part in a drive to Kibale National Park home to primates hence the primate capital of the world. The journey takes about 2 to 3 hours passing through the Ndali-Kasenda Crater lakes including the twin lakes (Lake Kifuruka and Lake Nyinambuga), tea plantations and banana gardens.
After lunch take a community walk in Isunga with a local guide from Isunga Cultural Community Tours/Association and here, the trail is through tea plantations, vanilla gardens, banana gardens and then into the crater lakes. If time allows, hike to the top of the world a hill that gives a panoramic view of the 3 Crater Lakes, tea plantations and the surrounding communities. Later on, head back to the lodge for your overnight stay.
Day 11: Chimpanzee tracking
Have breakfast and head to the park offices for a briefing where the trekking regulations like don’t feed wildlife, don’t make noise while in the forest, and don’t use flashlights cameras and more. The trek will begin under the guidance of the park ranger well-armed as you spot different animals like the Varvet monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, red colobus monkeys and many more others.
Meeting the chimpanzees will create everlasting memories they will be playing, searching for food, breast-feeding young ones and more. After an hour of following the chimps, head back to the lodge for your lunch followed by an optional activity like a Bigodi Swamp walk or visiting Amabere Ga’Nyinamwiru caves.
Day 12: Transfer to Murchison Falls NP
Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park known to be home to the world’s most powerful waterfall on the River Nile. This river separates the park into two where the northern part is covered with savannahs good for animal viewing and the southern part is covered with forests.
The park is also home to four of the big five animals which the rhinos miss in this park. The road trip is amazing as you encounter local roadside markets, rolling hills and more. Head to the lodge for your dinner and overnight.
Day 13: Game drive and boat cruise
Take a morning game drive which will last for about 2 hours exploring the beautiful savannah plains as you meet Lions, Elephants, Buffalos, Leopards, Uganda kobs, Hyenas, Oribis and more of the birds like vultures, francolin, grey herons, woodpecker, warblers, ducks, geese, Woodpecker and many more.
After, head to the lodge for lunch followed by a boat cruise on the Albert Nile part of river Nile, the longest river in the world to spot animals like elephants, warthogs and birds like African Darter, Giant Kingfisher, Osprey, Long-toed Plover and more others. Have a view of the falls from the bottom and then head to the lodge booked.
Day 14: Visit the top of water falls and transfer back to Kampala/Entebbe
Visit the top of the falls and witness the rainbow that is formed when water passes through a narrow gorge hence forming a thunderous sound. Proceed to Kampala and capture photos and have an optional rhino trekking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Check in the booked accommodation in Kampala/Entebbe
Day 15: City tour and transfer to Entebbe airport
Take a short city tour after breakfast which will be followed by a transfer to Entebbe International Airport and this will mark the end of the safari.