Day 1: Head to Murchison Falls National Park – Stop at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary – Visit the top of the falls

On arrival at Entebbe International Airport or after breakfast at your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala. Our representative (driver guide) will pick you up to start the journey to Murchison Falls National Park – the largest national park in Uganda.

Before reaching Murchison Falls National Park, you will have several stops in several towns and at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary – the only place protecting the last remaining rhinos in Uganda. Here you track rhinos on foot and spend time with them in their natural habitat.

After your experience, you have lunch in Masindi Town and proceed to Murchison Falls National Park. You will head straight to the top of Murchison Falls where you will watch the River Nile squeezing through a narrow gorge before dropping in a thunderous roar leaving behind a permanent rainbow.

After observing one of Africa’s most breathtaking falls and taking as many photos as possible, you will be taken to your lodge for an evening of relaxing, have dinner and overnight.

Accommodation Options: Heritage Safari Lodge (Budget), Fort Murchison Lodge (Mid-range) and Paraa Safari Lodge (Luxury).

Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner

Day 2: Game drive and a Boat cruise along the Nile

Wake up early and prepare for a full day in Murchison Falls National Park.

Your guide will pick you up after breakfast and head to the park for an early morning game drive, expect to spot lions, giraffes, hyenas, elephants, several antelopes and the scenic views of the landscape. Return to the lodge for lunch and a short rest.

In the afternoon, you will go for an afternoon boat cruise along the river Nile. Expect to observe hippos, crocodiles, elephants, waterbucks, birds and so much more. The boat cruise ends at the bottom of falls hence offering you different view of Murchison Falls National Park. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation Options: Heritage Safari Lodge (Budget), Fort Murchison Lodge (Mid-range) and Paraa Safari Lodge (Luxury).

Day 3: Transfer to Kibale Forest – Visit the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary

Wake up early for breakfast, meet your guide and start on a long journey to Fort Portal.  A long the journey you will take time to enjoy the beautiful scenery and the country side of Uganda, by pass small towns, districts, rivers, lakes, forests and local people doing their business or tending to their farms.

You will have lunch in Fort Portal before continuing your journey to your lodge, after a short rest you will head to Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary for a guided nature walks. This Sanctuary is home to over 10 species of primates and an amazing collection of birds, this is an excellent opportunity to mingle with the local people and learn about a local project for women in the area.

Accommodation Options: Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse (Budget and Mid-range) and Kyaninga Lodge (Luxury).

Day 4: Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale – Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Chimpanzee trekking starts early in the morning with a briefing at the park headquarters, a ranger guide will take you through rules and regulations to follow while tracking the chimpanzees.

Chimpanzees are the closest relatives to humans and they are very intelligent, in Kibale National Park there is 4 habituated chimpanzee groups open for chimpanzee tourism. While hiking the jungle of Kibale National Park, you will observe a collection of birds, 12 other species of primates that is L’Hoest’s monkey, red-tailed monkeys, Uganda Mangabeys, coppery-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys among others, forest mammals, insects and more.

The trek through the forest takes approximately 2 to 4 hours depending on the movement of the chimpanzees and where they spent their previous night, you will spend one hour in the presence of the chimpanzees while taking pictures and watching them in their natural habitat as they pick fruits, play and groom each other among others.

Once you have completed observing the playful chimpanzees, you will go back to the lodge for lunch and then begin the 2-hour drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. 

Accommodation options: Bush Lodge (Budget), Park View Safari Lodge (Mid-range) and Mweya Safari Lodge (Luxury).

Day 5: Morning Game drive – Launch cruise along the Kazinga Channel

Wake up for breakfast and head to the park for a morning game drive along the Kasenyi tract, the game drive provides opportunities to spot buffaloes, lions, elephants, buffaloes, hyenas and the occasional leopard.

The Kasenyi Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park is found in open ground which help attract big game and hence excellent for wildlife viewing. After observing the wildlife and unique scenery, you will head back to the lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon, you will go for afternoon boat cruise at the Kazinga Channel starting at 2:00 pm. This channel connect Lake Edward to Lake George and has one of the highest concentration of hippos in Africa.

Accommodation options: Bush Lodge (Budget), Park View Safari Lodge (Mid-range) and Mweya Safari Lodge (Luxury).

Day 6: Nature Walk in Maramagambo forest and the Kyambura Gorge

Enjoy breakfast, meet your guide and head to Maramagambo Forest for a guided walk. This walk is designed to allow participants to observe birds, primates, moths, pythons and bats calling the forest home. Primates to lookout for include baboons, chimpanzees, red tailed monkeys, L’hoest monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys among others.

Later in the afternoon, you will visit the famous Kyambura Gorge – an underground forest formed millions of year ago. The gorge has a forest inside and is home to an incredible collection of birds and mammals, chimpanzees are the key attractions in the gorge but tourists can also spot hippos, elephants and small primates inside the gorge.

Accommodation options: Bush Lodge (Budget), Park View Safari Lodge (Mid-range) and Mweya Safari Lodge (Luxury).

Day 7: Game drive to see tree climbing lions – Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Have breakfast, check out of your lodge and embark on a journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The drive takes you the Ishasha Sector famous for the rare tree climbing lions, you will see the famous tree climbing lions lounging on fig trees and other animals like Uganda Kobs, elephants, buffaloes and many other species of primates.

Continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with lunch along the way.  Arrive in the evening, check into your lodge for check-in, have dinner and overnight.

Accommodation Options: Rushaga Camp (Budget), Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge (Mid-range) and Buhoma lodge (Luxury).

Day 8: Gorilla Tracking – Visit the Batwa in Bwindi

Wake up early for breakfast and head to the park gorilla trekking experience, your drive will take you to the park offices for briefing which starts at 7:30 am. The briefing covers everything there is to know about gorilla trekking including the gorilla groups in the sector, history of the forest and what to expect.

After briefing, you will be assigned a gorilla family to trek in groups of 8 people. Your park guides will offer you a hiking stick and a chance to hire a porter to help you with any heavy luggage.

Gorilla trekking takes approximately 20 minutes to 6 hours depending on the gorilla family you are tracking and their location, once you locate them you are allowed only one hour of observing them and taking as many photos as possible.

After spending time with these gentle giants, you will go for a visit to the Batwa Pygmies of Bwindi. These people were forced out of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park after the forest being declared a protected area to protect the then critically endangered mountain gorillas. You will have an opportunity to learn about their ancient ways of life and struggles, be entertained by local dances and drama among others.

Accommodation Options: Rushaga Camp (Budget), Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge (Mid-range) and Buhoma lodge (Luxury).

Day 9: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park – Afternoon boat cruise

After breakfast, you will leave Bwindi for Lake Mburu National Park. The journey takes you through the rolling hills of Kisoro also known as the “Switzerland of Africa”. Expect to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the terraced hills, valleys and vast banana plantations.

Lunch will be in Mbarara town before continuing to the park, arrive in time to have a 2-hour boat cruise on Lake Mburo to see water birds, hippos, zebras, crocodiles and most of the park animals drinking water or bathing by the shores.

Accommodation Options: Mihingo lodge (Upper Market), Rwakobo Rock (Mid-range) and Rwonyo Rest Camp (Budget).

Day 10: Morning game drive – Return to Kampala or Entebbe

This is the last day of 10 Days Uganda Safari, have breakfast and head to the park for a morning game drive. Expect to see various animals including impalas, hyenas, buffaloes, impalas, giraffes, warthogs and leopards among others. After the game drive, you will embark on a journey to Kampala. Have a stop at the Equator Crossing for lunch and get to take photos of yourself with your legs steeping on the two of the earth’s hemispheres that is the Northern and Southern Hemisphere.

Continue to Kampala, you will be dropped off at Entebbe International Airport to catch your flight back home.

End of 10 Days Uganda Safari