Best of Uganda Safari - 14 Days

Meet at 7 am  for a transfer to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, a 3-hour drive. 

Here, you'll enjoy a walking safari with rhinos in their natural habitat, as the sanctuary aims to reintroduce them to Uganda's wild areas.

After visiting the rhinos, head to Masindi town for lunch before continuing to Murchison Falls National Park. 

You'll arrive in time to visit the top of the falls during the golden hour, witnessing the Nile's waters forcefully squeezing through a narrow 7-meter gap, creating the world's strongest falls.

After taking in the falls and capturing some stunning photos, you'll head to your lodge to relax and spend the night.

Start your day early with breakfast before embarking on a wildlife game drive. During the drive, you'll encounter animals such as giraffes, antelopes, lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, hippos, and numerous bird species.

After a couple of hours, return to the lodge for a break and lunch.

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In the afternoon, enjoy a boat safari upstream on the calm Victoria Nile. Along the 17 km route, enjoy seeing hippos, crocodiles, and possibly elephants, waterbucks, and Uganda Kobs. This area is rich in birdlife, featuring the Goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelican bee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant, and the rare shoebill stork. The boat will stop near the turbulent base of the falls.

You will then return to the starting point, with the current making the return trip quicker. Your guide will be ready to take you back to the lodge.

After breakfast, you will leave Murchison Falls and drive south to Fort Portal Town, a journey of about 5 hours through scenic countryside, farms, and small towns. 

You will arrive in Fort Portal in time for lunch, then continue for 30 minutes to your lodge near Kibale National Park.

After breakfast, you'll receive a briefing from park officials on chimp tracking before heading into the forest to search for chimpanzees. 

An experienced ranger will lead the group, sharing insights about the chimps, other primates, and the forest ecosystem, enriching your walk.

Once you locate the chimpanzees, you will spend about an hour observing them before returning to the starting point. The entire experience lasts approximately 3 to 4 hours, depending on the group's pace and the chimps' movements.

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In the afternoon, you'll visit Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary to observe smaller mammals and primates, including the rare red colobus monkey and sitatunga. The guided circular trail provides excellent opportunities to see up to six primate species and a variety of birds in a short time.

In the morning, you will depart Kibale and drive for two hours to Queen Elizabeth National Park, arriving in time for a game drive and lunch.

The journey will take you along the scenic Rwenzori Mountains. Keep an eye out for lions, elephants, leopards, buffalo, hyenas, and various antelope species during your drive.

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In the evening, enjoy a relaxing two-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel and into Lake Edward. This cruise offers a chance to see the highest concentration of hippos and observe many animals drinking at the water's edge, making it an excellent opportunity for photography, bird watching, and game viewing.

Today, you will explore the vast Queen Elizabeth National Park through two game drives. This park features diverse ecosystems, including grassy plains, tropical forests, rivers, swamps, lakes, and volcanic craters, all teeming with wildlife.

The game drives offer excellent opportunities to see lions, leopards, giant forest hogs, buffalos, elephants, waterbucks, Uganda kobs, hyenas, and hippos.

These drives are a fantastic way to discover the park's abundant wildlife, birdlife, and breath-taking landscapes, making it Uganda's most popular safari destination.

Today, you will leave Queen Elizabeth and drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

The journey from the hot rift valley floor to the high-altitude Kigezi highlands is remarkable. The steep, cultivated hills and winding roads have earned Kigezi the nickname 'Switzerland of Africa.'

In Bwindi, temperatures will be cooler, and you'll check into your accommodation. You can relax at the lodge or visit nearby communities to interact with the locals.

Afterward, you'll rest for the night in preparation for an early start the next day for gorilla tracking.

Today is your day to meet the mountain gorillas - our evolutionary cousins in the forest. Gorilla trekking starts with a briefing by the UWA (Uganda Wildlife Authority) officials to give you a grounding about gorillas, the forests they live in, the conservation as well as the rules and guidelines you must follow on your trek.

You will then be led by experienced rangers who know the forest and your search for the gorillas will start. The gorilla trek takes you through thick rainforests and steep slopes where the trails are basic footpaths, and yet the beauty overshadows the challenge of the hike.

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Once you reach the gorillas, the challenge of the hike goes out of your mind, and you are glad for every weird tree root you had to step over or hold on to as you trekked to the gorillas.

As a group, you will spend 1 hour with the gorillas, watching them go about their day with the silverback leading the family, the females taking care of the young ones as well as the young gorillas playing around with each other.

After your time with the gorillas, you will leave the forest taking with you memories that will last a lifetime. We'll then go back to the lodge for some relaxation- to let it all sink in.

The rest of the evening can be spent at leisure at the lodge, or you can go for a walk around the neighbourhood.

After breakfast, you will depart Bwindi for Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. 

The short drive offers stunning views, and you'll arrive at the lodge in time for lunch, followed by an afternoon of rest and relaxation.

Today, you will have the opportunity to see gorillas in the wild at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

While the briefing and trekking procedures are similar to those in Bwindi, the terrain and gorillas differ. Mgahinga's terrain is slightly easier, and the bamboo forests offer excellent photography opportunities.

After spending an hour with the gorillas, you will return to your lodge to relax and unwind.

After breakfast, you will depart Mgahinga for Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale, a journey of about two hours. Upon arrival, you'll have time for lunch, followed by a free afternoon to relax.

After breakfast, you will drive to Lake Mburo National Park, descending from the highlands of Kabale through the countryside to Ntungamo and Mbarara.

You will stop for lunch in Mbarara before continuing to Lake Mburo National Park, where you'll enjoy a boat cruise to view hippos, crocodiles, and various birds along the shores.

Following the boat ride, you'll have a brief game drive en route to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

After breakfast, embark on a game drive and a guided safari walk with an armed ranger.

In Lake Mburo, you will encounter zebras, giraffes, antelopes, elands, buffaloes, hippos, hyenas, and over 100 bird species.

The relaxed pace of the walking safari is perfect for keen photographers.

It's amusing to see zebras grazing alongside the long-horned Ankole cattle due to local cattle herding.

In the evening, visit the Bahima people to experience their traditional cattle-keeping practices. You will learn about naming cows, milking, grazing, and utilizing animal products, gaining insight into the cultural significance of these cows while getting hands-on experience with the locals.

After this enriching experience, return to the lodge for an overnight stay and relaxation.

On the final day, you'll start early with a guided nature walk led by an armed ranger, where you can enjoy the sights and sounds of nature and have close encounters with zebras and giraffes.

After returning to the lodge for breakfast, you'll transfer to Entebbe for your flight, with time for photography at the equator along the way.