Uganda Safari Explorer - 26 days

Welcome to the Pearl of Africa, your home for the coming days!

Today is all about your arrival, some rest to settle in, and a briefing about the entirety of the upcoming trip. Your guide will pick you up from the airport and transfer you to the hotel in Entebbe.

Depending on when you reach Uganda, you might have some time in the afternoon for an evening stroll on the beach in Entebbe.

After an early breakfast, we'll go to Mabamba Swamp on the shores of Lake Victoria. The swamp is one of the best places in the world where you can see the prehistoric-looking shoebill bird. 

Beyond the shoebill, the Mabamba Wetland's maze of channels and lagoons is home to more than 300 different species of birds - making it a recognised IBA (Important Bird Area). Navigating the swamp by local canoes to watch the shoebills - and maybe catching them in time for the morning hunt is a great way to start any day. 

Even though you might not be a birder, watching the shoebill in its natural environment is worth it.

In the afternoon, we'll introduce you to Uganda's capital city - Kampala, through the city tour. We shall hit the highlights such as religious places, Buganda Kingdom Palace, Kasubi Tombs, Uganda Museum, etc. By the end, you will have a good grasp of the pace of life in Kampala, as well as a good understanding of the history and ways of life of Ugandans.

You will be driven back to your accommodation in Entebbe. If you want to confirm the rumour that "Kampala doesn't sleep" by exploring some nightlife, let us know and we'll get it sorted out.

We'll have breakfast and then drive to Jinja for your white water rafting adventure on the Nile. This is arguably the best white water rafting in the world, with rapids and powerful gushes of water covering a distance of more than 30 kilometres.

The adrenaline rush is like nothing else, and you can enjoy rafting for a half day, or a full day. So much fun, on top of the fact that you are doing it on the Nile - in our view the life source of all civilization that started in Egypt.

In the evening, we'll go on a relaxing sunset cruise into Lake Victoria - enjoying the endless horizon and taking in the sun's last warmth for the day. We'll retreat to the lodge for dinner and some rest after an unbelievable day.

The day will start at a relaxed pace as we prepare for our drive East to Sipi Falls - towards the Ugandan border with Kenya. 

The drive takes around 4 hours and goes through beautiful countryside with farms, plantations and small towns. As you start to climb up to Sipi, you will have magnificent views of the flat plains and the magical scenery of Mount Elgon with countless small waterfalls blessing the steep slopes and ridges.

We shall reach Sipi in the early evening, with some time to relax and take in the surrounding views before the night makes it all disappear.

After breakfast, you will go to the start of the hiking trail for the 3 major waterfalls of Sipi. The hike is moderate and slow-paced, taking 3 to 4 hours depending on how fast you want to move as a group. 

You will go through local villages where you meet locals going about their daily lives and learn about much more than the waterfalls.

In the afternoon, we shall go for a coffee experience tour with the locals. Sipi and all the areas around Mount Elgon are well-known for their Arabica coffee. The coffee experience is a 3-hour farm tour where you learn all about coffee - from seed to cup - from the farmers. You will also get to roast and make a cup of the coffee you roasted - and of course, drink the coffee. 

We shall leave Sipi after breakfast and drive to Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve for a game drive in one of Uganda's most remote game parks. Pian Upe is home to many animals including Leopards, Cheetahs, buffaloes, antelopes, giraffes and ostriches among many others.

As one of the less visited places, It has a charm that is noticeably different from the popular savannah parks.

In the evening, we shall continue to Moroto for dinner and rest overnight.

With a slow start, we'll take some time to explore Moroto Town before proceeding northward to Kidepo Valley National Park. The drive takes around 4 hours and goes through beautiful Karamoja with endless horizons on each side.

We shall reach Kidepo just in time to check in and have a free evening of relaxation.

You will start the day early with breakfast and then continue to your first game drive of the day. You will have another game drive in the evening as you continue to explore the park's wildlife and landscape.

On these game drives, you'll get to see many animals including lions, zebras, elephants, giraffes, antelopes, buffalos, leopards and many bird species - especially ostriches and birds of prey.

Today, we shall start the day with a visit to the Nurus Valley for a guided nature walk. The Nurus Valley is well known for its seasonal river as well as beautiful scenery with many animals and birds to see. The guided walk will be led by an experienced ranger who will tell you all about the area.

In the afternoon, we will go on a community visit to a local village and learn about the Karamojong culture and way of life - directly from the people. We shall then return to the lodge for our final night in Kidepo.

After your breakfast, we'll leave Kidepo and drive to Murchison Falls National Park. This is Uganda's largest park that is very popular for wildlife viewing and the powerful waterfalls after which the park is named.

The journey takes around 7 hours and takes you through a vast flat countryside where you will see the landscape change before your eyes. You will pass through many small towns, villages and farms, each with its unique charm.

We shall have a stopover in Gulu for lunch.

You will start the day early for a morning game drive to see the wildlife of the park. You will get to see the wild animals start their day and witness animals such as lions, elephants, giraffes, antelopes, hyenas and much more.

You will return to the lodge for breakfast and some relaxation until the afternoon boat cruise on the Nile. The launch cruise will take you upstream on the Victoria Nile, until you reach the thundering and frothing Murchison Falls - stopping some metres from the bottom of the 40-metre tall waterfall.

The boat cruise is spectacular for seeing animals such as hippos, crocodiles, elephants, antelopes, waterbuck and much more. The banks are also teeming with hundreds of bird species. After the exhilarating boat cruise, you will return to the lodge for relaxation and rest.

Today we'll take it slow in the morning before heading off to explore the top of the falls. Seeing and feeling the waterfalls from above is a great contrast to seeing it from the bottom of the falls yet the power of the Nile water is profound in both cases.

From the falls, we'll enjoy an evening game drive leading back to the lodge where we shall relax and rest up for the next day's events.

Today we leave Murchison Falls National Park and drive south to the town of Fort Portal. We shall start early for a short detour in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where you get to walk with the Rhinos. The Drive to Ziwa is around 2.5 hours. 

After our time with the rhinos, we'll head back to Masindi for lunch before embarking on a journey down to Fort Portal. This part of the drive will take about 4.5 hours and we shall reach our lodge in the evening, just in time for a hot shower and relaxation.

After your breakfast, we'll drive to Semuliki National Park to explore the famous male and female hot springs. The drive is scenic as you traverse the lower extent of the Rwenzori Ranges to the rift valley floor. The views and winding roads are simply epic. 

In Semuliki, the experienced rangers will tell you all about the hot springs and the myths (and ongoing spirituality) surrounding them. Don't forget to buy fresh eggs and boil them directly in the hot spring.

From Semuliki we'll return to Fort Portal for lunch before going to explore the craters and waterfalls of Nyakasura. You will learn more cultural stories about the 'Amabere ga nyina mwiru', and the craters around the area. This is an important place for the identity of the people in Toro Kingdom. 

From the Craters, we'll drive 30 minutes to our next destination - Kibale National Park. We'll then check in and relax from the active day.

After your early breakfast, we'll go to the park headquarters for a briefing and then chimpanzee tracking in the forest. Kibale is the best place in the whole world for anyone who wants to see chimps in the wild - thus why it is called the primate capital of the world.

The chimpanzee tracking will be led by experienced rangers who will tell you all about the forest, its animals and of course - the chimps. Beyond the chimpanzees, the forest is home to more than 10 species of primates as well as over 200 bird species.

You will spend around 1 hour watching the chimps and then return to the starting point where we shall go for lunch back at the hotel.

In the afternoon, we shall visit the local community and interact with the locals as well as learn about their daily lives in a village setting. 

Starting the day at a more relaxed pace, we'll have breakfast before going for the Swamp walk in Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. This swamp is protected as a local community initiative to protect the local wildlife and water resources.

In the Swamp, you shall get to see many species of birds, and more than 10 primates (sometimes even chimps) and learn all about this successful locally driven conservation initiative.

From the Swamp, we'll have lunch and drive to our next destination - Queen Elizabeth National Park. This is a short drive of less than 2 hours in the shadow of the Rwenzori Mountains. We'll reach in the early evening, a perfect time for a relaxing boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel.

With shores lined with buffalos, antelopes, elephants, crocodiles, hippos, birds and much more - this is a perfect introduction to what Uganda's most popular savannah park has to offer. After the boat cruise, you will check in at the lodge and await the next day.

We'll start the day early by going for a morning game drive in the park. You get to watch the wild animals start yet another day in the savannah - where survival is for the fittest, that day.

On the game drives, you will encounter animals such as lions, elephants, hippos, buffalos, many antelope species, and leopards among others. From the game drive, you will return to the lodge for a break and lunch.

In the evening, you will go for another game drive to see more of the animals before coming back to your accommodation for the night. 

After an early breakfast, we shall go to the Ishasha sector in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This area is known for its tree-climbing lions, which we shall visit in the morning before continuing to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

The drive to Ishasha takes around 2 hours after which we'll track the tree-climbing lions for a while. We'll have our lunch in Ishasha, and then drive another 2 hours to Buhoma sector of Bwindi - arriving early in the evening.

We shall check in and rest up in preparation for tomorrow's gorilla trek.

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. 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.

Today, we will start slowly and pace ourselves. After breakfast, we shall go for a cultural experience with the Batwa tribespeople. 

The Batwa used to live in Bwindi until the 1990s when the forest was gazetted as a national park, and they were thus removed. This cultural experience will give you insight into their old ways of life which enabled them to thrive harmoniously with the gorillas and everything else in the forest.

Talking to the people - exact persons - who used to live in the forest harmoniously alongside the gorillas, and learning about their adjustment to modern village life is an incredible human experience.

From the Batwa, we'll have lunch and then drive to our next stop - Lake Bunyonyi.

Lake Bunyonyi - the "place of many small birds" - is the deepest lake in Uganda and one of the most popular relaxation spots in the country. The lake is dotted with more than 20 small islands - some with epic stories from the past.

We shall explore the lake's islands by boat and spend the rest of the day relaxing and taking in the beauty before our eyes.

If you want some adrenaline rush, there is a great high ropes course (think Ninja warrior) as well as a zipline across the lake. This can be added as an option.

Starting the day at a slower pace, we shall leave Lake Bunyonyi and drive to Lake Mburo National Park. This is a short drive of around 2.5 hours - which gives us a chance for an optional detour to visit the Kitagata hot springs before continuing through Ishaka to Lake Mburo.

We will reach Lake Mburo in the evening, just in time for a relaxing boat cruise on the Lake after which the park is named. The boat cruise offers a great chance to see many of the park's animals and birds on the shores.

You will start the day early with a walking safari to see the animals of the park up close. An armed ranger will lead you through this as you get a more personal encounter with zebras, giraffes, eland and other antelopes of the park.

From your morning game walk, we go back to the lodge for breakfast and some relaxation before continuing to our next destination - the Ssese Islands of Lake Victoria.  

We'll drive to Bukakata (2 hours) for a short ferry ride to Ssese Islands - reaching late in the afternoon with some time to catch the beautiful sunset over the lake's horizon.

This is the day to kick back and relax on Africa's biggest lake. Whether you want to spend the day reading a book by the pool at the resort or walk along the beach and interact with local fishermen - it is all up to you. 

We'll spend a leisurely half day in Ssese before leaving the Islands for Entebbe. We take a ferry back to Masaka and join the Kampala highway.

We shall make a stop at the equator crossing point in Kayabwe for some equator experiments, souvenirs shopping and of course, the pictures. After here, we continue to your accommodation in Entebbe.

You should know that there is also the option of leaving Ssesse by ferry directly to landing sites in Entebbe and we can adjust for it.

This is the last day of your adventure - and while the tour is over, the memories are forever. Our bond is also forever.

Depending on the time of your flight, you might have some time for a slow day in Entebbe. Your guide will drive you to the airport and assist with your luggage.