12 Days Classic Uganda Safari

This 12 Days (11 Nights) Uganda Safari leads you the best national parks in Uganda; Murchison Falls National Park, Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Lake Bunyonyi.

Highlights of Safari

• Game drive Murchison Falls + boat trip to the bottom of falls
• Chimpanzee tracking
• Game drives + boat cruise on Kazinga channel
• Gorilla tracking in Bwindi and Batwa people experience
• Hiking Mt Mgahinga
• Boat trip on Lake Mburo

Detailed itinerary

Day 1: Kampala – Murchison Falls National Park

After an early breakfast, the guide will pick you from your hotel to commence your travel northwards to Murchison Falls via Budongo forest with a lunch stop in Masindi town. You will arrive in Murchison Falls at the top of the falls in the late afternoon where you will be bathed in a misty water spray which is created by the Nile as part of it squeezes through a rock cleft before it drops down below to create a frothing pool below as the mighty Nile continues on it longest journey to the Mediterranean. From the top of the falls, you will transfer to your accommodation for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 2:  Game drive and Boat Cruise

On the morning of the second day, you will go for a game drive on the northern bank of the Nile. The delta area is gifted with abundant wildlife including buffalo, lions, hyenas, elephants, cape hartebeests, Rothschild’s giraffes, bushbucks, bohor reedbucks, oribi and waterbucks. You will return to the lodge for your late breakfast and rest. Right after your lunch, you will embark on a boat cruise to the bottom of the Murchison Falls. On this 17-kilometer cruise – lasting about three hours, you will see Nile crocodiles in their natural environment, hippos, elephants, waterbucks and Uganda Kob. The Nile’s banks are blessed with a variety of bird species such as cormorants, kingfishers, the rare shoebill, goliath herons, hornbills, pelican bee-eaters and Egyptian geese. After the cruise and hike to the top of the falls, return to your accommodation for overnight stay and dinner.

Day 3: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

After breakfast, you will embark on an 6–hour transfer to Kibale Forest National Park; traversing the Albertine Escarpment through lush countryside, traditional farms and homesteads arriving in Fort Portal in the afternoon for a late lunch. From Fort Portal, you will head to Kibale Forest National Park, some 76 kilometres away for your accommodation and overnight stay.

 Day 4: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale Forest

Early morning after breakfast, your guide will drive you to Kanyanchu, Kibale Park Headquarters, before 8.00 am for a briefing ahead of your chimpanzee tracking. Kibale forest harbours other primates including the red-tailed and grey-cheeked Mangabeys, Blue and Red-Colobus monkeys. Also on show are the many beautiful bird species and butterflies. A visit to the nearby Bigodi swamp eco tourism site given its astounding flora and fauna will be worthwhile for you on this safari.  You will spend most of the day tracking these primates and will return later to your accommodation for late lunch, relaxation and overnight stay.

 Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

In the morning, you will transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park – with a visible drop in altitude as you drive down to the bottom of the Albertine rift. The trip will take you approximately 3 hours. You will arrive at your accommodation in time for lunch. Following lunch, you will go on a boat cruise along the Kazinga channel, which links Lakes George and Edward. In addition to the great variety of wildlife, the channel has a great number of water birds. After the cruise, you will return to your accommodation for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 6: Game Drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park

You will get up early and embark on a dawn game drive in search of the big cats including leopard, lions and hyenas. You will then return to the lodge for breakfast and lunch. Later in the evening, you will go for a game drive till dusk to see some of the park’s residents who prefer to hunt or become active when the sun has gone down. You will then return to your accommodation for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi via Ishasha

After breakfast, you will commence your transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via the Ishasha sector for a chance to see the rare tree-climbing lions. After Ishasha, you will exit the park and head to Bwindi via Kisoro – viewing the southern-western highlands that extend into the DR Congo and Rwanda.

Day 8: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi

After an early morning breakfast, with your packed lunch in your carry-on, you will head to the park headquarters for a briefing by the game ranger at the park headquarters. After the briefing, you will commence your gorilla trek. It is not clear how long the tracking will take but be ready to trek for a while as their sighting depends on where the family you are tracking spent the previous night. It could be a short trek or a long one – lasting for more than 6 hours in some instances. When you finally encounter them, this will be the highlight of your Uganda safari. You are permitted to spend one hour to observe, interact with and photograph these calm and lovely apes. After your mandatory hour, you will find your way back to the park headquarters and then your accommodation for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 9: Transfer to Kisoro

After an early breakfast, your guide will transfer you to Kisoro and on arrival you will check into your lodge for lunch. After lunch you will head out to track golden monkeys before returning to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 10:  Hiking Mount Gahinga

After an early breakfast, with your packed lunches in your carry-on luggage, you will be transferred to the hiking starting point. The hiking lasts 7-8 hours and in the evening you will return to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 11: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

After breakfast this morning, you will transfer to Lake Bunyonyi and on arrival, you will check into your accommodation and then go for a boat ride to view the beautiful scenery of the islands and also visit the communities and see their daily life secrets. You will then retire to your lodge for lunch and relaxation.

Day 12: Return to Kampala
After breakfast, return to Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. Drop off at the hotel or Entebbe International Airport.