“See how the savannah meets the rainforest”
15 Day Uganda Highlights Safari Tour in Western Uganda
Kampala City, Uganda
Savannah and Tropical Rainforest Safari in Uganda
This 15-day trip brings you the highlights of Uganda: where the savannah meets the rainforest. Expect to see the animals of the savannahs (lion, elephant, buffalo, giraffe, hippo, leopard) and up to 13 primate species, including gorillas and chimps! This trip specifically includes the most important and well-known national parks of Uganda: Murchison Falls National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi National Park, Lake Bunyonyi and Lake Mburo National Park.
Key Information
- Private safari
- Minimum number is 2 and maximum number 7
- Starting point and ending point: Entebbe
- Language: English, Dutch, German, Italian
- Park fees and gorilla permit are included
Highlights
- 8 game drives
- Visit to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
- Chimpanzee and gorilla tracking
- Transportation in a 4×4 custom-built safari vehicle
- 14 nights accommodation
- Daily delicious meals
Styles
14 activity days in English
The organizer also speaks: Dutch, German, Italian
Group size: Maximum of 7 participants
Airport transfer included:
Entebbe International Airport
Accommodation
During this safari, you will be provided with 14 nights of accommodation.
Entebbe
Budget:
- ViaVia Guest House
- Muti Guest House
- Airport Guest House
- Entebbe Back Packers
Mid-range:
- 2-Friends Guest House
- Cape Diem Guest House
- Lake Heights Hotel
Luxury:
- Protea Hotel
- K Hotel Entebbe
- Nor 5
Murchison Falls National Park
Budget:
- Fort Murchison Tented Room
- Red Chilly Rest Camp
Mid-range:
- Pakuba Safasi Lodge
- Fort Murchison Lodge
Luxury:
- Mutchison River Lodge
- Kabalega Wilderness Lodge
- Paara Lodge
Kibale National Park
Budget:
- Boulevard Excelsior Motel
- Kibale Forest Camp Tented
Mid-range:
- Isunga Lodge
- Kibale Forest Camp
- Turaco Tree Tops
- Mountains of the Moon Hotel
Luxury:
- Turaco Tree Tops
- Kyaninga Lodge
- Nyaika Hotel
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Budget:
- Bush Lodge Tented Room
- Engiri Tented Room
Mid-range:
- Kasenyi Safasi Lodge
- Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge
Luxury:
- Elephant Plains
- Mieya Safari Lodge
- Katara Lodge
Ishasha
Budget:
- Tori Lodge
Mid-range:
- Ishasha Jungle Lodge
- Enjojo Lodge
Luxury:
- Ishasha Wildemess Camp
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Budget:
- KFC Must
- Gorilla Friends Resort
- Ruhijja Community Camp
Mid-range:
- Bakiga Lodge
- KFC Must
- Gorilla View Lodge
- Broadbill Camp
- Rushaga Goilla Camp
Luxury:
- Rushaga Gorilla Safari Lodge
- Buhoma Haven Lodge
- Mahogany Spring Lodge
Lake Bunyonyi
Budget:
- Bunyonyi Overland (Tent)
Mid-range:
- Lake Bunyonyi Eco Resort
Luxury:
- Bird Nest
Lake Mburo National Park
Budget:
- Eagles’ Nest
- Leopard Rest Camp
Mid-range:
- Rwakobo Rock
- Arcadia Lodge
Luxury:
- Mihingo Lodge
- Mantana Lodge
Jinja
Budget:
- Base Camp
- The Havens Eco Lodge
Mid-range:
- The Havens Eco River Lodge
- 2-Friends Guest House
Luxury:
- Nile Safari Lodge
- Wild Waters Lodge
Program
Itinerary
Day 1: Entebbe to Kampala
Arrive at Entebbe International Airport (EBB). Your guide will be there waiting for you. Pick up and proceed to your accommodation.
Day 2: Kampala to Murchison Falls National Park
Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park. In Murchison Falls, you will visit the top of the falls if time allows. On the way, you will visit the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. This is the only place in Uganda where you can see the White Rhino.
Murchison Falls is one of the most beautiful national parks of Uganda. One of the main attractions is the Nile, with the spectacular Murchison Falls, where the whole Nile is forced through a narrow gorge and falls 60 meters. Expect to see elephants, giraffes, lions, hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes and maybe leopards.
Day 3: Murchison Falls National Park
Early morning game drive in this beautiful national park. Afternoon boat ride on the Victoria Nile up to the bottom of the falls. The boat is the perfect platform to see and photograph many different bird species.
Day 4: Murchison Falls National Park to Hoima
Early morning game drive or boat trip on the Nile to the delta into Lake Albert or visit Budongo Forest for a jungle walk. In the afternoon, you will drive to Hoima town.
Day 5: Hoima to Kibale Forest
After breakfast, you will drive to Kibale Forest. You can make a walk around the lodge in the afternoon. During this walk, it is possible to see monkeys and birds. It is also possible to make a night walk through the forest to see the animals of the night, like bush babies (both activities optional).
Kibale Forest is a spectacular jungle, with 13 primate species! Including chimps, baboons, black and white colobus, red colobus, grey cheeked mangabey, and L’Hoest monkey.
Day 6: Kibale Forest
Chimpanzee tracking in the morning or in the afternoon. For people interested in primates and birds and willing to make another walk, you can make a community walk in the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary as well. It is also possible to visit the local people or the crater lakes.
Day 7: Kibale Forest to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Transfer to the Queen Elizabeth National Park. On the way, you will pass the equator where you will make a stop. Game drive in the afternoon. Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the best places in Uganda to see lions. Expect to see elephants, lions, many hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, and maybe leopards.
Day 8: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Game drive in the morning and boat trip on the Kazinga Channel in the afternoon. The Kazinga Channel is one of the highlights of Uganda and has the highest concentration of hippos in the world.
Day 9: Queen Elizabeth National Park to Ishasha
After breakfast, you will drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park to the Ishasha sector in the South. Game drive in the afternoon in search of the tree climbing lions. In Ishasha, there are four prides of lions that climb the trees daily. Unique in the world! The other attraction of Ishasha are the topis, not found anywhere else in this national park.
Day 10: Ishasha to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Today, you will be driven to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. On the way, you will pass through interesting villages and have some breathtaking views of the mountains. Bwindi Impenetrable is a unique jungle, with many monkey species. Bwindi is one of the two places in the world where you can find Mountain Gorillas! Driving time depends on which area in Bwindi you’ll decide to stay in.
Day 11: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Gorilla tracking!!! Early morning departure with your ranger to search for one of the world’s most interesting and endangered animal, the Mountain Gorilla! You will spend one hour with one of our closest relatives. An experience you will never forget.
Day 12: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to Lake Bunyonyi
Optional activities for today: make a nature walk through the national park, go for a primate or bird watching walk, or visit the local people or pygmies. It is also possible to do a second gorilla tracking on this day.
Afterwards, transfer to Lake Bunyonyi. Lake Bunyonyi is the deepest and most beautiful lake in Uganda. You will sleep on one of the beautiful islands.
Day 13: Lake Bunyonyi
Possible activities for today: make a nature walk, go for a birding walk, go for canoeing, take a swim or visit the local community (all activities optional).
Day 14: Lake Bunyonyi to Lake Mburo National Park
After breakfast, you will drive to Lake Mburo National Park. Game drive or boat trip on the lake in the afternoon. In the evening, you will make a night game drive with high chances of seeing leopards. Lake Mburo is one of the two national parks with zebras and the only national park with impalas in Uganda. There are no elephants and lions, so walking safaris are possible.
Day 15: Lake Mburo National Park to Entebbe
Game drive or game walk in the morning. On the way back, you can make a stopover at the Equator for photos. Transfer to the airport for your departure.
Gorilla Tracking Rules and Regulations
Before departing on your gorilla tracking:
- A maximum number of eight visitors may visit a group of habituated mountain gorillas in a day. This minimizes behavioral disturbance to the gorillas and the risk of their exposure to human-borne diseases.
- Always wash your hands before you head out to the gorillas.
On the way to the gorillas:
- Please always keep your voices low. You will also be able to observe the great bird life and other wildlife in the forest.
- Do not leave rubbish in the park. Whatever you bring into the forest should be carried back out with you.
- You will be taken to where the guides observed the gorillas the day before. From there you will follow the gorilla’s trail to find them. Look out for the gorilla’s nesting sites along the way!
- When you approach the mountain gorillas, the guides will inform you to get ready.
When you are with the gorillas:
- A seven meter (21 feet) distance should tried to be observed at all times from the gorillas. The further back you are, the more relaxed the group will be.
- You must stay in tight group whey you are near the gorillas.
- Keep your voices down at all times. However, it is okay to ask the guide questions.
- Do not smoke, drink or eat when you are near the gorillas. Eating or drinking inevitably will increase the risk of food / drink morsels / droplets falling, which could increase the risk of transmission of diseases.
- Sometimes the gorillas charge. Follow the guides example (crouch down slowly, do not look the gorillas directly in the eyes and wait for the animals to pass). Do not attempt to run away because that will increase the risk.
- Flash photography is not permitted! When taking pictures move slowly and carefully.
- Do not touch the gorillas. They are wild animals.
- The maximum time you can spend with the gorillas is one hour. However, if the gorillas become agitated or nervous, the guide will finish the visit early.
- After the visit keep your voices down until you are 200 meters away from the gorillas.
General health rules:
- Remember that mountain gorillas are very susceptible to human diseases. The following rules are ways to minimize the risk your visit might poses to them.
- Respect the limits imposed on the number of visitors allowed with the gorillas each day. This minimizes the risk of disease transmission and stress to the group.
- If you are feeling ill, or you are carrying a contagious disease, volunteer to stay behind. An alternate visit will be arranged for you, or you will be refunded your money.
- If you feel the urge to cough or sneeze when you are near the gorillas, please turn your head away and cover your nose and mouth in order to minimize the spread of bacteria or viruses.
- Always stay seven meters (21 feet) away from the gorillas. This is to protect them from catching human diseases.
- Do not leave any rubbish (eg. food wrappers) in the park; foreign items can harbor diseases or other contaminants.
- If you need to go to the toilet while in the forest, please ask the guide to dig you a hole with his panga. Make sure the hole is 30 centimeters deep and fill it in when you are finished.
What to bring on your gorilla safari:
- Wear comfortable hiking shoes suitable for steep muddy slopes.
- Put on ear plugs for those who feel uncomfortable with the jungle sounds.
- Carry a packed lunch and enough drinking water.
- Carry rain gear, sunscreen lotion, a hat (as the weather is unpredictable) and insect repellent.
- Bring a photo of film camera. Using flashlight is not permitted so Enchanted Uganda Safaris Limited recommend using films of 400-800 ASA.
Included excursions
- Boat ride on the Victoria Nile on the third day
- Boat trip on the Kazinga Channel on the eighth day
Location
This safari will take you through the most important and well-known national parks of Uganda: Murchison Falls National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi National Park, Lake Bunyonyi, and Lake Mburo National Park.
Murchison Falls National Park
It is Uganda’s largest national game park, comprised of the Bugungu and Karuma wildlife reserves and covering about 3,840 square kilometers of protected area.
The park got its name from the sensational Murchison Falls, where the longest river in the world, the Nile forces through a tiny chasm of about seven meters wide to explode into a violent tempest in a whirlpool about 43 meters below. It becomes a calm river that attracts a lot of wild life along its banks including many buffalos, water bucks, elephants and hogs that throng the river banks to drink fresh water, cool off the scorching heat and eat fresh grass.
The Nile is also home to one of Africa’s densest hippo and crocodile population plus many water birds including the world’s most accessible wild population of the rare shoebill stork.
Kibale National Park
Kibale National Park is located in the districts of Kabarole and Kamwenge, approximately 320 kilometers (200 miles), by road, west of Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city. It is 766 square kilometers in size and is located between 1100 and 1600 meters in elevation. Despite encompassing primarily moist evergreen forest, it contains a diverse array of landscapes. Kibale is one of the last remaining expanses to contain both lowland and mountain forests.
Kibale National Forest has one of the highest diversity and concentration of primates in Africa. It is home to a large number of endangered chimpanzees, as well as the red colobus monkey and the rare L’Hoest’s monkey.
The park is also home to over 325 species of birds, four wild fields, various species of primates, a total of at least 60 other species of mammals and over 250 tree species. The predominant ecosystem in Kibale is moist evergreen and semi-deciduous forest.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
It is located in western Uganda, spanning the districts of Kasese, Kamwenge, Bushenyi and Rukungiri. Its location is approximately 376 kilometres (234 miles), by road, southwest of Kampala. The area of the park extends from Lake George in the northeast to Lake Edward in the southwest, and includes the Kazinga Channel that connects the two lakes.
The park is named after Queen Elizabeth II it is home to 95 species of mammal and over 500 species of birds. The area around Ishasha in Rukungiri District is famous for its tree-climbing lions, whose males sport black manes, a feature unique to the lions in this area.
The park is also famous for its volcanic features, comprising volcanic cones and deep craters, many with crater lakes such as Lake Katwe, from which salt is extracted.
Set against the backdrop of the jagged Rwenzori Mountains, the park’s magnificent vistas include dozens of enormous craters carved dramatically into rolling green hills, panoramic views of the Kazinga Channel with its banks lined with hippos, buffalo and elephants, and the endless Ishasha plains.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
It is situated in the southwestern part of Uganda, on the boundary of the Albertine Rift Valley, on an elevation array from 1,160 to 2,607 meters. This is a genuine tropical rainforest, spread all over a series of steep ridges and valleys.
The park is part of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, and is situated along the Democratic Republic of Congo border next to the Virunga National Park and on the edge of the Albertine Rift. It comprises 331 square kilometres (128 square miles) of jungle forests and contains both mountain- and lowland forest and is accessible only on foot. The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. The forest is one of the richest ecosystems in Africa.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Reserve was set up in 1942 and later on renovated to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in 1992. In 1994, it was acknowledged as the world Heritage site. What makes Bwindi Impenetrable is the fact that it covers an area of about 327 square kilometers of scrambled vegetation draped over an intensively fissured landscape of the steep, haughty ridges as well as the slippery valleys and high.
Lake Mburo National Park
Measuring 260 square kilometer, Lake Mburo National Park is the smallest of Uganda’s savanna national parks. Its is conveniently located along Kampala- Mbarara highway, Kiruhura District. In spite of its small size, Lake Mburo National Park is a Uganda’s safaris gem.it is Uganda’s prominent safaris destination for great sightings of zebras, the gigantic elands, topis, buffaloes, and impalas.
Its landscape of grassy rolling hills and beautiful lake shores contains a combination of mosaic habitats, dry hillsides, rocky outcrops, bushes, thickets, open and wooden savanna forest, swamps, and lakes. These support an impressive diversity of plates, animals, and bird spices.
There are 68 spices of mammals that include zebras, roan antelopes, leopards, hyenas, jackals, elands, buffaloes, crocodiles and impalas. 350 spices of birds have recorded of which five spices are found only in Budongo forest, and papyrus swamp birds, seasonal swamp birds, woodland birds, grassland birds, and forest birds.
Food
You will be provided with daily meals and bottled drinking water as detailed in the itinerary.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Drinks
The following drinks are included:
- Water
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
What's included
- 8 game drives
- Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest
- Gorilla tracking at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Visit to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
- Boat ride on the Victoria Nile
- Boat trip on the Kazinga Channel
- Transportation in a 4×4 custom-built safari vehicle
- Transfers from and to Entebbe International Airport (EBB)
- 14 nights accommodation
- Daily delicious meals
- Entrance fees to the included national parks
- Gorilla permit
What's not included
- International flights
- Visa for Uganda
- All optional activities
- Insurances
- Meals not mentioned and beverages
- Tips and personal expenses such as laundry and communication
How to get there
Recommended Airports
EBB
Entebbe International Airport
37 km
Transfer included
Airport: Entebbe International Airport
Airport transfer included: Entebbe International Airport
No additional charges. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 50% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookAllSafaris.com. All major credit cards supported.
58194
Similar Safari Holidays you might like
Why choose BookAllSafaris.com
Largest Selection
Friendly Customer Service
Offers for every budget
Best Price