Day 1: Kampala to Jinja
Today, begin your drive to the east heading to the great adventure capital, Jinja. A visit to Sezibwa Falls en-route is very attractive. Thereafter, visit Mabira Forest, the largest forest in East Africa.
There will be a guided nature walk to see lots of primates and many beautiful birds. Continue to Jinja, with a visit and a boat ride to the source of the Nile. Dinner and overnight at Surjior’s Guest house Jinja. All meals included.
Day 2: Jinja to Mbale
Begin the day with a cup of African coffee ready and then explore Jinja and go sightseeing. You will visit the Itanda Falls where rafting begins.
You will have lunch and then drive to Mbale at your convenience. You will pass through great scenery and large farm plantations. Overnight and dinner at Lacam Lodge. All meals included.
Day 3: Sipi Hike to Kampala
Today is dedicated for the magnificent Sipi hike. You will return to your lodge for lunch and then return to Kampala for your overnight at Hotel Triangle. All meals included.
Day 4: Kampala to Murchison Falls
Begin the panoramic drive north-west through the famous Luwero Triangle and then travel to Masindi via Ziwa Rhino Project. A visit to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino trekking is a must. After lunch, drive to Murchison at the spectacularly situated site at the top of the fall where you can see the Nile's beauty!
Marvel at the Nile, compassing a one-kilometer squeeze through a seven-meter canyon dropping at 45 meters with a thunderous roar creating a beautiful rainbow and a plume of spray. Overnight and dinner at Red Chili Camp. Lunch and dinner included.
Day 5: Murchison Falls
Begin the day with a cup of African coffee. After your cup of coffee, cross the Nile by ferry to the northern bank of the park. Your guide will help you spot elephants, lion, Cape buffaloes, Rothschild's giraffes, hartebeests, waterbucks, oribis, bushbucks, Bohor reedbucks, hyenas, and if you are lucky, the leopard.
Return to the hotel for breakfast and lunch. After lunch, go for a boat safari upstream the calm Victoria Nile to the base of the falls stopping just tens of meters from the "Devil's Cauldron".
En-route, marvel at the toothsome hippos, crocodiles and over this 17 kilometers stretch you may see elephants, waterbucks, and Uganda Kob crocodile.
This is also a zone of many bird species like Goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelican bee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant, and the rare shoebill stork. There you leave the boat and start your hour heavy hike to the top of the Falls.
See where the world's longest river explodes violently through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge into a frothing pool 43 meters below. Your driver guide will be waiting for you to bring you back to the lodge. Overnight and dinner at Red Chili Camp. All meals included.
Day 6: Murchison Falls to Kibale
All day, you will drive south via Hoima to Fort Portal through verdant countryside and past traditional homesteads and farms along Albertine Rift escarpments. Fort-Portal rests in the shadow of the fabled Mountains of the Moon.
Meals and overnight at Chimp Nest, a stunning location overlooking a dramatic Crater Lake and the fabled "Mountains of the Moon". All meals included.
Day 7: Kibale Chimpanzee Trekking to Queen Elizabeth National Park
There will be an early morning trek to look for chimpanzees. Kibale is the best reserve in Africa to view chimps, a thick jungle with a towering canopy. In the afternoon, drive to the south into Queen Elizabeth National Park with sightseeing and game viewing en-route. Dinner and overnight stay at Ihamba Safari Lodge. All meals included.
Day 8: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Begin your day with a cup of coffee. There will be an early morning game drive along Kasenyi and Queens Mile. You may encounter elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs, lions, Uganda Kobs lakes, and a variety of birds.
Return to the lodge for breakfast and lunch. After lunch, there is a two-hour boat trip along the famous Kazinga channel. This is an opportunity to see hippos, buffaloes, kobs, elephants, and warthogs.
This trip also gives you a chance to see spectacular birds. Dinner and overnight stay at Ihamba Safari Lodge. All meals included.
Day 9: Queen Elizabeth National Park to Bwindi
With previous day's memories, enjoy your breakfast ready for guided chimpanzee or primate walk along Kyambura Gorge to look for habituated chimps through the gorge. After primate walk, proceed to Ishasha.
You will drive along the deep and wide dry craters that are occupied by savanna grasses and acacia.
The drive takes you through the unique western rift valley escarpment and the (southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park) Ishasha sector where you will take on yet another game drive in search of tree climbing lions before proceeding to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
The journey takes about four hours but you will be driving through interesting features. Arrive at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the evening. This park is home to the rare mountain gorillas.
Apart from gorillas, there are a wide variety of primates to see including the blue and red-tailed monkeys. The forest itself is lush and green and there are streams running through it. Dinner and overnight stay at either Buhoma Lodge or Buhoma community Bandas. All meals included.
Day 10: Bwindi Gorilla Tracking
After breakfast set off early with guides to track the gorillas. The thrill of your encounter will erase the difficulties of the potentially strenuous trek. Bring jungle boots and rain jackets because the park is often wet.
Spend time in awe watching the gorillas go about their activities. Each gorilla safari encounter is different and has its own rewards, but you are likely to enjoy the close view of adults feeding, grooming and resting as the youngsters' frolic and swing from vines in a delightfully playful display.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a magnificent green swathe of dense rainforest, so ancient that survived the last ice age. A recently proclaimed World Heritage site, it is one of the most biologically diverse areas on earth and its unique, precious flora sustains roughly half of the world population of mountain gorillas, believed to number just 720.
There is also a substantial chimpanzee population and research shows that Bwindi is the only forest in Africa in which these two apes live together. Time permitting, spend the afternoon on a community foot safari to explore the lifestyle of the people living and surrounding the park.
Return to camp exhilarated to relieve the encounter with friends over a drink. Dinner and overnight stay at Buhoma community Bandas. All meals included.
Day 11: Bwindi to Mgahinga National Park
Drive to Mgahinga via Kisoro regions, ready for the next day’s Volcano climbing. Overnight and dinner at Kisoro Traveler’s Rest Hotel. All meals included.
Day 12: Mgahinga to Bunyonyi Island
After an early breakfast, climb a volcano topped by swamps-filled crater and giant lobelia. Lucky climbers may spot golden monkeys on their way through the bamboo forest. After the climb, transfer to Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale. The afternoon is spent for relaxation and sightseeing around the Lake. Overnight stay at Bunyonyi Overland Camp. All meals included.
Day 13: Bunyonyi Island to Kampala or Entebbe
After early breakfast, begin the day with a boat ride along Lake Bunyonyi before driving back to Kampala with a visit to Igongo Cultural village to explore and learn the Bahima and Ankole culture.
This is the place where the future meets the past. Continue your drive to the equator crossing with your lunch en route before you drive to back to Kampala or Entebbe to catch up your evening flight back home.
GoExplore Safaris reserves the right to amend the stated itinerary in response to unexpected changes in local conditions. Uganda is a developing country, and whilst GoExplore Safaris endeavors to make the itinerary as accurate as possible, it should be considered as an approximate agenda of activities rather than a rigid schedule.
Trip itineraries are subject to revision due to weather, trail conditions, government and local restrictions, animal movement, and other reasons beyond their control. In addition, frequent reconnaissance of routes sometimes determines a better routing. They will do their best to ascertain the most scenic and convenient route possible throughout the safari.
