“Adventure, Nature and Community Based Tourism”
12 Day Private Wildlife Safari Tour Experience in Uganda
Boma Guest House, Entebbe, Uganda
Wildlife Safari Experience in Uganda
The 12-Day Wildlife Safari Uganda lets you get up close and meet the primates of Uganda – Chimpanzees and Gorillas in the dense tropical forests of Kibale and Bwindi National Park. Get immersed in the Gorilla Highlands Culture on the Crest at Lake Bunyonyi. Get enchantment by the explosive majestic Murchison Falls, the Medley of Wonders in Queen Elizabeth, and Lake Mburo National Park, and look out for the impressive wildlife!
Key information
- Group size: Minimum 2, maximum 7 people in a safari vehicle
- Children policy: Children from the age of 16 years are allowed to participate under the supervision of a parent or guardian.
- Starts in Entebbe, ends in Kampala
- Language: English-speaking guide
- All park fees are included
Highlights
- Visit the Mighty Murchison Falls
- Gorilla trekking in Bwindi National Park + Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest
- Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary
- Lion Experiential Project and boat cruise on Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth NP
- See tree-climbing lions in Ishasha Sector
- Culture on the Crest in Gorilla Highlands Region
- Nature walk and night game drive in Lake Mburo National Park
- 11 nights accommodation
Skill level
- Intermediate
Styles
11 activity days
Group size: 2-7 participants
Airport transfer included:
Entebbe International Airport
Accommodation
During this safari holiday, you will stay at various accommodations.
- Boma Guest House
- Fort Murchison
- Turaco Treetops
- Bush Lodge
- Bull Bush Camp
- Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
- Bunyonyi Eco Resort
- Rwakobo Rock
Program
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe Airport
You will be welcomed by a company representative and transferred to your hotel. Overnight at the Boma Guest House (bed and breakfast).
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
After breakfast at 7 a.m., you will be on your way North to Murchison Falls National Park. Have a stop-over at Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary, home to the only wild rhinos in Uganda. Have an optional stop at the Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary. The Rhino trek takes 1-2 hours, and you will get an opportunity to view them at close quarters. After lunch, you will proceed to your place for an overnight stay at Fort Murchison.
Day 3: Game safari and boat cruise to the bottom of the falls
Breakfast is at 6:30 a.m. and then you will set off for a game safari that can last 3 hours. Look out for chances of seeing giraffes, elephants, lions, hartebeest, and different species of birds. Have lunch and thereafter head to the jetty for the boat cruise on the Victoria Nile to the bottom of Murchison Falls at 2 p.m. This cruise is also a wildlife experience with sightings of wallowing buffaloes, schools of hippopotami, Nile crocodiles, elephants, and plenty of water birds – fish eagles, and various storks among others. Later return to your place for an overnight stay. Accommodation and meals at Fort Murchison.
Day 4: Transfer to Fort Portal
After breakfast, head west to Fort Portal, with lunch en route. Fort Portal rests in the shadow of the fabled “Mountains of the Moon” and is famous for its many tea plantations. From this lovely town, you will continue southwest of Uganda for Kibale National Park, taking in the scenic views of the western arm of the Great Rift Valley during your travel. Accommodation and meals at Turaco Treetops.
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking and nature walk at Bigodi
Following the pre-tracking briefing at 7:30 a.m., you walk to the trailhead for the start of an unforgettable adventure. Enjoy a guided primate walk in the tropical rainforest in search of the wild chimpanzee, red-tailed monkey, black-and-white colobus monkey, and many others. The treks are generally 3-4 hours; expect good sightings of chimps in their natural environment.
A maximum of 6 people per group will head out with a forest ranger guide and will be allowed to track chimpanzees. Spend an unforgettable hour with the chimpanzees watching them go through their daily routine in their natural habitat. Head back for lunch at the lodge and thereafter head to Bigodi Swamp Walk, an initiative of the local community that is known for its rich diversity of birds and primates. This wetland is a great attraction for birders with over 200 bird species, including the popular Great Blue Turaco.
Accommodation and meals at Turaco Treetops.
Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park - Boat cruise Kazinga Channel
Wake-up call from the beautiful sounds of birds in the park and prepare for another Uganda gorilla and wildlife safari road trip through beautiful Western Uganda. Enjoy an early morning breakfast and drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. See famous wildlife residents like hippos, buffaloes, elephants, kobs, and a number of bird species.
After lunch, have a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, a natural channel between Lake Edward and Lake George. Thanks to the abundant birdlife that is sighted, and the elephants, buffaloes, and hundreds of hippos that are cooling off at the shores, this cruise will be one of the highlights of your safari. After the boat cruise, head out to the Kichwamba Orphanage Foundation, a community-based organization. Have a coffee tour experience learning about the processing of coffee and later a cultural dance session. Accommodation and meals at the Bush Lodge.
Day 7: Lion experiential tour - Ishasha sector - Tree-climbing lions
After breakfast, head for the lion research project that allows visitors to participate in monitoring the pride in the park, using locator devices and learning habituation calls, as well as monitoring weather, surroundings, and behavior. The Lion Project involves the clients and the researchers heading as early as 6:30 a.m. with a safari vehicle equipped with radio-collar-receiving equipment to keep track of the lions. Later, head for the Ishasha sector, home of the popular tree-climbing lions, another major highlight of the Uganda gorilla and wildlife safari. You shall first check in at the lodge for lunch and thereafter head for the game drive in search of the tree-climbing lions as they cling to the fig trees. Other animals like the kobs, elephants, and buffaloes among others may be spotted time as well.
Accommodation and meals at Bull Bush River Camp.
Day 8: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Enjoy a warm breakfast and have another game en route in the Ishasha sector in search of the tree-climbing lions (optional). This will give you such an amazing experience as you can see the tree-climbing lions hanging on the old fig trees. Later, head to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to have a late lunch after check-in, relax, and have personal time. Accommodation and meals at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge.
Day 9: Gorilla trekking at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Following breakfast, transfer to the national park offices where you will be allocated a gorilla family in a group of 8 as well as a gorilla tracking guide. After a pre-tracking briefing by your guide touching on the gorillas generally, your assigned gorilla family as well as appropriate safety precautions, you drive to the trailhead for the start of a thrilling adventure.
Expect to walk between 2 and 8 hours in steep and slippery conditions at times with rain overhead, which can be quite a challenge, so you require to be reasonably fit. These magnificent animals live in small troops, each within its own defined boundaries and each with several females and their young being led by a single dominant male, the magnificent ‘Silverback’.
Upon sighting the gorillas, you spend the allowed one hour with them as they go about their daily life; feeding, moving around, playing, and grooming. It is a totally unique and unforgettable experience! Thereafter head back to the lodge for relaxation.
Accommodation and meals at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge.
Day 10: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi famously known as “The Little Switzerland of Africa”
After breakfast, go to Lake Bunyonyi arriving in time for lunch at the lodge. After lunch, you will embark on a 5-hour experience on the Kyabahinga Peninsula. You will canoe across the bay to the terraced hillsides of the Kyabahinga peninsula. Climb the slopes of Kyabahinga for about 30 minutes until the top of the hill. There, you will meet Omugurusi Jeremiah, a traditional healer, and a well-known herbalist who will share with you some carefully chosen secrets of tropical highland flora.
Kyabahinga is uniquely located with an outlook over most of Lake Bunyonyi, its 29 islands, and the distant Muhavura volcano. You will hear some of the colorful tales, legends, and historical facts related to these islands. Thereafter proceed to the ridge where you will find a home of a crafts maker who will demonstrate how the crafts are made, which you can try out as well. A descent down the hill and a short canoe ride will bring you back to our starting point.
Accommodation and meals at Lake Bunyonyi Rock Resort.
Day 11: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
After a relaxed breakfast, you will check out and embark on a journey to Lake Mburo National Park, passing through the impressive landscape of South-Western Uganda. You will have lunch and relaxation at the lodge. After an early dinner head out for a 2-hour night game drive in the park. Look out for white-tailed mongoose, elusive leopards, and spotted hyenas among others, later return to the lodge.
Accommodation and meals at Rwakobo Rock Lodge.
Day 12: Early morning nature walk - Entebbe
Early morning bush walk along the hyena track for a 2-hour hike. Hikes through the woodland provide an opportunity to sight forest birds and mammals. Head back to Entebbe and have lunch en route. Depending on your flight time, you may have a refreshment room before transferring to the airport for your onward flight back home.
End of the Uganda gorilla and wildlife safari trip.
Location
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is situated in southwestern Uganda, on the edge of the Western Rift Valley and Albertine rift, and is shared by Kanungu, Kabale, and Kisoro districts. It covers 331 square kilometers on an altitude range of 1,160 meters (Ishasha Gorge) to 2,607 meters (Rwamanyonyi Peak). The annual average temperature range is 7 degrees Celsius to 20 degrees Celsius.
Bwindi is home to 326 gorillas, almost half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas with 10 different families. There are also 350 species of birds and over 200 species of butterflies. This African mountain forest has a dense understorey of fern, vines, and shrubs. About 324 tree species have been recorded here, 10 of which occur nowhere else in Uganda. The park is also home to the three waterfalls and to the Batwa community.
The park is separated into four gorilla viewing areas which are Buhoma the site of the park's headquarters is located in the north of the park, Ruhija, the highest gorilla tracking trailhead, in the east of the park, Nkuringo, covering the south-western area, and Rushaga on the southern edge of the park.
Kibale National Park
Kibale National Park (KNP) is situated in the northern foothills of the Rwenzori Mountain, covering an area of 776 square feet extending southwards to form a contiguous block with Queen Elizabeth National Park. It covers Kamwenge, Kasese, Kyenjojo, and Kabarole districts. With a breathtaking expanse, a mountain, and a mixed tropical deciduous forest, it has the highest number of primates in East Africa totaling 13 primate species.
These include the highest concentration of over 1000 chimpanzees, the red colobus monkey, the rare L’Hoest’s monkey, black-and-white-colobus, blue monkey and grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkey, bush babies, galagos, and pottos. The park also hosts over 325 species of birds including the great blue turaco, the great white heron, the yellow spotted nicator, the green-breasted pitta, the African pitta, crowned eagle, and the black bee-eater.
There are a number of impressive mammals including forest elephants, buffaloes, bush pigs, duikers, and bats. A keen observer may see some of the reptiles and amphibians as well as a colorful variety of butterflies. Furthermore, over 250 tree species are recorded in the park. Four kilometers from the park, lies Bigodi wetland sanctuary situated in Magombe swamp and one of the best birding spots close to the park.
Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo is situated in western Uganda and was gazetted in 1993. It is the smallest national park in Uganda, covering 350 square kilometers, and consisting of an extensive area of wetlands, the five lakes which are Kazuma, Kigambira, Bwala, Mburo, and Mutukula. It has one of the most serene environments with stunning topography of dry hillsides, rocky outcrops, open and wooded savanna, papyrus swamps, and lakes.
There are 68 different species of mammals among which are animal species like the impalas, the elusive zebras, and the gigantic elands, and 315 bird species both water and woodland species like the African fin foot and Cormorants. Lake Mburo National Park is a geographical extension of the Tanzanian plains and is home to a vast population of zebras.
It is the only park in Uganda with an impala population, the animal after which Kampala derives its name, and is the best place to spot African finfoots and is the only place where it's possible to take ranger-led walking safaris.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) is located in the western rift valley of south Western Uganda covering Kawenge and Kanugu districts and it has 1,978 square kilometers. The park is bounded to the west by the Ishasha River and Lake Edward along the Congolese border, to the north by Kasese and the Rwenzori foothills, to the east by Lake George, the Kyambura Gorge, and Kalinzu Forest Reserve, and to the south by the Kigezi Wildlife Reserve.
It is divided into two sections which are the northern part of the park known as Kasenyi Plains and the southern part known as Ishasha Sector, a vast low-lying savanna plain lying south of the equator in the Albertine Rift Valley, known for its tree-climbing lions consisting of around 40 individuals split across three prides.
There are over 100 mammal species including lions, elephants, chimpanzees, and an astounding 606 bird species in her diverse ecosystems from open savanna grasslands to rain forests.
The Kazinga Channel, a natural canal that joins Lake Edward and Lake George, is one of the park's domineering features. The adjacent Kyambura Gorge hosts a habituated chimpanzees community, man’s genetically closest wild animal relative, and the Maramagambo forest has diverse attractions like a blue lake, hunters cave, bat cave, and the crater lakes surrounding the park.
Food
The package includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner during the safari. On arrival day, no meal is provided. On the last day, only breakfast and lunch are included.
Drinking water is provided in the vehicle.
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- 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
- Ground transportation in a safari customized 4WD Toyota Land Cruiser
- Mineral water in the vehicle
- Services of an English-speaking driver/guide
- 11 nights accommodation
- Meals as outlined in the itinerary
- All park entrance fees
- Gorilla tracking permits
- Chimpanzee tracking permits
- Activities: primate walks, nature walks, rhino trekking, game drives
- Boat rides where applicable
- Statutory taxes where applicable
What's not included
- International airfares
- Excess baggage charges
- Ugandan entry visa fees
- International travel vaccinations and inoculations
- Items of personal nature such as room service
- Beverages, communications charges (telephone, fax, internet), laundry, etc.
- Postage fees, porterage fees, tips and gratuities for your driver/guide and hotels' staff
- Optional activities unless specified as included
- Any other services not expressly shown in the itinerary or indicated as included
How to get there
Recommended Airports
EBB
Entebbe International Airport
2 km
Transfer included
Arrival by airplane
Please book your flight to arrive at Entebbe International Airport (EBB). Transfer from and to the airport is included. Travelers Link Africa will pick you up from the airport.
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 21 days before arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookAllSafaris.com. All major credit cards supported.
28284
Similar Safari Holidays you might like
Why choose BookAllSafaris.com
Largest Selection
Friendly Customer Service
Offers for every budget
Best Price