17 Days Uganda Gorilla Safari

The 17 days Uganda gorilla Safari offers you great experience the true African wildness. This Safari will take you to unspoiled corners of Uganda including the Kidepo Valley National Park. Expect to have the big game drive as your spot for some of the Big Five; African lion, Elephant, Buffalo, and Leopard. Take Boat trips to explore more of the prolific birdlife and animals, primates trekking, Gorilla tracking, Cultural walks, Forest walks, excellent bird watching, Mountain hikes, and photography among others. This tours starts and ends at Entebbe Airport in Uganda.

Trip Summary

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe Airport

Day 2: Kampala – Jinja Source of River Nile

Day 3: Jinja – Mt. Elgon National Park

Day 4: Mt. Elgon – Kidepo Valley National Park

Day 5: Kidepo Valley wildlife Exploration

Day 6: Connect to Murchison Falls National Park

Day 7: Full Day in Murchison Falls National Park

Day 8: Murchison Falls – Albertine Rift Valley – Kibale Forest

Day 9: Primates tracking and Bird watching

Day 10: Depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 11: Wildlife Exploration in Queen Elizabeth

Day 12: Chambura Gorge – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Day 13: Day for Life changing event; Gorilla Tracking

Day 14: Bwindi Forest – Lake Bunyonyi

Day 15: Lake Bunyonyi – Lake Mburo National Park

Day 16: Boat ride on Lake Mburo – Kampala

Day 17: Departure

Uganda Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe Airport
On your arrival, you will receive warm greetings from your driver guide and transfer to Kampala Holiday Express Hotel or Grand Imperial or Kampala Forest Cottages. If you arrive in morning hours, you can take a city tour in Kampala, visit Kasubi Tombs, Bahai Tempo and Nakasero Fruits market where you can interact with Kampala’s friendly people. All meals at the Hotel.

Day 2: Kampala – Jinja Source of River Nile

Have breakfast at the Hotel and then drive eastwards to Jinja, a town on the shores of Lake Victoria and the source of the Nile. The activities in here include white water rafting along the river Nile, one of the most exciting and safest in the world, quad biking, boat trips on the Nile, mountain bike cycling and horse riding. Have lunch and visit.
Visit Bujagali Falls, the rapids on the river Nile few kilometers from the source. Dinner and overnight at The Haven / Jinja Nile Resort.

Day 3: Jinja – Mt. Elgon National Park

Have breakfast and continue to Mbale via Tirinyi Road. Proceed to Mt. Elgon National Park and trek through the Sipi Falls, characterized by 4 spectacular falls along river Sipi, flowing down the Mount Elgon. The area is particularly panoramic with a view of the Karamoja valley. Ensure you carry packed lunch with you from the hotel. The activity will take you through the daily life of a typical African village. Dinner and overnight at Sipi Lacam Lodge /Sipi falls rest camp at the foothills of mountain Elgon, overlooking the romantic Sipi falls, surrounded by several other waterfalls and huge caves

Day 4: Mt. Elgon – Kidepo Valley National Park
Have early breakfast and proceed Northwards with packed lunch via Kitgum to one of the most un-spoilt, pure wild places remaining in Africa – Kidepo Valley National Park. This is a very long journey and takes you through dirt roads of Karamoja. Dinner and overnight at Apoka Safari Lodge or UWA Bandas.

Day 5: Full day game drive – Kidepo Valley Park

Wake up early for a cup of tea /coffee and embark on a photographic game drive along the trails of the National Park to catch up with early risers and predators returning to their hideouts. Expect to explore the region of the river Narus valley and localized carnivores like the bat-eared fox, striped hyena, aardwolf, caracal, and cheetah. Other carnivores found here are lion, leopard, and spotted hyena, black-backed and side-striped jackals. Less common ungulates include the greater and lesser kudu, Chandlers Mountain reedbuck, klipspringer, and Guenther’s dik-dik. Other large ungulates include elephant, Burchell’s zebra, bush pig, warthog, Rothschild’s giraffe, Cape buffalo, eland, bushbuck, bush duiker, Defassa waterbuck, Bohor reedbuck, Jackson’s hartebeest, and Oribi, with over 465 bird species. All meals at the Lodge.

Day 6: Connect to Murchison Falls National Park
Morning breakfast will be followed by connection to Murchison Falls National Park (7-8hrs drive), arrive by lunchtime. Murchison Falls is the largest park in the country with a large population of animals, birds and beautiful landscapes of savannah and forests, relax in the evening as you wait for dinner and overnight at Paraa Safari Lodge / Sambiya River Lodge.

Day 7: Full Day in Murchison Falls National Park

Set out after some tea or coffee and embark on an exciting 3-4 hour early morning game drive to explore the savannah in the Northern bank of the Nile. Expect to see herds of buffaloes, elephants, lions, giraffes, waterbucks, Oribis, bushbucks, spotted hyenas, and leopards. Return to the lodge for late breakfast and relax as we wait for lunch.

Gather your strength after lunch for an unforgettable, spectacular, fascinating safari by boat along the magnificent River Nile to the bottom of the Murchison Falls. Expect to find many Hippos, Huge Nile crocodiles and Buffalos basking along the shores. Return for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 8: Murchison Falls – Albertine Rift Valley – Kibale Forest
Have breakfast and drive for 6-8 hours through Lake Albert and the Rift Valley escarpment, with breathtaking panoramic sceneries en-route to Fort Portal; the capital town of Tooro kingdom which lies on the shadow of Rwenzori Mountains. Relax in the evening at Ndali Lodge/Primates lodge as you wait for dinner and overnight.

Day 9: Primates tracking and Bird watching

Assemble at Kanyanchu tourists center for a briefing on Chimpanzee tracking. Expect to encounter other primates like black and white colobus, vervet and red-tailed monkey with over 350 bird species including the rare shoebill.

After lunch, gather your strength for a nature walk to Bigodi ecotourism project near Kibale forest. Expect to typical/traditional homestead, to hear storytellers, the local healer and get an idea of the traditional culture of the Batoro and Bakiga.
Return for dinner and overnight at Ndali lodge / Primates lodge.

Day 10: Depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park
We shall have breakfast and start a 2-3hrs drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, with lots of game viewing en-route. Expect to find early risers and predators returning to the hideouts; relax as we wait for lunch at Mweya Safari Lodge.

Embark on a launch cruise after lunch from Mweya peninsula along Kazinga channel, famous for the highest concentration of Hippos in Africa, with huge Nile crocodiles, Buffalos, and Elephants along the shores and about 611 bird species. The boat provides a clear platform for photographing. Relax in the evening as we wait for dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge / Simba Safari Camp.

Day 11: Wildlife Exploration in Queen Elizabeth
Another extraordinary wildlife experience awaits you this morning! After a cup of coffee. Go for a game drive along the tracks of Queen Elizabeth, in the Northern side towards Lake George and Kasenyi village. Expect to see lions, herds of elephant, buffaloes, spotted hyenas, waterbucks, Ugandan kobs, and shy/rare leopard.

Gather your strength in the afternoon for more exploration of the park to the Southern Ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth. The game drive here rewards yours with tree climbing lions which are seen during the hot hours of the day, as they lie resting on top of Figs trees. Also expect herds of buffaloes, elephants, topi antelopes and more. Return for dinner and overnight.

Day 12: Chambura Gorge – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
After breakfast, drive to Kyambura / Chambura gorge for wild chimpanzee tracking. Expect other primates like Vervets, Colobus and red-tailed monkeys, Giant forest hog, Galago and Mangabeys with many bird species. Later proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest; Home to half of the remaining world population of the endangered Mountain Gorillas. Arrive by evening, dinner and overnight at Gorilla Resort / Buhoma Community Bandas.

Day 13: Day for Life changing event; Gorilla Tracking

After early breakfast, proceed to park headquarters with packed lunch for a briefing about the Dos and Don’ts while with gorillas. Tracking can take 2-9 hours depending on their movements. Tracking involves walking up through steep and densely forested hills before finally coming across the gorillas camouflaged in the vegetation. You will stay with these Giant apes for 1 hour for observation and photography.
In the evening, you can relax at the lodge or take a cultural walk to nearby Batwa communities and learn about their cultures. Dinner and overnight stay in Gorilla Forest or Buhoma Homestead.

Day 14: Bwindi Forest – Lake Bunyonyi
Breakfast will be followed by transfer to Lake Bunyonyi with wonderful sceneries en-route. Enjoy one of the most extraordinary wildlife and birding experience by boat as you cross the Lake Bunyonyi. The forested green islands on the lake are home to different species of endemic birds which the guide will help you to spot. All meals at Arcadia Cottages.

Day 15: Lake Bunyonyi – Lake Mburo National Park

Have breakfast and drive through Kabale in the Kigezi region, known as the ‘Switzerland of Africa’ characterized by terraced cultivated hills. Visit the Bakiga cultural museum and later connect to Lake Mburo National Park, the smallest of Ugandan National Parks. Expect big game drive en route as you head to Lake Mburo National Park. Take an evening game drive before sunset in search of the beautiful impalas, elands, topi and many antelopes, buffaloes, and zebras among others.
Dinner and overnight at Arcadia Cottages / Rwonyo Camps

Day 16: Boat ride on Lake Mburo – Kampala

After breakfast, embark on a morning boat trip on Mburo Lake, an excellent place for birding including the rare shoebill. Other animals include Hippos, Huge crocodiles. Later proceed to Kampala with a stop at the equator for photographs, reach by afternoon. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel.

Day 17: Departure
Depending on your flight schedule, relax at your hotel, or transfer to Ngamba Island (Chimpanzee sanctuary) and later transfer to the airport.