From astonishing wildlife sightings in the endless savanna plains to unforgettable encounters with large apes in the tropical forests, 11 days best of Uganda safari is one of its kind. The long 10 nights/11 days Uganda safari begins and ends in Kampala or Entebbe.
A great number of remarkable safari activities or experiences await you on this safari including rhino tracking, gorilla, chimpanzee, golden monkey tracking, boat cruise, cultural encounters, bird sighting, etc. The key destinations to be visited include Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Murchison Falls National Park, Lake Mburo National Park and more.
Detailed itinerary of best of Uganda safari
Day 1: To Kampala
Leave Entebbe International Airport after a warm welcome and briefing from your driver guide. Drive to a comfortable place of stay in Kampala, chill, dine and spend a night.
Accommodation
- Luxury: Serena Hotel Kampala
- Midrange: Sheraton Hotel Kampala
Meal Plan: Dinner
Travel time: 45 Min
Day 2: To Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary & Murchison Falls National Park
After breakfast, drive via Gulu highway to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola about 4 hours and have 2 hours tracking rhinos. After you have tracked rhinos, board your 4×4 vehicle and proceed to Masindi for lunch and later journey continues to Murchison Falls National Park with visit to the top of the falls.
Accommodation
- Luxury: Nile Safari Lodge
- Midrange: Paraa Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Travel time: 6 hours. 1 hr. 30 min Flight time
Day 3: Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda (game drive, boat cruise)
Enjoy a hefty breakfast, after, you will catch up with early risers during a guided game drive via the Norther game tracks for 2-3 hours. Highlights of your game drive will include animal sightings such as buffaloes, elephants, bushbucks, leopards, lion, the Rothschild’s giraffes, hyenas, warthogs, antelopes, birds and more.
Lunch will be provided upon your return from the game drive and after relaxation, proceed to Paraa for an exciting boat cruise – a recreational experience that lets you see large numbers of hippos, crocodiles, aquatic birds and more. Arrive at the right time at the base of the falls, where you can begin your trek to the top – 45 minutes’ walk.
Accommodation
- Luxury: Nile Safari Lodge
- Midrange: Paraa Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 4: To Kibale Forest – Kabarole district – Part of best of Uganda safari
Exit Murchison Falls National Park with packed lunch or have lunch stopover at the hotel in Fort Portal. Driving to Kibale takes about 7-8 hours in a good mechanical vehicle and you will connect via Hoima.
Accommodation
- Luxury: Kyaninga Safari Lodge
- Midrange: Turaco treetops
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Travel time: 6 hours
Day 5: Chimp trekking Kibale & Community walk
Early rise for breakfast and briefing at Kanyanchu Visitor Center. Leave Kanyanchu when you have the park guide to lead you through Kibale Forest. Chimpanzees are amazing creatures, sharing over 98% of their DNA with humans and over 1,500 of them live in this park alone, with more than 4 habituated communities.
Kibale chimpanzee trekking takes 2-4 hours but includes one hour of close encounter. After, you will walk back to be provided with lunch. Afternoon community visit.
Accommodation
- Luxury: Kyaninga Safari Lodge
- Midrange: Turaco tree tops
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Travel time: 3-4 hours
Day 6: Kibale Forest – Queen Elizabeth National Park, part of best of Uganda safari.
Breakfast at the lodge and then embark on your scenic drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, which is understandably Uganda’s most popular tourist destination.
The park’s diverse ecosystems, which include sprawling savanna, shady, humid forests, sparkling lakes and fertile wetlands, make it the ideal habitat for classic big game, ten primate species including chimpanzees and over 600 species of birds. En-route stopper over at queen pavilion and equator monument and evening is for game drive and sightseeing around.
Accommodation
- Luxury: Kyambura Gorge Lodge.
- Midrange: Mweya Safari Lodge.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 7: Game drive, Kazinga boat cruise excursion
A cup of tea/coffee, and you set off via Kasenyi savanna plains for a guided game drive 2-3 hours expecting to have an enriching wildlife encounter – from buffaloes, lions, leopards (for lucky ones), antelopes, birds, warthogs, to mention but a few. Return to the lodge afterwards where lunch will be offered, then you proceed for a launch cruise on Kazinga channel.
Kazinga channel is a long natural channel and links Lake George and Lake Edward. On a refreshing boat cruise, display of hippos, crocodiles and countless aquatic birds will be sighted. After, a relaxed evening and overnight stay back at the pre-booked accommodation.
Accommodation
- Luxury: Kyambura Gorge Lodge.
- Midrange: Mweya Safari Lodge.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 8: To Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with Ishasha game drive
Wake up early, leave when you have taken breakfast, and at the comfort of your luxurious 4×4 tourist vehicle, drive up to Ishasha sector in the Southern side of Queen Elizabeth National Park where tree climbing lions will be encountered. A short game drive includes picnic lunch and then you proceed to the lodge in Bwindi for relaxation.
Accommodation
- Luxury: Gorilla Safari Camp
- Mid-range: Mahogany Springs Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Travel time: 3-4 hours.
Day 9: Gorilla trek in Bwindi, and community walk
Have breakfast, after, gather at offices in Bwindi for briefing about rules and regulations for gorilla trekking. Following will be allocation of gorilla families and park guides, then actual trek begins at 8:00am taking you up to 2-6 hours depending on the allocation of the gorilla family.
Today, you will have a deep understanding into how mountain gorillas behave as you observe within a distance of 8m. Return from gorilla trekking to lodge for relaxation. Later in the afternoon, spend the time 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.
Accommodation
- Luxury: Gorilla Safari Camp
- Mid-range: Mahogany Springs Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 10: To Lake Mburo National Park, Game drive in the afternoon
Wake up early for breakfast, then transfer to Lake Mburo National Park 5-6 hours’ drive from Bwindi. Enjoy lunch on arrival and after some time, you will set off for a game drive in the afternoon to encounter a range of savanna dwelling creatures including impalas, buffaloes, birds, giraffes, zebras, etc. or you can go boat cruise on Lake Mburo to see hippos, crocodiles, birds.
Accommodation
- Luxury: Kigambira Safari Lodge / Mihingo Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch plus Dinner
Travel time: 6 hours
Day 11: Game drive Mburo NP, drive back to Kampala.
A game drive in the morning in a 4×4 safari vehicle through Lake Mburo NP savannas allows you see several of zebras, impalas, elands, topis, birds and more. After, drive to Kampala via Masaka with stopover at Equator – the line that separates the world into two – the northern and southern hemisphere.
Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch.
End of safari
Safari Inclusions of best of Uganda safari
- Gorilla permits
- All activities on this travel plan
- Chimpanzee permit
- All park entry fees.
- Transportation by road in a 4×4 vehicle
- Professional driver guide
- Accommodation for 11 nights and meals
- A bottle of drinking water
Safari Exclusions of best of Uganda safari
- All extra activities as per your package
- Flights
- Alcoholic drinks
- Visas
- Passports
- Tips
- Telephone bills
- Insurance bills