15 Days Uganda Safari Holiday – Gorilla Trek And Wildlife Viewing

Spend 15 days on this tour that takes you through 6 Uganda national parks including Ziwa rhino sanctuary, lakes such as Lake Bunyonyi, Bigodi, and Mabamba wetland sanctuaries, tropical forests, and savannahs.

You will experience wildlife and photography of the world-famous mountain gorillas, see chimpanzees, and track rhinos, the chances to tick off the big five mammals are high along with beautiful landscapes; hot springs, and meeting the friendly people of Uganda.

The highlight of this tour is gorilla tracking, game drives and boat cruises, chimpanzee tracking, tree climbing lions, rhino tracking, and a relaxing night on Lake Bunyonyi in southwestern Uganda.

Safari includes

  • Full board accommodation for 14 nights
  • Transportation in a 4WD land cruiser or van depending on the number of visitors with a full-time guide/driver
  • Gorilla and chimpanzee tracking permits
  • Rhino tracking
  • Game drives, boat cruises, hiking, cultural tours and
  • Entrance fees to all national parks
  • Mineral Water

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe Airport and Transfer to your hotel

Upon arrival at Entebbe airport, you’ll be met by your guide/driver and transferred in a private vehicle to your hotel in Entebbe City (Friends guest house/the Boma Hotel), nicely located near Lake Victoria surrounded by Botanical Gardens.

Day 2: Mabamba Swamp, Shoebill Stork Birding Tour

To start your shoebill tour, you’ll head towards Mabamba wetland. You’ll then ride a dug-out canoe on an extensive trail penetrating through the grassy swamp in which you expect to spot the elusive shoebill stork and a variety of birds like papyrus goneclock, lapwings, purple heron, rufous bellied heron, African purple hen, hemmerkop, blue breasted bee-eaters and many more. You will return to your lodge for lunch.

Later in the Afternoon, you may visit the Botanical Gardens (where some scenes of the Tarzan movie were shot) to enjoy a leisurely walk and spot common bird species like black-headed weavers, waxbills, cuckoos, red-billed fire finch, and many more.

You’ll have dinner/overnight while preparing for tomorrow’s journey to Murchison Falls National Park, the largest conservation of Uganda.

Accommodation Options: Friends guest house/the Boma Hotel)

Day 3: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park

After breakfast. you will leave Entebbe and travel to Murchison with a stop for lunch en route and white rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

You’ll then proceed to the park but first do a hike to the top of Murchison Falls, and experience the dramatic falls. (This hike is for the physically fit people).

After the hike, cross the bridge to the northern sector of the park arriving for dinner and overnight. Paraa Safari Lodge/Pakuba Lodge/Murchison River Lodge/

Day 4: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Cruise

Early morning, you will have a guided game drive starting at 06:30 am with a ranger to look for wildlife such as lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, Rothschild’s giraffe, and antelopes like topi, oribi, eland, bushbucks, water bucks, and Uganda kob.

You’ll return for late breakfast and after lunch explore the River Nile on a 3-hour boat cruise to the bottom of Murchison Falls and Devil’s Cauldron as well as see Nile crocodiles, hippos, water birds, elephants, buffaloes, and waterbucks.

Accommodation Options: Paraa Safari Lodge/Pakuba Lodge/Murchison River Lodge/

Day 5: Community Walk and Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

After breakfast, you will visit the nearby rural communities of Mubako that help to support Uganda’s wildlife conservation through projects like weaving, craft making, cultural dances, and farming.

You will learn rural culture or participate in food harvesting and preparation. You will return early around 10 pm and transfer to Kibale which shall take 6-7 hours with en route lunch in Hoima town. Have dinner and overnight at Kibale Forest Camp/Chimpanzee Guest House/Turaco Tree House/Crater Safari Lodge/Papaya Lake Lodge

Day 6: Kibale Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi wetland walk

You’ll have breakfast and at 07:00 am head to the park’s visitor center for the briefing about the chimpanzee tracking experience.

Then you will be guided on the search for chimps and when you are located, you will enjoy 1 hour with them.

You will observe the chimpanzees summersault from one tree branch to another, playing with each other and at times engaging you in the play. it is such an exciting moment with the chimpanzees in the forests of Kibale.

There are other 12 species of primates in the Kibale forest such as red Colobus, black and white colobus, blue monkey, grey checked mangabey, and Ugandan mangabey which you will see while on this trek.

After lunch in the afternoon,  you’ll visit Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. The local guide will take you on a swamp walk which is ideal for spotting a variety of primates, birds, butterflies, and plants. this nature walk is an opportunity to breathe in some fresh air and also interact with locals who run the eco-tourism site and also make earn from making crafts.

In the later evening, you will return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation Options: Kibale Forest Camp/Chimpanzee Guest House/Turaco Tree House/Crater Safari Lodge/Papaya Lake Lodge

Day 7: Transfer from Kibale to Semulki Valley National Park

After a hearty breakfast, you will leave Kibale via Fort Port to Semuliki Valley National Park an extension of Congo basin forests that protects 55 mammals and 441 birds including central African species. You will arrive at the accommodation and have lunch.

After lunch, you will take a cultural tour to meet Batwa elders at Nyondo. This walk will introduce you to the storytelling, folklore, culture, and lifestyles of the forest inhabitants.

You will go for a night game drive for chances of spotting leopards, galago, bush babies, genet other nocturnal species.

Accommodation: Semuliki Safari Lodge/ UWA Bandas and Campsite/ Kirimia guest house

Day 8: Hot springs and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Fort Portal town

After breakfast, you will go for a 30-minute to 1-hour nature walk to the hot springs and climb tree house aerial views of Semuliki Valley. With the help of the guide, you will have a chance to spot primates like red-tailed monkeys, grey-checked mangabey, and many birds.

You’ll return from the forest around mid-day have lunch and transfer to Fort Portal town.
Upon arrival, you will take a hike to the Ndali Crater Lakes, where you’ll get a view of 52 crater lakes and hollows.

Afterward, you will transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. This drive will be scenic as you will enjoy the mountains of the moon and the golden skyline in the evening.

Accommodation: Mweya safari lodge/ Enjojo lodge/ Parkview safari lodge/Twins Lake Safari Lodge/Ishasha Jungle Lodge

Day 9: Game drive and boat cruise Queen Elizabeth National Park

This morning you’ll have some great game viewing with a ranger starting at 06:30 am. You’re likely to see herds of elephants, pride of lions, hyenas, buffaloes, giraffes, Uganda kob, topi, eland, and lots of savannah birds.

You will return for a late breakfast and relax for lunch. You’ll have a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel in the afternoon to look for crocodiles, hippos, water birds, buffaloes, elephants, and waterbucks.

Sunsets will make a good ending to the day have dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation: Mweya safari lodge/ Enjojo lodge/ Parkview safari lodge/Twins Lake Safari Lodge/Ishasha Jungle Lodge

Day 10: Transfer to Bwindi via Ishasha- Tree Climbing Lions Tracking

After breakfast, you’ll transfer along a bumpy road up to Buhoma, the headquarters of Bwindi. Once you reach Ishasha wilderness, you will make a stop to search for tree-climbing lions.

Sometimes they’re seen near the road resting in fig trees or you may have to drive off a bit in the bush. You’ll continue via the Butogota trading center to your lodge in Buhoma for dinner and overnight.

Note: When you reach early afternoon, you can check with the park offices for a self-guided nature walk along Munyaga River to see primates, and birds and also get to familiarize yourself with the forest that you must trek through tomorrow.

Accommodation suggested: Mahogany Springs/Bwindi Lodge/Agaandi Lodge/Gorilla Safari Lodge/Icumbi Lodge

Day 11: Bwindi Gorilla Trekking and Community Walk

After breakfast, you’ll drive to the briefing center. The park ranger will teach you gorilla rules. You will go to the starting point to get into the forest to look for the endangered mountain gorillas.

The trek to find the gorillas will take about 1-5 hours. When you find them, you will spend one hour, taking pictures, and videos and observing the social characters.

You will be led out of the forest to find your safari driver guide to drive you back to your lodge for lunch.

in the evening, you will take a community walk to show gratitude to the locals who live harmoniously with the gorillas. You will visit their local herbal centers, markets, schools, and hangout spots. At the end, you will retrieve to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Mahogany Springs/Bwindi Lodge/Agaandi Lodge/Gorilla Safari Lodge/Icumbi Lodge

Day 12: Bwindi Nature Walk and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

After breakfast, you will go for a nature walk to see waterfalls in the middle of the Bwindi Rainforest.  You will encounter and adore nature, butterflies, plants, birds, and primates.

After lunch, you will transfer to Lake Bunyonyi, the 2nd deepest lake in Africa notable for its beautiful islands. Upon arrival, you will check in your room and take a boat cruise to explore some of the 19 islands including the historical punishment island.

Dinner and overnight at Arcadia Lodge/Bird Nest Resort

Day 13: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

After breakfast, you will depart Lake Bunyonyi driving for about 7-8 hours to Lake Mburo National Park. On the way, you will make a befit stopover at the Great Lakes Museum after Kabale town. From there, you will stop again in Mbarara town for lunch and later continue to your lodge in Mburo National Park.

Accommodation: Rwakobo Rock Lodge/ Eagles Nest

Day 14: Lake Mburo Game Drive And Boat Cruiser

You will have breakfast and take a game drive with a ranger through the savannah plains where animals can be spotted including impalas, zebras, topi, warthogs, and eland.

Early afternoon, you will return to your lodge for lunch and later go to the lakeside to engage in a boat trip where you will see various aquatic species such as hippos, crocodiles, and a variety of bird species.

In the evening you will return to your lodge for dinner and overnight: Rwakobo Rock Lodge/ Eagles Nest

Day 15: Travel Back to Kampala for Departure

After a hearty breakfast, you will transfer to Kampala passing via Masaka at the equator monument. When you reach Kampala, your guide will transfer you to Entebbe for departure or your place of stay.

End of Safari

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