Day 1: Meet in Entebbe or Kampala, start your Uganda Safari with Murchison Falls National Park, and track the white rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

To start this All-inclusive Uganda Safari, we shall arrange to meet up with you at your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala at 8 a.m. We can also meet at the Entebbe airport if you are planning to arrive on this day, but it shouldn't be later than 11 a.m.

Your dedicated Uganda safari guide will then give you a short brief about the tour and the country generally and after which you will be good to go off for your Uganda holiday.

Our first destination shall be Murchison Falls National Park, but we have plenty of activities along the way.

Our first stop is Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the only place in Uganda you can find white rhinos out of captivity. This sanctuary has now been established to breed black and white rhinos and restore rhino populations in Uganda's protected areas at a later stage. Our plan is that you track the rhinos for one hour before proceeding on your way to Murchison Falls National Park. It is highly recommended that this activity is done before 11 am because as the day temperatures get warmer, rhinos tend to be harder to track. If you started driving at 8 am from Kampala or Entebbe, you should be at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary at about 10 am and this is all great for you.

After our 1 hour with the rhinos, we have about 30 minutes of driving before our lunch stopover in Masindi town. Your tour guide knows the best restaurants to have a great meal from.

We will then continue on our drive, entering the park at about 1 pm. The first few miles in the park go via Budongo Forest. You should already be spotting some primates along and your driver will be going much slower for you to enjoy and take photographs. Apart from the photographing stops, our other major stop is the top of the falls (Murchison Falls), which is a fantastic sight. Here the Nile, the longest river in the world, is forced through a narrow gap in the rock (only 7 meters wide), before ferociously plunging down 43 meters.  From here we will continue to our accommodation place along the Nile River

Murchison Falls National Park is the largest wildlife protected area in Uganda covering 1482 square miles. Put together with the adjacent protected areas of Bugungu Wildlife, Budongo Forest, and Karuma Wildlife Reserve, the Murchison Falls Conservation area is 2050 square miles in total. In the center of it all is the River Nile section (Victoria Nile) running from East to West for about 72 miles.  

This mix-up of rivers, riparian forests, swampland, drylands, and verdant tropical savanna offers tourists the opportunity of seeing large concentrations of wildlife including lion, leopard, civet, hyena, elephant, giraffe, buffalo, hippo, crocodile, host of smaller game, small primates and many bird species, including the rare shoebill stork. The park is especially famous for crocodiles and hippos.

Apart from game viewing, the launch trip to the bottom of the falls is another memorable adventure giving you the experience of the mighty biblical Nile. On the launch trip, you may see schools of crocodiles and hippos basking on the riverbanks as well as a variety of birds.

Accommodation Options (Full Board)

Luxury:  Anywade House or Cottage at Murchison River Lodge or Deluxe Room at Paraa Safari Lodge

Moderate: Pakuba Safari Lodge

Budget: Fort Murchison Lodge (tents) | Murchison River Lodge (tents) | Red Chilli Rest Camp

Day 2: Safari Game drives in Murchison Falls National Park, and boat trip to the bottom of the falls

Your second day on safari is quite busier than you might imagine, and you should have your breakfast done by 6:30 am, for we have planned wildlife encounters that can only be best rewarding before the heat of the day. So, after your breakfast, your safari guide will be helping you to the safari vehicle for an extensive game drive north of Murchison Falls National Park. On this game drive, our main plot is to look for the rear lions here, giraffes, herds of elephants, buffaloes, and many more. On many of the game drives, we also spot leopards and hyenas. The game drive is normally as long or short as you might want it to be but on average lasts for about 4 hours.

After the game drive, we shall be back to the lodge for our lunch before taking an afternoon boat cruise to the foot of Murchison Falls.

This boat trip along the Nile is often cited as being the highlight of a trip to Murchison since it allows you to get up close and personal with the animals. Along this stretch of the river, there are reported to be around 4,000 hippos in addition to some enormous Nile crocodiles. The birdlife is stunning with brightly colored kingfishers and bee-eaters darting along the riverbanks. If lucky, you may see the rare and prehistoric-looking shoebill, which is a cross between the dodo and a dinosaur. The boat takes you to the base of the falls which only adds to their impressiveness.

Accommodation Options (Full Board)

Luxury: Anywade House or Cottage at Murchison River Lodge or Deluxe Room at Paraa Safari Lodge

Moderate: Pakuba Safari Lodge

Budget: Fort Murchison Lodge (tents) | Murchison River Lodge (tents) | Red Chilli Rest Camp

Day 3: Kibale National Park; Guided Primate Walk in Bigodi Swamp

Our drive today is about 5 and a half hours, but we want to have some activities later in the afternoon. It helps to set off from the lodge no later than 8 am. We shall be driving through the undulating highlands of southwestern Uganda on our way to the greener and more beautiful Fort Portal area. The way goes through the remotest parts of Africa and b sure to see the true African villages and farmlands that many only dreams about!  You have lots of opportunities for scenic photography, more so as we traverse escarpment areas of the Great East African Rift Valley.
Your journey even gets more interesting as you approach Fort Portal town which is located at the foothills of the Rwenzori mountains with green carpets of tea plantations everywhere, spreading to as far as your eyes can reach separated by flowering freshwater springs, with tea pickers plucking off the fresh leaves.

If you are not so tired today, in the afternoon, we shall visit Bigodi Wetland Swamp which is adjacent to Kibale Forest National Park (this can be done on the next day if you prefer to rest). A guided walk in Bigodi offers tourists an excellent opportunity for viewing primates and other forest animals in the forested swamp. Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary is maintained by the local community, and you should also enjoy other traditional cultural activities at the end of the walk - like basket weaving, traditional music, and dance performances, coffee making among others. You will expect birds like the great Blue Turaco, blue monkeys, baboons, otters, mongoose, bushbucks, bush pigs, and among others.

Driving time: ± 5.5 hrs.

Accommodation options available (all on a full board basis)

Luxury: Ndali Lodge | Crater Safari Lodge Kibale | Kyaninga Lodge | Primate Lodge Kibale 

Moderate: Isunga Lodge | Chimpanzee Forest Lodge (ensuite cottage) | Kibale Forest Camp | Turaco Treetops

Low Budget: Tents at Kibale Forest Camp | Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse

Day 4: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale National Park

Today we have another big primate encounter when we go chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park.  There are two chimpanzee tracking sessions starting at 8 am and 11 am. Your tour guide will plan with you to be available at the Kibale Park office in good time for the chimp's trek briefing.

The walk should mostly be gentle with some bouts of gentle hill climbing, so not so physically demanding. Usually, you should be going for 3 hours or so in total. The usual thing is to first walk to where the chimpanzees were last located (the day before) and then follow them from this point. This is usually not so far away, and you should be already hearing the chimpanzees' pant-hooting calls, breaking tree branches, and shouting. When you finally get a sight of them, you have 1 hour to enjoy (park rangers aren't that strict and you will most likely have a few more minutes). We get to observe the chimpanzees playing in the tree branches, and going about other chimps' socialization activities like copulating, nest building, and communal hunting of other smaller primates.

On the chimpanzee tracking experience, you should be able to spot other primates on your way. There are at least 12 other primates' species that you could spot while in Kibale National Park - like black and white Columbus monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkeys, bushbabies, pottos; many bird species like the yellow-spotted nicator, rumped tinker bird, little greenbul, green breasted pitta, the crowned eagle, black bee-eater and mammals like elephants can be seen in this walk. If you prefer to have more time to track the other primates and wildlife in Kibale, you can ask to book another night/ day here and a forest walk can be arranged for you.

When you get back from the chimps tracking, your driver shall be waiting for you to drive back to your accommodation.

Kibale National Park, which averages about 3,300 feet in elevation, is an extension of the great rainforests of central Africa. As of 2020, Kibale is inhabited by 6 large communities of chimps, each numbering more than 100 individuals. Each community has a complicated social structure. The big adult males dominate the group and defend the community territory against incursions by male outsiders; the females usually wander in small family groups.

Accommodation options available (all on a full board basis)

Luxury: Ndali Lodge | Crater Safari Lodge Kibale | Kyaninga Lodge | Primate Lodge Kibale 

Moderate: Isunga Lodge | Chimpanzee Forest Lodge (ensuite cottage) | Kibale Forest Camp | Turaco Treetops

Low Budget: Tents at Kibale Forest Camp | Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse

Day 5: Queen Elizabeth National Park & Rwenzori Mountains

You can choose to have a relaxed morning at the lodge before our departure to Queen Elizabeth National Park. On our way (depending on how much time you have for this), we can explore the crater lakes and explosion crater regions of the Fort Portal region.

The drive is characterized by magnificent views of the snow-capped 16,000-foot Rwenzori Mountains (the famed "Mountains of the Moon") on your right, one of the great mountain ranges of the world. You could actually book an optional 1-day walk in the foothills of the Rwenzori. This walk can as well be coordinated by your safari guide/driver.

As we enter Queen Elizabeth National Park, we should be already starting to see some game along the roadsides. But to get a good feel of the park, your tour guide has on plan a game drive along the tracks in the north of the park, in the Lake Katwe explosion crater areas, and on the Baboon cliff. This route also has several soda lakes filling ancient volcanic calderas where flamingos reside seasonally. You should be able to spot teeming herds of impala-like Uganda Kob, as well as topi, elephant and lion, giant forest hog, and Cape buffalo.

This 767-square-mile Queen Elizabeth Conservation Area is bordered on the northeast by Lake George and on the southwest by Lake Edward; its western border adjoins the Congo Parc du Virunga.

Accommodation Options in Queen Elizabeth National Park (Full Board)

Luxury:  Mweya Safari Lodge | Katara Lodge 

Mid-range: Buffalo Safari Lodge |  Enganzi Lodge | Bush Lodge

Budget: Bush Lodge (tents)| Simba Safari Camp (tents) | Pumba Cottages 

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Day 6: Queen Elizabeth National Park Game Drive & Boat Trip

At about 6:30 a.m., your safari guide shall be picking you up for another extensive game drive in the northern part of the park on the Kasenyi Track in search of lions, elephants, solitary buffaloes, hyenas, leopards, among other wildlife species here.

Early mornings are particularly the best times for viewing the big cats in real hunting action, owing to the vast population of Uganda kobs and other antelope species in Queen Elizabeth National Park. If all goes well, we should have an excellent chance to view lots of wildlife on this game drive.

In the afternoon, we shall be going for a scheduled launch trip along the Kazinga Channel. This gives you the opportunity to view wildlife up close: hippos huff and spray at a mere foot away from the boat, and buffalo linger in the shallows. The shores of the channel are also home to an array of birds, including pink-backed pelicans, pied and malachite kingfishers, saddle-billed storks, and many others.

Accommodation Options in Queen Elizabeth National Park (Full Board)

Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge | Katara Lodge

Mid-range: Buffalo Safari Lodge |  Enganzi Lodge | Bush Lodge

Budget: Bush Lodge (tents)| Simba Safari Camp (tents) | Pumba Cottages 

Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Day 7: Game drives in Ishasha Sector for Tree-climbing Lions (and more mammals), Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

We are shifting base today to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The drive should be 4 hours if you are going to the north sectors of Buhoma or Ruhija, or ±6 hours if you are to stay in the south of Bwindi (Rushaga, Nkuringo, Kisoro, or Mgahinga).

Before we exit the park, you can book a chimpanzee trekking experience in Kyambura Gorge (which is part of Queen Elizabeth National Park) or a guided forest walk in Maramagambo Forest in the south of the park.

Based on any of the above factors, we can schedule the best time to leave this morning.  Along the way (depending on the conditions of the road as most of the tracks can get impassable when it rains), we shall be having game drives in the Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Our purpose is mainly to spot the tree-climbing lions, that you can only spot here and nowhere else in Africa. This comes with bits of luck, but we mostly spot them.  After the game drive, we shall be driving along dirt roads on our way to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Bwindi is home to the rare mountain gorillas plus 11 other primate's species including the blue and red-tailed monkeys. The forest itself is lush and green and there are streams running through it.

The communities near Bwindi offer some excellent ways to experience authentic African culture. If you arrive here and still have more time, please tell you your tour guide to assist you to arrange a guided walk in the villages. Unaccompanied walks in the community are also very safe.

As you finally rest for the night, please plan very well for the next day, for your gorilla tracking experience. Your accommodation staff shall approach you to take your next day's breakfast and boxed lunch orders. Charge up your camera batteries, ensure your rainproof clothing is ready, sunscreen and insect repellent are in the pack, and groovy shoes are ready. The gorilla trekking experience requires all this, and more!

Bwindi Accommodation Options (Full Board)

Up-market: Mahogany Springs Lodge |  Buhoma Lodge | Four Gorillas Lodge | Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge 

Moderate:  Lake Mulehe Lodge | Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge | Mutanda Lake Resort

Low Budget: Gorilla Conservation Camp | Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge

Day 8: Gorilla Trek in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Safe planning demands that you set aside the entire day for gorilla tracking and if time allows, spontaneously plan something after.

Because have to be at the Bwindi Park office at about 8 am, your driver should be meeting with you at 7:30 a.m. at the lodge to take you there. You will be required to present a copy of your passport to verify if you are the right person for whom the gorilla tracking permit is booked. After the identity verification, you will be led to the briefing area. While here, you will be bombarded with lots of information about mountain gorilla conservation and ecology. There shall also be a traditional Bakiga cultural music, dance, and drama performance done by the park's neighboring community members.

You are then allocated to the particular gorilla group you will be visiting. For some gorilla groups, you will need to drive a short distance before starting the trek into the forest. The driving is usually not more than 30 minutes before the trek-start point to the mountain gorillas.

We trek through the rainforest and bamboo-covered slopes, accompanied by a guide and trackers, in search of a mountain gorilla family. The walking can sometimes be tough and long, but when you catch a glimpse of the magnificent silverback, any discomforts will be quickly forgotten. As you get closer to the gorillas, you should already be hearing them breaking tree branches and calling, with youngsters singing. Signs of the previous night's nesting should be visible as well. When sighted, visitors will be guided to within 6 meters of the gorillas and sit around them for a whole hour while gazing into their big round eyes.

Although it is quite hard to predict how long you will be going, you can plan your gorilla trek to be from about 2 up to 6 hours in total. Walking along slippery forest slopes can be physically challenging for many, but we are certain you will make it to the gorillas and back in one piece.

While most of today's forests are no more than 12,000 years old, Bwindi's vegetation has been weaving itself into tangles over at least 25,000 years, in the process accumulating a lengthy species list. This includes 310 species of butterfly, 51 reptiles, 200 trees, 88 moths, and an exceptional 120 types of mammals including 10 primates. The latter includes chimpanzees, L'Hoest's, red-tailed and blue monkeys, black and white colobus, baboons, and Bwindi's most famous resident, the mountain gorilla.

Bwindi is a prime destination for birdwatchers. Its 350 species include seven which are IUCN red data listed and 90% of all Albertine rift endemics, species which are difficult or impossible to see in any other part of East Africa.

Bwindi Overnight Options:

Up-market: Mahogany Springs Lodge |  Buhoma Lodge | Four Gorillas Lodge | Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge 

Moderate:  Lake Mulehe Lodge | Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge | Mutanda Lake Resort

Low Budget: Gorilla Conservation Camp | Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge

Day 9: Leave Bwindi and Return to Kampala / Entebbe or to Kigali (Daily flights to Entebbe can be booked as well)

Rise early for breakfast before saying farewell to the camp’s friendly staff as we depart for Kampala / Entebbe.

En route, we will stop at the Equator for photographs and a ‘polar-water experiment', then local community crafts shops and fruit markets.

We will be in Entebbe in the evening before your flight back home.

End of the All-inclusive Uganda Gorilla & Wildlife Safari with Murchison Falls.