Safari Across Uganda – 25 Days

On this day you will visit the orphaned chimpanzees at Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary. These chimpanzees are rescued from all over East Africa and are taken care of at this sanctuary. You will either be picked up from your hotel in Entebbe/Kampala or from the Airport depending on the time you arrive then you will be transferred to the pier on Lake Victoria for a boat trip to Ngamba Chimpanzee Sanctuary, once you are there you will have a chance to see them feed as well feed them to and learn about their stay in the sanctuary after you will return back to Entebbe for dinner and overnight.

Overnight at 2 Friends Beach
Meal Plan: Full board

This day after breakfast at your lodge you will meet your safari driver guide and you will drive to Lake Mburo National Park you will have a stop visit at the Equator and a stopover for en-lunch, you will then proceed arriving at the Lodge in time for an afternoon Boat cruise after you will do an evening game drive and later dinner and overnight.

Lake Mburo National Park is home to several animal species including topi, eland, klipspringer, zebra, buffalo, oribi, sitatunga, leopard and a variety of water and acacia savannah bird species such as the marabou stork, bronze tailed starling, and Uganda’s national bird, the beautiful grey crowned crane. Your stay at Lake Mburo will provide opportunities to experience the park’s vast wildlife in a variety of settings including morning and afternoon game drives, guided walks, and boat rides around the lake.

Drive time: Approximately 4-5 hours
Accommodation: Kigarama Lodge or Rwakobo Rock Lodge
Meal plan: Full board

After breakfast at your lodge you will check-out and go for a morning sunrise game drive after you will drive to Lake Bunyonyi for an evening relaxing sightseeing at the lake, dinner and overnight at Bird nest Resort Cottages.

Lake Bunyonyi is located in south-west Uganda is believed to be one of the deepest lakes in Africa, probably even the most beautiful lakes in Africa as well, dotted with numerous islands and surrounded by terraced hills. With its scenic environs, cool weather and numerous little islands, the place has been well marked as a great spot to relax and chill out, and offers visitors a number of choices when it comes to things to see and do.

After breakfast at the lodge you will go for a boat cruise on Lake Bunyonyi to visit the historical islands after you will drive south to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park arriving in the afternoon at the Lodge for check-in, later have dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge
Meal plan: Full board

After breakfast at the lodge you will go for golden monkey tracking experience after you will drive south to Bwindi, Bwindi impenetrable national park arriving in the afternoon at the Lodge for check-in, later have dinner and overnight.

Drive time: 2-3 hours drive
Lodging: Buhoma Community Havens Lodge/Buhoma Community Rest Camp
Meal plan: Full board

After breakfast at the lodge, you will drive to the park headquarters for briefing from the Uganda wildlife Authority ranger guides who will allocate you a gorilla family group you will trek that day. Once you have your group confirmed 8 people, the 2 ranger guides will lead you into the thick impenetrable forest to start your search for the endangered rare species of Mountain Gorillas.

The gorilla search always continues from the place where they were last seen the previous day. Upon reaching the area where these famous species are, you will only be allowed to interact with them for only one hour and you should always keep maximum silence while with these Gorillas. You are allowed to take photographs and so on.

Gorilla tracking can sometimes be strenuous depending on the trek that day which is normally determined by weather and the movement of the gorillas in the forest but given the fact it is very well organized activity you have 99% chances of seeing the gorillas on your trek. The trek is guided by advanced trackers who monitor the mountain gorilla movements all day in the forest with this they will know where they nested for the last night and that’s where you start from looking for them.

The 2 ranger guides will lead you all through the trek clearing trails, creating new trails and sharing with you information about the mountain gorillas and Bwindi forest. After the trek you will retrieve back to the starting point to pick your certificates as a sign of successful tracking of mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

Lodging: Buhoma Community Havens Lodge/Buhoma Community Rest Camp
Meal plan: Full board

After breakfast you will drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park arriving in the afternoon at the park, you will have an en-route game drive and stops along the way for sightseeing. On arrival at the hotel you will be warmly welcomed and check-in for relaxing, later you will go for an evening game drive to search for late grazers and after return to the Lodge for overnight.

Overnight at Enjojo Lodge or Ishasha Jungle Lodge
Meal plan: Full board

After breakfast you will go for game drives in the Ishasha wildernesses to search for tree climbing lions and other wildlife, but spotting them depends on your luck and weather of the day, as we cannot make any appointments with nature.

Overnight at Enjojo Lodge or Ishasha Jungle Lodge.
Meal plan: Full board

Today you will head to the north of the park arriving midday for Lunch and afternoon game drive. Queen Elizabeth National Park is the most popular and diverse conservation area with a variety of habitats ranging from grassland, acacia woodland, forests, wetlands and open water this sustains a wide range of mammals with the major ones the Big 4 animals and a remarkable tally of bird life boosting to over 604 bird species.

Lodging: Elephant Hab Lodge/Pumba Safari Lodge
Meal plan: Full board

After your breakfast you will drive to Kasenyi plains for a morning game drive to search for early bird wildlife. Some of the animals you will see include are elephants, large herds of buffalos, leopards, lions, bushbucks, kobs, antelopes, bushbucks and more.

The morning game drive will take you approximately 2-3 hours and then after you will drive to Mweya peninsula for hot lunch, relax and go for an afternoon boat cruise safari on Kazinga Channel, this boat ride is something worth it and considered as a highlight of your safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park, you will have a chance to see various wildlife as they enjoy the shores of the channel, hippos enjoying the swim and various bird species.

After the cruise return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.

Lodging: Elephant Hab Lodge/Pumba Safari Lodge.
Meal plan: Full board

Today after breakfast you will go for chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge, in the gorge you will have a chance to see other primates and bird species as well as learn more about the gorge after you will come back to your lodge for lunch and refresh then later you will go for a community visit including schools where you have a chance to donate various scholastic materials to the young ones then you will do an en-route game drive and sundowner back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Lodging: Elephant Hab Lodge/Pumba Safari Lodge
Meal plan: Full board

After break you will visit Katwe Salt Lakes after you will drive to Kibale National Park with a stopover for lunch enroute on your way to the National Park. On influx you will have a nature walk through the Bigodi Swamp awesome sightseeing of the resident monkeys and birds.
Kibale Forest National park is home to 13 species of primates and over 335 bird species making it a popular destination for birders and primates lovers.

Drive time: 1-2 hours drive
Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee guest house, mountain of the moon hotel, primates lodge kibale.
meal plan: Full board

After breakfast at your lodge you will drive to Kibale National Park Headquarters to meet your guides for the day and begin your chimpanzee tracking experience. Experienced guides, researchers and trackers will accompany your party on an early morning trek into the forest to view wild chimpanzees as well as several other species of primates in their natural habitat. You will have an opportunity to be within meters of these amusing and very social apes for four hours, sharing in their daily lives and experiencing their day-to-day activities and they will take you through the whole tracking process.

Chimpanzees, our closest cousins, are extremely endangered with only an estimated 5000 remaining in Uganda.
Please note: tracking may be fairly strenuous as the chimpanzees are highly mobile as they search for food throughout the forest. Also, chimpanzees are wild animals and, as such, sightings cannot be guaranteed.

Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee guest house, mountain of the moon hotel, Primates lodge kibale.
Meal plan: Full board

Today after breakfast you will drive to Budongo Forest, you will have stops along the way for sightseeing and photographs plus lunch en-route arriving in the late afternoon at the lodge for check-in later dinner and overnight. Budongo Forest is located at the edge of Murchison Falls National park, it is a home of primates including chimpanzees, baboons (which will welcome you on arrival) and monkeys, various bird species and other wildlife.

Dinner and overnight at Budongo Eco lodge.
Meal plan: Full board

Today you will go for Chimpanzee tracking along the trek you will have a chance to spot various bird species after you come back to your lodge for check-out have lunch and drive to Murchison Falls National park for overnight at Pakuba Safari lodge, you will have an en-route visit to the top of the falls and an evening game drive to search for late grazers then you will proceed to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Murchison falls National Park is the largest National Park and conservation area in Uganda with an area of 3840 kms. The River Nile divides the park into the north and south sectors and forms fall where it flows over the western rift valley escarpment. Here, the river is forced through a 6-metre gap in the rocks and cascades into a boiling pot 40 meters below.

A boat cruise up-stream to the falls provides an unforgettable experience! Visitors are able to watch a variety of animals. These include elephant, buffalo, giraffe, lion, hippo, crocodile, several antelope species and many species of bird life along the Nile as the boat travels along.

Overnight: Pakuba Safari Lodge or Murchison River Lodge
Meal Plan: Full board

After breakfast , you will go for your morning game drive that will provide you an opportunity of spotting wild game that includes, giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes, hippos and if lucky cats such as lions and leopards. Return to the lodge for a lunch break before proceeding to the pier for your two hour boat cruise to the bottom of the falls to witness how river Nile squeezes itself in a narrow gorge before exploding out producing an experience of a lifetime, during your cruise you will as well encounter various wild animals elephants, hippos as they enjoy the banks for river Nile, reptiles and birds.

Overnight: Pakuba Safari Lodge or Murchison River Lodge
Meal Plan: Full board

This morning embark on a cruise downstream with breakfast on-board on the cool, calm morning water. Home to a wide variety of wetland and papyrus endemic bird species, including the elusive shoebill stork, this three to five hour cruise offers a unique opportunity to spot rarely found birds and animals such as hippo, elephants and large crocodiles. Travelling through the center of Murchison Falls National Park, guests can experience the constantly changing scenery of the Nile River as it winds its way to Lake Albert. 2nd Game Drive – North Bank After lunch, or if you wish in the late afternoon, head out for one more game drive to try and spot any species you missed the first time around.

Overnight: Pakuba Safari Lodge or Murchison River Lodge
Meal Plan: Full board

Today you will connect to the largest park in Uganda, Kidepo National. And you may find some seasonal springs and rivers often crossed by bridges and you might also start seeing Karamajong people arriving in Kidepo in the evening and relax at the Lodge or go for a mini evening game drive.

Kidepo Valley National Park

Kidepo Valley National Park lies in the rugged, semi-arid valleys between Uganda’s borders with Sudan and Kenya, some 700km from Kampala. Gazetted as a national park in 1962, it has a profusion of big game and hosts over 77 mammal species as well as around 475 bird species. Kidepo is Uganda’s most isolated national park, but the few who make the long journey north through the wild frontier region of Karamoja would agree that it is also the most magnificent, for Kidepo ranks among Africa’s finest wildernesses.

From Apoka, in the heart of the park, a savannah landscape extends far beyond the gazetted area, towards horizons outlined by distant mountain ranges. During the dry season, the only permanent water in the park is found in wetlands and remnant pools in the broad Narus Valley near Apoka. These seasonal oases, combined with the open, savannah terrain, make the Narus Valley the park’s prime game viewing location.

Overnight at Kidepo savannah Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today you will have game drives in the valleys of Narus and Kidepo since they have difference in the animals they inhabit. Narus Valley Narus Valley is a rolling, grassland plain enclosed by distant mountains. The valley has permanent water, and for much of the year the park’s wildlife congregates here. Thus, the area is well provided with game tracks, with four loop circuits exploring the valley around Apoka. Many creatures such as lions, Jackson’s hartebeest, buffaloes, giraffes, oribis and reedbucks can be seen in the valley.

Less commonly seen are cheetahs and leopards. The Narus dam and the water hole near the Tourism Centre are perfect observation points for game, especially during the dry season. At the southern end of the Katurum loop, Katurum kopje (the site of a derelict lodge) is an attractive destination with superb views north across the valley towards the Morungule mountain range. Kidepo Valley For most of the year, a lack of surface water means that little wildlife is found in Kidepo Valley, though it is still worth the drive to visit the dry Kidepo River to stroll along its 50m wide bed of white sand between banks covered with borassus palms.

Overnight at Kidepo savannah Lodge
Meal Plan: Full board

You will go for your second day full day game drives in Kidepo valley national park. You will have a chance to search for missed animals the previous day.

Overnight at Kidepo savannah Lodge
Meal Plan: Full board

After an early morning breakfast, you will drive back to Narus valley to enjoy a morning game drive. Try to look out for the same animals and may be able to meet other species as you continue with the drives. You will proceed to Kidepo River as you pave your way to the Karamajong community. The valley is surrounded by hills which makes the scenery very stunning. The Karamajogo people. The Karamajongo are very famous as cattle keepers who love their cattle. Visit their home steads known as the Manyatas, they will dance for you and explain their culture to you and then drive to Gulu for dinner and overnight.

Overnight at Church Hill Hotel
Meal plan: Full board.

Today you will drive to Ziwa Rhino sanctuary for on foot rhino tracking and hot lunch, optional community visit including a school which you can donate various materials and later dinner and overnight.

Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Ziwa rhino sanctuary is a popular destination and most of the safari travelers travelling from Murchison towards Kampala/Entebbe include a stop at the sanctuary as a permanent part of their itineraries. Feedback from visitors is extremely positive, and our visitor numbers are expected to continue to grow.

A security force of 80 Rangers of which many are armed, patrols the fence, guard the gates, and monitor the rhinos 24 hours per day. The sanctuary is not only home to the rhinos but also to approximately 20 other species of wildlife as well as 300 different bird species highlighting Uganda’s unique biodiversity and emphasizing the importance of conserving it.

The conservation effort is proving successful as we see the numbers of wildlife growing within the sanctuary. While here you will also go in search of the elusive shoe bill one of the Great birds and one not to miss while on safari in Uganda.

Overnight at Amuka Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Full board

After breakfast you will drive to Jinja, Jinja is a town in Central Uganda, on the shore of Lake Victoria. The source of the Nile, at Coronation Park, is marked by a garden and a monument honoring British explorer John Hanning Speke. River Nile is well known to be the longest river in the world. Its source starts right from Jinja Uganda.

Overnight at Source of the Smile Hotel, Jinja

Jinja is tagged as East Africas Adventure Capital; it is a home to some of the worlds finest grade 5 white water rafting and other adventure activities. Whether you are a first-timer, family or high adventure enthusiast, you’ll find your perfect white water adventure here. Get wet! Get wild! Get rafting! Enjoy the Adventure!

With a commitment to safety, quality and value for money you will enjoy your raft on the strong white waters.
A horse riding safari (OPTIONAL) provides a fantastic way to explore the Banks of the Nile, see a traditional Ugandan village and view the stunning panorama from the hills overlooking the Nile River valley. After you will come back to your lodge for dinner and later optional Jinja tour and night life

Today your last day you will drive back to your lodge for drop-off in Entebbe/Kampala or Entebbe International Airport depending on your flight time for your departure flight out to end your trip.

End of the Safari Across Uganda 25 Days