12 days Uganda safari tour
In this 12 days Uganda safari tour, you will visit all of Uganda’s national parks containing primates and wildlife. For example, Murchison Falls National Park is located in the northwest part of the country, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kibale National Park are located in the west, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Jinja and Kibale National Park are located in the south-west corner of the country.
Uganda Safari highlight
Day 1: Birding excursion at Mabamba wetland and transfer to Lake Mburo national park – walking safari – evening game drive
Day 2: Early morning game drive and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park (6 hours’ drive)
Day 3: Gorilla trekking experience
Day 4: Golden monkey tracking – Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park – Ishasha sector
Day 5: Ishasha game drive – afternoon boat cruise along the Kazinga channel
Day 6: Lion tracking (Optional)/Morning game drive and transfer to Kibale national park
Day 7: Chimpanzee Trekking – Bigodi Swamp
Day 8: Transfer to Murchison falls national park – top of the falls hike
Day 9: Morning Game drive and launch cruise
Day 10: Ziwa rhino tracking – transfer to Jinja
Day 11: Full day Jinja excursion – boat trip on Lake Victoria
Day 12: Transfer to Entebbe – Departure
Detailed Safari
Day 0: Arrival at Entebbe airport – own hotel booking
Day 1: Birding excursion at Mabamba wetland and transfer to Lake Mburo national park – walking safari – evening game drive
Upon meeting your safari driver at 7 am, you will be transferred to Mabamba wetland where you will see the shoebill stork and the gray crowned crane early in the morning.
Located along the shores of Lake Victoria, Mabamba swamp is one of the best birdwatching sites in Uganda offering visitors an opportunity to get an excellent bird watching experience and to come face-to-face with a wide variety of bird species.
In Uganda, this site is considered to be the best place due to the high likelihood of encountering the rare shoebill stork at this site. In Mabamba, you will have the chance to get closer to the different bird species that reside here during a canoe ride led by your local guide.
Afterwards, embark on your journey to Lake Mburo national park, taking a stop en-route at the Equator and having lunch along the way.
Once you arrive in the afternoon, check into your lodge and relax before you embark on a walking Uganda safari, similar to a game drive but with the added benefit that you will be viewing wildlife on foot, including zebras, impalas, giraffes, and many more. After returning to the lodge, take part in an evening game drive to see wildlife once again. Dinner and overnight stay at Eagles Nest lodge for budget/ Arcadia Cottages for mid-range/ Mihingo Lodge for luxury
Day 2: Early morning game drive and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park (6 hours’ drive)
After getting up early and having breakfast, you will head out for a game drive in search of the early risers. On a good day, you may even see the lions and the leopards roaming around on a game drive. Other animals to find include; Giraffes, Zebras, Impalas, waterbucks, Buffaloes, warthogs, just to mention a few.
After that, you will embark on a journey to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park. It’s a 5-6 hours’ drive with en-route lunch. After arriving at the park, check in to the lodge so that you can relax during your stay. Dinner and overnight stay at Rushaga Haven Lodge for budget/Ichumbi Gorilla lodge for mid-range/Four Gorilla lodge for luxury
Day 3: Gorilla trekking experience
On the 3rd day of your 12 days Uganda safari tour, After breakfast, we will transfer you to the park headquarters, where a local guide will brief you about Mountain Gorilla trekking before taking you to the park.
Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Tour
In general, the visit will take between two to eight hours, depending on the gorillas’ movements.
An unexpected encounter with the gorillas is one of the most memorable experiences of a lifetime.
The opportunity will be provided to you to observe and take pictures of wildlife at very close quarters. You will observe adults feeding and groaning among themselves. A brief hour with the long-anticipated gorillas will be followed by a return trip to the starting point where your guide and rangers will lead you back to the lodge where your driver is ready to pick you up for the return trip to the lodge for a rest, dinner, and overnight stay…
Day 4: Golden monkey tracking – Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park – Ishasha sector
After eating breakfast, you will have to set off as early as 5 am with your trekking gears in order to track Golden monkeys in Mgahinga national park.
You will meet other tourists at the forest head office to receive an introduction to the Golden monkeys before you trek through the trail that leads to where you might be able to see the monkeys, carrying on the journey until you reach them.
On a lucky day, you may see the gorillas again, as well as different birds and forest animals that live in the area. Trekking may take 2-5 hours depending on their location. On meeting them, you will spend an hour in their presence before you return to meet your guide.
Upon arrival at Queen Elizabeth National Park, you will have time to have lunch and then drive to Ishasha sector of the park, which is a five-hour drive away. Upon arrival, check-in at your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Enjojo Game lodge for budget/Ishasha Jungle Lodge for mid-range/Ishasha Wilderness Camp for luxury
Day 5: Ishasha gane drive – afternoon boat cruise along the Kazinga channel
On the 5th day of your 12 days Uganda safari tour, As soon as you finish your breakfast and get ready for the day ahead, we will be heading out to the Ishasha sector to have a chance of seeing the tree climbing lions and the rare lions.
On a game drive, you can expect to see antelopes as well as other interesting animals.
Afterwards, you will have a game drive, connect with the northern part of the park, check into your lodge, and have lunch. Later in the afternoon, you will take a launch cruise on Kazinga channel where you will be able to see a variety of bird species, elephants and buffalos, hippos and crocodiles on the lakeshore as well as other wildlife species.
Drive to check-in your lodge, dinner and overnight stay at The Bush Lodge for budget/Buffalo Lodge for mid-range/Elephant Plains Lodge for luxury
Day 6: Lion tracking (Optional)/Morning game drive and transfer to Kibale national park
In the morning, you will wake up early to take part in an optional lion tracking experience with a morning game drive to catch up with those early risers in the Kasenyi sector, a known hunting ground for lions as well as the mating ground for kobs.
The game drive offers you the opportunity to see some of the big four species of animals, such as lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, and a variety of species of antelopes, warthogs, and white Colobus monkeys just to name a few.
The game drive will be followed by a transfer to Kibale national park where you will have the opportunity to explore the crater lakes en-route to your destination. Proceed to your booked lodge for check-in, dinner and overnight stay at Isunga lodge for budget/Chimpanzee Forest Lodge for mid-range/Chimpundu Lodge for luxury
Day 7: Chimpanzee Trekking – Bigodi Swamp
Early in the morning, wake up and drive to the Kibale forest so that you may receive a briefing before heading into the forest to look for the exuberant chimpanzee groups flourishing there.
It is a thrilling experience to be able to track chimpanzees in their natural habitat as they swing from the branches in the forest canopy high above the forest floor as they soar from branch to branch.
Even though they can be difficult to spot, you will be in for a treat if you happen to walk into the forest during the day because you will be able to hear them calling out in the distance.
Spend an hour in their presence. In the afternoon, take a swamp walk through Bigodi swamp – one of the richest swamps on the island with a variety of primates and birds including baboons, redtailed monkeys and black and white monkeys among others. Diner and overnight at lodge as above
Day 8: Transfer to Murchison falls national park – top of the falls hike
On the 8th day of your 12 days Uganda safari tour, Upon waking up in the morning, check out of the lodge and make your way to Murchison Falls National Park. It’s a 6-7 hours’ drive with en-route lunch. As you enter the park through the Kichumbanyobo gate, from Masindi town, you will be guided to the top of the Murchison falls, where you will explore the falls before proceeding to your lodge to rest for the night. Dinner and overnight stay at Pakuba Safari lodge for mid-range/Parkside Safari Lodge for budget/Paraa Safari Lodge for super mid-range
Day 9: Morning Game drive and launch cruise
After your early morning breakfast, you will go on a game drive where you may be able to see diverse animal species such as lions, leopards, hyenas, elephants, giraffes, Uganda kobs and many more.
Return and have lunch.
The next day, in the afternoon, you embark on a launch cruise along the Nile River at the bottom of the Murchison Falls, where you will be able to observe various groups of hippo and crocodiles along a series of sandbanks, as well as many different species getting into the water to bathe and drink. Return to your lodge with en-route game viewing. Dinner and overnight at lodge as the above
Lauch Cruise
Day 10: Ziwa rhino tracking – transfer to Jinja
On the 10th day of your 12 days Uganda safari tour, Upon completing breakfast, you will be transferred to Ziwa rhino sanctuary, where you will be able to spend some time tracking rhinos on foot.
Upon receiving a briefing, you will be taken on a drive to track rhinos for approximately 1-2 hours. Embark on your journey back to Jinja with a lunch stop in Kampala en route. Upon arrival at afternoon, check-in at your booked hotel for relaxation, dinner and overnight, stay at Wildwater Lodge
Day 11: Full day Jinja excursion – boat trip on Lake Victoria
As soon as you finish breakfast, spend the rest of the morning relaxing at the lodge at your leisure. After lunch, join a boat cruise on Lake Victoria and visit the source of the Nile in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 12: Transfer to Entebbe – Departure
In the morning, you will meet your driver and have the opportunity to go on a Jinja excursion tour, visiting some of the sites such as the Itanda falls, the Railway Museum, and other sites as advised by your driver.
On your way back to Entebbe in the afternoon, after enjoying a delicious lunch en route, you will be driving through the picturesque countryside returning to Entebbe. Upon arrival in Entebbe, you will either be dropped off at Entebbe international airport for your onward flight back home, marking the end of your Uganda safari.
