14 DAYS UGANDA BIG FIVE SAFARI & GORILLA TREKKING

Welcome to Uganda for this well customized adventure packed vacation that will usher you the absolute best of the Pearl of Africa to you. 

On arrival at Entebbe International airport, our professional English-speaking driver guide will welcome you to Uganda for your 14 days adventure and he will transfer you to the booked hotel. You will be checked in for you to rest, recover from the jetlag, switch to the different time zone and relax for the following day road trip.

The airport to hotel transfer time is approximately 30 minutes.

OPTIONAL: If at all you arrive early and you are interested in having an activity.

Consider a visit to the;  

• Botanical gardens where you will be able to see a variety of primates and bird species, and dinner at the Victoria Mall. 
• Mabamba swamp to search for the prehistoric shoebill. 

TRANSFER TO MURCHISON THROUGH ZZIWA RHINO SANCTUARY 

After your early morning breakfast, the driver/guide will pick you from the hotel and then start your road trip to Murchison falls NP. You will have stopover in Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Rhino tracking experience and lunch enroute. After having the rhino tracking experience, you will relax for an hour as you have lunch. After, you will continue the road trip to Murchison Falls. 

Murchison Falls NP covers 3,840-sq km and has recorded 76 mammal species and 451 bird species. It is also a home to the majestic world’s strongest waterfalls and the Victoria Nile river which divides it into Northern and Southern sectors. Murchison Falls National Park is the first and largest National Park in Uganda, it was first protected as a game reserve in 1926 and officially a game park in 1952. The Victoria Nile which falls off 45m over the remnant Rift Valley wall creates the spectacular Murchison Falls. The drive is to this park is Approx. 350 km, 7-8 hours’ drive depending on the traffic flow.

Upon your arrival in the park, your guide will transfer you to your safari Lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 3- GAME DRIVE 

After your early morning breakfast, you will start the day with an early morning game drive in search of those animals that are unique to the African Savannah like giraffes, antelopes, lions, elephants, leopards, the Uganda Kobs, etc. The birdlife is also impressive, with the eagles and the rare shoebill being among the prized sightings. During your game drive request your guide to show you the Congo Blue Mountains, on a clear morning.

After your morning drive, you will return to the lodge for refreshments and a moment of relaxation. After a hot lunch, your guide will drive you to Murchison Falls for a top-of-the-fall viewing experience. You will later continue with an evening game drive for you to check-in for the missed wildlife. You will check out of the park at 7pm and return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

After lunch, you will go for an afternoon boat cruise to the bottomof the falls where you will see huge crocodiles, schools of hippos, buffaloes, elephants, and a variety of water birds. The cruise takes a maximum of 3 hours. After you will return to the lodge to relax and prepare for the next day road trip to the capital city of the chimpanzees. 

DAY 4: TRANSFER TO KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK

Early in the morning after breakfast, check out of your lodge and drive through the undulating highlands and the rift valley escarpments of Southwestern Uganda on your way to the greener and more beautiful Fort Portal area. Have lunch in Fort Portal. Reach the park and go for a nature walk in Bigodi Swamp in search of the prehistoric shoebill stork and other primates that dwell in there. After, head to the lodge and relax and later have dinner and your overnight stay.

Our day starts with an early morning breakfast before meeting your ranger for briefing on chimpanzee trekking in the Kibale Forest. You'll then head off on foot to track the chimpanzees of Kibale National Park, which is a home of an impressive 500 chimpanzees. The dense jungles are considered the best place to view chimpanzees in Africa. Chimpanzees are commonly found feeding on fig tree fruits in the game park. The guided walk offers a great opportunity to learn more about chimpanzees and other primates along with the various creatures of the jungle. Kibale National Park covers 795sq km mostly equatorial rainforest terrain. This national park is home to numerous forest wildlife species, boasting one of the highest concentrations of primates in the world. The 13 primate species include black and white Colobus monkeys, etc. After seeing the chimps for an hour, head back to the lodge for relaxation and overnight stay.

 DAY 6: TRANSFER TO QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK

Today, you will wake up ready for breakfast and check out of your lodge. You will then embark on a journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will arrive ready for lunch and later in the evening, pay a visit to the salt lakes of Katwe and tour the local community. You will head back to the lodge, have dinner and your overnight stay.

DAY 7: GAME DRIVES AND BOAT CRUISE

At 6:00 am, wake up for a packed breakfast and head out for an early morning drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park exploring the area along Kasenyi and Queens’s Mile. Wildlife sightings include elephants, lions, buffaloes, Uganda Kobs, waterbucks, warthogs and various bird species. Afterwards, head back to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, you will embark on a two-hour boat trip on the Kazinga Channel, getting up close to hippos, buffaloes and other aquatic wildlife. The boat trip offers excellent bird-watching opportunities as well as the chance to see elephants, warthogs and Kobs up close. The banks of the channel are home to a rich variety of wildlife. This ride will leave you with an amazing experience. After the boat ride, you will have an evening game drive which offers you an opportunity to view big cats hunting. At 7pm, you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and your night stay.

DAY 8: TRANSFER TO BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK

This morning after your breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and head out for a game drive in the Ishasha area. Brace yourself for a chance to see the rare tree-climbing lions. The tree climbing lions can be seen lounging in the fig tree branches in the mid-morning as they rest from the previous night's strenuous hunt! Afterwards, continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in preparation for your next day's gorilla trek. Arrive in Buhoma early in the evening for relaxation and dinner at your Lodge.

DAY 9: GORILLA TREKKING

After an early morning breakfast, your guide will drive you to the park headquarters for briefing. Make sure you have a secure packed lunch. After being grouped and given a ranger, you will head to the jungle for gorilla trekking. This could take 4-8 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas the previous night. Upon meeting the giants, you will be allowed to see them for one full hour before you are led back. After trekking, you will meet your driver and transfer you back to the lodge where you will unwind as you reflect on the memorable gorilla trek. You will relax as you prepare for an evening community walk for the Batwa cultural experience and craft shopping. After the community experience, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 10: TRANSFER TO LAKE BUNYONYI

After breakfast, you will leave for Lake Bunyonyi, which is one of the deepest lakes in Africa. Lake Bunyonyi has 32 islands and is a good stopover for relaxation for those coming from trekking mountain gorillas. Upon arrival, you will go on a boat ride, which will enable you to visit most of the islands in the lake. Each island is named according to the bird species found on there and some were named because of their purposes in the community. For example, Punishment Island, which is the smallest and was used by the Bakiga people to drop their girls who got pregnant before marriage. You will also learn a lot more about the islands and the people that inhabit them. After the boat ride, return to the lodge for relaxation while you watch the beautiful sunset.

DAY 11: TRANSFER TO TO LAKE MBURO.

Early in the morning after breakfast at Uganda’s deepest lake check out from your hotel and embark on the 3 hours drive to the jaw dropping rolling scenic ragged hills of lake Mburo. Check in into your safari lodge as you prepare for an evening walking safari to browse through the magnificent flora and Fauna of this amazing park. After your walking safari in the late evening return to your Safari lodge for dinner and overnight stay

Day 12: Safari on the Horse Back

Early in the morning head to the park for the most thrilling experience watching world life on the horse’s back. As you ride deeper into the park, you will have a bush breakfast, proceeds with your Safari up-to midday and then head back to your hotel for lunch and rest. Enjoy the evening panoramic views of the sunset over the rocks. Have dinner and the overnight stay

Day 13 Transfer to Kampala
After breakfast, embark on the 5 hours drive, have lunch at Jalia city and then en route through CTC conservation Center for a 2 hours experience of a close encounter with habituated wild Life including Lions, lion curbs, feeding the zebras, Tortoise, Madagascar Lima’s and Giraffes and other animal species including reptiles after continue with your drive to Kampala city for your dinner and overnight stay

Local shopping of souvenirs in East African craft market in Kampala as you you wait for your return flight