21 DAYS UGANDA CULTURE CHIMPANZEE GORILLA & BIG 5

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 driver guide will welcome you to Uganda for your 21 days adventure and he will transfer you to the booked hotel. You will be checked in for you to rest, recover from the jet lag, switch to the different time zone and relax for the following day road trip.

The airport to hotel transfer time is approximately 20 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. 

After your early morning breakfast, you will start the road trip towards the North to Kidepo Valley National Park. The park lies in the rugged, semi-arid valleys between Uganda’s borders with Sudan and Kenya, about 412km from Kampala. Gazetted as a national game reserve in 1958 and 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 and is also the most magnificent. Kidepo ranks among Africa’s finest wildernesses.

Main Destination is Kidepo Valley National Park however on this trip you will have a stopover at Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary for the Rhino tracking experience and lunch en-route. This activity takes approximately 2 hours. You will then proceed to Kidepo via the northern circuit. 

Arrive at your lodge late in the evening around 8pm, refresh up, have dinner and overnight stay.

Very early in the morning at 6am, have breakfast and head out to the park for an early morning game drive where you will be able to encounter Nocturnals retiring from their hectic nights. These may include lions, cheetahs, leopards, jacals and hyenas on a lucky day. Kidepo valley national Park is well known as Africa’s true wilderness. It is always a hidden gem for the real Safari goers. Also expect to see big herds of buffalos, huge families of elephants, zebras, giraffes, heartbeasts, impalas, ostritches and Rhinos, on your game drive. 

This will be the activity for the entire day.  You will briefly return to the lodge for lunch and a rest. Later, head to the park for an evening game drive.

At 7pm you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Kidepo is the only park with big 5 animals in Uganda. 

Early in the morning after breakfast, head to the park for your last browse as you check out for the missed wildlife. Around 9 am, head to the Iki communities around Mount Molungore for the cultural experience. At around 2pm, return to the lodge for lunch and rest. Evening game drive is optional however in case there is still a demand or have not seen any of the big cats, then surely evening game drive will be a go to opportunity.

After your early morning breakfast, the driver/guide will then start your road trip to Murchison falls NP. You will relax for an hour as you have lunch in the Gulu city. After, you will continue the road trip to Murchison Falls National Park via Pakwach. 

Murchison Falls National Park 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 and most powerful waterfalls along 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 to this park is approximately 315 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.

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 head to the Nile river for an afternoon boat cruise to the bottom of the falls where you will see huge crocodiles, largest schools of hippos, buffaloes, elephants, and a variety of water birds. The cruise takes a maximum of 3 hours. You will have lunch on the Nile. After the cruise, return to the lodge for refreshments and a moment of relaxation. After, your guide will drive you to Murchison Falls for a top-of-the-fall viewing experience where you will be amazed how the whole river Nile waters flow through a 6 metre wide gorge also known as the devil’s caldron. This water fall is also known as the world’s most powerful. 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 to relax and prepare for the next day road trip to the capital city of the chimpanzees. 

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 shoe-bill stork and other primates that dwell in there. After, head to the lodge and relax and later have dinner and your overnight sta

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 1500+ chimpanzees. The dense jungles are considered the best place to view chimpanzees in Africa with 100% chances to see them when you visit. 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 chimpanzees for an hour, you will then embark on transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. 
NB: You will have lunch at your hotel before the transfer.

Arrive in Queen Elizabeth National Park at your hotel in the evening for dinner and overnight stay.

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.

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 sector in the evening 7pm for relaxation and dinner at your Lodge.

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.

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.

After breakfast, you will enjoy a scenic drive from Lake Bunyonyi to Mbarara. You will have 2-hours drive to a community where you will visit an African home. Here you will have story time listening from an African Woman. Learn more about traditional African way of living. This is a 1hr experience. After proceed to Mbarara City then to Igongo Cultural Centre for lunch, relaxation and overnight stay. Prepare for evening community walk to learn about Ankole Culture. Night life experience can be arranged upon request.

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and head to Lake Mburo National Park for another unique safari experience on foot and on horseback. Arrive and check in at your safari Lodge. Embark on a walking safari experience where you have animal encounters. Walking safaris are permitted in this park because there are no aggressive man eaters like lions. However, there are numerous leopards roaming in this park. Imagine coming face to face with a leopard!  You will be meeting buffalos, giraffes, beautiful zebras, kobs, impalas, kudus, warthogs, crested cranes, and numerous birds. This will be your day activity. Return to the lodge to relax and chill on the warm rocks of the park as you watch spectacular sunset over the ragged hilly sceneries. Have dinner and overnight stay.

This is the long waited day! You will wake up early in the morning and prepare for the morning horse ride safari through the park to the highest peak of the park. You will have your breakfast prepared in the middle of the jungle where you will enjoy the most romantic moment with nature.  Throughout this experience, you will be having an armed ranger making sure that you are safe. This safari ride normally takes 6 hours.  After you return to the hotel for rest and overnight stay.

This day, after breakfast, check out of your hotel and embark on a 5-hour drive to CTC conservation Centre where you will have close interaction with some of the animals you encountered during the safari. This is a privately operated conservation Centre. You will interact with lion cubs, adult lions, hyenas, wild dogs, tigers, Madagascar lemmas, zebras, giraffes, fennec desert foxes, rock pythons for those who love snakes, lizards, tortoises, and others. This experience takes maximum 2hours.  You will have lunch and Proceed to Kampala for an optional  night experience and overnight stay.   

Kampala City, also known as the city that never sleeps in Africa, Kampala is located on the seven hills with a diversity of tourist attractions ranging from religious, cultural, historical, and commercial attractions. This beautiful city has grown and developed over the years and so has its hospitality and you will automatically feel at home. The Kampala City Tour is famous with tourists before or after they embark on a long Uganda Safari.

Kampala, generally known as the city of seven hills, is the capital city of Uganda, the center of commercial life, and the seat of government including the Parliament and historical monuments. Kampala City Tour offers cultural lovers lots of opportunities to appreciate the country’s cultural diversity.

This tour will give you the opportunity to traverse the major landmarks in this humble city to experience the historical monuments that have shaped the destiny of this great nation. The Kampala City Tour gives you an understanding of the Kampala City folk lifestyle, the unique behaviors of Ugandan people and how they relate, the culture, the traditions, and history.

• During this day you will experience;The earliest civilizations of the Buganda Kingdom
• The Kasubi tombs
• The Bahai Temple
• The National Museum
• The Gadaffi mosque for a panaromic 360 of Kampala
• The Uganda Martyrs Shrine
• Cultural entertainment 

Return to your hotel for overnight stay.

After breakfast, you will then head on a road transfer to East Africa’s adventure capital. This is a 2 hours drive to Jinja.  Arrive in Jinja, have lunch and proceed to visit the source of the Nile.

The River Nile (world’s longest river) also offers opportunities to experience all kinds of interesting water sports with most popular activities being the Grade 5, white water rafting and a sunset Cruise to the Source of the River Nile . Other things to do in Jinja adventure city include Nile kayaking, Bungee jumping, community walks, quad biking, jet boating, horseback riding, cycling among others. 

After the Nile excursion, you will then head to your hidden secret and most beautiful paradise for your 2nights stay. ( Lemala wild waters Lodge) for Dinner and overnight stay. 

Depending on the time of your return flight,on this day you will prepare and checkout your hotel, you will then transfer to Entebbe for your return flight and this marks the End of our 21 days adventure in the pearl of Africa.

 End of the Trip