The 15-day safari trip to Uganda is planned to provide you with the greatest possible introduction to the country’s national parks and other tourist attractions. Uganda is a landlocked nation bordered by Kenya to the east, South Sudan to the north, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, Rwanda to the southwest, and Tanzania to the south.
Starting in Kampala, we’ll take a 15-day safari package to Uganda’s largest conservation area, Murchison Falls National Park, where you may see the continent’s big five animals—the leopard, lion, buffalo, elephant, and rhino. Only in the Ziwa rhino sanctuary, a game reserve that is an addition to Murchison Falls, can rhinos be discovered. Following your transfer, explore the Sempaya hot spring, a big forest with unusual tree species established as a result of extension from Africa, and the Semuliki national park for birding and game drives. After that, proceed to Kibale national park, which is a short distance from Semuliki Game Park, to search for chimpanzees.
There are about 12 different kinds of tiny primates that live in the forest in Kibale, but chimpanzees are the most prominent primates there. After finding the chimps, the driver will take you to Queen Elizabeth National Park, which is the only park in the world with tree-climbing lions, which are situated in the Ishasha region and is known for its stunning savannah environment with craters, gorges, rift valley, lakes, and rivers.
In contrast, you’ll go to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which is known for having the largest gorilla population in Africa and home to nearly half of the world’s population, for gorilla trekking. Lake Mburo is Uganda’s smallest and closest savannah national park, and it’s also home to a variety of antelope species and zebras. The park offers horseback riding inside the park as well as day and night game drives.
Lake Bunyonyi is situated in southwest Uganda, smack dab between Kabale and Kisoro. Despite uncertainty over the exact depth of the lake, 44 meters is typically noted as the maximum depth and is thought to be the second-deepest lake in Africa.
Due to the scenery, the area’s mild climate and pleasant morning and evening breezes make it the ideal place to unwind after going gorilla trekking in the adjacent Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You may swim, canoe to different islands on the lake, and go on a nature walk in adjacent villages to take in the scenery and see some of the local wildlife and bird species.
Day 1: Airport pick-up of the Visitors’ arrival
Your driver will pick you up, welcome you, and take you to the Kampala hotel that you have reserved. If you get there early enough, you could explore Entebbe or Kampala to view the main sights before returning to the hotel to rest. Dinner and overnight stay at the Cassia Lodge.
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison falls national park
After a peaceful breakfast at the resort, your driver will pick you up and drive you to the Murchison Falls National Park. On the way there, you’ll stop in Masindi for dinner before continuing on to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, where you can see white and black rhinos. The only game reserve where rhinos are kept after being heavily hunted and stolen from in-game parks is Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. But when poachers and wildlife hunters are thoroughly driven out of the reserve, their numbers grow there daily, and there is a plan to reintroduce them there. You’ll drive right to the park after the visit. Arrive at the resort, check in, and unwind before dinner is served.
Accommodation options will be Paraa safari lodge, Amuka safari lodge, and Nile safari lodge options.
Day 3: Game drive and boat cruise
Breakfast in the morning then departs for an early game drive to see the greatest variety of wild creatures, including Africa’s big 4: leopards, lions, elephants, and buffaloes. Warthogs, Rothschild giraffes, Uganda kobs, bushbucks, and other creatures can also be spotted in the park. The trip back to the lodge for lunch and relaxation will take about two to three hours. You will then leave for a boat ride on the Nile in the late afternoon. Here, you may see a variety of water-loving creatures and bird species that live near riverbanks, including crocodiles, hippopotamuses, buffalos, elephants, and more than 200 bird species, including pelicans and the shoe bill stork. You can climb to the top of the impressive waterfalls if you have the time to take pictures and hear the exhilarating sound of the rapid falls on the rocks. Dinner and an overnight stay at one of the Nile Safari Lodge, Paraa Safari Lodge, or Amuka Safari Lodge.
Day 4: Transfer to Semuliki national park
Get up early for breakfast and get ready for the lengthy drive to Semuliki National Park in Fort Portal City. After arriving at your prearranged lodge, either inside the park or outside the city, you will have a city tour to view the city’s stunning features. Dinner and overnight stay at the Semuliki safari lodge, the Mountains of the Moon hotel, and the Nyaika hotel.
Day 5: Nature walk, visit sempaya hot spring
After eating breakfast, you’ll travel to Semuliki Hot Springs, go on a nature walk to look for animals, birds, and other wildlife attractions like the nearby crater lakes, stop at Amabere ga Nyinamwiru, and the neighborhood to get a feel for how people live there and learn about some of their customs and culture, and then be taken to Kabale Forest National Park. Dinner and accommodation are provided at the primate safari lodge, Isunga lodge, and chimpanzee guest house.
Day 6: Chimpanzee tracking in Kabale national park
Breakfast first thing in the morning, followed by chimpanzee tracking in the Kibale forest. Although there are other primate species and animals in the park, chimpanzee tracking is the best and most popular activity carried out there. Chimpanzees make up the majority of the park’s population. Baboons, red-tailed monkeys, gray-cheeked mangabeys, black and white colobus monkeys, and other primates are examples of other primates. After finding the chimpanzees, you will head back to the lodge for lunch before going bird-watching in the Bigodi swamp. Of the more than 290 species of birds, the wetland has the biggest number. After a birding excursion, dine and spend the night at a primate safari lodge, Kyaninga lodge, or chimpanzee guest home.
Day 7: Visit the AmaberegaNyinamwiru and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
The Rwenzori Mountains can be seen on the road to Queen Elizabeth National Park, so get up early for breakfast and then visit Amaberega Nyinamwiru. The AmaberegaNyinamwiru caverns have an intriguing legend associated with the nearby tribes. The driver will then proceed to Queen Elizabeth to board the afternoon boat safari at Kazinga Channel in order to see crocodiles, hippos, elephants, and buffalo. Additionally, as the Kazinga channel has more birds than any other park region, such as eagle kingfishers, shoebill storks, and others along the water banks, a variety of bird species may also be seen.
You will have dinner and spend the night at Mweya Safari Lodge, Enganzi lodge, Ishasha wilderness camp.
Day 8: Game drives at Kasenyi plains
The Kasenyi plains are home to many animals, including antelope, forest hogs, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, and lions, which can be seen returning to their sleeping areas in the morning after hunting at night. After eating breakfast very early in the morning, you can go on a game drive around the plains. Swamps, crater lakes, and savannah plains are some of the additional sights that can be viewed on the game drives. After the morning drive, head back to the lodge for lunch and some downtime. Later, you’ll go on another game drive to see other creatures, such as grazers which prefer dry grass for food, and the 400 different bird species that call Queen Elizabeth National Park home with flamingos, shoebill storks, and eagles’ kingfishers. After that, your driver will keep driving to the Ishasha area so you can have dinner and spend the night at an Ishasha Wilderness Camp.
Day 9: Game drive in Ishasha sector and transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Have breakfast, check out of the lodge, and go on a game drive in the Ishasha section of the Ugandan national parks in the morning to see the tree-climbing lions that reside there. Your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park will continue after you see lions that can scale trees. Along the way, you’ll pass through picturesque Kigezi highlands, rolling hills, and lakes. Arriving at the Buhoma Lodge, Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, or Bakiga Lodge options for an overnight stay and dinner in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the late afternoon.
Day 10: Gorilla trekking
A gorilla family will be assigned to you to track, and then your guide will lead you into the forest in search of the great apes. To go on a gorilla trek, you must first get up very early, eat breakfast, pack a lunch, and go to the park headquarters for briefings on how to behave around gorillas. The park guide will also tell you what to pack. This is a challenging quest that requires navigating thorny thickets and steep hills in the dense forest. Depending on the gorilla family you’re trekking, this could take anywhere from 2 to 6 hours in the dense jungle.
Day 11: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
As you share stories about your encounters with gorillas, we head to Lake Bunyonyi, the second-deepest lake in Africa. Enjoy the breathtaking countryside, which includes interlocking hills that the inhabitants have terraced for agriculture. Take a canoe trip to several of the 29 Islands to get a sense of the area’s history and culture. The most noteworthy is the tale of the “punishment island,” which your guide will tell you about while you ride on the boat.
You can go swimming in the lake, go bird watching, or trek up a high hill in the afternoon to get a better perspective of the lake and its islands. As the locals demonstrate their artistry and weaving abilities for women, you will come into contact with them and learn about their way of life. Overnight and dinner at Birds Nest lodge, Acadia cottages, and Lake Bunyonyi resort options
Day 12: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park
After a leisurely breakfast, you will go to Lake Mburo National Park. Southwest Uganda’s Lake Mburo National Park is a hidden gem. On the way there, you’ll pass through picturesque countryside, plantations, and farms.
We’ll have lunch at the Igongo Cultural Museum, which features exhibits on local indigenous people’s daily lives. When taking a boat tour on Lake Mburo, keep an eye out for wildlife like hippos, giraffes, crocodiles, hippos, waterbucks, bushbucks, zebras, and Uganda kobs as they swim in the lake’s waters. You may also see a variety of bird species. Overnight at Acadia Cottages and dinner there.
Day 13: Game drive in Lake Mburo and transfer to Jinja
You will be driven on a wildlife drive in Lake Mburo National Park after breakfast where you can see zebras and various other antelope species. Zebras are only present in Lake Mburo National Park in Uganda. In the lakes, wetlands, and grasslands of the savannah, there are more than 300 different bird species. Watch out for other animals including hyenas, jackals, leopards, and buffalo.
After completing the game drive, you will then head to Kampala with a stop at the Equator crossing in Kayabwe for your lunch. You will continue to Jinja via Kampala with stops at the Sezibwa Falls and Mabira Forest. After checking in with your hotel, the driver will take you to visit the source of the Nile River. The source of the River Nile was discovered by John Speke and is the longest river in Africa. It flows from Uganda up to Egypt ending in the Mediterranean Sea. Dinner and overnight will be at 2 friends’ hotel, Jinja Nile Porch, and Jinja Nile resort.
Day 14: whole day activities in Jinja
Before going to the Nile for white water rafting, get up early and have breakfast. One of the highlights of your trip will be a full day spent whitewater rafting in Jinja. All the necessary instruction and tools will be provided for you. Although the exercise is quite safe, people who have never done it before may find it daunting. You may unwind, socialize, and party with travelers from all over the world after tackling the grade 4 and grade 5 rapids.
After your initial water rafting experience, you can select from other activities like quad biking, horseback riding, and bungee jumping. After finishing all the activities, you can decide whether to spend one more night in Jinja or travel back to Kampala for one last night before leaving. Dinner and nights will be spent at the Jinja Nile Porch (mid-range), 2 Friends’ Hotel (budget), and Jinja Nile resort (Luxury).
Day 15: Departure
Breakfast will be served in the morning as you wait for our driver to pick you up for the trip back to Kampala. If you have a late flight in the evening and for whatever reason, you can either drive straight to Kampala for a brief city tour as you continue towards the airport in Entebbe to make the flight.
End of the tour
