Uganda Gorillas and Wildlife

Day 1: Entebbe Kampala

On your arrival at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda you will be welcomed by our representative and transferred to your hotel for overnight.

Accommodation at Cassia Lodge (comfort) or The Emin Pasha Hotel (deluxe)
Bed and Breakfast

Day 2: Murchison Falls National Park

After breakfast your adventure in Uganda begins by driving northwest towards Masindi and Murchison Falls conservation area, the largest conservation area in Uganda, which offers beautiful sceneries of grassland acacia savannah in the north and tropical forests in the south.
You will stop over for a nature walk at Ziwa Rhino sanctuary, the breeding project which saw the rebirth of the endangered white rhinos in Uganda. You can see them closely while walking freely in the reserve which is their natural habitat. Lunch at the restaurant. Proceed to the national park; Check in to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation at Pakuba Lodge or Bwana Tembo Lodge (comfort), Murchison River Lodge or Paraa Safari Lodge (deluxe)
Full Board

Day 3: Murchison Falls National Park

After breakfast you will embark on an early morning game drive, explore the savannah in the delta of the Nile on Lake Albert, Northern bank. As you view and take memorable photographs of the animals in the wild, you might find elephants, lions, buffalos, giraffes, waterbucks, bushbucks, spotted hyenas and, very rarely, the leopards. Drive back to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, you take the boat excursion along the river Nile to the base of the magnificent Murchison Falls. It is amazing the concentration of wildlife in the bank of the river Nile, including hippos, crocodiles, and a variety of bird’s species, like African eagles, pelicans, kingfisher, Egyptian geese and much more. You proceed from the excursion with the walk to the “top of the falls, where the river Nile creates a narrow canyon of thunderous water as it lowers down the Albertine Rift Valley. You will have a view from the top of the falls.

Accommodation at Murchison River Lodge or Paraa Safari Lodge or Pakuba Lodge or Bwana Tembo Lodge
Full Board

Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest

Early morning after breakfast you drive to Budongo Forest, in Kaniyo-Pabidi eco-tourist site, for the tropical forest trekking to meet the Great Apes, the chimpanzees in their natural habitat. The forest is also home to many other primates such as black and white colobus monkey, red-tailed monkey, blue monkey, vervet monkey and baboons. The chimpanzee trekking is possible due to the conservation efforts by Jane Goodall Institute and the park authorities to protect the forest and the endangered chimpanzees.
Lunch or packed lunch. In the afternoon, optional, you can take a cultural activity with Boomu Women Group, eco-tourist site or the Kapega Association made by local guides who have been working in the forest. This is a moment for you to interact with the people living near the forest, to see how they live. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Note: The chimpanzee trekking activity in Uganda is done according to the rules and regulations of the park and can be reserved both in the morning hours and in the afternoon hours.

Accommodation at Hoima Cultural Lodge or Masindi Hotel
Full Board

Day 5: Queen Elizabeth National Park

After breakfast, you leave the lodge heading southwest along the Lake Albert and Rift Valley escarpment, with breathtaking panoramic sceneries as you drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Lunch en route in a restaurant. The road follows along the Rwenzori mountain range to Kasese town. As you enter the park, you have an evening game drive. Dinner and overnight.

Accommodation at Ihamba Safari Lodge or Enganzi Lodge (comfort), Kyambura Game Lodge or Mweya Safari Lodge ora Katara Lodge (deluxe)
Full Board

Day 6: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Early morning, take a game drive along the tracks of the national park, in the Northern sectors and towards Lake George and Kasenyi village. This vast park covers about 2.000 square kilometres that run along the Congolese border and Lake Edward, which was named so after a visit of the British Monarch in 1954. The lake is considered “the pearl of Uganda”, and is connected to Lake George via the natural Kazinga Channel. The Ishasha River in the south forms the southern border of the park. The park’s diverse ecosystems, which include sprawling savannah, shady, humid forests, sparkling lakes and fertile wetlands, make it the ideal habitat for the classic big game including elephant, lion, leopard, Ugandan kob, buffalo, spotted hyena, waterbuck, bushbuck, warthog and ten primate species including chimpanzees, velvet monkey, blue monkey, red-tailed monkey, black and white colobus and olive baboons as well as over 600 species of birds.
In the afternoon, take the most exciting safari by boat from Mweya peninsula along Kazinga channel, one of the most popular sites in Uganda for its concentration of wildlife, bird’s life and opportunities for good photographs. Moreover, you will see plenty of hippos, buffaloes and elephants while drinking from the channel. In the evening you go for another short game drive and try out your luck. Return at dusk to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation at Ihamba Safari Lodge or Enganzi Lodge (comfort), Kyambura Game Lodge or Mweya Safari Lodge ora Katara Lodge (deluxe)
Full Board

Day 7: Bwindi Forest National Park

After breakfast, leave the Northern sector of Queen Elizabeth and head southwards, where you find the rain tropical forests which are the natural habitat for the endangered mountain gorillas. Pass through the Ishasha sector, the southern region of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Take a game drive the Southern region of the park. You will have a game drive searching for the so called “tree climbing lions”. During the hot hours of the day, they enjoy some rest lying on top of Figs trees and it is exciting to see this spectacular spot. Lunch en route. Reach Bwindi National Park by evening for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation at Bwindi Engagi Lodge, Bwindi Jungle Lodge or Chameleon Hill Lodge (comfort) or Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Clouds Lodge (deluxe)
Full Board

Day 8: Mountain gorilla safari

In the morning you enter the rain tropical forest of Bwindi for the gorilla safari. The activity starts at about 8am and you will follow the ranger guides in a group of maximum 8 people. Bwindi forest in Uganda has a population of about 370 gorillas, which is half the world population according to 2007 gorilla population surveys. It is not possible to predict ahead of time just how long you’ll be hiking before you encounter a gorilla family. Some people spend as little as 40 minutes hiking before they come across gorillas, while others can spend up to several hours. For this reason, it is recommended that all gorilla trekkers be in good physical and mental condition. You’ll be allowed an hour of close contact with the gorillas once you have found them and you’ll be privileged enough to come within mere meters of a family of these rare and beautiful animals, observing their family dynamics and getting to learn a bit about each gorilla’s distinct personality in serene silence. The guide will organize a packet lunch. Once your time with the gorillas is done, you’ll return to your hotel. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation at Bwindi Engagi Lodge, Bwindi Jungle Lodge or Chameleon Hill Lodge (comfort) or
Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, Clouds Lodge (deluxe)
Full Board

Day 9: Bwindi – Entebbe

After breakfast, drive to Entebbe for your flight out. Lunch en-route.

Suggestions and extensions

1 day Lake Mburu National Park
1 day Mgahinga National park
1 day Ngamba Island and Entebbe (first or last day)

EXTENSION to Lake Mburo

Day 9: Bwindi – Lake Mburo National Park

After breakfast, drive to Lake Mburo National Park, a small game national park found in the central region of Uganda, the Ankole. This is the perfect stop over between Bwindi and Entebbe. After lunch, go for game drive in search of beautiful impalas, elands, topi and many antelopes, buffaloes, zebras. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation at Rwakobo Rock Lodge or Mantana Mburo Tented Camp or Mburo Safari Lodge or Arcadia Cottages Mburo
Full Board

Day 10: Lake Mburo – Entebbe

After breakfast, last game drive (optional: nature walk) and lunch. Then drive to Entebbe for your flight out from Entebbe International Airport.

EXTENSION to Mgahinga National Park

Day 9: Mgahinga National Park

After breakfast departure to Mgahinga National Park: it is a small national Park found at the border with Rwanda. The park is protecting the Virunga volcanoes which are located on the Ugandan side, the Muhavura (4.127 m), Gahinga (3.474 m) and Sabinyo (3.669 m) volcanoes. It offers the possibility to climb one of the volcanoes for a day trekking of about 6 to 8 hours trekking, particularly the Muhavura trekking. In alternative, the park offers the Batwa Trail, a well design circuit along the lower forested area of the park to encounter the Batwa pygmeos in what was their original. In the evening short transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for dinner and overnight at you lodge.

Accommodation at Bird Nest Resort or Arcadia Cottages Bunyonyi
Full Board

Day 10: Lake Bunyonyi – Entebbe

After breakfast drive to Entebbe for your flight out from Entebbe International Airport.

EXTENSION to Ngamba Island

Day 9: Mgahinga National Park

After breakfast departure to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, the first chimpanzee conservation project open in Uganda in the ’90 and it remains an important conservation site where chimpanzees are rescued and can have a home. The island is found on Lake Victoria, about half an hour speed boat from Entebbe pier. Tourists can enjoy here an half day excursion (at 8.30 am or at 1 pm) or an overnight experience staying at Ngamba Lodge, with the possibility to choose an activity and gain first-hand experience with chimpanzee behavior.

Accommodation at Nagamba Lodge or similar
Full Board

Day 10: Mgahinga – Entebbe

After breakfast drive to Entebbe for your flight out from Entebbe International Airport.