12 Days Uganda Primates & Wildlife Safari

Depart Kampala early morning taking a panoramic drive north-west through the famous Luwero Triangle. Stopover at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Opened up in 1998, the rhino fund aims at reintroducing black and white rhinos into Uganda’s protected areas as well as educating the local communities on endangered rhinos, poaching, and environmental conservation. The rhino trek takes 1-2 hours and you will get an opportunity of viewing them at close quarters. Have a lunch stop in Masindi and continue on to the top of the Murchison Falls. Check in for dinner and overnight at the accommodation of your choice.

Early morning game drive to search for giraffes, lions, hartebeests, elephants, Cape buffalo, and many other mammals. Birds include the black chested snake eagle, blue napped mousebirds, the secretary bird, swallow-tailed bee-eaters, and the silver headed agama. After lunch, enjoy a boat ride on the placid Victoria Nile to the foot of the magnificent Murchison Falls where the Nile plunges through a narrow crevice and over a 40-meter drop. En route, you may see the Nile crocodile, pools of hippo, waterbucks, and a variety of bird species. Disembark from your boat and take a 45 minutes hike to the gorge where the river explodes into several cascades to form the falls. Dinner and overnight at your accommodation.

Take a scenic drive on to Fort Portal town, checking in for dinner and overnight at the accommodation of your choice depending on your budget.

Early morning walk in Kibale Forest to track the habituated chimps. Watch the delightful apes as they squabble and play in trees. After lunch, we shall go for a 2-3 hour optional nature walk in Bigodi Swamp a home of 200 bird species including the papyrus gonolek and the great blue turaco. The swamp has also got eight primate species and an abundance of butterflies. There’s a chance to visit Bigodi women’s project located at the wetland sanctuary office in the Bigodi trading center. The group sells mats, bags, jewelry and 10% of all sales from crafts contribute to community development, and over the years, the income has funded Bigodi Pre–Primary school and supported orphans, widows, the disabled, and other disadvantaged people in the community. Dinner and overnight at your accommodation.

Uganda Primates-Wildlife Safari, have an early morning tour to the crater lakes region. Visit the top of the world (A natural bridge) and view the snow Cap of Mount Rwenzori on a clear day. Have an early lunch at the lodge and drive through the foothills of Rwenzori ranges onto Queen Elizabeth National park. Dinner and overnight at the accommodation of your choice.

Get up ready for a 6.30 am morning game drive. The park’s diverse ecosystem of grassy plains, tropical forests, rivers, swamps, lakes, and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife. Look out for buffaloes, lions, elephants, and other wildlife in their natural habitat. Return to your accommodation for a late breakfast. After lunch, go for the afternoon launch cruise on the Kazinga Channel. This is a home to a variety of water birds and on a hot day, hippos, elephants, buffaloes, and waterbucks can be sighted as they bathe and drink water at the water edge. Crocodiles are occasionally sighted along the channel banks. Dinner and overnight at your accommodation.

We have an option of trekking the chimps in Kyambura gorge today. Alternatively, you can visit the Maramagambo forest for a nature walk in the forest. Return to the lodge for an early lunch and transfer to Ishasha for an afternoon game drive. Ishasha is known as the most alluring region for game drives in Uganda, if we are lucky we shall spot the tree-climbing lions. Dinner and overnight at the accommodation of your choice.

After a brief game drive, you will transfer to Bwindi Forest National Park. Check-in at the accommodation of your choice for dinner and overnight.

Enter the forest at dawn and enjoy the beauty and freshness of the forest, home to more than half of the world’s mountain gorillas. After a short briefing by the guides, proceed through the dense bush to trek for these endangered animals depending on where they built their nest the previous night. For conservation purposes, the time allowed with the gorillas is 1 hour. Observe the gentle giants as they feed and play. If we have a free afternoon, we shall go for a 3-hour village walk. Take note of the livelihoods of the local communities, and visit a traditional herbalist, blacksmith, and local brewery to see how beer is brewed using local methods. Enjoy the traditional dances offered by the community. If we have time, we can visit Bwindi Hospital and see how we can help the local community. Retire to your accommodation for dinner and overnight.

Check out of the lodge with packed lunches and transfer to Lake Mburo National Park with a brief stop at Igongo Cultural Museum. This is rich with the cultural heritage of western Uganda. Continue on to the park, and overnight stay at the accommodation of your choice.

Early morning game drive and enjoy the rich biodiversity including large herds of zebra, impala, gigantic eland, topis, and a variety of bird species. Return to your accommodation for a late breakfast. Have an early lunch and transfer to Kampala or Entebbe airport arriving in time for your departure flight.