11-Day Wildlife, Gorilla and Chimpanzee Conservation Safari in Uganda

Upon arrival, you will be met by your tour guide, who will then transfer you to Lake Height Hotel or Lake Victoria or Palm Beach Hotel or 2 Friends hotel a stone throw from Entebbe international airport for relaxation and your overnight stay.

Day 1: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

On this day, after we enjoyed a good breakfast we will drive through Uganda’s rolling green hills to Lake Mburo National Park (3-4 hours). Bird viewing opportunities are excellent – for birders, this is one of the best places to find African fin foot and papyrus bush shrike. Lake Mburo National Park is an extension of the Tanzanian plains with big herds of zebra, impala, eland and other ungulates. We will have our lunch, relax and in the afternoon go for boat trips where we will expect to see crocodiles, hippos, buffalo, as well as colorful kingfishers, magnificent fish eagles, shoebill, hammerkops and their enormous nests. We will return for dinner, relaxation and our overnight at Rwakobo Rock Lodge, Mantana Lake Mburo Tented Camp or Eagles nest camp.

Day 2: Zebra experience and game drive – Lake Mburo National Park

On this day, we will have our breakfast and go on a morning game drive that will feature zebras, impalas, elands, cape buffaloes, warthogs, many bird species and many others. We will return to the lodge to have our lunch and relax a bit before we embark on an exciting road drive through the Kigezi highlands and terraced hills of the Bakiga and Bafumbira people towards Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park the Home of Gorillas. We will then check in for relaxation, have dinner and our overnight stay at Gorilla Mist Camp.

Day 3: Mountain Gorilla tracking-Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After an early morning breakfast and briefing by Uganda Wildlife Authority guides, we will set off for our Mountain gorilla tracking experience within the forest sanctuary. The activity starts at 8:00am and we will be joined by other people according to the Gorilla family distribution (only 8 people are allowed to view each Gorilla family per day). Here we will need to bring with us a packed lunch, drinking water, rain jackets and trekking boots. Walking sticks will also be provided if you are not sure of your fitness level. We can hire a porter to help carry the bag throughout the tracking experience because we cannot predict how long it will take for us to find these primates as they freely move in the forest. Our encounter with the gorillas will last for about one hour – a truly rewarding and amazing experience. After gorilla tracking, we will return to the lodge to relax and later transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for dinner and an overnight stay at Lake Bunyonyi eco-resort.

Day 4: Lake Bunyonyi

In the morning of this day, we will serve breakfast and go on a hike along the Bushara trail which borders the lake shore. We will return to the hotel to relax and go on a canoe ride with local residents to enjoy some bird species’ singing. We will return for dinner, relaxation while enjoying the cool breeze from the surrounding islands and an overnight stay at Lake Bunyonyi eco-resort.

Day 5: Launch Cruise – Queen Elizabeth National Park

On this day, we will enjoy breakfast and then transfer from Lake Bunyonyi to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Along the way, we will be able to enjoy beautiful landscape and wildlife viewing. We will arrive at the park in the afternoon have lunch before we embark on a 2hr thrilling launch trip along the Kazinga channel where we will see hundreds of hippos, buffalos, while elephants linger on the shoreline and spot over 60 bird species during the trip. We will return to the Lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Jacana Lodge or Mweya Safari Lodge or Ihamba Safari Lodge.

Day 6: Game drive – Queen Elizabeth National Park

After our morning breakfast, we will begin our day with a game drive in the morning where we are likely to see early risers, predators, bush bucks, hyenas, elephants, bush pigs, Lions, buffaloes and jackals. After the drive, we will return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation. In the afternoon, we will enjoy an exciting drive to Fort Portal (Kibale National Park) with several stops at the equator and other beautiful scenery along the way and to plant trees in the Rwenzori community. We will arrive in the evening and have our dinner  and overnight stay at one the following lodges or hotels: Mountains of the Moon hotel, Fort Motel, Primate Lodge, Ndali Lodge, Kibale Forest Camp.

Day 7: Chimpanzee tracking – Kibale National Park

On this day, we will wake up early and have breakfast before moving to Kibale National park for morning Chimpanzee tracking at Kanyanchu. Here we will also be able to see abundant wildlife including; baboons, red tailed Colubus monkeys, vervet monkeys, various bird species, butterflies and many more. We will enjoy our lunch and then move to a cultural site called Bigodi for a guided nature walk, birds and other wildlife viewing. We will then return to the Hotel for cultural entertainment, dinner and our overnight stay.

Day 8: Hot Spring Experience – Semuliki National Park

On this day, we will wake up early and have breakfast before moving to Semuliki National Park for a hot spring experience and nature walk. Here we will also be able to see abundant wildlife including; baboons, red tailed Colubus monkeys, vervet monkeys, various bird species, butterflies and many more. We will have our lunch and then move to a cultural site called Amabere ga nyina mwiru to visit the mysterious caves, hill climbing, crater lakes viewing and a tree planting activity with the project “Save River Mpanga”. We will check in to Mountains of the Moon hotel, Kyaninga lodge, Fort Motel or Rwenzori Travelers Inn for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.

Day 9: Fort Portal-Murchison Falls National Park

On this day, we will have our breakfast and tour Fort Portal tourism city before transferring to Murchison Falls National Park. Along the way we will pass through the Albertine Rifts valleys and escarpments. We will also view some wildlife and take periodic stops. We will arrive in the evening and check in for relaxation, dinner and our overnight stay at Sambiya River Lodge, Red Chilli Rest Camp, Paraa Lodge, KaniyoPabidi or Masindi Hotel.

Day 10: Wildlife Tour – Murchison Falls National Park

Before sunrise, we will begin our day with an early game drive to see early risers, such as jackals, giraffe, antelope, Uganda kob, hyenas, lion and elephants. Return to the lodge for our breakfast and lunch. In the afternoon, we will go for launch cruise on the spectacular Victoria Nile which will bring us to the spectacular bottom of the Murchison Falls seeing animals like buffaloes, hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and numerous aquatic birds like the uncommon shoebills plus the fish eagle along the river bank. We will return in the evening for relaxation, dinner and our overnight at Sambiya River Lodge or Red Chilli Rest Camp or Paraa Lodge or Kaniyo Pabidi or Fort Murchison.

Day 11: Murchison Falls National Park – Kampala (Entebbe international airport)

On this day, we will wake up at leisure for our breakfast and then we embark on an exciting road trip to Kampala and Entebbe international airport with a stopover at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola for the White Rhino Experience and for our lunch. We will arrive at Entebbe international airport in the evening to catch up with your flight back home.

Included

• Tree planting fees
• All park entrance fees
• Gorilla Permit fees
• All Game drives fees and Climbing lions tracking fees
• Chimpanzees tracking fees
• All park entrance fees
• Cultural entertainment fees
• Nature walk fees
• Boat cruise fees
• Top of the falls walk fees
• Conservation interventions fees
• Park Ranger Fees
• All relevant Government Taxes
• Full Board Accommodation and en-route meals as indicated in the itinerary.
• Full time English speaking Driver/Guide
• Ground Transportation by a 4×4 safari vehicle
• Airport transfer.

Not included

• Airfares
• Visa Fees
• Personal Insurance
• Expenses of personal nature such as drinks, tips, laundry, telephone, accommodation & meals not indicated in the itinerary and optional activities.