Tour overview
14 Days Uganda Vacation Package and Tour to See Gorillas. Enjoy your vacation in Uganda as you make visits to the country’s prominent National Parks such as Kidepo National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Kibale National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National and Lake Mburo National Park. This is the best wildlife experience you will ever have in the Pearl of Africa as you encounter Africa’s most iconic and celebrated large mammals and several other wildlife species in their natural habitats. The highlight of your safari will be a mountain gorilla encounter where you will see their human-like behaviors and emotions which is a memorable experience. Other activities include chimpanzee trekking, hikes and nature walks, boat cruises, cultural encounters like the Batwa and the IK people to mention but a few.
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe Airport and transfer to your reserved hotel
A professional driver guide will be waiting to welcome you at Entebbe International Airport upon your arrival. He will then transfer you to your reserved hotel where you will check-in and relax to recover from your jet-lag as he takes you through a briefing of your safari while highlighting your expectations, duration of travel between your tour destinations and many others. Dinner will be served in the evening and spend an overnight as you wait to hit the road in the next morning.
Day 2: Head to Ziwa rhino sanctuary and proceed to Gulu city
Wakeup to a delicious breakfast, checkout of your hotel and transfer to Ziwa Rhino sanctuary which is a renowned home to the white rhinos in Uganda. This sanctuary is the only home to the white rhinos in Uganda currently housing to about 43 white rhinos that roam its savannah grasslands. With the guidance of expert ranger guides, you will track rhinos on foot and spending an hour amidst them having encountered them in their natural habitat. Proceed with your drive to Gulu city in northern Uganda with a stopover along the way to have lunch. Gulu tow owes its origin to the effects of the colonial era, the East African railway line and the presence of missionaries. Arrival at your reserved hotel will be in the evening to check-in, have dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 3: Travel to Kidepo National Park and evening game drive
Arise early for your breakfast, checkout and advance to Kidepo National Park renowned for housing a greater diversity of mammals including the 28 mammal species that are not found elsewhere in Uganda’s protected areas for example the lesser and greater kudu, caracal aardwolf, cheetahs, mountain reedbuck and many more. Arrival at your reserved lodge in Kidepo will be in the perfect time for your lunch after which you will head off for an evening game drive in the Park’s open grasslands dominated by acacia trees and dotted with borassus palms and sausage trees. Animals to look out for include large herds of buffaloes, elephants, lions, leopards, antelope species and many more. You will return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight.
Day 4: Morning game drive and Karamojong cultural experience
Get your breakfast served very early in the morning and hit the Narus valley for your sunrise game drive as you lookout for the Park’s early risers as well as nocturnal animals rush back to their hide outs. Be on the lookout for animals like lions, giraffes, zebras, elephants, cheetahs, kudus, waterbucks, leopards, hippopotamuses, hyenas and many more. Several bird species will as well be spotted like the ostrich, Abyssinian ground hornbills, red-throated bee-eaters, kori bustard, secretary bird, ring-necked spurfowl, karamoja apalis to mention but a few. Return to the lodge for lunch before you report to the Karamojong community for their cultural experience. You will learn about their culture, lifestyle, history, marriage rituals, visit their locally built Manyatta homesteads, enjoy their cultural entertainments and many more. Get back to your booked accommodation for dinner and an overnight.
Day 5: Mount Morungole hike and IK cultural highlight and Transfer to Murchison falls National Park
Enjoy your hefty breakfast and get off the beaten track to climb Mount Morungole in one of the remote corners of Karamoja. Mount Morungole is a place of immense spiritual significance to the IK people and features dramatic and exciting landscapes. You will meet the IK people and learn about their distinct culture, take in sweeping views of the East African rift valley before descending for your early lunch. After lunch checkout of your lodge in Kidepo and transfer to Murchison Falls National Park renowned for housing the world’s strongest waterfalls and its diverse wildlife species. Arrival will be in the evening to check-in at your reserved lodge to have dinner and an overnight.
Day 6: Morning game drive in Murchison falls and visit top of the falls
Today starts with a hefty breakfast and head out for a full packed game viewing opportunity in the northern section of the Park. Wildlife sightings include giraffes, lions, hyenas, leopards, elephants, large herds of buffaloes, waterbucks, hippopotamuses, Uganda kobs, hartebeests, impalas, oribis and many more. Several birds will as well be spotted like the Abyssinian ground hornbills, helmeted Guinea fowl, spurfowl, vultures, woodland kingfishers and many others. You will have lunch served at Red Chilli en-route to the water falls where you will make a hike to the top of the falls. The hike takes you through the footsteps of early explores like Sir Samuel Baker and Winston Churchill as you have wildlife sightings like butterflies, birds and many others. The roar of the falls is heard from a distance and getting closer, it offers breathtaking views of the Albert delta and Uhuru falls. The misty spray from the Nile cools you down before you get into the vehicle for your drive to the lodge for dinner and an overnight.
Day 7: Morning boat cruise and transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
Enjoy your morning breakfast and proceed for a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls. This an highlight to the Park’s aquatic life where you will closely see large schools of hippopotamuses as they submerge in water, crocodiles basking along the river banks and losers from buffalo herds finding peace along the shores. A variety of bird species will be spotted such the African fish eagle, kingfishers, skimmers and many more. The cruise lasts for about 2 hours after which you will return to your lodge for lunch and later checkout to be transferred to Kibale National Park also known as the world’s primate capital. Check-in at your booked lodge to relax as you wait to have dinner and an overnight.
Day 8: Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale and guided nature walk in Bigodi wetland
Wake up very early for your breakfast and report to the Park headquarters for a briefing about what is required of you during chimpanzee trekking. Ranger guides will lead you through the Park’s dense forests to encounter a troop of habituated chimpanzees in their natural habitat. Trekking chimpanzees lasts for about 2 to 4 hours and upon locating them an hour is allowed as you take enough pictures of them go by their routine activities. Several other primates and a variety of bird species will be spotted before you get back to your lodge for lunch. After lunch you will proceed for an excursion through Bigodi wetland which is a jungle swamp that boasts extensive array of biodiversity amongst which are primates, other mammals like the sitatungas and a variety of birds such as the great blue turaco. Get back to your lodge for dinner and an overnight.
Day 9: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park and evening game drive
Have a relaxed breakfast and checkout of your lodge to be driven to Queen Elizabeth National Park arriving in the perfect time for your lunch. This National Park is known for having one of the highest biodiversity ratings in the world with over 95 mammal species and more than 600 bird species. After your lunch, relax a bit at your lodge balcony as the scorchy heat reduces after which you will head off for an evening game drive to experience the Park’s diverse wildlife species. Animals to lookout for include large herbivores namely buffaloes, hippopotamuses, elephants, waterbucks, topis and many more. Carnivores that can be spotted include lions, leopards, hyenas, several vultures and many more. Retire off the savannah plains back to your lodge for dinner and an overnight.
Day 10: Morning game drive and Kazinga channel boat cruise
Be up early for your breakfast and return to Kasenyi plains for a morning game drive where you will catch up with the early risers and nocturnal animals rush back to their hide outs. Animals to lookout for include elephants, buffaloes, hyenas, leopards, hippopotamuses, Uganda kobs, waterbucks and many more. Get back to your lodge for lunch after which you will go for a 2 hours’ boat cruise along the Kazinga channel that links Lake George to Lake Edward. This water channel is a home to a diverse range of animal and bird species most of which will be spotted during the course of your cruise. Return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 11: Transfer to Bwindi and Batwa community visit
Have a relaxed breakfast and checkout to embark on your drive through the Ishasha sector to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which is Uganda’s renowned home to the mountain gorillas. You will have an en-route game drive in the Ishasha sector to have an experience of the tree-climbing lions that will closely be spotted gazing and resting high up between fig tree branches. Arrival will be will be in time for after which you will head out for a cultural experience in the Batwa communities. The Batwa were the first inhabitants of the African forests known to have lived there for more than 500,000years in harmony with the gorillas not until they were evicted from these forests when Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks were established in 1991 to protect the endangered gorillas. You will learn about their ancient lifestyle, medicinal herbs and enjoy their dramatic cultural performances. Return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight.
Day 12: Gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi national park
Wakeup to the most exciting day of your safari for your breakfast after which you will be driven to the Park headquarters with packed lunch for a briefing about the dos and don’ts during gorilla trekking. Enter the Bwindi forests for your adventure being led by ranger guides where you will embark on the search of your assigned gorilla family. Locating them may last between 2 to 6 hours depending on their movements as they forage. An hour is allowed in their presence which is so thrilling to observe them go by their daily activities. Return to your lodge for an entire evening relaxing and reflecting on your safari experience throughout the past days waiting to have dinner and an overnight.
Day 13: Travel to Lake Mburo National Park and evening game drive
Enjoy a relaxed breakfast and set off for Lake Mburo National Park which is Uganda’s smallest savannah National Park and a renowned home to the elands. You will arrive in the afternoon for your lunch, relax as you wait to head off for an evening game drive. The inhabitants of this Park include giraffes, elands, impalas, warthogs, leopards, hyenas, zebras, buffaloes and a variety of bird species. Get back to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 14: Guided nature walk and proceed to Entebbe
Breakfast will be served very early in the morning and head out for a guided nature walk with the presence of an armed UWA ranger guide. You will have a close range encounter with animals such as topis, zebras, giraffes, waterbucks, bushbucks, impalas, topis, buffaloes and many more. You will proceed to a vintage point on top of a hill where you will be able to capture the Park’s multiple Lakes as well as enjoy its beautiful scenery. Get back to your lodge for lunch after which you will checkout to hit the road for your drive to Kampala with a stopover at the equator line in Kayabwe to have an experience of where the earth is divided into two equal parts. Make visits to the craft shops around and then proceed with your drive to a hotel of your choice in the city center or a drop off at the airport in Entebbe for your flight back home.
