19 Days Uganda Gorillas Chimpanzees and Wildlife Safari
Overview
This 19 days Uganda gorillas chimpanzees and wildlife safari is an amazing safari for those who have time and want to explore the beauty of Uganda. On this safari, you will visit over 6 national parks which are; Kidepo valley national park, Murchison falls national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park, Lake Mburo national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park. You will visit source of the Nile in Jinja and proceed to Sipi falls where you will visit the falls, do coffee tours and different cultures. You will track gorillas which are Uganda’s iconic tourist attraction, you will track chimpanzees as well, visit the IK tribe in Kidepo valley and also the Batwa community in Bwindi. Expect to visit Mabamba bay a home to shoebills and other bird species, you will also enjoy the local cuisines. The journey will start from central Uganda, head to Eastern Uganda, connect to northern Uganda, connect to western Uganda and back to central Uganda.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Hotel in Entebbe
On the first day, our driver guide will pick you from the Airport, greet you, brief you about the itinerary and then transfer you to your hotel for relaxation and short stay.
Day 2: Transfer to Sipi falls
On this day, after a scrumptious breakfast, your driver guide will pick you from the hotel in Entebbe and hit the road to Sipi falls, it is about 6hours from Entebbe to Sipi falls, and however, you will have different stopovers. You will have a stopover in Mabira forest, visit Ssezibwa falls, you will enjoy these falls which are in the heart of Mabira forests, you will later proceed to River Nile where you will visit the source of the Nile and this will be a brief stopover and then you will later head to Jinja City for lunch and proceed to Sipi falls. You will be welcomed by the different sceneries, beautiful mountainous terrain, and breathtaking view of Mountain Elgon. You will later retire to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Explore Sipi Falls
On this day, you will have a delicious breakfast, you will visit the water falls, appreciate the magic of nature and later visit the coffee gardens, engage in coffee production experience and here you have an opportunity to taste the coffee, you will later return to the lodge for lunch and in the evening, you will visit the Bamasaba community to have a touch of their culture. They will entertain you through songs and dances, they will tell you their lifestyle, and thereafter you will retire to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park
Another beautiful day is here where you will wake up on a scrumptious breakfast at 7am, meet your driver guide, check out and transfer to Kidepo valley national park. This is the most isolated national park in Uganda but with breathtaking views, you will enjoy seeing the Karamajong Manyatta homesteads, the breathtaking view of the Matheniko region. You will drive for about 7 hours from Sipi falls, you will drive via Kaabong in Moroto, have lunch and proceed to Kidepo where you will feel detached from this world. You will check in the lodge, relax, and have dinner an overnight.
Day 5: Guided nature walk and evening game drive game drive
On the 5th day of your safari, you will wake up in the morning at 6am, greet your intestines with a scrumptious breakfast and at 6:30am, meet your driver guide and the ranger guide and then head to the jungle, you will be with an armed ranger who will take you to Narus valley a sanctuary of wildlife, birds and amazing sceneries and this will take about 2hours, you will later return to the lodge for relaxation, have lunch and get ready for an evening game drive will last between 3 to 4 hours and while in the wilderness of Kidepo you will encounter lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, greater and lesser kudu, Guenther’s dik-dik, and mountain reedbucks and on a lucky day, you will spot a cheetah as well if you are lucky, you will visit Kanangorok hot springs, you will later return to the lodge, relax as you admire the beauty surrounding the lodge.
Day 6: Morning game drive and the IK cultural experience
Arise in the morning at around 6am, enjoy a delicious breakfast and head out for a game drive which will expose you to different wildlife in Kidepo. Game drives are good in the morning when the animals are still very active, you will later return to the lodge for lunch and in the afternoon immerse yourself in cultural experience, you will visit the IK tribe on mount Morungole. The IK are subsistence farmers while the Karamajongs are nomadic pastoralists, you will spend about 2hours with them and the return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
On the fourth day, you will wake up on a lazy breakfast at 9am, meet your driver guide, check out and transfer to Murchison falls national park which Uganda’s largest national park. You will drive for about 6 hours but with a stopover for lunch in Gulu city then embark on your journey. You will arrive in Murchison falls national park in the evening hours, connect to your lodge, check in, relax and have an overnight stay.
Day 8: Game drive and boat cruise
Another day to explore the beauty of Murchison falls national park is here. You will arise in the morning at around 6am, enjoy a scrumptious breakfast, meet your driver guide and the ranger and then head to the jungle to catch the animals when they are still very active. You will be welcomed by herds of elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, kobs, lions and leopards to mention but a few. You will capture all the moments in the wilderness as you enjoy sweet lyrics from the birds all over, the experience is so mesmerizing yet true. Thereafter at around 11am, you will return to the lodge to relax, wait for lunch and then in the evening you will go for a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls. Expect to cruise through school of hippos, elephants will be swimming as buffaloes are also wallowing in the close vicinity, you will visit top of the falls to have a clear aerial view of the water falls. Murchison falls are the strongest waterfalls in the whole world, here you will be with a story to write about the waterfalls. You will later retire to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 9: Check out and transfer to Fort-Portal
On this day, you will wake, grab a mouthwatering breakfast at 7:30am, check out of the lodge and transfer to Fort-Portal a place of beautiful sceneries. You will drive for about 6 hours with stopovers for sceneries for example the rolling hills of tea plantation, you will visit CVK (Crater Valley Kibale), and this is famous for the beautiful views of Lake Nyabikere and it will give you the best view of the park’s entrance. Lunch will be in Fort-Portal which is also not Tourism city, after lunch, you will hit the road to connect to your lodge, check-in, relax, and have dinner and overnight stay.
Day 10: Visit Ndali estate and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
You will wake up on a scrumptious breakfast at around 8am, pack your luggage and bid a farewell for Kibale national park and head to Queen Elizabeth national park, you will visit Ndali estate, visit crater lakes, visit top of the world and then drive for about 2hours from Fort-Portal to Queen Elizabeth national park, arriving will be in the lunch time, connect to your lodge, check in and relax. You will do an evening game drive if you want or relax at the lodge.
Day 11: Chimpanzee trekking drive and boat cruise
Another brand new day here for you to explore the beauty of Queen Elizabeth national park which is Uganda’s second largest park and it is famous for tree climbing lions, endless plains and wildlife. You will wake up at 6am, grab a cup of coffee, meet your driver guide and head to Kalinzu forest for chimpanzee trekking, after you have met the chimps, spend 1hour in their presence as you take pictures and videos, thereafter, return to the lodge for freshen up have lunch and in the evening get ready for a launch cruise on Kazinga channel a water body that combines lakes Edward of D.R Congo and Gorge of Uganda. This is another animal spotting sanctuary where buffaloes, hippos and elephants share the same pool and birds be chirping as they entertain you. The launch cruise lasts for 2hours then head to Kikorongo for Equator experience. After that, you will head back to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 12: Game drive and transfer to Bwindi via Ishasha
On the 12th leg of your safari, you will wake up in the morning at around 6:30am, enjoy a mouthwatering breakfast, check out of the lodge, and meet your driver guide head out to the wilderness to encounter the animals when they are still very active. You will spot tree climbing lions, buffaloes, elephants, leopards, hyenas, kobs, bushbucks, waterbucks, birds among other wildlife and head to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. You will drive for about 5 hours via Kabale and this is where you will have lunch from and after lunch, hit the road again to Bwindi national park. The weather and the vegetation will be different from the rest of the parks. You will connect to your lodge that will be surrounded by thick canopies, you will check in the lodge, relax, have dinner and wait for yet another day.
Day 13: Gorilla trekking and transfer to Kisoro
You will unfold your day with a scrumptious breakfast at 6:30am, meet your driver guide at 7am and head to the park headquarters for briefing about Uganda gorilla trekking habits. You will be assigned a gorilla family to track and then head to the jungle with a ranger guide who will help you to locate the gorilla family you were assigned. After you have met the gorillas in their natural habitat, you will spend 1 hour in their presence taking pictures and videos, you will later return to the park headquarters to collect your gorilla tracking certificate and then meet your driver guide who will be waiting to transfer you to Kisoro and this is about 1 hour drive from Rushaga to Kisoro. You will connect direct to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 14: Golden Monkey trekking and Batwa cultural tour
You will unfold your day with a mouthwatering breakfast at 6am, meet your driver guide and transfer you to Mgahinga gorilla national park. It is 1 hour driver from Kisoro to Mgahinga where you will meet the golden monkeys in their natural habitat. 1 hour is always given to you to spend in the presence of the golden monkeys as you monitor their behaviors, feeding and playing. You will take so many pictures and videos, thereafter return to the lodge for lunch and in the afternoon head to the Batwa community tour. You will be welcomed by songs and dances, they will tell you stories of the current and ancient lifestyle, they will expose you to their crafts and in case you need a souvenir you will secure one. Retire to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 15: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi and community engagement
On this day, you will arise in the morning at your time of convenience like at 9am, enjoy a delicious breakfast and then check out of the lodge and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi Uganda’s hidden wonder with over 29 Islands and this lake is the deepest lake in Uganda and second deepest lake in Africa after Lake Tanganyika. Each Island is unique and therefore the experience is unique as well. It is about 4 hours drive from Bwindi to Lake Bunyonyi. You will arrive in time for lunch, connect to your accommodation, check in and have an evening engagement with the community. There is a lot to learn as well and to enjoy at the same time.
Day 16: Canoeing and transfer to Lake Mburo national park
What a beautiful day this will be. Unfold your day with a scrumptious breakfast at 8am and head to the lake for canoeing. You will explore different Islands including the Punishment Island also known as the Akempene Island. This is where they used to dump girls who would get pregnant before being married. You can also swim in Lake Bunyonyi since it is the only lake that is Bilharzia free in Uganda, after canoeing, head to Lake Mburo national park which is Uganda’s 4th largest
savanna national park and it is packed with lot wildlife. You will drive for about 4hours from Lake Bunyonyi to Lake Mburo national park, you will have a finger licking lunch in Mbarara, visit Igongo country hotel where there is Ankole museum. You will learn some history about the Ankole culture hit the road again and connect to the park and this will be in the afternoon hours. You will connect to your lodge, check in, and do an evening game drive to encounter impalas, zebras, giraffes, hyenas, birds to mention but a few.
Day 17: Guided nature walk and evening game drive
On this day, you will arise in the morning at 7am, enjoy a delicious breakfast, meet a ranger guide and head out to the jungle to encounter wild animals in their natural habitat and a very close range. Lake Mburo national park is Uganda’s 4th largest
savanna national park and it is packed with lot wildlife, expect to be close to wildlife for example zebras, impalas, giraffes, birds, beautiful sceneries of the park and sunsets, you will later return to the lodge for lunch and in the evening, do a game drive to encounter buffaloes, elands, impalas, zebras, giraffes, hyenas, birds to mention but a few.
Day 18: Game drive and transfer to Entebbe
As your exploration still lasts, you will unwrap your day with a finger licking breakfast at 6:30am, meet your driver guide and the ranger and head to the jungle 7am and go for a game drive. You will be with a ranger who will be giving you protection and also knowledgeable enough to answer any questions. You will spot hippos as they return to the lake from grazing, birds will be leaving their nests, antelopes will jumping around, zebras, herds of buffaloes and giraffes will be in the closest vicinity. You will visit different scenic viewpoints, then after that, at around 10am return to the lodge for refresh and bid a farewell to Lake Mburo and head to Entebbe which is about 4hours drive from the park. You will have a stopover at the Equator in Kayabwe where you will take pictures, get souvenirs in case you want then proceed to Entebbe.
Day 19: Check out and departure
On the last leg of your safari, after your breakfast, the driver guide will pick you from the hotel in Entebbe and transfer you to the Airport for a flight back home. However this will depend on the flight time. After dropping you at the Airport, this will mark the end of your safari.
