This 10 Days Best of Uganda Wildlife Tour is a classic Ugandan bush camp safari that takes you to see chimpanzees, gorillas, and tree-climbing lions during the day, and refreshing drinks and stargazing by the campfire at night. For those who prefer exploring and getting up close and personal with the local wildlife while staying in comfortable, traditional bush camps, this fascinating safari in Uganda is perfect. The safari begins with a flight from Entebbe to Bwindi, where, if you’re feeling very daring, you can do gorilla trekking twice. Your accommodations will be in the charming Buhoma Lodge, which has breathtaking views of the distant, mist-covered Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The trip continues north to Queen Elizabeth National Park and the amazing Ishasha region, which is renowned for its tree-climbing lions and excellent birding. Here, you can take hikes and boat safaris with elephants that are frequently spotted strolling past while sipping cold beers. After that, you complete the Uganda Gorillas & Wildlife Safari in the stunning Kibale Forest in the north, which offers some of the best chimpanzee watching in all of Africa.
Detailed Itinerary.
Day 1: Arrival
Upon your arrival at Entebbe Airport, you will be welcomed by our company representative who will brief you on the 10 day tour and transfer you to a hotel already booked for you in Kampala. Check in, have dinner and stay overnight.
Accommodation: Protea Hotel, Airport Guest House.
Meals: (Dinner).
Day 2: Fly to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Head to the airport for your flight to Kihihi. As soon as you get to Kihihi, you begin your drive to Bwindi through traditional communities. While going on a gorilla safari is an exciting experience, Bwindi has plenty of other activities to keep you engaged without breaking your back. Spending time at the welcoming community hospital will introduce you to many of the people who call this remote location home and teach you about the challenges they face. If you’re drawn to the rainforest, green broadbills and turacos flit among the trees along the woodland walks, which offer some of the best birdwatching in the region. Alternatively, go to the nearby sparkling water fall for a more relaxed outing.
Bwindi is the ideal home for mountain gorillas, with its dense tropical rainforest and frequent mist. Across a sequence of sharp slopes and valleys, it appears authentic and, having withstood the last ice age, is regarded as one of Africa’s most varied woods. There’s plenty of vibrant bird watching, a sense of adventure is there, and the forest is dark and inviting.
Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 3: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
Arrive early for a briefing with your rangers before entering the park to look for one of the gorilla families who call Bwindi’s forests home. With the rangers paving the way, follow the gorillas through the dense jungle and up the steep slopes where they live. Being up close and personal with the gorillas is an experience unlike any other animal encounter, making the mud, sweat, and occasionally tears worthwhile. Bring lots of water, memory cards, and strong legs. Before making your way back out of the forest, leave any bags with the porters and spend an hour with the group. After that, you may either plan an excursion to one of the neighbouring communities or spend the remainder of the day at leisure.
Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 4: Second Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
There’s another chance to go gorilla trekking today. A guided walk in the rainforest, which is home to numerous indigenous bird species, clouds of butterflies, and unusual plant life and offers fantastic photo possibilities, is one choice. Take a stroll through the village and discover a range of community initiatives, like the Amagara project that supports local farmers and their communities and the Bwindi Community Hospital that began as a makeshift health clinic under a tree and currently serves over 60,000 people with essential medical and educational services. Spending time with the Batwa Pygmies in the region and learning about the former native tribe residents of the forest, who, despite their departure, continue to live there and use many of their customary hunter-gatherer abilities, are additional opportunities.
Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park by way of the lions that climb trees. You can go on some walks or game drives, depending on when you arrive.
Accommodation: Ishasha Wilderness Camp.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 6: Game Drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Drive across the Kasenyi plains in the early morning, when the sun is rising and the animals are starting to stir. This is a great place to see lions and big herds of Ugandan kob. Leopards inhabit the thickets of scrubby vegetation, and Mweya is one of the greatest sites to seek for them. Following your midday meal at the lodge, you have the option to go for a drive once more or spend the entire day outside enjoying a picnic. Talk about this with your guide, please. Situated on the western arm of the Great East African Rift Valley, Queen Elizabeth National Park includes Lake Edward and Lake George. This park’s wide variety of habitats contributes to its amazing wildlife richness. Stunning tropical woods, marshes, rivers, volcanic craters, and grassy plains are just a few of the sights to behold.
Accommodation: Ishasha Wilderness Camp.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 7: Morning Game Drive – Afternoon Boat Trip on the Kazinga Channel
Transfer to the Mweya area of the park for a game drive and a chance to spot animals you may have missed the previous day. Taking a boat ride down the Kazinga Channel, which links Lakes George and Edward, in the afternoon is a great way to see the park from a different perspective. Massive herds of elephants congregate to drink at the water’s edge, while in the twilight, colourful aquatic birds like storks and pelicans wander alongside fishermen tending to their nets.
Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 8: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kyambura – Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
In addition to chimpanzees, several bird species, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus, and giant forest hogs can be found within Kyambura’s steeply wooded walls. Not only can you witness chimpanzees on a half-day hike down to the Gorge, but you can also explore the stunning river valley. You drive north to Kibale Forest after hiking. Discover the Wetland Sanctuary of Bigodi. Butterflies, plants, animals, and especially birds abound in the reserve. You might be really interested in seeing amazing birds like the rare Papyrus Gonolek and the Great Blue Turaco. More elusive creatures like Sitatunga antelope and Red Colobus monkeys can also be found in the wetland.
Kibale Forest National Park is among the best places in Uganda to go on safari. The park is home to thirteen different kinds of primates, including red colobus and L’Hoest’s monkey. The primary attraction of Kibale, the most easily accessible primary rainforest in Uganda, is its chimpanzee population. Following these chattering monkeys around fruiting trees while they play and fight is a thrilling experience. In addition to other unusual animals like the giant forest hog and the forest elephant, 335 different species of birds may be found in this area.
Accommodation: Primate Lodge.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 9: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale Forest
At dawn, make your way into the woodland. It could take anywhere from ten minutes to more than an hour to get to the chimpanzees, sometimes even longer, depending on where they made their nest the previous evening. The sight of chimpanzee troop silhouettes emerging from the trees as they forage and explore is captivating, but what really makes your hair stand up are the loud hoots and calls amongst groups of up to sixty people. Chimpanzee trekking can be scheduled for the entire day if you feel like playing Tarzan for the day.
You can spend the afternoon lounging at the lodge or visiting the neighbouring crater lakes and communities, depending on what time you get back. If you have time this afternoon, explore the Kibale Forest. It offers amazing birdwatching, blue lakes, bat caves, and snakes for the daring. If not, you can visit the KALFRED community project to learn more about the families who live and work in the area.
Accommodation: Primate Lodge.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner).
Day 10: Return to Entebbe – Departure.
You travel through the vibrant rural communities of Uganda on your way back to Entebbe today, arriving at the airport in the late afternoon in time for your departure home.
Meals: (Breakfast, Lunch).
End of the 10 Days Best of Uganda Wildlife Tour.
The 10 Days Best of Uganda Wildlife Tour includes;
- Accommodation and meals as per the itinerary.
- 2 Gorilla Trekking Permit per person.
- 2 Chimpanzee Tracking Permits per person.
- Wildlife Game Drive.
- Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise.
- Park entry fees.
- Transportation in 4×4 safari car.
- Fulltime English speaking driver guide.
- Government taxes.
- Bottled water in the car.
However, the tour cost excludes; Visa fees, Insurance Personal expenses like tips, optional activities, cigarettes, telephone calls, laundry services and others.