10 Day Best of Uganda Safari

Meet your guide early in Kampala, Entebbe or at Entebbe International Airport and begin the drive north to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

Track southern white rhinos on foot with an experienced ranger and learn about Uganda’s rhino conservation programme. After lunch, continue to Murchison Falls National Park.

Visit the Top of the Falls, where the Nile compresses through a narrow rocky gorge before dropping below. Continue to your lodge on a short game drive, watching for elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, warthogs and baboons.

After an early breakfast, explore the northern section of Murchison Falls National Park on a morning game drive. Search for lions, elephants, buffaloes, Rothschild’s giraffes, Uganda kobs, Jackson’s hartebeests, waterbucks, warthogs, hyenas and, with luck, leopards.

Return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation before a Victoria Nile cruise toward the bottom of Murchison Falls. Look for hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes and birdlife along the riverbanks before returning from the safe falls viewing point.

After breakfast, check out and travel through western Uganda toward Kibale Forest National Park. The scenic route passes farms, villages, tea plantations and the Fort Portal region, with a lunch stop en route.

Arrive near Kibale in the late afternoon, settle into your lodge and relax while preparing for the following morning’s chimpanzee trek.

After breakfast, register and attend a briefing at the chimpanzee trekking centre. Enter Kibale Forest with professional rangers and trackers; the trek can take two to five hours according to the chimpanzees’ location.

Once located, observe the chimpanzees feeding, grooming, playing and communicating during the permitted viewing time. You may also encounter red colobus, black-and-white colobus, red-tailed monkeys and grey-cheeked mangabeys.

After lunch, transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. If time allows, enjoy a short evening game drive before checking in at your lodge.

Wake early for a game drive across the Kasenyi Plains, where lions, elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs, hyenas and leopards may be seen. The open plains are also ideal for wildlife photography.

After lunch, cruise the Kazinga Channel between Lake George and Lake Edward. The shoreline supports abundant hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes and waterbirds before you return to the lodge for dinner.

Travel after breakfast through Queen Elizabeth National Park’s Ishasha sector, searching for the famous tree-climbing lions that sometimes rest in large fig trees. Elephants, buffaloes, topis, Uganda kobs and waterbucks may also appear.

Continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, arriving late afternoon. Check in, relax and receive a briefing for the next day’s gorilla trek.

Following an early breakfast, register at park headquarters and attend your gorilla trekking briefing. Walk into Bwindi with experienced rangers and trackers; the trek can take two to seven hours depending on the gorilla family’s location.

Spend the permitted viewing time observing the gorillas feeding, resting, grooming and interacting. Receive your trekking certificate, then transfer to Lake Bunyonyi and check in for a relaxed evening.

Enjoy breakfast overlooking Lake Bunyonyi before a guided boat cruise among its islands. Learn about local communities and cultural history while taking in the terraced hills and birdlife.

Continue to Lake Mburo National Park and arrive in time for an evening game drive. Look for zebras, giraffes, impalas, elands, buffaloes, topis, waterbucks and warthogs.

Join a professional ranger for an early guided walking safari in Lake Mburo National Park. Observe zebras, giraffes, impalas, elands and other wildlife from a different perspective while learning about tracks, plants and birdlife.

Return for breakfast and relaxation. In the afternoon, choose another game drive, a boat cruise, horseback riding at an additional cost, or more time at the lodge.

After breakfast, check out and travel to Kampala or Entebbe. Stop at the Uganda Equator in Kayabwe for photographs, souvenir shopping and an optional water demonstration.

Have lunch en route before continuing to your hotel, Entebbe International Airport or Kampala. Travellers flying internationally should plan a late-evening departure or an additional night in Entebbe.