10 Days Classic Uganda Wildlife Safari

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be welcomed by a representative from Murchison Falls Safaris.

After completing immigration procedures and collecting your luggage, meet your professional safari guide in the arrivals area. Your guide will provide a short briefing about the safari and assist you with your transfer to the selected hotel in Entebbe or Kampala.

The drive from Entebbe International Airport to Kampala normally takes approximately 45 minutes to one and a half hours, depending on traffic conditions. Guests arriving after a long international flight may prefer to stay in Entebbe to avoid additional travel.

After checking in, spend the remainder of the day relaxing at the hotel. Depending on your arrival time, optional activities may include visiting the Entebbe Botanical Gardens, walking along the shores of Lake Victoria or exploring local craft markets.

Enjoy dinner and prepare for the journey to Murchison Falls National Park the following morning.

After breakfast, meet your safari guide and depart for Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest protected wildlife area.

The journey takes you northwest through the Luwero countryside, passing small towns, roadside markets, plantations and traditional villages. Your guide will provide information about Uganda’s landscapes, cultures and communities as you travel.

Stop along the way for lunch before continuing toward Murchison Falls National Park.

Upon arrival, visit the spectacular Top of Murchison Falls, where the River Nile is forced through a narrow rocky gorge before plunging approximately 43 metres into the turbulent waters below.

Walk along the designated viewpoints and feel the mist rising from the gorge as the Nile crashes through the rocks. The thunderous sound, dramatic rapids and surrounding scenery make this one of Uganda’s most impressive natural attractions.

After visiting the falls, continue through the park toward your lodge. Depending on your arrival time and lodge location, the drive may offer introductory wildlife sightings, including elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, Uganda kobs, warthogs and baboons.

Check in at your lodge and enjoy dinner and overnight.

Wake up early and enjoy a light breakfast before departing for a morning game drive across the northern savannah of Murchison Falls National Park.

The drive normally explores the Buligi game tracks, where open grasslands, acacia woodland and seasonal wetlands support a rich variety of wildlife.

Early morning is the best time to search for predators while temperatures are still cool. Your guide will look for lions, leopards, spotted hyenas and jackals while also introducing you to the park’s abundant herbivores.

Animals commonly encountered include African elephants, Cape buffaloes, Rothschild’s giraffes, Uganda kobs, Jackson’s hartebeests, waterbucks, oribis, bushbucks, warthogs, patas monkeys, olive baboons and vervet monkeys.

Your guide will explain animal behaviour, identify birds and position the vehicle for the best wildlife-viewing and photography opportunities.

After approximately three to four hours of game viewing, return to the lodge for relaxation and lunch.

In the afternoon, transfer to Paraa Jetty and board a boat for the scenic Victoria Nile cruise toward the bottom of Murchison Falls.

The cruise provides close views of large pods of hippos, enormous Nile crocodiles and animals coming to the river to drink. Elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks and antelopes are regularly observed along the banks.

The river also supports abundant birdlife, including African fish eagles, pied kingfishers, giant kingfishers, Goliath herons, cormorants, egrets, saddle-billed storks and red-throated bee-eaters.

As the boat approaches the falls, you will see the Nile emerging from the narrow gorge and crashing into the pool below. The boat will stop at a safe viewing point, allowing time for photographs.

After the cruise, return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, check out and begin the scenic transfer to Kibale Forest National Park.

The journey takes you through western Uganda’s changing landscapes, passing rural communities, farms, tea plantations and areas overlooking the Albertine Rift Valley.

Depending on road conditions and the selected route, you may pass through Hoima, Kagadi and Fort Portal. Stop along the way for lunch before continuing toward the Kibale region.

As you approach Fort Portal, the scenery becomes increasingly green and mountainous. You may see crater lakes, tea estates and distant views of the Rwenzori Mountains on a clear day.

Kibale Forest National Park is renowned for its high diversity of primates and is one of Africa’s leading chimpanzee-tracking destinations.

Arrive at the lodge in the late afternoon or evening, check in and relax after the long drive. Your guide will brief you about the following morning’s chimpanzee trek.

Enjoy dinner and overnight near Kibale Forest.

After an early breakfast, transfer to the Kanyanchu Visitor Centre for your chimpanzee-trekking experience.

Attend a briefing conducted by an experienced ranger, who will explain the trekking procedures, forest safety and rules for observing the chimpanzees.

Enter Kibale Forest in a small group accompanied by professional trackers and rangers. The trek may take between two and five hours, depending on the location and movements of the chimpanzees.

As you walk beneath the forest canopy, listen for chimpanzee calls and watch for movement among the trees. Kibale supports several other primates, including red colobus monkeys, black-and-white colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys and olive baboons.

Once the chimpanzees are located, you will be allowed to observe them for the permitted viewing period. You may see them feeding, grooming, resting, playing or communicating through loud vocalisations and facial expressions.

Your ranger will also identify forest trees, medicinal plants, butterflies and birds encountered during the trek.

After the experience, return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation.

In the afternoon, you may take an optional guided walk through the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. This community-managed wetland supports monkeys, birds, butterflies and several small mammals.

Alternatively, spend the afternoon relaxing at the lodge.

After breakfast, depart Kibale and travel south toward Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The journey passes through Fort Portal and the scenic crater-lake region before descending toward the floor of the Albertine Rift Valley.

On a clear day, you may enjoy views of the Rwenzori Mountains, also known as the Mountains of the Moon.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of Uganda’s most diverse protected areas, encompassing savannah, forests, wetlands, crater lakes and the Kazinga Channel.

Arrive at your lodge around lunchtime, check in and enjoy a meal before heading out for an afternoon game drive.

Explore the Kasenyi Plains or another productive wildlife-viewing area in search of elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs, lions, hyenas and, with luck, leopards.

The Kasenyi Plains contain a large population of Uganda kobs, which attracts lions and other predators.

Enjoy the changing colours of the savannah as the sun begins to set before returning to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Wake up early and enjoy breakfast before departing for a morning game drive in the Kasenyi Plains.

Morning temperatures offer excellent conditions for wildlife viewing, with predators and herbivores often active before the heat increases.

Search for lions, elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs, hyenas and leopards. Your guide will interpret animal behaviour and help you identify the different species encountered.

After the game drive, return to the lodge for relaxation and lunch.

In the afternoon, transfer to the Mweya jetty and board a boat for a cruise along the Kazinga Channel.

The Kazinga Channel connects Lake George and Lake Edward and supports one of the highest concentrations of hippos in Africa. During the cruise, you may see hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes, monitor lizards and antelopes along the shoreline.

The channel is also an excellent birdwatching destination. Common species include African fish eagles, pelicans, cormorants, kingfishers, African spoonbills, saddle-billed storks, yellow-billed storks and various herons and egrets.

The boat moves slowly along the channel, providing excellent opportunities for close-up wildlife photography.

After the cruise, return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, check out and travel toward the southern Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Ishasha is famous for its tree-climbing lions, which are sometimes seen resting on the branches of large fig trees. Your guide will explore the sector’s wildlife tracks while searching for these unusual lions.

Although sightings cannot be guaranteed, Ishasha also supports elephants, buffaloes, topis, Uganda kobs, waterbucks and several bird species.

Enjoy a game drive through the sector before continuing toward Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

The route climbs from the savannah into the forested highlands of southwestern Uganda, with beautiful views of terraced hills, farms and rural villages.

Stop for lunch en route before proceeding to your lodge near the designated gorilla-trekking sector.

Upon arrival, check in and relax while enjoying views of Bwindi’s forested hills. Your guide will brief you about the next morning’s gorilla trek and help ensure that your trekking equipment is ready.

Enjoy dinner and overnight near Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

After an early breakfast, transfer to the Bwindi park headquarters for registration and a pre-trekking briefing.

Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers will explain the trekking procedures, forest conditions, gorilla behaviour and conservation rules. You will then be assigned to a gorilla family and begin the trek with an experienced ranger and tracker.

The trek may last from approximately two to seven hours, depending on the location and movements of the gorillas.

The trail passes through steep, uneven and densely forested terrain. Along the way, your guide may identify forest birds, primates, plants and signs of other wildlife.

Once the gorilla family is located, you will be allowed to spend the permitted viewing time observing them. Watch as the gorillas feed, groom, rest, play and interact within their natural forest habitat.

The encounter offers an exceptional opportunity to appreciate the gorillas’ individual personalities, family relationships and human-like behaviour.

After the trek, return to the park headquarters and receive a gorilla-trekking certificate.

Meet your safari guide and begin the transfer to Lake Bunyonyi, one of Uganda’s most scenic highland lakes.

The drive passes through the terraced hills around Kabale before reaching the lake. Check in at your lodge and spend the evening relaxing beside the water.

Wake up to the peaceful scenery of Lake Bunyonyi and enjoy breakfast at the lodge.

After breakfast, take a guided boat cruise on the lake. Lake Bunyonyi is dotted with numerous islands surrounded by steep, terraced hills.

During the cruise, your local guide will share stories about the lake’s islands, communities and cultural history. You may also observe kingfishers, herons, weaver birds and other species around the shoreline.

Return to the lodge, check out and begin the journey back to Kampala or Entebbe.

Travel through Kabale and Mbarara, stopping along the way for lunch.

Continue to the Uganda Equator at Kayabwe, where you can take photographs while standing in both the northern and southern hemispheres. You may also browse local craft shops and watch an optional water demonstration.

After the Equator stop, continue to Kampala or Entebbe.

Your guide will drop you at your hotel or Entebbe International Airport, marking the end of your 10 Days Classic Uganda Wildlife Safari.

Because this is a long transfer day, travellers departing from Entebbe should book a late-evening flight or arrange an additional night in Entebbe.