12 Day Uganda Explorer Safari

On arrival at Entebbe International Airport, meet your Adventure in the Wild Safaris representative and professional driver-guide after immigration and luggage collection. Receive a short welcome briefing before transferring to your selected Entebbe accommodation.

Check in and relax after your international journey. Guests arriving early may arrange an optional botanical-garden visit, Lake Victoria sunset cruise, Mabamba shoebill excursion or town tour, subject to time and availability.

After an early breakfast, travel north through Kampala, rural communities and roadside markets. At Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, join a ranger-led walk to observe southern white rhinos safely and learn how the sanctuary supports Uganda’s rhino-restoration programme.

After lunch, continue to Murchison Falls National Park and visit the Top of the Falls, where the Nile forces through a narrow rocky gorge. Continue to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Set out early for a game drive on the northern bank of Murchison Falls, following Buligi tracks through savannah and woodland. Look for lions, elephants, buffaloes, Rothschild’s giraffes, hartebeests, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs and, with luck, leopards.

After lunch, board a Victoria Nile boat cruise from Paraa Jetty toward the bottom of the falls. Watch for hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes and waterbirds before returning to the lodge.

After breakfast, begin the long but scenic journey southwest through rural settlements, farms and the Albertine Rift region. Stop for lunch en route and enjoy views of tea plantations, crater lakes and greener hills as you approach Fort Portal.

Continue to a lodge near Kibale Forest National Park. Settle in for dinner while your driver-guide prepares you for the next morning’s chimpanzee trek; a crater-lake walk may be possible if arrival time permits.

Transfer to Kanyanchu Visitor Centre for registration and a ranger briefing, then enter Kibale Forest with trackers to search for a habituated chimpanzee community. The trek generally takes two to five hours; once the group is found, spend up to one hour observing feeding, grooming and family behaviour.

After lunch and a rest, visit Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary for a guided nature and community walk through wetland, forest and village landscapes. Look for primates, butterflies and diverse birdlife before returning to your lodge.

After breakfast, travel through the Fort Portal region past crater lakes, tea plantations and Rwenzori Mountain views toward Queen Elizabeth National Park. Arrive around lunchtime or early afternoon, check in and relax during the warmer part of the day.

Later, take an evening game drive in the Kasenyi Plains or another suitable wildlife-viewing area. Open savannah and Uganda kob breeding grounds can attract lions, while elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, hyenas and leopards may also be encountered.

Rise early for a game drive across the Kasenyi Plains, where cool morning conditions often favour wildlife viewing. Your driver-guide selects the best tracks for recent sightings of lions, elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs, hyenas and leopards.

Later, cruise the Kazinga Channel between Lake George and Lake Edward. The waterway supports hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes, monitor lizards and abundant birdlife; return to the lodge after the cruise.

After breakfast, travel south through the Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Take a game drive in search of the area’s famous tree-climbing lions, as well as topis, buffaloes, elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks and baboons.

Have lunch en route before continuing through cultivated hills and rural settlements to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Arrive at your lodge and prepare your clothing, packed lunch and equipment for tomorrow’s mountain-gorilla trek.

After an early breakfast, attend the mandatory Uganda Wildlife Authority gorilla-trekking briefing with your passport, permit confirmation, water and packed lunch. Ranger guides and trackers lead the group into Bwindi’s steep, lush forest to locate an allocated habituated gorilla family.

The trek can take two to seven hours depending on terrain and gorilla movement. Spend up to one hour observing the family, then receive your trekking certificate and transfer through the scenic highlands to Lake Bunyonyi.

Wake to views across Lake Bunyonyi and its terraced hills, then enjoy a guided canoe or motorboat experience among selected islands. Learn about local history and culture, with opportunities for birdwatching, photography, a community visit or a short guided walk.

After checking out, travel through Kabale, Ntungamo and Mbarara toward Lake Mburo National Park. Arrive in the late afternoon for a short evening game drive if time permits, or relax at the lodge.

Meet an armed Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger for a guided walking safari through Lake Mburo’s savannah, woodland and open grassland. Learn to interpret tracks, plants, birds and wildlife behaviour while looking for zebras, impalas, elands, giraffes, waterbucks, bushbucks and warthogs.

After breakfast and time to relax, take an afternoon game drive through the park’s plains, rocky outcrops and wetland areas. Optional horseback riding, cycling, boat cruising or a night drive can be added with advance booking.

Enjoy breakfast, check out and, if timing allows, take a short game drive as you leave Lake Mburo. Continue toward Kampala and pause at the Uganda Equator in Kayabwe for photographs, craft shopping and an optional water demonstration.

After lunch en route, your driver-guide transfers you to Kampala, an Entebbe hotel, Entebbe International Airport or another agreed drop-off point. Guests flying today should arrange a late-evening international departure or add an Entebbe night.