16 Days Classic Uganda Safari

OUR INTINERARY

Day 1: Arrival in Uganda Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be met by our safari guide who will transfer you to the hotel of your booking and brief you on the safari plan.

Day 2: Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park After an early breakfast, you will set off from Kampala and travel westwards to Bwindi for approximately 8-9 hours. You will have a brief stop at the Equator for an opportunity for you to stand in two hemispheres at the same time and take some photographs. Continue the Incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari journey through the beautiful verdant rolling hills characteristic of this part of the country. Have a lunch break at Mbarara City and then continue to Bwindi.

Day 3: Gorilla tracking and Cultural exposure After an early breakfast, you will go to the park headquarters where you will be briefed by the guides before you begin the search in the thick Bwindi forest for the giant gorillas. Bwindi Forest Impenetrable National Park is renowned for its impressive mountain gorillas, although it is unpredictable how long you will track them before finding them since it all depends on their movement. Though the time spent to track down these mountain Gorillas is unpredictable, the thrill of spending time and observing these gentle giant Gorillas is a rare, moving, awesome and exciting adventure that will leave you with long-lasting memories of a truly unique experience. You will participate in captivating traditional performances presented by Women’s groups or orphaned children groups.

Day 4: Travel to Lake Bunyonyi You will, after breakfast drive to Lake Bunyonyi. The lake is said to be the second deepest lake in Africa and one of the most beautiful places in western Uganda. From glistening backwaters and palm-fringed beaches to colorful villages, wildlife, and tropical scenery, Bunyonyi is a truly exotic retreat place, perfect for adventure and relaxation. It is also one of the few places in the country where it is considered safe to swim as it is bilharzia free. T

Day 5: Canoeing and hiking on Lake Bunyonyi This morning you can choose to either have a canoe ride on the lake or a walk through the surrounding hills. The landscape around the lake is made up of steep hills covered with lush green vegetation protruding from the water’s edge. Bunyonyi means “place of little birds” and as the name suggests, there is plenty of birdlife around the lake. You can choose to go for a canoe ride to see water animals and birds, go swimming, or hike to the viewpoint in the hills to admire the volcano mountain ranges at the border with Rwanda. In the afternoon you will be driven to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Day 6: Game drive and Boat launch on Kazinga Channel You will wake up early for a morning game drive in the park during which you will see Lions, Elephants, Topis, Leopards, Bush bucks, Cape Buffaloes, Defassa Waterbucks, Giant Forest Hogs, and Uganda Kobs, among others. You will later in the afternoon go for a two-hour boat cruise down the Kazinga Channel that connects Lakes George and Edward. The cruise takes you through the highest population of Hippos and you will see a profusion of animals drinking on the water shores. This boat safari launch cruise rewards you with a great opportunity to take photos, watch birds and see the water animals.

Day 7: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park After breakfast set off on a 4-hour Incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari journey to Kibale Forest National Park. On the Drive to Kibale National Park, you will be able to enjoy an impressive sight of the legendary “Mountains of the Moon” which you will clearly see on the road to Fort Portal. You will have lunch in Fort Portal and proceed to Kibale Forest National Park. You will then choose either go to the unique Bigodi swamp eco-tourism site where you will see uncommon plants and rare bird species such as the Great Blue Turaco, little Bulbul, Rwenzori Turaco, and the Narina Trogon, among others, or visit the crater lakes area to enjoy the beautiful scenery.

Day 8: Chimpanzee tracking and nature walk in the Bigodi wetland You will, after breakfast, head to Kibale Forest National Park to watch the primates. The activity begins at 8.00 am with a briefing on the rules for trekking chimpanzees after which you set off to search for them in the forest. The exercise takes half a day and along the way, you will see other primates such as Grey cheeked Mangabeys, Red-Colobus, and the Blue-tailed and Red-tailed monkeys swinging in the braches of this thick forest. Your guide will give you informative briefings on the lifestyles of the primates you will be coming across and on the plants as well as on the insects and butterflies in this forest to ensure that the trek is not only enjoyable but informative as well. In the afternoon you will go for a guided nature walk in the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. The sanctuary offers great birding opportunities and nature walks. Besides birding, Bigodi village has a rich cultural heritage site where you can mix with the local people and enjoy the African traditions in terms of lifestyle and entertainment.

Day 9: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park You will set off on a 6-hour journey to Murchison Falls National Park. The Incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari drive is through verdant countryside dotted with traditional homesteads and farms and via the town of Hoima where you have a lunch break. You will continue the journey to Murchison Falls National Park arriving late in the afternoon.

Day 10: Game Drive and Boat Cruise You will wake up very early and set off at 6.30 am for a sunrise Incredible Uganda Wildlife Scenes Safari game drive in the Nyamsika plateau to see the Cape buffaloes, Rothschild’s giraffes, Uganda kob, hartebeest, and waterbucks. You may also spot oribi, bushbuck, Bohor reedbuck, shy sitatunga, bush duiker, warthog, and bush pig plus large carnivores including lions, leopards, and spotted hyenas. Chimpanzees and olive baboons head the list of six species of primates found in the park. Crocodiles and hippos will be seen along the banks of the Nile. Some of the more common birds that can be seen include goliath heron, Egyptian geese, pelican, bee-eaters, kingfishers, hornbill, cormorant, saddle-bill stork, and the rare shoebill stork. Afterwards take a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls where you will see pools of hippos and toothsome crocodiles.

Day 11: Travel to Kampala via Ziwa Rhino sanctuary You will have an early breakfast and drive to Kampala via the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where you will have the opportunity to trek the Rhinos. The sanctuary houses Uganda’s Rhino reintroduction project. You will continue to Kampala arriving late in the afternoon for a well-deserved rest at the safari lodge of your booking.

Day 12: Transfer to Jinja We leave early in the morning and head to Jinja to visit the source of the Nile and to enjoy some of the adventurous activities whose options include white water rafting, jet boating, horse riding, mountain biking, quad biking, or bungee jumping. You will arrive in the late afternoon and relax at the hotel of your booking till dinner and overnight.

Day 13: Adventure on the Nile River, Source of the Nile Site You will, after breakfast, go for the adventurous white water rafting on the Nile River. The rafting begins at the Source of the Nile at 09:30 am with a comprehensive briefing and being fitted with the rafting gear. The rafting is done on an 18-kilometre stretch of the Nile River and no prior experience of rafting is required. The first few rapids are of low grade (1, 2) to build the confidence of the participants before guiding them gradually into the more challenging grades. A total of eight major rapids are rafted to maximize the adrenaline rush of this adventure. You will, after the rafting adventure, be treated to a barbecue lunch and drinks before returning to Kampala.

Day 14: Visit the chimp sanctuary on Ngamba Island After breakfast, you will be transferred to the pier on Lake Victoria pier for you to take a boat cruise to Ngamba Island. The boat cruise will be for one hour. You will arrive at the chimpanzee sanctuary and be briefed about the sanctuary after which you will proceed to spend time with the chimps as they feed, relax and do acrobatic swings in the tree branches. Later you will go for a nature walk on the island with the young chimpanzees.

Day 15: Forest walk with the chimps You will have breakfast and go for a forest walk with the chimps in the morning. This is an interesting walk as the chimps climb on you, pull your hair or walk hand in hand with you. It’s awesome. You will return from the forest walk for lunch and spend the rest of the day relaxing. Dinner and overnight will again be at the island.

Day 16: Transfer to Entebbe for your departure Today you will be transferred to Entebbe for your flight back home.

Day 1: Arrival in Uganda Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be met by our safari guide who will transfer you to the hotel of your booking and brief you on the safari plan.

Day 2: Kampala to Murchison Falls National Park You will have an early breakfast and drive to Murchison Falls National Park via the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where you will have the opportunity to trek the Rhinos. The sanctuary houses Uganda’s Rhino reintroduction project. You will continue to Masindi Town for lunch and later drive to Murchison Falls National Park.

Day 3: Game drive and Boat launch on the Nile You will have an early Savannah Safari start (6.30 am) and set off for a sunrise Savannah Safari game drive in the Nyamsika plateau to see the Cape buffaloes, Rothschild’s giraffes, Uganda kob, hartebeest, and waterbucks. You may also spot oribi, bushbuck, Bohor reedbuck, shy sitatunga, bush duiker, warthog, and bush pig plus large carnivores including lions, leopards, and spotted hyenas. After lunch take a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls where you will see pools of hippos and toothsome crocodiles.

Day 4: Visit the top of the fall and travel to Kitgum town You will after your breakfast visit the “top of the thunderous Murchison falls”, where you will observe the Nile River squeezing itself into a 7-meter gorge before tumbling 40 meters down in a thunderous explosion and then flowing down into a very peaceful river whose water banks are swarmed with a profusion of water and land animals as well as birds. You will thereafter set off on a 9-hour journey to Kitgum in the northern part of Uganda where you will have your dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Drive to Kidepo Valley National Park You will continue the journey to Kidepo Valley National Park on a rough road. You will spend the night at one of the lodges in the park.

Day 6: Game drive and walking safari in Kidepo You will wake up early for a Savannah Safari game drive in the park to catch up with the early predators that will be returning to their habitats after a night hunt. In Kidepo Valley National Park you will find zebras, giraffes, elephants, lions, and leopards, and the only place in Uganda where you can find the cheetah and ostrich. You’ll return to the lodge for a late breakfast, have a rest, and go off in the mid-afternoon for a nature walk. You will return to your lodge in the late afternoon for dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Visit Kanangorok Hot-Springs You will have an early breakfast and drive to the border of Uganda and Sudan where hot springs are located. This area also harbors many ostriches that can easily be sighted along the game tracks. In the late afternoon will enjoy the peace and beauty of the park on a leisure drive at your pace after which you will settle for dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Day 8: Cultural Village Tour in Kidepo You will be taken on a savannah Safari-guided cultural village tour where you will learn about the nomadic lifestyle of the people around Karenga and Kidepo. During this cultural tour, you will visit the Karamajong homesteads (manyattas) and see the kraals of cattle, the traditional costumes, stools, spears, headdresses, knives, bows, and arrows, jewelry, grinding stones, and utensils all made locally by the natives. In the evening you will be taken for a sunset Savannah Safari game drive to explore more of Kidepo Valley National Park.

Day 9: Travel to Sipi You will after your breakfast set off for the Sipi Falls on Mt Elgon. This will be an 8-hour journey through the towns of Kotido and Soroti arriving late in the afternoon. You will have dinner and overnight at the lodge of your booking.

Day 10: Hike to Sipi Falls You will after your breakfast go for a hike to see the stunning Sipi Falls that cascade over a 100 meters cliff. You will follow the challenging trail to two other waterfalls. You will pass maize fields, coffee gardens, banana plantations, and typical African homesteads on your way and enjoy the breathtaking views over the laid-out valley. Those interested in experiencing the real thrill of watching the waterfalls from close range will go abseiling down the mountain to the bottom of the famous Sipi Falls. At the end of the day, you will experience a magnificent sunset before returning to your Savannah Safari lodge.

Day 11: Transfer to Jinja We leave early in the morning and head to Jinja to visit the source of the Nile and to enjoy some of the adventurous activities whose options include white water rafting, jet boating, horse riding, mountain biking, quad biking or bungee jumping.

Day 12: Adventure on the Nile You will, after breakfast, go for the adventurous white water rafting on the Nile River. The rafting begins at the Source of the Nile at 09:00 am with a comprehensive briefing and being fitted with the rafting gear. The rafting is done on an 18-kilometer stretch of the Nile River and no prior experience in rafting is required. The first few rapids are of low grade (1, 2) to build the confidence of the participants before guiding them gradually into the more challenging grades. A total of eight major rapids are rafted to maximize the adrenaline rush of this adventure. You will, after the rafting adventure, be treated to a barbecue lunch and drinks before returning to Kampala for your late departure flight or retire to a hotel.