10 Day Wildlife, Bird Watching and Culture Safari in Uganda
The 10 days gorillas and cultural safari in Uganda offers you opportunity to explore Uganda’s mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, birds, unique cultures, local communities and wildlife species. Mountain gorilla tracking adventures in Uganda are conducted in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and Mgahinga National Park, southwest of the country where over 480 individuals of gorillas thrive in the wild and about 14 groups have been habituated for tourism purposes.
The Jungle treks last for 1 to 9 hours but this depends on your hiking speed, location of the gorilla family and nature of habitat as well as many other factors. Up on getting your group, you will have an hour of face to face encounter with the apes and this also applies to chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park or any chimpanzee tracking destination in Uganda. Alternatively, we can do chimpanzee habituation experience. A side from mountain gorilla and chimpanzee tracking, you will also engage in game drives to look out for the big game in Africa (lions, elephants, buffaloes, rhinos and leopards) and over 1000 bird species in most of Uganda’s wilderness protected areas. Finally, you will interact with local communities such as the batwa people, bakiga among others.
Uganda Safari highlight
Day 1: Departure from Kampala to the Murchison Falls National Park
Day 2: Game drive in the morning and afternoon boat cruise in Murchison Falls National Park
Day 3: Departure from Murchison Falls National Park to Kibale National Park
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park and depart to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 5: Wildlife viewing in the morning and afternoon launch cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 6: Departure to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Day 7: Mountain gorilla tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Day 8: Departure from Bwindi National Park to Lake Bunyonyi and an entire day recreational experience
Day 9: Depart from Lake Bunyonyi to Lake Mburo National Park and a quick boat cruise along Lake Mburo
Day 10: Early morning wildlife viewing in Lake Mburo National Park and depart back to Kampala
10 Day Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Departure from Kampala to the Murchison Falls National Park
Breakfast early in the morning in your respective lodge and after, head to northwestern Uganda to Murchison Falls National Park 311 kilometers approximately five hours’ drive off Kampala capital city. You will have a stopover at Ziwa rhino sanctuary to track the magnificent rhinos and this offers you opportunity to make a complete big five game in Uganda as most of the national parks in Uganda including Murchison Falls National Park have less or only the 4 of the big 5 game. You will have lunch in Masindi town and after, set off to Murchison Falls National Park where you will cross the ferry to the northern part of the park for dinner and night stay at Paraa Safari Lodge (up market), Pakuba Safari Lodge (standard) or Heritage Safari Lodge (Basic).
Day 2: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise (Birding)
After breakfast in the morning, you set off for your morning wildlife viewing to the northern River bank to look out for wildlife species like elephants, buffaloes, Bohor reed bucks, lions, Rothschild’s, hartebeests, waterbucks, bush bucks, leopards, hyenas, Oribi birds and many more. After, you return for a rest and lunch at your respective lodge and then set off for an afternoon launch cruise to the bottom of Murchison Falls. The boat cruise offers you a chance to spot out some of the 4000 hippos and several Nile crocodiles as well as different water bird species like king fishers, bee eaters and many more. You proceed to Murchison falls to view this powerful waterfall with a permanent rainbow and after, return to the lodge for dinner and night stay at Paraa Safari Lodge (Luxury), Pakuba Safari Lodge (standard) or Heritage Safari Lodge (Basic).
Day 3: Departure from Murchison Falls to Kibale National Park
After breakfast in the morning, you will set off to Kibale Forest National Park about 441 kilometers approximately 9 hours drive via stunning landscapes of Hoima and Kagadi prior reaching Kyejonjo around evening. You will have a stopover in Hoima and reach Fort Portal (Kibale National Park) in the evening for dinner and night stay at Ndali Lodge or Primate Lodge, Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse, Kibale Forest Camp or Rwenzori View Guesthouse.
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest and depart to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Breakfast early in the morning, you will join the rest of the visitors for briefing in Kanyanchu visitor center at 7:30am and then set off for actual trek at 8:00am. Kibale National Park offers refuge to about 13 different species of primates most of which include chimpanzees, red colobus monkeys, bush babies, the unique L’Hoests monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, baboons, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys and many more as well as over 350 bird species and other mammal species like forest elephants, buffaloes, antelopes and others. After, the 2 to 3 hours’ trek, you return have lunch and check out from the lodge and then proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park where you will have dinner and night stay at Mweya Safari Lodge , Enganzi Game Lodge or Pumba Safari Cottages.
Day 5: Wildlife viewing in the morning and afternoon launch cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Following breakfast in the morning, you will embark on wildlife viewing at Kasenyi sector to look out for elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, spotted hyenas, Uganda Kobs, lions, topis and many more. After, you come back to the lodge for lunch and set off in the afternoon for a launch cruise via the Kazinga channel where you will have a chance to see most of the hippos, crocodiles, bird species and many aquatic species. After the 2 (two) hours of exciting boat cruise, you return to the lodge for night stay at Mweya Safari Lodge, Enganzi Game Lodge, or Pumba Safari Cottages.
Day 6: Departure from Queen Elizabeth National Park to Bwindi National Park
Have breakfast early in the morning and after, set off to Bwindi National Park southwest of Uganda through Ishasha area in the southern Queen Elizabeth National Park. Around Ishasha, you will have a chance to spot out the rare tree climbing lions, and then proceed to Bwindi National Park where you will have dinner and night stay at Chameleon Hill Lodge, Gorilla Mist Camp or Broadbill Forest Camp .
Day 7: Mountain gorilla tracking in Bwindi National Park
Early in the morning, you have breakfast at your respective lodge and after join the rest of visitors in your respective tracking area in Bwindi National Park for briefing by the park official. After, you will be allocated one habituated gorilla family to track in a group of eight (8) visitors and one park guide and then you set off for 1 to 8 hours’ trek though this depends on your speed, nature of habitat and location of gorilla family. You will have an hour of face to face encounter with the apes and then return to the lodge for dinner and a night stay at Chameleon Hill Lodge, Gorilla Mist Camp or Broadbill Forest Camp.
Day 8: Leave Bwindi National Park to Lake Bunyonyi and an entire day recreational experience.
Have breakfast early in the morning, and then transfer to Lake Bunyonyi through the stunning Kigezi highlands. Lake Bunyonyi is famous for over 29 distinct islands which describe it as the Switzerland of Africa and it is one of the deepest Lakes in Africa. You either set off for a boat cruise or simply chill around and after visit the nearby Batwa people or Bakiga community for cultural encounter. After, you return to lodge for dinner and night stay at Birdnest @Lake Bunyonyi Resort (luxury), Lake Bunyonyi Eco Resort (midrange) or Byoona Amagara Island Retreat (Basic).
Day 9: Connect to Lake Mburo National Park for Afternoon Canoe Ride
After breakfast early in the morning, you will be picked from your lodge ready to set off to Lake Mburo National Park about 199 kilometers approximately four hours’ drive and a stopover at Igongo cultural center about 12 kilometers off Mbarara. After, connect to Lake Mburo National Park for an evening launch cruise to spot out hippos, Nile crocodiles, and many bird species and after, return to the lodge for dinner and night stay at Mihingo Safari Lodge , Arcadia Cottages Mburo or Eagles Nest.
Day 10: Game Drive / Birding / Nature walk or Horse Riding and after, transfer to Kampala
Following breakfast in the morning, you will set off for an early morning game walk to spot out most of the impalas, topis, bush bucks, klipspringer, antelopes, bird species, zebras, warthogs, buffaloes, elands and many more. After, you return to Kampala about 240 kilometers and approximately 3 to 4 hours’ drive, have a stop over at Equator for photo taking and then proceed to Kampala and this will mark the end of your 10 days wildlife safari in Uganda.
Safari inclusions
- Game drives
- Gorilla permits
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Launch cruise
- Game walks
- Community visit
- Transport (English speaking driver guide and safari car)
- Accommodation for 9 nights and meals
Safari exclusions
- Personal expenses such as tips, personal insurance, alcoholic drinks, laundry, telephone bills and many more
