Come on these 8 Days Best of Uganda Safari to explore the country’s best scenic routes endowed with stunning landscapes and a plethora of attractions and experiences. On this tour, trek to come into close encounter with the Chimpanzee and the endangered Mountain Gorilla and Golden Monkeys in their rainforest homes. In between these epic attractions, enjoy interpretive game viewing safaris across Uganda’s wilderness parks to come up-close to a diversity of wildlife while on game drives, walking safaris and boat cruise expereince.
Safari Overview and Highlights
The 8 Days Best of Uganda Safari major highlights includes a trek expereince along the big apes; the mountain gorillas and chimpanzee in their native rainforests. Starting off at Kibale National Park, you will trek along the charismatic Chimpanzee troops in their native forests the rain forests, observing their high intelligence and human-like traits. You will then extend your walk in the ravine forest Bigodi for better chances to encounter smaller primates including the Red colobus, Uganda mangabey and more.
In Queen Elizabeth NP, you will have a wildlife expereince as you take interpretive game drives and boat safaris to come up-close to a diversity of game including the tree-climbing lions, hippos, savanna elephants and an excellent birdlife. Coming into Mgahinga Gorilla NP set within the towering Virunga mountain ranges on Uganda’s south-west corner, you will hike within the bamboo slopes for a close-up experience with the Mountain Gorilla and the beautiful Golden monkey.
You will wrap up this safari adventure with a guided walking safari in Uganda’s smallest savanna park of lake Mbulo, upclose herds of Impala, Elands, Plains Zebras, Topi, Nubian Giraffe and remarkable bird species on foot.
On transfer through this part of Uganda, stop and take in the stunning diverse landscapes of volcanic lakes, plains, towering mountain ranges and enjoy Uganda’s colorful countryside dotted with roadside markets and bustling towns.
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8 Days Best of Uganda Safari Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Drive to Kibale Forest National Park
After an early briefing with your safari guide about the general program, we drive westwards towards Kibale National Park through the scenic central region of Uganda dotted with wide papyrus swamp valleys, green hills, open markets along the road, farmlands among others. This highly agricultural area is one of the most fertile regions thanks to high rainfalls received annually both in the wet and dry season.
We will make short stops for leg- stretching on a few colorful roadside markets to taste the local and vast tea plantations that stretch over hill sides. After our hot lunch, we will proceed to our accommodation that’s located at the edge of the Kibale forest with optional Bigodi community walk time allowing.
Dinner and overnight at the lodge. Accommodation: Chimpanzee Forest Guest House. Meal Plan: FB. Drive time: 6/7 hrs
Day 2: Chimpanzee Tracking Experience Day and Evening Boat Cruise
After an early breakfast (breakfast time will be decided the previous day) guide with the help of the lodge team) your guide will drive you to the briefing Centre where you will join other clients for your short briefing about chimpanzee tracking. After the briefing, you will be group into an 8-person units that will be led on by a ranger guide across forest interior to locate families of habituated chimpanzee that call this forest home.
On locating the chimpanzee community, you will spend up to an hour, observing several traits and behavior as they go about their daily business. The trek expereince duration varies daily but anywhere between 4-5 hours is normal.
Thereafter you will be led back to the parking area where you will meet your driver
Upon arrival in Queen Elizabeth national park you will head out on an evening boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel to get close to aquatic mammals. Wildlife on channel include; hippos, Nile Crocodile and other herbivores that come to drink and cool in the shallow waters of this natural channel.
Dinner and overnight at the lodge. Accommodation Plan: Bush-Lodge FB or Kasenyi Safari Camp. Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 3: Morning game drive at Kasenyi sector and later transfer Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth
This morning we set out early for morning game drive for chances to see predators retiring from night activity or trying to get lucky at dusk but also looking out for other resident species including herds of Elephants, Cape Buffalos, Kob, Waterbucks and other herbivores in habit. After the game drive, we will then transfer to Ishasha sector to explore the rich savanna plains popular for its Climbing Lions’ prides, massive herds of Topi, Elephants and massive birdlife that inhabit this sector. Accommodation Plan. Enjojo Lodge/Embogo Lodge, Meal Plan: FB. Drive Time: 2 hours
Day 4: Morning game drive and transfer to Lake Murehe/Lake Mutanda
After an early breakfast, we will have a drive through the park again, on our way to Lake Murehe lodge south of the Bwindi Forest. This very scenic drive will take us along the northern edges of the Impenetrable Forest of Bwindi NP, enjoying spectacular views of this mountainous region of Kigezi thus the nickname; the “Little Switzerland of Africa” whose fertile volcanic terraced hillsides and valleys is also the most populous regions in Uganda. We will have short photo and stretch stops on scenic views before we check in at our accommodation late that afternoon. Accommodation Plan: Lake Murehe Resort/Lake Mutanda Resort. Drive time: 6 hours
Day 5: Gorilla Tracking Experience Day
This morning we will transfer early to the briefing point of Mgahinga NP, where ranger guides will take us through a short briefing about the Mountain gorilla and the ecosystem of this park. Mgahinga Gorilla NP is Uganda’s most scenic park with only One habituated Gorilla family that inhabit various ecozones such as the secondary forest, bamboo and montane zones across these volcanic slopes. Mgahinga NP which includes the volcanic peaks of Muhavura, Gahinga and Sabinyo lie within the greater Virunga Conservation Area that protect half population of the endemic Mountain Gorillas.
On locating the gorillas you will be allowed one-full hour to observe these giants as they forage across their own turf. The trek duration varies daily between 4 hours to 6 hours depending on the location of these apes.
Note: An evening before the trek day our guide will give you a brief information on the gorilla trekking to prepare you well on this lifetime adventure. The guide will share on what to expect on a trek and what to pack for the expereince.
Accommodation Plan: Lake Mutanda/Lake Murehe Resort. Meal Plan: Full board.
Day 6: Endangered Golden Monkey Experience and Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
This morning we will again head out to Mgahinga NP where the ranger guides will lead us in our quest to find the elusive endangered golden monkeys which in Uganda can only be found in this park and are endemic to the Virunga Mountain Ranges. Golden Monkeys are sub-species of the Blue-Monkey characterized by its golden back and black limbs, playful, socially living in troops of up to 40 individuals led by one dominant male.
This rare and less known monkey is a bamboo-specialist favoring the bamboo eco-zones which forms 70% of its diet. On locating one of the local troops, you will get to spend one full hour observing their social interactions and behavior and this activity takes up to 4-hours. In the afternoon, we will transfer to Lake Bunyonyi which another famous destination rich with culture and scenery. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Accommodation Plan: Bunyonyi Rock Resort/Arcadia Cottages. Meal Plan: FB Drive time is about 2 hours
Day 7: Boat cruise on Lake Bunyonyi and transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
After an early breakfast will have a boat cruise on Lake Bunyonyi to tour the historical islands that dot this scenic lake. The tour will be incude short hikes to viewing area for panoramic scenery of the lake and its highlands.
Thereafter we will drive on to come into Lake Mburo National Park arriving in time for a hot-lunch at our accommodation set on the edge of the park. In the evening we will take a game drive exploring this beautiful savanna woodlands for chances of seeing the herds of Nubian Giraffe, Topi, Plain Zebra, beautiful Impala and the shy Eland among other residents.
Accommodation Plan: Eagle’s Nest/Rwakobo Rock Lodge. Meal Plan: Dinner and breakfast. Drive time is about 2 hours
Day 8: Walking Safari and transfer to Entebbe International Airport
After an early breakfast we will check in the park for a guided nature-walk through the savanna woodland getting close to Zebras, Giraffe, Topi and Impala. In a company of an armed ranger guide we will learn, observe and enjoy various sights and sounds of this great wild setting.
Later we will transfer to Entebbe with a lunch break, photographic session and souvenir shopping at Equator crossing line. A day room can be pre booked on request incase your flight plan is later that night.
Accommodation Plan: None. Meals: Lunch en route. Drive time 4/5 hours
8 Days Best of Uganda Safari Includes.
- A customized 4WD Safari Vehicle.
- An English-speaking Driver Guide.
- park entrance fees.
- All activities as per the itinerary.
- Accommodations and Meals as per the itinerary.
- Bottled mineral water.
- One Chimpanzee permit per person.
- One Gorilla permit per person.
- One Golden Monkey permit par person.
8 Days Best of Uganda Safari Exclusions.
- All other meals and drinks not mentioned.
- Tips to guides and porters.
- Flight tickets and travel insurance.
- Items related to personal nature.
- Transfer to the airport.