10 Days Best of Uganda Safari

10 Days Best of Uganda Safari : This 10 days best of Uganda safari is a fascinating adventure that starts and ends in Kampala. The safari will take you to some of the major national parks in Uganda including Murchison falls national park which is the largest protected area in Uganda that harbors abundant wildlife species including elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, giraffes, Jacksons hartebeest, lions, leopards among others which will be viewed during the game drive and boat cruise. From Murchison falls national park you will connect to Kibale forest national park where you will engage in an interesting Bigodi swamp walk and chimpanzee trekking then Queen Elizabeth national park where you will enjoy great views of animals like elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, different bird species among others during the game drive and boat cruise. From Queen Elizabeth national park you will transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park where you will engage in an adventurous Gorilla trekking activity and later Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale for canoeing. You will wrap up your safari with a tour to Lake Mburo national park where you will engage in an exciting boat cruise and game drive.

Highlights of the 10 days best of Uganda safari

Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Murchison falls national park

Day 2: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

Day 3: Transfer to Kibale forest national park

Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park

Day 5: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise

Day 6: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park

Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park

Day 8: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for Canoeing

Day 9: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park-afternoon boat cruise

Day 10: Morning game drive and departure to Kampala

Detailed itinerary

Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Murchison falls national park

Depending on your location on the first day of the 10 days best of Uganda safari, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then start the journey to Murchison falls national park with a stopover at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where you will engage in rhino tracking. After the exciting rhino tracking you will continue the journey with another stopover in Masindi town for lunch. After lunch you will proceed the journey to Murchison falls national park and upon arrival you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

Morning game drive

After an early breakfast on day 2 of the 10 days best of Uganda safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive where you will be rewarded with great views of animals like buffaloes, giraffes, Uganda kobs, Jacksons hartebeest, waterbucks, elephants among other which will be grazing in open plains with due, view predators like lions, hyenas, leopards looking for a morning hunt, view different bird species among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.

Afternoon boat cruise,

After lunch you will meet up with your driver guide to go for an amazing boat cruise to the bottom of the falls. during the boat cruise which takes about 2 to 3 hours you will be able to view hippos in water, Nile crocodiles basking along the banks, view animals like elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs drinking water along the shores, view water birds like kingfishers, cormorants, fish eagles, hornbills, bee-eaters among others. After the boat ride you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Transfer to Kibale forest national park

After breakfast on day 3 of the 10 days best of Uganda safari, your driver guide will pick you up to start the journey to Kibale forest national park also known as the primate capital. On the way you will have en-route lunch, enjoy stunning views of the beautiful scenery, landscape, countryside’s, tea and banana plantations, crater lakes, Rwenzori mountain peaks have stopovers to take pictures and stretch your legs. Upon arrival in the park you will check into the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk

Chimpanzee trekking,

After an early breakfast on day 4 of the 10 days best of Uganda safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kanyachu visitors centre for a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing you will be subdivided into groups of people where each group will be allocated a habituated chimpanzee family to trek and a park guide who is well conversant with trails in the forest. Trekking of chimpanzees in Kibale national park takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view other primates such as black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, l’ hoest monkeys, view variety of bird species, different plant and tree species among others. Once the chimpanzees are located you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you a chance to take photos, record videos, learn about their behaviors, habits, watch them feed, breastfeed, hunt, fight, play, rest, mate among others.

After the one hour encounter with chimpanzees you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will meet up with your driver guide and start the journey to Queen Elizabeth national park which is the second largest national park in Uganda. On the way you will enjoy great views of farmlands, traditional homesteads, crater lakes, Rwenzori mountain ranges among others. Upon arrival in Queen Elizabeth national park, you will continue to check into the lodge for lunch and after lunch you will go for an evening game drive in the park where you will be able to view different animals like buffaloes, elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks among others going back to their resting areas. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise

Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience

After an early breakfast on day 5 of the 10 days best of Uganda safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive/ lion tracking experience in the park. During the game drive which is commonly done in Kasenyi plains you will be able to view animals like buffaloes, Uganda kobs, elephants, waterbucks, warthogs, bush bucks and predators like lions, leopards, hyenas among others if you are lucky. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.

Afternoon boat cruise

After lunch you will go for an interesting boat cruise at Kazinga channel a water channel that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. During the boat cruise which takes about 2 hours you will enjoy great views of animals like elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, waterbucks among others drinking water along the shores, view large concentrations of hippo and Nile crocodiles in water, aquatic bird species such as cormorants, kingfishers, fish eagles, hornbills among others. After the boat cruise you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 6: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park

On day 6 of the 10 days best of Uganda safari, you will have an early breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park in southwestern Uganda. On the way you will have a stopover at Ishasha sector in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park where you will be able to view the famous tree climbing lions which will be lazily lying up in acacia/ fig tree branches. You will also be able to view other animals like Uganda kobs, waterbucks, buffaloes, elephants, hippos and some bird species. After the game drive in Ishasha sector you will have lunch and then proceed to Bwindi impenetrable national park and upon arrival you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park

Gorilla trekking,

After an early breakfast on day 7 of the 10 days best of Uganda safari, you will carry your packed lunch from the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing you will be divided into groups of 8 people where each group will be allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek and a park guide. Allocation of gorilla families in Bwindi impenetrable national park is done depending of various factors such as age, physical fitness and personal preference therefore in case you are not physically fit you are advised to communicate with your driver guide. Trekking of mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food.

During trekking you will be able to view other primate species such as l’hoest monkeys, chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, different plant species, birds among others. Once the mountain gorillas are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to observe their habits, behaviors, watch gorillas feed, breastfeed, groom young ones, take photos and record the breathtaking moments to show people back home after the safari. After the one hour encounter with the gentle giants you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will be rewarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking.

Day 8: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

On day 8 of the 10 days best of Uganda safari, you will have breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale which is the deepest lake in Uganda and second deepest lake in East Africa. The journey takes about 3 to 4 hours drive and upon arrival you will go an adventurous canoe ride where you will be able to explore some of the 29 islands on Lake Bunyonyi. After canoeing you will go for lunch where after you will either relax at the lodge or go for an optional cultural tour or nature walk. In the evening you will have dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Day 9: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park-afternoon boat cruise

After breakfast on day 9 of the 10 days best of Uganda safari, you will check out of the lodge, meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Lake Mburo national park. Upon arrival in the park you will continue to check into the lodge and have lunch.

Afternoon boat cruise

After lunch you will go for an interesting boat cruise where you will be able to view hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs drinking water along the shores, water birds like kingfisher, bee-eaters, fish eagles, cormorants among others. After the boat cruise you will drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 10: Morning game drive and departure to Kampala

Morning game drive, after an early breakfast on the last day of the 10 days best of Uganda safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive where you will be rewarded with views of animals including waterbucks, elands, buffaloes, zebras, impalas, topi, giraffes among others which will be grazing in open savannah plains with due.

After the game drive you will drive out of the park and start the journey to start the journey back to Kampala. On the way you will enjoy great views of the countryside, Kigezi hills, plantations beautiful scenery and have en-route lunch in Mbarara town. After lunch you will continue the journey with another stopover at the Equator in Kayabwe to take photos, buy souvenirs and later proceed to Kampala arriving early evening and upon arrival your driver guide will drop you off at Entebbe international airport for your departure flight or drop off at any place of convenience.

End of 10 days best of Uganda safari

Tour includes

Chimpanzee trekking permit
Gorilla trekking permit
Rhino tracking fees
Park entrance fees
Game drives
Boat cruise fees
Services of a professional English speaking driver guide
Full board accommodation
Pick up and drop off
4WD popup safari vehicle and fuel
Bottled drinking water

Tour excludes

Air flight tickets
Visas
Life insurance
Optional activities not included on the itinerary
Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.