19 Days Uganda Safari Adventure
19 Days Uganda Safari Adventure
This 19 days Uganda safari adventure is an extraordinary tour that will take you to the most visited national parks in Uganda, including the savannah national parks like Kidepo Valley National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Lake Mburo National Park, where you will enjoy great views of animals like elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, giraffes, hippos, waterbucks, bushbucks, Uganda kobs, hyenas, crocodiles, rhinos, elands, zebras, and Jackson’s hartebeest, among others, and different bird species during the game drives and boat cruise.
The 19-day Uganda safari adventure will also take you to Lake Bunyonyi, which is the deepest lake in Uganda; Bwindi Impenetrable National Park; Kibale Forest National Park; and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, where you will be able to spend one hour with the endangered mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, and golden monkeys in their natural habitat.
Highlights of the 19 Days Uganda safari adventure
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Entebbe
Day 2: Transfer to Kitgum/Gulu via Ziwa rhino sanctuary
Day 3: Transfer to Kidepo valley national park-afternoon game drive
Day 4: Full day game drive in Kidepo Valley National Park
Day 5: Morning game drive and cultural tour
Day 6: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
Day 7: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 8: Nile delta boat cruise
Day 9: Transfer to Kibale forest national park
Day 10: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Day 11: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 12: Morning game drive/Lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise
Day 13: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 14: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 15: Batwa cultural tour and transfer to Mgahinga gorilla national park
Day 16: Golden monkey trekking
Day 17: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
Day 18: Lake Mburo national park-afternoon walking safari
Day 19: Morning game drive and departure to Kampala
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Entebbe/ Kampala
Depending on your arrival time at Entebbe international airport on the first day of the 19 days Uganda safari adventure, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then transfer to a hotel in Entebbe or Kampala for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Transfer to Gulu/Kitgum via ziwa rhino sanctuary
Take breakfast, check out of the hotel, and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Gulu/Kitgum. On the way you will have a stopover at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino tracking and then continue the journey with another stopover for en route lunch, after which you will proceed with great views of the beautiful scenery, landscape, farmlands, homesteads, and local people, among others. Upon arrival in Gulu, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Transfer to Kidepo valley national park-afternoon game drive
After breakfast on day 3 of the 19-day Uganda safari adventure, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park.
Upon arrival in the park, you will check into the lodge for lunch, after which you will go for an interesting game drive. During the game drive you will drive to the Narus River, the only permanent water source in the park, which makes it the best place to take beautiful pictures and view large concentrations of animals, which come to the river to quench their thirst.
Animals that can be spotted include elephants, lions, reedbucks, oribi, Jackson’s hartebeest, waterbucks, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, klipspringer, guethers, dik-diks, and different bird species, among others. After the afternoon game drive, you will transfer back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Full-day game drive in Kidepo National Park
After an early breakfast, you will go for a morning game drive where you will be able to view predators like lions, leopards, cheetahs, and spotted hyenas, among others; if you are lucky, you will view other animals like elephants, buffaloes, duikers, jackals, bushbucks, giraffes, zebras, bohor reedbucks, waterbucks, oribis, and take beautiful pictures of the sunrise, among others. After the morning game drive, which takes about 4 hours to drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch you will drive to Kanangorok hot spring where you will have great views of the mountains, animals, get an opportunity to interact with different people who come to pay homage, offer sacrifices and seek blessings from the hot springs among others. From the hot springs you will drive shortly in the park and then return your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Morning game drive and afternoon cultural tour
Morning game drive,
After an early breakfast, you will meet up with your driver guide to go for another morning game drive in the park where you will be able to view some of the animals that you might have missed during the previous game drives. After the game ride, you will return to the lodge for lunch.
Afternoon cultural tour,
After lunch you will go for an exciting Karamajong cultural tour where you will be able to interact with the local people, learn about their way of living, dress code, culture, visit their traditional homesteads, enjoy their traditional entertainment, buy craft souvenirs among others. After the cultural tour, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park,
After an early breakfast on day 6 of the 19 days Uganda safari adventure, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge and then start the journey to Murchison falls national park in north western part of Uganda. On the way you will have en-route lunch and enjoy spectacular views of the scenery, landscape, traditional homesteads among others. Upon arrival in the park you will drive to the top of the fall where you will be able to enjoy the beautiful waterfall and later connect to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Morning game drive and boat cruise to the bottom of the falls
Morning game drive,
After an early breakfast, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive where you will be able to view animals like buffaloes, elephants, waterbucks, warthogs, giraffes, and Uganda kobs grazing in the savannah plains with dew and view predators like hyenas, lions, and leopards, among others, before going back to their hiding areas and view different birds, among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.
Boat cruise,
After lunch you will go for an exciting boat cruise to the bottom of the falls which starts at Paraa jetty landing site and takes about 2 to 3 hours. During the boat cruise you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos and crocodiles in water, view animals like elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, antelopes along the water banks, view water bird species like fish eagle, kingfishers, cormorants among others. After the boat cruise you will return back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Nile delta boat cruise
On day 8 of the 19 days Uganda safari adventure, you will have breakfast at the lodge, meet up with your driver guide to go for an amazing Nile delta boat cruise where you will be able to spot different bird species, animals, beautiful scenery among others. After the Nile delta boat cruise, you will return to the lodge for lunch where after you will either spend the rest of the day at leisure or go for an evening game drive in the park where you will be able to view some of the animals that you might have missed the previous day. Dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Transfer to Kibale National Park
After breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kibale National Park in western Uganda. The journey takes about a 6- to 7-hour drive, and on the way you will have en route lunch and enjoy stunning views of the traditional homesteads, local people, beautiful scenery, views of the Rwenzori Mountains, crater lakes, tea plantations, and others. Upon arrival in the park, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 10: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Chimpanzee trekking,
After an early breakfast, meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a chimpanzee trekking briefing. After the briefing you will be grouped into 6 people, allocated a chimpanzee family to trek with, and given a park guide who will lead you into the forest during trekking.
Chimpanzee trekking is an interesting activity that starts at 8:00am and 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, especially during the dry season. During trekking you will be able to see other primates like red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and vervet monkeys, and view some bird species, mammals, plant species, among others.
Once the chimpanzees are found, you will be able to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat, which gives you an opportunity to learn about their behaviors and habits; watch them feed, play, fight, hunt, and mate; and take photos and record the moments. After the one hour with the chimpanzees, you will trek back to the park headquarters, where you will meet up with your driver guide and return back to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch you will go for a swamp walk in Bigodi wetland where you will be able to view primates like grey checked mangabey, black and white colobus monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, red tailed monkeys, view different bird species among others.
Day 11: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. On the way you will enjoy great views of the crater lakes and tea plantations, and upon arrival you will check into the lodge for lunch, after which you will go for an afternoon game drive where you will be able to view animals like buffaloes, elephants, waterbucks, bushbucks, and Uganda kobs and view predators like lions, leopards, and hyenas, among others.
Day 12: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive,
After an early breakfast, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive or lion tracking experience in the Kasenyi plains. During the game drive you will have great views of animals like buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, giant forest hogs, elephants, bushbucks, lions, leopards, hyenas, and views of different bird species, among others. After the fascinating game drive you will return to the lodge for lunch.
Afternoon boat cruise,
After lunch you will go for an exciting boat cruise, which is carried out on Kazinga Channel, a 40 km long channel that connects Lake Edward and Lake Gorge.
The boat cruise starts at around 2:00 pm and rewards you with breathtaking views of large concentrations of hippos and crocodiles in water; views of elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, and antelopes along the shores; and water birds like kingfishers, fish eagles, hornbills, cormorants, and bee-eaters, among others. After the boat cruise, which takes about 2 hours, you will drive back to the lodge for evening relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Day 13: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
After 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 in the Ishasha sector, where you will be able to view the tree-climbing lions lying on acacia/fig tree branches if you are there for lunch, and another stopover for en route lunch. After lunch, you will continue the journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which harbors half of the world’s mountain gorilla population. Upon arrival you will continue to check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 14: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking,
After an early breakfast, carry a packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking. After the briefing you will be grouped into 8 people, allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek with, and given a park guide who is knowledgeable about the mountain gorillas and also conversant with trails in the jungle.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park starts at around 8:00am and takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the gorillas slept the previous night. During trekking you will have views of bird species, other primates like chimpanzees, l’hoest monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and different plant and tree species, among others.
Once the mountain gorillas are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their environment, where you will be able to watch them feed, breastfeed, groom young ones, play, observe their behaviors, take photos, and record the breathtaking moments.
After the face-to-face encounter with the mountain gorillas, you will trek back to the starting point where you will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking and meet up with your driver guide to return back to the lodge for an evening of relaxation, dinner, and overnight stay.
Day 15: Batwa cultural tour and transfer to Mgahinga gorilla national park
Have a relaxed breakfast and meet up with your driver guide to go for a cultural tour where you will get a chance to interact with the Batwa people, learn about their culture, history, lifestyle, and way of living, and listen to their ancient stories and enjoy their traditional performances, among others.
After the Batwa cultural tour, you will return to the lodge for lunch where after you will check out and start the journey to Mgahinga gorilla national park. Upon arrival, you will connect to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 16: Golden monkey trekking
Golden monkey trekking
After breakfast, you will carry a packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a golden monkey briefing. After the briefing you will be allocated a habituated golden monkey group to trek and start trekking in the forest with an experienced park guide. Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park takes about 30 minutes to 5 hours depending on where the golden monkeys are located. During trekking, you will enjoy views of different bird species, other primate species, and others, and once the golden monkeys are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their habitat, which gives you a chance to watch them feed, play, jump up in tree branches, take photos, and record videos.
After the one hour with the golden monkeys, you will trek back to the starting point where you will be awarded a certificate for participating in golden monkey trekking and meet up with your driver guide to return back to the lodge for an evening of relaxation, dinner, and overnight stay.
Day 17: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi-boat ride
Have breakfast at leisure, check out of the lodge, and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Lake Bunyonyi, which is the deepest lake in Uganda. Upon arrival you will go for an interesting boat ride or canoe ride where you will be able to explore the 29 islands on the lake, view different bird species, beautiful scenery, highlands, terraced farmlands, and others.
After the boat ride, you will drive to the lodge for lunch, where after you will spend the rest of the day at leisure or engage in optional activities like zip lining, a cultural tour, a guided nature walk, among others. Dinner and overnight.
Day 18: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park-walking safari
After a relaxed breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Lake Mburo National Park. On the way you will enjoy great views, and upon arrival you will check into the lodge for lunch, after which you will go for a walking safari where you will get up-close and personal with different wild animals, listen to the sweet sounds of birds singing in trees, enjoy the cool and quiet environment, and spot different bird species, among others. After the guided nature walk, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 19: Morning game drive and departure to Kampala
After an early breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive in the park, where you will be able to view some of the animals like buffaloes, waterbucks, giraffes, warthogs, elands, topis, and zebras, among others.
After the morning game drive, you will drive out of the park and start the journey back to Kampala with en route lunch on the way and a stopover at the Equator in Kayabwe, where you will take photos and buy souvenirs. Upon arrival in Kampala, your driver guide will drop you off at Entebbe International Airport for your departure flight or drop you off at any place of convenience.
End of 19 days Uganda safari adventure
Tour includes
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Golden monkey trekking permit
- Park entrance fees/ game drives
- Boat cruise fees
- Rhino tracking permit
- Lion tracking experience
- Nile delta boat cruise
- Bigodi swamp walk
- Karamojong cultural tour
- Services of a professional English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Ground transfers (in a 4WD vehicle)
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled drinking water
Tour excludes
- International Air flight tickets
- Visas
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Life insurance
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.
