25 days Uganda safari
This trip will take you to Uganda and Rwanda’s most popular parks. Enjoy the breathtaking beauty, scenery, wildlife, birds, and primates as you explore both countries during the 25 days Uganda safari.
Day 1: Day of arrival
You will be welcomed by our driver from Twende Expeditions upon your arrival at the airport. And later drive you for overnight.
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison falls national park
After breakfast, meet your guide and then drive to Murchison Falls National Park with lunch en route. Before arriving in Murchison, you will visit the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary located in Nakasongola District a sanctuary established to reintroduce and breed both the Black and White Rhinos after they were wiped out by poaching and armed human conflicts. After tracking the Rhinos you will head to Murchison Falls. Arrive there late in the afternoon, check into your hotel for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Chimp tracking and visit the top of the falls
Take breakfast early and before 8 am head for briefing in Kaniyo Pabidi Forest situated within Budongo Forest reserve. The main tourist activity is Chimpanzee tracking. Birding can also be done as there are various forest bird species. The chocolates-backed Kingfisher, as well as the puvel’s illadopsis and these, are hardly found anywhere else in East Africa but there will also be so many other primates like monkeys/ Red -Colobus, Blues, Red-tailed and Grey-cheeked Mangabey, among so many others. You will be out of the forest to have lunch and then later you will visit the top of the falls to have that best view of the falls as the water forces its way through the tight rocks to form fountain before flowing down the Nile. Dinner and overnight in your lodge.
Day 4: Game drive and launch cruise
You will get a cup of coffee to warm up your body and head out for a game drive. Your guide will help you with all the necessary explanations you may need about the different animals you may meet like the Giraffes, Elephants, Buffaloes, Bushbucks, Lions, and a variety of bird species. At mid-morning you will go back to the lodge for your full breakfast and then later in the afternoon have your lunch and afterward go for launch cruise which will take you to the bottom of the falls of the Murchison Falls. During the cruise, you will have the opportunity to see a lot of hippos, crocodiles, water birds along the river banks and this makes the place good for a birding safari too. Dinner and overnight in your lodge.
Day 5: Travel to Kibale national park
After breakfast, that morning, drive to transfer you to Kibale National Park, a journey which takes about 8- 9 hours passing through the Albertine escarpment. You will have a lunch break somewhere along the way and then later continue with your journey and on a very clear day, you will have the chance to view the top of the Albert rift which looks so beautiful. You will be in fort portal in the evening and you will have no time to do any activity on that day which means you will head straight to the hotel for dinner and overnight at Simba safari camp.
Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking safari
You will have to take breakfast very early in the morning and then go to Kanyankyu tourists center for registration as well as a briefing from the park guides just before you enter the forest for Chimpanzee tracking. This is the most popular walk among all Kibale walks which takes about 2-3 hours but this time depends on where these Chimpanzees will find the food. There will also be other primates like the Black and white Colobus Monkeys, other living creature which is also very interesting to watch as they wrangle and play. Later on, you will go back to the lodge you’re your lunch and then in the afternoon, you will go for Bigodi swamp walk where you will find a number of bird species. Later in the evening, you will go have dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 7: Transfer to Semliki wildlife reserve.
After breakfast drive to Semliki Wildlife Reserve for one great scenic drive which takes you down the eastern side of Lake Albert. Have lunch at the lodge and rest till evening. After having your dinner, you will go for a night game drive to search for the nocturnal animals. Night game drives are only be done in Semliki and you will be able to see the animals that hide during the daytime like the big cats, the very small Genet as well as serval cats, there may be white-tailed mongoose and slender mongoose, standard and pennant-winged nightjars, among others. Dinner and overnight at Ntoroko game lodge.
Day 8: Game drive and Nature walk
Immediately after having your breakfast, you will then go for a nature walk. Besides the chimpanzees, you will be amazed by the number of bird species which are found in that forest. Later on, go back to the lodge to have lunch and then relax by the pool and enjoy the tranquility of the Lodge and then during the late afternoon hours, you will go for a game drive, you will watch the African sun dip below the horizon before you return to the lodge for dinner.
Day 9: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park.
Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park after breakfast and you go through the crater Valley, beautiful crater lakes, and rich grasslands. You will see wild animals like the Hippos, Buffaloes, Lions, Leopard, Spotted Hyena and the elusive giant forest hog, there are more than 606 species of birds among which are the martial eagle, Verreaux’s eagle owl, Black-rumped buttonquail and African skimmer, to mention but a few. From the crater lakes, you will go have lunch and then drive inside the park for a game drive to search for animals like the Elephants, warthogs, waterbucks, hippos, Uganda kobs, bushbucks and many others. After the game drive, you will drive to the hotel, check for your dinner and overnight at Simba safari camp.
Day 10: Community visit to Queen Elizabeth national park.
After a cup of coffee in the morning, you will drive to the Katwe tourism information center and take a Katwe Lake and village tour. This unusual lake is far too salty to support much wildlife – though since the 16th Century it has ensured the survival of the Katwe villagers, who spend their days under the equatorial sun, walking the network of paths that criss-cross the lake and harvesting salt from its milky waters.
Katwe Salt Lake Tour gives a unique insight into the fascinating yet tough process of salt mining, as well as providing an alternative income for Katwe. You will See villagers at work on the lake, cross the mud walkways and enter a traditional grass hut. You will also pass the nearby bird sanctuary lake, home to thousands of birds, including flamingoes.
Day 11: game drive safari and a boat ride on Kazinga channel
After breakfast set out for an early morning game drive in this park to search for animals like the Lions, Cape Buffaloes, Giant Forest Hogs, Leopards, Elephants, Defassa Afterward, Uganda Kobs, Topi and Bush bucks among others. By mid-morning, you will be back to the lodge to have your full breakfast, rest a bit after and lunch will be ready in the afternoon. Later in the afternoon, you will go for 2-hour boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel that connects Lake Edward and George, you will see thousands of Hippos, crocodiles, water birds and many other animals along the banks during this boat ride. You can take as many pictures as you wish to take, bird watching and game watching will be very interesting. After this, you will head back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 12: Transfer to Bwindi National park.
In the morning after breakfast, leave for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, passing through the Ishasha Sector in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth, a region very popular for the tree climbing lions. You will drive around, searching for the well-known Ishasha tree-climbing lions, after that, you will have lunch and then later drive out of the park and continue on to Bwindi, the home to the endangered mountain gorillas, lots of Bird lives and other primate life in Bwindi. You will have dinner at Buhoma Community rest camp.
Day 13: Gorilla Tracking
After breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters, and also be briefed by the park wardens about this experience. At 8:00 am you will set out into the forest in groups led by park guides and rangers. The movements of the gorillas also determine the duration of your search. Mountain gorillas are herbivores. They are active between 6.00 Am and 6.00 pm. They spend most of these hours eating, as large quantities of food are needed to sustain their huge body. However, on finding them, you will spend an hour taking photographs, videos; as well as observing their amazing way of life. In the evening visit the Batwa pygmies for a cultural experience. Batwa pygmies are former forest people. These pygmies were evicted from the impenetrable forest. Then, return to the lodge for dinner and overnight at Buhoma community rest camp.
Day 14: Transfer to Rwanda
Immediately after breakfast, you will check out and then drive to the border, after going through the checkpoint you will drive to Ruhengeri. Then check into your lodge in Kinigi for dinner and overnight at Gorilla solution Lodge.
Day 15: Golden Monkeys
You will have breakfast early in the morning before you can drive to Kinigi park headquarters for a briefing. Then you will drive to the sanctuary to track golden monkeys, spend some time observing and taking pictures. Return to the lodge for hot lunch. In the evening enjoy an experience of a lifetime as you visit the local people of Ibyiwacu cultural village. Interact with the locals as they showcase their traditions and beliefs. Dinner and overnight at Gorilla Solution Lodge.
Day 16: Drive to L. Bunyonyi
After breakfast, you will transfer back to Uganda and head to Lake Bunyonyi situated in the hilly terrain and it is that detaches the towns of Kabale and Kisoro. This lake has got numerous small islands and so many types of birds thus the name Bunyonyi which means birds in the local language. Overnight at Bunyonyi overland.
Day 17: Nature walk and Canoe ride
After your breakfast, you will go for a guided nature walk during which you will see different animals, birds, butterflies and so many other wild features on the mainland surrounding Lake Bunyonyi. At the end of it, what you will see will be worth the time will have spent and then go back to the lodge for lunch. After your lunch, you will do for a canoe ride on Lake Bunyonyi and this is the perfect opportunity you will have to see these different islands in this lake which are home to variety of birds, birds will also be seen in the small swampy areas in the lake, there is the punishment island where girls that got pregnant before getting married where thrown in the ancient days and left there to die. After the boat ride, you will return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight.
Day 18: Transfer to Lake Mburo
After breakfast depart for Lake Mburo National Park which is. There are also so many birds thus make a good spot for the birders as well and the journey takes about 4 hours which means you will have lunch when you arrive in Mbarara. After that, you will enter the park which is one of the best places to find African finfoot, papyrus bush shrike, and the legendary Shoebill. We will check in at the camp and relax for a little while before going for a canoe ride on the lake. Dinner and overnight at eagle’s nest.
Day 19: Game drive and nature walks to the salt lick
You will go for the morning game drive in search for animals and birds, you will find lots of zebras, impalas, bushbucks, waterbucks and over 310 bird species in Lake Mburo National Park. It is probably the best place in Uganda from where you can see Acacia associated birds and also of special interest to birders, are the swamps. The swamps are home to the highly localized Papyrus Yellow Warbler recorded nowhere else in Uganda. You will later go have lunch, have some time to rest a bit and then in the evening, you will take a guided nature walk to the salt lick area where most animals in the park go to lick salt and is one place you can find different animals together. Dinner and overnight will be back at your lodge.
Day 20: To Jinja
Drive to Jinja after breakfast take a boat to the source of the River Nile and visit the fishing villages. Enroute you will visit Sezibwa falls a Buganda Heritage Site marked with; an out-span of sharp-edged rocks and the magnificent sound of soothing waters flowing down the steep ridged stones. The Falls are located in Mukono District. Then return to your lodge for dinner and overnight at Brisk hotel (B.B)
Day 21: Drive to Sipi
After breakfast drive to Mbale. Visit the beautiful Sipi falls which are composed of 3 breathtaking waterfalls near Mt Elgon. Afterward, visit the coffee plantations in the area. Then check in your lodge for dinner and overnight at Mbale resort.
Day 22: Sipi- Kampala
After breakfast check out of your hotel and drive to Kampala with lunch en route. Go on a shopping spree at the craft market on Buganda road. Dinner and overnight in Holiday Inn.
Day 23: Kampala city tour
Our safari guide from Twende Expeditions will drive you around the city with 7 hills. You will visit the African Market on After breakfast at your lodge, Buganda road. You will tour religious sites such as Rubaga Cathedral, Namirembe Cathedral, Gaddafi Mosque, Bahai Temple, Namugongo Martyrs Shrine. Visit cultural places like, kabaka’s Lake, kabaka’s palace and, Kasubi tombs. You will then enjoy lunch at any of the local restaurants in the city. After lunch you will visit the Uganda Museum, National Theatre, Fresh fruits market (Nakasero) and St. Balikudembe (Owino Market), Wind up the day with Ndere troupe cultural dancers at Ndere center. Enjoy cultural dances by the best traditional dance groups in Uganda. At the end of the show, our guide will drive you back to your hotel in Holiday Inn.
Day 24: Ngamba Island
Having taken breakfast, very early in the morning Drive to Entebbe. Visit UWEC (Uganda Wildlife Education Centre) and board the morning ferry to cross to Ngamba which takes about 45 minutes. Ngamba Island staff will receive you and give a short introduction and history of the site. You will go to the feeding stand where you will view the chimpanzees feed and struggle for food. They will exhibit different personalities amongst the group, some whistling and clapping for food. Others collect food for their little ones and others will be scrambling for food to keep. In the evening, you will head to the mainland for dinner and overnight at Central Inn. (BB)
Day 25: Mabamba- Departure
After breakfast, check out and go to Mabamba Swamps west of Entebbe for a canoe ride in the swamp. The swamp is one of the best and most convenient places to see the elusive Shoebill. The papyrus reeds open up into a flat grassy wetland where a number of Shoebill can regularly be seen.
The bird is easiest seen in the morning when they stalk their main prey, the mudfish or frogs. They may stand absolutely still for long periods awaiting the movements of their prey and suddenly strike with marvelous speed. Afterward, head to the airport for your flight back home.
End of 25 days Uganda safari.
Price Includes:
- Airport transfers
- Ground transport per 4WD safari vehicle
- Services of an English-speaking driver/guide
- Accommodation as mentioned in the itinerary, based on double room
- Three meals a day, apart from where its indicated B&B
- Drinking bottled water in the safari vehicle
- All Park entrance fees
- Gorilla permit (USD $600 per permit)
- Golden monkeys in Rwanda (USD $100 per permit)
- Chimp permits (USD ($150 per permit)
- Batwa pygmies fees
- All the mentioned activities except for the optional ones.
Price Excludes:
- International flight
- Visa (USD $ 100 per person)
- Meals and drinks not mentioned
- Items of personal nature
- Tips & laundry service
- All drinks apart from those served for breakfast
- Any deviation from the suggested programme
