12 Days Uganda Safari, Visit Bwindi, Murchison & Kibale

Day-by-day itinerary

1. Day1
   

   Transfer to Murchison falls National Park

   Enjoy your breakfast at the hotel in Kampala or Entebbe, you will drive to Murchison falls through Luwero town, have a stopover at Zziwa Rhino sanctuary in order to enjoy these black and white Rhinos. Each person here pays US$40 for entrance to the sanctuary. This sanctuary was established mainly to protect these rhinos from danger and poachers.
   Have a stop in Masindi at any hotel for your lunch and after continue to Murchison falls national park and hike to the top of the falls which will give you beautiful views of these waterfalls. You will gaze at the Nile River which is the longest river in the world, it’s forced through a small gap which is just 7m wide and it flows 43 meters down making it look very beautiful to the viewers.
   Murchison falls National Park is one of the largest national parks in Uganda and it covers an area of 3,840 sq km. The park has variety of wildlife species and vegetation which ranges from swamp land, savannah to riparian forests, and the wildlife species here include; leopards, lions, hyenas, elephants, buffalos, giraffes, crocodiles, hippos, primates like the monkeys and the many bird species including: blue throated roller, the shoebill stork, Ituri Batis, Tit Hylia, Uganda woodland warbler, forest robin, yellow billed and the grey throated. The main tourist activities carried out in this park are game viewing and boat trips along the Nile River.

   • Ziwa rhinos and top of the falls
2. Day2
   

   Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

   Enjoy your breakfast at your hotel, after proceed to search for the wildlife species on a game drive. You will get a chance to view many species including; the giraffes, lions, elephants, buffaloes, birds and many more. The guide will take you back to the lodge to have your lunch at the lodge as you prepare to enjoy a boat cruise on the Nile River.

   This boat will allow you to get close to the water animals which include over 4000 hippos as well as the Nile crocodiles. The Nile has got many stunning bird life which is also enjoyed while taking your boat trip; these include; the bee eaters, colored king fishers, shoebill stork, grey throated and the yellow billed birds.

   • Game drive and Nile cruise
3. Day3
   

   Transfer to Kibale National Park

   Transfer early from Murchison falls National Park after breakfast; pass via the Lake Albert escarpments, which will give you good views of this beautiful lake.

   Have a stopover in Hoima at any hotel to have your lunch, after this, drive past Lake Nkusi joining along Lake Kyoga. You will as well pass through many traditional villages as you enjoy local people carrying out agriculture. Have a chance to take some photos of the rolling hills filled with traditional cash crops.

   You will as well enjoy fort portal which is in the foot hills of Rwenzori Mountains filled with tea plantations, after enjoying this platform of green tea, you will continue to Kibale National Park which is one of the great rain forests in Africa.

   This forest is mainly famous for around 13 Primate Species with chimpanzees being the main tracked species. The other primate species include the black and White colobus monkeys, as well as the bird species. The park is also next to Bigodi wetland which is managed and owned by the local people in the area, this place is famous for primate watching as well as bird watching.

   On arrival to the park, you will check in to your lodge and after proceed to visit the scenic crater lakes region plus the terraced tea plantations around the hills of fort portal. This Crater Lake sits on the on Lake Nyinambuga where tourists can take a walk as they enjoy the cool breezes of this lake. After, return to the lodge to enjoy your dinner and overnight.

   • Drive to Kibale
   • Dinner
4. Day4
   

   Engage in Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest & Bigodi wetland visit

   Wake up so early and head to Kanyanchu by 8:00 am to start your chimpanzee trek in Kibale forest. Chimpanzees are considered to be the closest relatives of human beings since they share 98% of their DNA with that of the Humans.

   As you proceed with your search of these beautiful chimps, you will as well view many other primate and animal species including; the L’Hoest’s Monkeys, black and White colobus monkeys, red tailed Monkey, grey cheeked Mangabey, pottos, bush babies and many bird species including; the little green bul, yellow spotted nictor, rumped tinker bird, crowed eagle, green breasted pitta, black bee spotted eater as well as the elephants which are the mammals.

   This National Park is on average 3,300 feet in Elevation and it’s a rain forest with many communities of Chimpanzees, each troop of these chimpanzees has over 100 individuals with a complete social structure.
   In their groups, the adult males dominate the group and always defend the whole community against any danger and incursions by the males from outside.

   These primates are located by listening to their pant hooting calls, and then hurry to the place where they are calling from. You get a chance to observe them as they play, feed, socialize as well as jumping around the trees.
   Immediately after the long trek, return to the lodge for lunch as you prepare to visit Bigodi Wetland sanctuary where you will view more primates like the blue monkeys, baboons, otters, Bush bucks, mongoose, bush pigs and many more.

   The place is also known for many bird species like the great blue turaco and the green breasted pitta.

   • Chimpanzee trekking
5. Day5
   

   Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park

   Early in the morning have breakfast, you will enjoy a walk along the foot hills of the Rwenzori Mountains where you will have a glance at the great peak of this mountains of the moon.
   After the walk, continue with your transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, this park is just 3 hours drive away from Kibale National Park. This national park is famous for variety wildlife species and primate species.

   This famous conservation area is bordered by Lake Edward in the south west and in the north east, it’s bordered by Lake George. This park was named after Queen Elizabeth the second and it has variety of wildlife species including; the impalas, kobs, forest hogs, elephants, buffaloes, tree climbing lions, and the cape buffaloes.

   This national park is also filled with many volcanic calderas which harbors many flamingos on several seasons. On your arrival at the park, check in and prepare to engage in a game drive with in the park, you will spend the afternoon watching many wildlife species including the kobs, elephants, lions, buffaloes and many more, get a chance to visit the baboon cliff which is famous for its beautiful scenery and many good views of the mountains of the moon.

   You will as well enjoy much Savannah vegetation grassland which occupies most of this park.

   • Drive to Queen Elizabeth
6. Day6
   

   Game drive & afternoon boat cruise-Queen

   Arise early enough and after breakfast, enjoy a morning game drive where you will see various animals like elephants, elands, antelopes, buffaloes, lions, among others.

   Later return to the lodge, relax and have lunch. During the afternoon set out for boat cruise on Kazinga channel where you will see various numbers of animals like crocodiles, hippos, water bucks, buffaloes, as well as birds like the storks, King fishers among others.

   • Game drive and Kazinga cruise
7. Day7

   A nature walk within Maramagambo Forest & an afternoon game drive

   Wake up so early and proceed for a walk through the Maramagambo forest which is one of the second largest forests in Uganda. This forest is a habitat to a number of primates and many forest dwellers.
   The forest harbors many wildlife species including; the butterflies, birds, bats and the chimpanzees which are found in Kyambura Gorge with in the forest.

   This walk will also take you to the volcanic caves which are home to thousands of bat species as well as the predator pythons. These pythons prey on the bats which live within the cave. The walk will expose you to the blue lake Kimeranjo which swallowed an elephant and got its name! More so, this walk will take you to the Crater Lake and the kyambura gorge where the chimpanzees are trekked from.

   Later in the afternoon after enjoying your lunch, you will proceed for the game drive through the Ishasha sector where you will be able to view the tree climbing lions and many other animal species including the birds, buffalos, elephants, kobs, monkeys and many more.

   • Maramagambo walk and Ishasha
8. Day8
   

   Depart for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

   After breakfast set off for Bwindi forest, a home to Mountain gorillas covering an area of 331 sq km. Pass through the Ishasha sector where you will take pleasure in watching tree-climbing lions, also enjoy various spectacular landscapes on your way. Arrive in the park and have a guided nature walk, have dinner and an overnight stay at the lodge of your choice.

   • Drive to Bwindi
   • Dinner
9. Day9
   

   Gorilla trekking -Bwindi impenetrable national park

   On this day you will have a great time meeting with the Mountain gorillas in Bwindi Forest! After a tasty breakfast, your guide will pick you up from the lodge, head for briefing and later enjoy the fullness of the mist forest as you see the gentle giants and other wildlife species like buffaloes, elephants, monkeys, butterflies and different bird species.

   Only 1 hour is permitted to you with the gorillas. Trekking takes about 1 hour to 8 hours basing on location of these gentle giants. After the trek, in the evening you could go for a guided nature walk or a community visit.

   • Gorilla trekking
10. Day10
    

    Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

    Your guide picks you up and transfers you to Lake Mburo National Park, which is among the Uganda’s smallest savannah national parks. It was upgraded as a national park in 1983 covering an area of 371 sq km and home to over 332 species of birds, animals like buffaloes, Oribis, Kobs, warthogs, zebras among others. Upon arrival you will check in at the lodge, later head for a guided nature walk through the park. Have dinner and an overnight stay.

    • Drive to Lake Mburo
    • Dinner
11. Day11
    

    Game drive and an afternoon boat cruise

    In the morning have breakfast at your lodge, thereafter set out for a game drive through the park where your eyes will be fed with amazing sights and wildlife such as Impalas, Kobs, antelopes, also different bird species.

    After, head back to your lodge for lunch with preparation for an unforgettable experience on the boat ride along the lake. Still a lot of animals will be seen like the crocodiles, and hippos among others.

    • Game drive and boat cruise
12. Day12

    Return to Kampala/Entebbe

    After an early breakfast, have a game drive through the park as you set off on your journey back to Kampala. Have lunch en route with a stopover around the equator to have experiments and take enough photos. Later arrive in Kampala in the evening or a drop off at the Airport in Entebbe just in case you have a flight on that day.

    END OF 12 DAYS UGANDA SAFARI

    • Return to Kampala