Experience the best of Uganda on this 18 Days Uganda Safari Tour – Gorillas, Chimps & Wildlife. This long tour comes with lots of lasting memories, ushering you into Uganda’s leading tourist destinations for you to enjoy primate and wildlife encounters.
This safari package integrates game viewing in the savanna plains and primate adventures in rainforests especially gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park.
Your 18 Days Uganda Safari Tour – Gorillas, Chimps & Wildlife also incorporates hiking to the Sipi Falls, Mabira Forest walk, white water rafting experience on the Source of the River Nile in Jinja – Uganda.
This 18 Days Uganda Safari Tour – Gorillas, Chimps & Wildlife takes 18 days, 17 nights-starting and ends in Entebbe or Kampala Capital City of Uganda.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe Airport – Uganda
Fly from the airport back in your home country and land in at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda. From the airport, meet and greet your driver guide then later, be briefed about your 18 days primates & wildlife safari. After a quick briefing, vacate Entebbe Airport for Kampala to check into your hotel for overnight stay.
Day 2: Transfer to Jinja – Eastern Uganda
Have breakfast early morning and after, vacate your hotel room ready to be transferred to Jinja. En-route to Jinja in Eastern Uganda, areas to make a stop visit include Ssezibwa Falls to explore and experience the Buganda Cultural Heritage and also scenic waterfalls.
After, continue with your trip through Mabira Forest Reserve, a home to habituated grey cheeked mangabeys and interesting forest birds. Proceed to Jinja to check into your lodge or hotel for lunch. Later you will have enjoyable half-day white water rafting at the Source of River Nile. Get back to relax at the hotel as you share your experiences you had exploring the source of the Nile.
Day 3: Leave Jinja for Sipi Falls
Breakfast early in the morning and after, vacate your lodge or hotel for Sipi Falls. This waterfall is a composition of 3 spectacular waterfalls set at the foothills of Mt. Elgon in Kapchorwa District. Lunch will be had at the lodge upon early arrival and then relax a little.
Afterwards, expect to take 3 to 4 hours of hiking up and downslope of Mt. Elgon foothills on your visit to the 3 Sipi waterfalls. Enjoy the splendid views of the falls and Mt. Elgon and surrounding areas. Hike back and relax, have a night stay at the lodge booked for you earlier.
Day 4: Drive from Mt. Elgon to Kidepo Valley National Park – Northeastern Uganda
Early morning cup of tea/coffee be enjoyed at the lodge and after, check out of the hotel/lodge then drive to North-eastern Uganda to Kidepo N/Park. Lunch will be offered to you en-route and you will check into the lodge or camp at Kidepo Valley National Park-a home to 4 of the big five game.
Day 5: Full day Kidepo Valley National Park – evening game drive expedition
Rise up for your tasty cup of tea and after, meet your guide ready to start an early morning game drive along the extensive and untouched savanna plains of Kidepo Valley National Park.
On 2-3 hours of game viewing early morning, expect to sight early morning risers, birds and not forget to experience the untouched beauty that makes Kidepo Africa’s wilderness paradise.
While on Kidepo game drive, expect to look out for cheetahs, leopards, cape buffaloes, lions, African bush elephants, birds like ostriches. After your unforgettable wilderness experience in the vast savanna plains of Kidepo, drive back or have a picnic lunch then proceed with your game viewing.
Later in the afternoon/evening, go visit and interact with the Karamojong in their community to have authentic African cultural experiences.
Day 6: Drive to Murchison Falls National Park from Kidepo
Enjoy a hefty breakfast and after, vacate your room ready to set off to Murchison Falls National Park, about 5-6 hours’ drive. En-route, lunch be had in Gulu City before proceeding to Murchison Falls N/park to check into your lodge for overnight stay.
Day 7: Game drive & launch trip to the bottom of thundering Murchison falls
Have breakfast and after, expect to enjoy the most exciting game drive along Northern savanna plains of Murchison Falls National Park, Northwestern Uganda.
A game drive in this Uganda’s largest park takes you about 2-4 hours and expect to keep an eye on lions, bush elephants, cape buffaloes, leopards, warthogs, Rothschild giraffes, Kobs, oribis, hartebeests, birds.
Make a return trip while enjoy more species of animals along the Northern section of Murchison Falls N/Park. Get to the lodge for lunch and relaxation before setting off for an afternoon launch trip on the Albertine Nile towards Murchison Falls-one of the world’s powerful waterfalls.
On a launch trip, you will be exposed to water dwellers such as hippos, crocodiles, aquatic birds and others. Vacate the boat and take a hike to the top of the falls to witness how it explodes in a narrow gorge of 7-8m.
Day 8: Transfer to Hoima Oil City
Wake up early and have breakfast, later, vacate your lodge for Hoima-The City of Oil while enjoying the Albertine rift escarpments en-route. Get to Hoima early and have lunch and expect to get thrilled by the cultural experiences in the homesteads in Hoima before retiring for the night.
Day 9: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
Enjoy your breakfast and later, vacate the hotel/lodge in the City of Oil-Hoima. Drive to Kibale National Park-The Primate Capital of the World in Kabarole district, Western Uganda.
Once you get to Fort Portal Tourism City, lunch will be had at the hotel before you connect to the lodge in KFNP.
Day 10: Chimpanzee Tracking – Kibale Forest & Bigodi swamp walk
A hefty breakfast be enjoyed early morning and after, report to Kanyanchu Tourist Centre of Kibale for briefing on dos & don’ts for trekking chimpanzees. The official from Kibale N/Park will allocate each group of 6 visitors a park guide who then takes you to look for chimpanzees.
On a thrilling chimp trekking experience, expect more than a magical encounter with chimps in the wild but also other primates, birds, reptiles, flora and butterflies.
Your chimpanzee trekking expedition takes 2-4 hours, including 1 hour of observing, taking photos, learning more about chimpanzees then you return to have lunch at the lodge.
After lunch, proceed to Bigodi Wetland for a refreshing nature walk. This lets you enjoy remarkable view of primates, birds plus many other mammal species.
Get back to the lodge for a relaxed evening and retire for the night.
Day 11: Kibale to Semuliki National Park
Breakfast early morning and after, vacate your lodge in Kibale for Semuliki N/Park which is 2 and half hours’ drive away. Get to this pristine park early and set off on a hike to the Sempaya Hot Springs-comprising of male and female. These are among a few world’s powerful hot springs and undoubtedly, Semuliki National Park’s iconic attractions.
Drive to the lodge for lunch and later, go enjoy game viewing along the savannas of Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve. The wide array of animals to sight in this reserve range from duikers, savanna elephants, reedbucks, birds, waterbucks to mention but a few.
Day 12: Semuliki to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Leave Semuliki N/Park after breakfast for Queen Elizabeth National Park, the 2nd biggest park in Uganda. A lunch stopover will be made in Fort Portal which is about 59kms away from Sempaya Gate of Semuliki N/Park. Continue to Queen Elizabeth N/Park and navigate through the park as you head to your lodge.
Day 13: Morning game drive & boat tour on Kazinga Channel
Have a delicious breakfast and after, vacate the lodge for a game drive via Kasenyi Plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park. On your 2-3 hour game viewing expedition in Kasenyi savanna plains, expect to come across bush elephants, lions, warthogs, antelopes, birds, leopards, buffaloes and others.
Lunch and relaxation when you get back to the lodge. Later in the afternoon, you have a launch trip along Kazinga Channel that links Lake George and L. Edward. On this 2-3 hours water sport, expect to see lots of water birds, hippos, crocodiles.
Day 14: Game drive through Ishasha Sector & transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Breakfast be enjoyed at the lodge and later, vacate the room for a game drive along the Ishasha savanna plains. Here, your short game drive gets excellent view of the tree climbing lions plus other mammal species.
After, get out of Queen Elizabeth National Park, drive to Savanna Resort for lunch and later, go check into a gorilla lodge in BINP.
Day 15: Bwindi Gorilla Trekking & Lake Bunyonyi leisure experience
Rise up for your early morning breakfast, have some packed lunch and bottled water then head to Bwindi offices to be briefed. Not only will you get briefed, but also, get a gorilla family to trek led by park guide and this can take 2-6 hours including 1 hour of face to face with mountain gorillas in the jungles.
Retreat from your thrilling primate expedition and drive to Lake Bunyonyi after being awarded a gorilla trekking certificate.
Day 16: Canoe ride & bird watching experience on Lake Bunyonyi
Enjoy a hefty breakfast and after, meet your guide ready to set off for a canoe ride to any of the 29 islands on Lake Bunyonyi while also sighting interesting birds which make up this lake, a home to little birds.
Retreat from a canoe experience, have lunch and later, go hike some of the nearby highlands where after, you will pay a visit to a nearby local community for cultural experience.
Day 17: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
Following early morning breakfast, vacate your lodge at Lake Bunyonyi for 4-5 hours’ drive to Lake Mburo National Park in Kiruhura District, Western Uganda.
For early arrivals, have a chance to explore the game trails of Lake Mburo N/Park while sighting lots of impalas, zebras, waterbucks, birds.
Get to your lodge for lunch and you will have an afternoon boat cruise along Lake Mburo which shelters several hippos, crocodiles, waterbirds including shoebill stork.
Day 18: Horseback riding in Lake Mburo & drive to Entebbe/Kampala
After you have had a heavy breakfast, vacate your lodge for an exciting horseback riding along the magical savannas of Lake Mburo. Horseback riding is one unique experience and Lake Mburo N/Park is the only park so far in Uganda where it is done offering a great opportunity for you on your 18 days primates & wildlife safari.
Get to see wildlife while on horseback rather than in a Land Cruiser-incredibly unforgettable wildlife experience. After, travel back to Entebbe/Kampala but first make a stopover at Equator crossing point for photo moments before dropping off at Entebbe international airport.
End of 18 Days Impressive Ugandan Getaway.
