The 21 Days Uganda Gorillas, Chimps and Wildlife Safari gives visitors the chance to see primates, enjoy game drives, and learn about the cultures of Ugandan tribes such as the Batwa, Bakiga, and Karamojong. You will also enjoy Uganda’s countryside scenery.
During this safari, you will take part in game drives in Murchison Falls, Semliki, Kidepo Valley, Queen Elizabeth, and Lake Mburo National Parks. Activities also include waterfall hikes, chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest, and gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
21-Day Uganda Safari Highlights
- Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe Airport
- Day 2: Drive to Jinja via Sezibwa Falls & Mabira Forest
- Day 3: Transfer to Sipi Falls
- Day 4: Hike Sipi Falls
- Day 5: Transfer to Moroto Town
- Day 6: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park
- Day 7: Full Day Safari in Kidepo
- Day 8: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
- Day 9: Morning Game Drive & Afternoon Boat Cruise
- Day 10: Transfer to Semliki National Park
- Day 11: Visit Sempaya Hot Springs & Community Walk
- Day 12: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
- Day 13: Chimpanzee Trekking & Bigodi Swamp Walk
- Day 14: Visit Amabere Caves & Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Day 15: Game Drive & Boat Trip
- Day 16: Maramagambo Forest Walk & Game Drive
- Day 17: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via Ishasha
- Day 18: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
- Day 19: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi & Boat Trip
- Day 20: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park & Boat Trip
- Day 21: Game Drive & Return to Kampala
Detailed 21-Day Uganda Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe Airport
After your flight, arrive at Entebbe International Airport where your private driver will welcome you. You will then transfer to your hotel in Kampala for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Drive to Jinja via Sezibwa Falls & Mabira Forest
After breakfast, begin your journey to Jinja. Stop at Sezibwa Falls for about an hour to view the waterfalls, rocks, vegetation, and birds. Continue to Mabira Forest for a two-hour guided walk to see primates and bird-life. Later, drive on to Jinja, home of the River Nile source.
Day 3: Transfer to Sipi Falls
After breakfast, drive east to Sipi Falls, formed by the Sipi River on the foothills of Mount Elgon. Check in at a lodge with views of the waterfalls.
Day 4: Hike Sipi Falls
Take a guided hike to explore Sipi Falls, lasting 3–7 hours depending on the trail. A local guide will explain plants, birds, wildlife, and the culture of the Gishu and Sebei people. The hike includes waterfalls, plantations, caves, and interaction with local villagers.
Day 5: Transfer to Moroto Town
After breakfast, drive northeast to Moroto for a cultural experience with the Karamojong. They are pastoralists living in kraals, with huts surrounded by thorn fences to protect their cattle. Spend the night at a manyatta, take part in traditional activities such as beer brewing and goat roasting, and enjoy cultural dances under the stars. At sunrise, watch herders take cattle to the plains.
Day 6: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park
After breakfast, travel to Kidepo Valley National Park. Arrive in time for lunch. In the afternoon, either relax at the lodge or take a short game drive. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Day 7: Full Day Safari in Kidepo
Take a morning game drive through Narus Valley and Kanangorok hot spring. Expect to see buffaloes, elephants, ostriches, hartebeests, bushbucks, and warthogs. In the afternoon, visit a local community for a cultural experience with the Karamojong. Meet elders, tour kraals, and learn about their traditions.
Day 8: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
After breakfast, drive from Kidepo to Murchison Falls. Stop for lunch in Gulu or Kitgum before arriving in the evening. Murchison Falls is Uganda’s largest and most famous park, with the Nile plunging 45 meters through a narrow gorge. On the way, look out for elephants, giraffes, baboons, buffaloes, and warthogs.
Day 9: Morning Game Drive & Afternoon Boat Cruise
After breakfast, set out on an early morning game drive. You may see lions, leopards, hyenas, elephants, giraffes, hartebeests, buffaloes, hippos, and kobs. Return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, take a boat cruise along the Nile to the bottom of the falls. Spot hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes, and birds such as the shoebill stork. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 10: Transfer to Semliki National Park
After breakfast, leave Murchison Falls National Park and drive to Semliki National Park through Budibugyo. Along the way, enjoy views of Lake Albert and the Rwenzori Mountains. Lunch will be along the way. In the evening, take a night game drive in the park to look for white-tailed mongooses, leopards, nightjars, serval cats, and lions.
Day 11: Visit Sempaya Hot Springs & Community Walk
Start the day with a guided walk to the Sempaya Hot Springs. These natural springs reach temperatures of more than 100°C and are surrounded by rainforest and palm trees. After a picnic lunch, if time allows, visit a local pygmy community to learn about their traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 12: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
After breakfast, drive from Semliki to Kibale Forest National Park. Stop for lunch in Hoima before continuing along the Lake Albert escarpment and through villages on your way to the lodge near Kibale.
Day 13: Chimpanzee Trekking & Bigodi Swamp Walk
After breakfast, report to Kanyanchu Visitor Centre for a briefing before chimpanzee trekking. The trek lasts 2–4 hours, with one hour spent observing the chimps as they feed, groom, and play. Other primates in the forest include red-tailed monkeys, black-and-white colobus, blue monkeys, mangabeys, bush babies, and pottos. Birds such as the great blue turaco and green-breasted pitta may also be seen. After lunch, take a guided walk in Bigodi Swamp to see more primates and wetland birds.
Day 14: Visit Amabere Caves & Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, visit the Amabere Caves near Nyakasura, believed to be linked to the ancient Bachwezi people. Later, have lunch and continue the journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park, arriving in time for dinner and overnight.
Day 15: Game Drive & Boat Trip
After breakfast, go for a game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Expect to see elephants, buffaloes, kobs, topis, warthogs, and bushbucks. After lunch, take a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel. From the boat, you can see hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, and many water birds, including pelicans, storks, kingfishers, and African fish eagles.
Day 16: Maramagambo Forest Walk & Game Drive
After breakfast, take a guided walk in Maramagambo Forest, one of Uganda’s largest forests. Visit the volcanic caves that are home to thousands of bats and pythons. You will also see crater lakes and have chances to spot primates and birds. In the evening, enjoy a game drive to see lions, leopards, elephants, and antelopes.
Day 17: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via Ishasha
In the morning, take a short bush walk, then leave for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. On the way, pass through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, known for its tree-climbing lions. Other animals here include elephants, buffaloes, topis, and waterbucks. Arrive in Bwindi in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Day 18: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
After an early breakfast, go to the park offices for a briefing before trekking gorillas in Bwindi. At 8:00 am, start the trek into the forest with guides and trackers. The trek can take 2–6 hours depending on where the gorillas are located. Once found, you will spend one hour with them. Watch the gorillas as they feed, rest, and interact. Afterwards, return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 19: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi & Boat Trip
After breakfast, drive to Lake Bunyonyi. This lake is free from bilharzia and safe for swimming. After lunch, take a boat ride to visit some of the islands and learn their history. Return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Day 20: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park & Boat Trip
After breakfast, drive to Lake Mburo National Park. On arrival, go for a game drive to see zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, impalas, waterbucks, elands, and topis. After lunch, take a boat ride on Lake Mburo to see hippos, crocodiles, and water birds.
Day 21: Game Drive & Return to Kampala
After breakfast, take a final game drive in Lake Mburo to look for early risers such as hyenas and leopards, along with other animals. Later, drive back to Kampala with a stop at the equator for photos and lunch. Arrive in Kampala in the evening.
End of 21 Days Gorillas, Chimps and Wildlife Safari.
