Day 1 – Entebbe / Kampala

Bed & Breakfast

On your arrival at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda you will be welcomed by our representative and transferred for overnight in BB to the hotel, at Latitude 0 Hotel / Onomo Hotel Kampala (C) and Cassia Lodge / Boma Hotel (E). BB

Day 2 – Ziwa Reserve - Murchison Falls National Park

Full Board.

• After breakfast and a brief from our representative, at 7.30 am your adventure in Uganda begins by driving northwest towards Masindi and Murchison Falls conservation area, the largest conservation area in Uganda, which offers beautiful sceneries of grassland acacia savannah in the north and tropical forests in the south.
• You will stop over for a nature walk at Ziwa Rhino sanctuary, the breeding project which is nurturing the rebirth of the endangered white rhinos in Uganda. You can see them closely while walking freely in the reserve which is their natural habitat.
• Lunch at a restaurant.
• In the afternoon proceed to the national park and visit “top of the falls”, where the river Nile creates a narrow canyon of thunderous water as it lowers down the Albertine Rift Valley.
• Check into your lodge for dinner and overnight, Paraa Safari Lodge / Twiga Safari Lodge (C) or Pakuba Lodge / Bamboo Village Lodge (E).

Note: Today transfer is about 6 hours drive, part of it through dirt road for a distance of about 350 km.

Day 3 – Murchison Falls National Park

Full Board.

• After breakfast, at 6.30 am you will embark on an early morning game drive, explore the savannah in the delta of the Nile on Lake Albert, Northern bank. As you view and take memorable photographs of the animals in the wild, you might find elephants, lions, buffalos, giraffes, waterbucks, bushbucks, spotted hyenas and, very rarely, the leopards.
• Drive back to the lodge for lunch.
• In the afternoon, you take the boat excursion along the river Nile to the base of the magnificent Murchison Falls. It is amazing the concentration of wildlife in the bank of the river Nile, including hippos, crocodiles, and a variety of bird’s species, like African eagles, pelicans, kingfisher, Egyptian geese and much more.
• Dinner and overnight at Paraa Safari Lodge / Twiga Safari Lodge (C) or Pakuba Lodge / Bamboo Village Lodge (E).

Day 4 – Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest – Bugoma Forest

Full Board.

• Early morning after breakfast you drive to Budongo Forest, in Kaniyo-Pabidi eco-tourist site, for the tropical forest trekking to meet the Great Apes, the chimpanzees in their natural habitat. The forest also is home to many other primates such as black and white colobus monkey, red-tailed monkey, blue monkey, vervet monkey and baboons. The chimpanzee trekking is possible due to the conservation efforts by Jane Goodall Institute and the park authorities to protect the forest and the endangered chimpanzees.
• Lunch in a restaurant and we propose the experience of the typical local food.
• In the afternoon, proceed your journey in the direction of Lake Albert to Bugoma Forest reserve. You can take a cultural experience of Bugoma community walk in the local villages organized by Association for Conservation of Bugoma Forest. This is an opportunity for you to interact with the people living near the forest, to see their economic activities and the primary school; the activity is guided by a local guide.
• Dinner and overnight at Bugoma Jungle Lodge / Kikonko Lodge.

Notes: The chimpanzee trekking activity in Uganda is done according to the rules and regulations of the park and can be reserved both in the morning hours and in the afternoon hours.

The transfer today is about 3 hours with 180 km.

Trekking level: medium.

Day 5 – Bugoma Forest Uganda mangabey walk - Queen Elizabeth National Park

Full Board.

• After breakfast, we organize the Uganda mangabey nature walk in Bugoma Forest (with a supplement, the chimpanzee trekking can be done instead of mangabey trekking).
• With its size of 410 sq km, Bugoma is the habitat of the chimpanzees and Ugandan mangabeys. It is also the site for a conservation effort by the Association for Conservation of Bugoma Forest (www.bugomaconservation.org ). The Association makes possible this experience of the nature walks through the development of eco-tourism activities in Bugoma and the training of local guides, to benefit the surrounding communities. You can actively support the conservation projects of the Association: Every 5 Acres reforestation project; the private patrol Chimp T-RAP for the law enforcement against illegal logging; the public nursery for indigenous trees and the beekeeping project with the local farmers. You will find here available the local products of the community like the tea and the honey.
• You will also participate in the planting of one indigenous tree in the reforestation project area, to contribute to giving new habitat to the chimpanzees.
• Then you leave Bugoma forest heading southwest along the Lake Albert and Rift Valley escarpment, with breathtaking panoramic sceneries as you drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The road follows along the Rwenzori mountain range to Kasese town.
• Lunch en route in a restaurant.
• Dinner and overnight Mweya Safari Lodge / Kikorongo Lodge / Aardvark Lodge (C) or Enganzi Lodge / Marafiki Lodge / Ihamba Lakeside Safari Lodge / Elephant Hab Lodge (E).

Note: Today transfer is about 5 hours’ drive for 280 km, through tarmac roads.

Today is possible with supplement to do the chimpanzee trekking in Bugoma Reserve.

Trekking level: easy.

Day 6 – Queen Elizabeth National Park

Full Board

• Early morning after breakfast, at 6.30 am go for a game drive along the tracks of the national park, in the Northern sectors and towards Lake George and Kasenyi village. You might see lions, elephants, buffaloes, spotted hyenas, waterbucks, Ugandan kobs, perhaps the leopard which is a rare sight. Queen Elizabeth enjoys unique landscapes and views of crater lakes and the Albertine Rift Valley, which make this area special and unforgettable.
• Lunch at the lodge or in a restaurant.
• In the afternoon take the exciting boat excursion from Mweya peninsula along Kazinga channel, one of the most popular sites in Uganda for its concentration of wildlife, bird’s life and opportunities for good photographs. Moreover, you will see plenty of hippos, buffaloes and elephants while drinking from the channel.
• In the late afternoon short transfer to the Ishasha sector of the park.
• Dinner and overnight at Ishasha Jungle Lodge.

Day 7 – Ishasha - Bwindi Forest National Park

Full Board.

• After breakfast, photographic safari in the Ishasha sector, the southern region of Queen Elizabeth NP, in search for the “tree climbing lions” which are seen during the hot hours of the day, as they lie resting on top of Figs trees. See also herds of buffaloes, elephants, topi antelopes and many species of birds.
• Lunch at the lodge.
• In the afternoon proceed to the highlands of the Southern Uganda, climbing on an altitude up to 2.300 meters and you arrive in Bwindi Forest National Park, home to the endangered mountain gorillas. The choice of the exact location and lodge depends on the availability of gorilla permits.
• Arrive by evening for dinner and overnight, Bwindi Engagi Lodge / Ichumbi Lodge / Gorilla Safari Lodge (C) or Agandi Lodge / Noel Cottage / Bweza Lodge / Rushaga Gorilla Camp / Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge (E).

Note: Today transfer can be very long up to 7 hours and depends on roads conditions and place of allocation of gorilla permits. The choice of the area of the gorilla safari depends on the availability of permits.

Day 8 - Mountain gorilla safari

Full Board.

• In the morning you enter the rain tropical forest of Bwindi for the gorilla safari. The activity starts at 8am and you will follow the ranger guides in a group of maximum 8 people as you search for the habituated family of mountain gorillas, which was allocated according to the permits. Bwindi forest in Uganda has a population of 459 gorillas, which is half the world population according to 2018 gorilla population surveys. It is not predictable the time you will spend to encounter the gorillas. You have one hour for observing the primates and their behaviors, while taking photographs.
• Ensure you take the packed lunch and water with you in the bag and for this you might need the support of available porters.
• According to the time spent in the tracking, the afternoon is free at leisure.
• Dinner and overnight at Bwindi Engagi Lodge / Ichumbi Lodge/ Gorilla Safari Lodge (C) or Agandi Lodge / Noel Cottage /Bweza Lodge / Rushaga Gorilla Camp / Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge (E).

Note: Trekking level: medium.

Day 9 – Bwindi - Entebbe

Half Board.

• After breakfast, drive to Entebbe and have some stop overs in the towns and at the craft markets.
• Lunch en-route in a restaurant.
• Reserved for the transfer to Entebbe International Airport by evening time.

Note: Please note that today transfer is about 9 hours drive for 450 km, through tarmac road, therefore we advise to book late flights from Entebbe International Airport after 8pm or to add an extra night or to add an extension as listed below.

Possible Extensions