11 Days Best of Uganda Wildlife & Primate safari

Itinerary overview

Discover the best of Uganda in 11 days. The safari takes you to explore the vast wildlife Uganda has. The safari also takes you to the virgin land of Kidepo for impressive wildlife & Karimojong discovery. The excitement throughout this trip is undeniable. From the awesome gorilla encounter, splendid wildlife experience to the African big 5 encounter – you have every reason to miss Uganda after finishing this trip.

Day by day itinerary

Day 1: Arrival

Welcome to Uganda, “Tusanyuse okukulaba” meaning we are happy to see you. Depending on your arrival time, our company representative will meet and pick you up. Transfer to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay, if you need to check out the city in the late evening, you can let your driver know about your plan for the night.

Accommodation:
Mid range: Fairway hotel/Cassia Safari Lodge

Day 2: Transfer to Kidepo National Park

Today, you will start your adventure to Uganda’s wild places. In the early morning, you will be picked up from your favorite lodge and start your journey to the virgin land. When travelling by road, the distance is quite long and the roads are not so good. Your driver guide will start the drive very early in the morning and make a stopover at Lira town to encounter a local community encounter before proceeding to Kitgum town for relaxation, dinner, and overnight

Accommodation:
Budget: Pacific Hotel
Mid range: Paulines Hotel

Day 3: Kitgum to Kidepo Valley National Park;

Dawn drives to Kanangorok hot spring to meet the East African Big Five that can be seen wandering around, as well as birds like the ostriches. After you have returned to the lodge for refreshment, you will have breakfast and lunch and use the afternoon for a cultural experience that will get you in touch with the Karmojong people at Karenna and Kidepo. Spending time with these locals will make your safari remarkably memorable. Mix together and have a chat with the local elders and they will show you their animal kraals, the grinding stones, and many better items. Then, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation; 
Budget: Apoka Rest Camp,
Mid range:Apoka Rest Camp

Day 4: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park

The drive from Kidepo to Murchison Falls National park is approximately 7-8hrs, this means you need to have an early breakfast and have enough time on the road. Your drive will take you through part of the Karamoja region and Gulu town as well. Be sure of some stops to take photos, pees, and stretch your legs along the way.

Accommodation:
Budget: Red Chili Safari Lodge/Heritage Safari Lodge
Mid range: Nile River Lodge or Pakuba Safari Lodge

Day 5: Morning boat cruise & Evening game drive

This morning in Murchison Falls National parks starts differently compared to Kidepo days. This time, you are having a morning boat cruise along the Nile. The boat cruise is approximately 2hrs, just floating on the waters, watching various animals on the water banks including the elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, hippos, crocodiles, birds such as the sun birds, African fish eagle and most interesting the water falls. If you are fit enough, you can opt for a hike to the top of the falls and if not, sail back to the river shores. Proceed for lunch, if it’s a hot day, take a deep in the pool and wait on your guide for an evening game drive. Many of the animals are winding their day and some of the night hunters are getting ready to run out of their dens, catch a glimpse of the giraffes, elephants, kobs, bushbucks, warthogs, buffaloes, lions, waterbucks and so many more. This is enough for the day, return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation:
Budget: Heritage Safari Lodge
Mid range: Nile River Lodge or Pakuba Safari Lodge

Day 6: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

Today is yet another day for a longer drive also. Driving from Murchison falls to Kibale National park is approximately 9-10hrs on the road. Most important of all, your guide will help you enjoy the trip, make stops to take photos, have some fresh fruits and snacks as well; it is such an interesting drive. Take a moment to see the Mahoma falls, the crater lakes and a lot more.

Accommodation: 
Budget: Chimpanzee Guest house
Mid-range: Primates cottage or Chimpanzee Forest Guest house

Day 7: Chimpanzee tracking

Kibale forest is termed as the primate capital of the world with over 13 species of primates living in this forest. Today’s best highlight is the chimpanzee tracking that takes approximately 3-4hrs with the help of the guide. Make sure you carry some drinking water and get your camera ready to capture these apes. Close to the chimps, you can view the colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, forest hogs and thousands of birds. Retire from the encounter and return to the lodge for lunch or have a packed meal in the forest. Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at either leisure or visiting the Bigodi wetland to capture a moment with the birds of kibale forest and mostly the elusive shoebill before a transfer to Queen Elizabeth National park.

Accommodation:  
Budget: Pumba Safari cottages
Mid-range: Elephant Hab Lodge

Day 8: Morning Game drive & Boat cruise at Queen Elizabeth National park

You wake up for an early morning cup of coffee in the views of the moist savannah before heading to the park for the game drive at 7am. Undertake a game drive in the Kasenyi tracks and the Queen’s Mile in search of the amazing wild game including; cape Buffaloes, Leopards, Topi, Elephants, Kobs, Waterbucks, Warthogs, Hyena, lions, side striped jackals among other wildlife. Retreat from the activity for relaxation and lunch after which you gather at Mweya jetty for an afternoon Kazinga Channel boat cruise departing at 2pm. This cruise offers you an opportunity to see at close range the highest concentration of water submerged Hippos, surrounded by over 60 species of migrant and resident birds plus crocodiles drinking and resting at water edges. You retreat from the boat cruise and do an evening game drive along the Channel track to explore more wild game in their evening moments. Continue to the lodge overnight.

Accommodation
Budget: Pumba Safari cottages
Mid-range: Elephant Hab Lodge

Day 9: Transfer to Bwindi Forest National Park

After breakfast, embark on the transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park driving through the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park named Ishasha well known for its tree climbing lions. The Ishasha sector presents a remarkable encounter with the unique tree climbing lions which are only existing in two spots in the whole world with the Ishasha sector having the best viewing opportunities. You continue on the drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park arriving in the evening for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation
Budget: Broad bill Safari Lodge
Midrange : Rushaga Gorilla Lodge/ Gorilla Valley Lodge/Rushaga Gorilla Havens

Day 10: Gorilla Tracking

This is a special day dedicated to the impressive mountain gorillas. Undertaking the gorilla habituation experience in the hilly forested landscapes of Bwindi is such a lifetime endeavor that will create lasting memories. 

You gather at the respective park headquarters for briefing in the morning at 8am where you are also allocated the respective gorilla families to track. The encounter takes 6 – 8 hours depending on the gorilla movements and one hour is available to you to have a direct touch with the gorillas. Upon approaching gorillas, their reaction is not predictable as it can include them giving you a courteous welcome, minding less about you and charging against you. The habituation experience gives you more time learning about the life of gorillas in the forest and in total you are allowed to spend 4 hours in the presence of gorillas. The idea is to get gorillas a little bit used to humans in their habitat to allow for gorilla trekking in the future.

Retreat from the activity and embark on the transfer to Lake Bunyonyi driving through fascinating Kigezi Highlands where locals apply terracing methods to cultivate their slopes deriving impressive scenic landscapes. You arrive at Lake Bunyonyi in the afternoon after which you embark on a thrilling boat ride to explore the Lake of a thousand Islands. The views of the Islands, the surrounding Kigezi Highlands, the bird life on the lake and the sights of local people with their canoes as they connect to and from the Islands is very magical and impressive to explore before retiring for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation
Budget: Lake Bunyonyi Eco Resort
Midrange : Lake Bunyonyi Eco Resort

Day 11: Transfer to Kampala

The early morning lake tour by taking a boat cruise exploring the impressive waters of Lake Bunyonyi noted as the second deepest in Africa. You also take a walk on one of the main Islands to explore the beauty of the lake of a thousand Islands in detail. Retreat from the 2 hour activity and embark on the transfer to Kampala 437km about 7 hours’ drive driving through impressive countryside landscapes of south western Uganda making a traditional lunch stop at Igongo Cultural Center for typical African buffet and another stop at Uganda Equator crossing Kayabwe for amazing photo shoots where one leg would be in the southern hemisphere and the other in the northern hemisphere. Arrive in Kampala in the afternoon to mark the end of the tour.

End of safari!

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