12 Days Uganda Safari
The 12 days Uganda safari will start and end in Kampala Uganda. The safari will take you to the best and most exciting destinations in Uganda that is Murchison falls national park, Kibale national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Bwindi impenetrable national park, Lake Mburo national park, Mgahinga gorilla national park and Lake Bunyonyi. During the 12 days Uganda safari you will have great views of wildlife including the big five mammals (elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, rhinos), other animals like Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, giraffes, zebras, impalas, warthogs, hippos, crocodiles which will be viewed during the game drives and boat cruise. You will also engage in an adventurous chimpanzee trekking, golden monkey trekking and gorilla trekking experience where you will be able to spend time with the chimpanzees, golden monkeys and mountain gorillas in their natural environment.
Highlights of the 12 days Uganda safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Entebbe
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison falls national park-Ziwa rhino sanctuary
Day 3: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 4: Transfer to Kibale national park
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 6: Morning game drive/ lion tracking and afternoon boat cruise
Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 8: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 9: Golden monkey trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
Day 10: Boat cruise/ canoeing and cultural tour
Day 11: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park
Day 12: Morning game drive and departure to Kampala
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Entebbe,
Depending on your arrival time at Entebbe international airport on day 1 of the 12 days Uganda safari, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then transfer to a hotel in Entebbe for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison falls national park
After breakfast on day 2 of the 12 days Uganda safari, you will have breakfast and our driver guide will pick you up from the hotel to start the journey to Murchison falls national park which is located in northwestern part of Uganda. The journey takes about 5 to 6 hours’ drive and on the way you will enjoy spectacular views of the beautiful landscape, countryside, farmlands and a stopover at Ziwa rhino sanctuary for rhino tracking. After rhino tracking you will proceed to Masindi for lunch and afterwards continue to Murchison falls national park. Upon arrival you will drive directly to the top of the falls where you have great views of the waterfall, mammals, bird species, beautiful scenery among others. After the top of the falls tour you will drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive,
After an early breakfast on day 3 of the 12 days Uganda safari your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive where you will be able to spot various animals like Uganda kobs, warthogs, giraffes, elephants, bushbucks, lions, leopards, hyenas, Jacksons hartebeest, view different bird species among others. After the game drive you will return to the lodge for lunch.
Afternoon boat cruise,
After lunch you will drive to Paraa landing site for an interesting boat cruise to the bottom of the falls which takes about 2 to 3 hours’ drive. During the boat trip you will be rewarded with incredible views of animals like elephants, buffaloes and antelopes which gather to drink water, hippos and crocodiles in water, view variety of bird species like kingfishers, fish eagles, bee-eaters, hornbills among others. After the boat cruise you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Transfer to Kibale national park
After breakfast on day 4 of the 12 days Uganda safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kibale national park. It’s a whole day journey and on the way you will have en-route lunch and enjoy stunning views of the farmlands, Rwenzori Mountains, tea plantations, Lake Gorge, crater lakes among others. Upon arrival in Kibale national park you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Chimpanzee trekking,
After an early breakfast on day 5 of the 12 days Uganda safari you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kanyachu Visitors Centre for chimpanzee trekking briefing. After the briefing you will be divided into a group of 6 people where each group will be allocated a chimpanzee family to trek and a park guide who is well conversant with trails in the forest. Trekking of chimpanzees in Kibale forest national park takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to spot other primates such as grey cheeked mangabey, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, some bird species, plants among others. Once the chimpanzees are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which helps you to learn more about their behaviors, watch them feed, breastfeed, fight, hunt, enjoy the juveniles playing up in the trees, take photos and record the moments. After the face to face encounter with the chimpanzees you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will meet up with your driver guide to return to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park. On the way you will enjoy great views of the landscape, crater lakes, tea plantations among others and upon arrival you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Morning game drive/ lion tracking and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive/lion tracking,
You will have breakfast on day 6 of the 12 days Uganda safari and meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive or lion tracking experience in Kasenyi plains. During the game drive you will be rewarded with great views of large herds of elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, bushbucks, waterbucks, warthogs which will be grazing in the open savannah plains view predators like lions, leopards if you are lucky, variety of bird species among others. After the game drive you will drive to the lodge for lunch.
Boat cruise,
After lunch you will go for an exciting boat cruise on Kazinga channel a water body that connects Lake George and Lake Edward. During the boat cruise which takes about 2 hours you will get a chance to view elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs drinking water along the shores, view large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, water birds like martial eagle, papyrus gonolek, pelicans, hornbills, African skimmers, cormorants, African spoonbills, fish eagles, king fisher’s among others and also view fishermen organizing their fishing nets along the water banks. After the boat ride you will return to the lodge for an evening relaxation dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
After breakfast on day 7 of the 12 days Uganda safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park. On the way you will pass through Ishasha sector in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park where you will get an opportunity to spot the tree climbing lions which will be lying up in fig tree branches. After the game drive in Ishasha sector you will have lunch where after you will continue the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park and upon arrival you will check in at the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking,
After an early breakfast on day 8 of the 12 days Uganda safari you will carry your lunch box and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations of gorilla trekking. After the briefing you will be divided in groups of 8 people where each group will be allocated a gorilla family to trek and a park guide who is knowledgeable about the mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on their location and during trekking you will be able to view forest birds, other primates like l’hoest monkeys, baboons, plant and tree species among others.
Once the mountain gorillas are found you will be able to spend one hour with them which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their lifestyle, behaviors, habits, take photos, watch them carry out their daily activities and record the fascinating memories to show people back home. After a breathtaking encounter with the gentle giants, you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking and then meet up with your guide to return to the lodge for an evening relaxation dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Golden monkey trekking and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
After an early breakfast on day 9 of the 12 days Uganda safari, you will check out of the lodge and transfer to Mgahinga gorilla national park for a briefing about golden monkey trekking. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest in search of the golden monkeys and once found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you a chance to learn about their behaviors, watch them jump up in tree branches, take photos and record videos.
After the interesting golden monkey adventure, you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will meet up with your driver guide and start the journey to Lake Bunyonyi which is the second deepest lake in Africa with en-route lunch along the way. Upon arrival you will check into the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 10: Boat cruise/ canoeing and cultural tour
On day 10 of the 12 days Uganda safari you will have an early breakfast and then go for an interesting boat cruise where you will be able to explore some of the 29 islands, view different bird species, terraced farmlands among others. After the boat cruise, you will return to the lodge for lunch where after you will go for an exciting cultural tour where you will be able to interact with the local people, learn about their culture, lifestyle, visit their homesteads, enjoy their traditional performance among others.
Day 11: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park
After a relaxed breakfast on day 11 of the 12 days Uganda safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Lake Mburo. On the way you will have en-route lunch and then proceed with the journey to Lake Mburo national park. Upon arrival in the park you will go for an interesting boat cruise where you will be able to view hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs drinking water along the shores, water birds like kingfisher, bee-eaters, fish eagles, cormorants among others. After the boat cruise you will drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 12: Morning game drive and departure to Kampala
After a relaxed breakfast on day 12 of the 12 days Uganda safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to go for a short game drive where you will be rewarded with great views of animals like waterbucks, elands, buffaloes, zebras, impalas, topi, giraffes among others which will be grazing in open savannah plains with due. After the game drive you will drive out of the park and start the journey to Kampala. On the way you will have a stopover at the Equator in Kayabwe where you will have lunch and then take photos, buy craft items among others. After lunch you will continue the journey to Kampala arriving in the evening and upon arrival, your driver guide will drop you off at Entebbe international airport for your departure flight or drop off at any place of your choice.
End of 12 days Uganda safari
Tour includes
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Golden monkey trekking permit
- Park entrance fees/ game drives
- Lion tracking expereince
- Boat cruise fees
- Cultural tour
- Rhino tracking permit
- All activities included in the itinerary
- Services of a professional English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Pick up and drop off
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled drinking water
Tour excludes
- Air flight tickets
- Visas
- Life insurance
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, cigarettes, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.
