10 Days Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari
10 Days Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari: This is a safari tour that takes you to Uganda’s stunning destinations, that is to say, Murchison Falls National Park, Kibale National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Lake Mburo National Park and Lake Bunyonyi.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
Your arrival time at Entebbe Airport on day 1 of the 10-day Uganda primates and wildlife safari will determine the next steps. Upon your arrival, you will be welcomed by our driver-guide, who will give you a short briefing about your Uganda safari and then set off to Murchison Falls National Park.
On your way you will have a stopover at Ziwa Rhino Tracking; you will continue to drive to Masindi town for lunch. After lunch, proceed with the journey to Murchison Falls National Park. Upon arrival, you drive directly to the top of the falls, where you will enjoy rewarding views of the waterfall, animals, and birds, among others. After driving to the lodge check-in have dinner and stay overnight.
Accommodation Options
Paraa Lodge – Luxury Accommodation
Pakuba Safari Lodge – Mid-Range Accommodation
Parkside Safari Lodge – Budget
Day 2: Morning Game and Afternoon Boat Cruise
On day 2 of the 10 Days Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari, you will have breakfast in the morning and meet your driver guide to drive you to the park for a morning game drive, which begins at around 7:00 am.
The game drive can take about 4 to 5 hours, following different rewarding tracks such as the Buligi game track, Victoria track, and Albert track, which offer classic views of wildlife species such as elephants, buffaloes, bushbucks, warthogs, giraffes, lions, Jackson’s hartebeest and various bird species, among others.
After the game drive you will drive to the Paraa landing site for a thrilling boat cruise on the River Nile at the bottom of the falls, which begins at around 2:00 pm, and the cruise activity takes about a 2-hour ride.
During the boat cruise, you will enjoy spectacular views of the waterfall and cruise near hippos and a large number of Nile crocodiles in the water. You will also see other animals along the water banks, such as elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, and antelopes, as well as various water birds like fish eagles, herons, kingfishers, and cormorants, among others.
After the boat cruise, you will drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight in the same lodge you used the night before.
Day 3: Transfer to Kibale National Park
After morning breakfast on day 3 of the 10-day Uganda primates and wildlife safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your safari driver-guide.
The driver guide transfers to Kibale National Park, which ranks high with thrilling views of the local people, farmlands, traditional homesteads, Rwenzori Mountains, tea plantations, and many more.
You will have en route lunch on the way and a stopover to take photographs and stretch your legs. Upon arrival, you will check in to the lodge and have dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation Options;
Chimpanzee Forest Lodge – Mid-range Accommodation
Kibale Forest Lodge – Budget Accommodation
Day 4: Chimpanzee Trekking and Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After morning breakfast on day 4 of the 11 days of the Uganda safari, you will meet up with your safari driver guide to drive you to Kanyanchu Visitors Centre for a chimpanzee tracking briefing about the dos and don’ts as well as the expectations of chimpanzee trekking.
After the briefing, you will be allocated to a chimpanzee family to trek and a park guide is the one to lead in different trails in the forests. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on their movements because they like to move from one place to another in search of food.
Once the chimpanzees have been located, you will be given one hour with them in their natural habitat, which gives you a great opportunity to learn more about their amazing lifestyle and behavior, watch them feed, take photos, and enjoy the juveniles playing up in the trees and video capturing.
After the one-hour encounter with the chimpanzees, you will trek back to the park headquarters and meet up with your safari driver guide to drive to the lodge for lunch. After lunch, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to drive you to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
You will have a panoramic view of the Rwenzori Mountains, Lake George, tea plantations, and many more, and upon arrival, go for an evening game drive in the park, where you will view animal species such as Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, elephants, and many more. After the game drive you will drive to your booked lodge check-in, have dinner and stay overnight.
Accommodation Option:
Elephant Hub Lodge – Mid-range Accommodation
Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge – Budget
Day 5: Game drive/optional lion tracking and Boat cruise
You will have breakfast on day 5 of the 10-day Uganda Primates and Wildlife safari and meet up with a driver-guide to drive you for a morning game drive, where you will see wild animals like buffaloes, lions, elephants, leopards, Uganda kobs, bushbucks, waterbucks, warthogs, bird species, and many more. After the game drive you will drive to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch, you will go for an exciting boat cruise activity on Kazinga Channel, a water body that connects Lake George and Lake Edward. The boat cruise begins at 2:00 pm at the landing site near the luxury lodge Mweya Safari Lodge and takes 2 hours.
During the cruise, you will have gainful viewing of animals like elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, waterbucks, and many more along the shores of the lake; watch large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in the water; and sightsee various water birds as well as view the fishermen organizing their fishing nets along the water banks. Then after your boat ride you will drive back to the lodge for an evening relaxation dinner and overnight as above.
Day 6: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
On day 6 of the 10-day Uganda primates and wildlife safari, have breakfast, check out at the lodge, and meet up with your driver guide to drive you to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Along your way, you will pass via the Ishasha sector in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park for a game drive.
During the game drive, you will be able to view the unique tree-climbing lions, which can be seen hanging in the acacia and fig tree branches, as well as other animals such as buffaloes, elephants, topis, warthogs, hippos, waterbucks, and many more. After the game drive you will go for lunch.
After lunch, you will continue with the journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive. Upon arrival, you will check in at the lodge have dinner and have an overnight stay.
Accommodation Options;
Buhoma Haven Lodge – Mid-Range Accommodation
Buhoma Community Rest Camp – Budget Accommodation
Day 7: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After an early breakfast on day 7 of the 10-day Uganda primates and wildlife safari, you will be picked up by your driver guide with your packed lunch boxes to transfer to the park headquarters for the briefing about the rules, regulations, and expectations of the gorilla trekking experience.
After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest, which takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on your movements. While trekking, you will enjoy stunning views of various bird species and other primates, including chimpanzees and black-and-white monkeys.
Once gorillas are allocated, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat. During that one hour, you will be able to learn more about their lifestyle and behaviors, and memorable photography will be taken with a flashless camera and video capture.
After a breathtaking experience with the gorillas, you will trek back to the park headquarters, where you will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking, meet up with your professional driver guide and drive back to the lodge for an evening of relaxation dinner and an overnight stay as above.
Day 8: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
After breakfast on day 8 of the 10 days of the Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari, you will check out of the lodge and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi, which is found in Kabale. Lake Bunyonyi is renowned as the deepest lake in Uganda and the second-deepest in Africa, after Lake Tanganyika.
Upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for lunch, after which you will go for a boat cruise on the lake, where you expect to explore some of the 29 islands as well as enjoy spectacular views of the landscape, birds, local people, terraced farmlands, and many more. After the boat ride, transfer to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation Options;
Arcadia Lodge – Mid-range Accommodation
Bunyonyi Eco Resort – Budget Accommodation
Day 9: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
After breakfast is served at the lodge on day 9 of the 10-day Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet your safari guide to drive to Lake Mburo National Park.
You will pass through Kabale town and Ntungamo town. Upon arrival, you will check into the lodge and have lunch.
After lunch, you will go for a boat cruise on Lake Mburo, which offers you an opportunity to view wild animals such as warthogs, buffaloes, and antelopes seen drinking water along the shore of the lake; view water species like hippos and crocodiles; and view water birds like cormorants, kingfishers, fish eagles, and many more.
The boat ride takes about 2 hours and after you will have a short game drive in the park where you will view animal species like buffaloes, impalas, zebras, and many more.
Accommodation Options:
Arcadia Lodge – Mid-range Accommodation
Eagle’s Nest – Budget accommodation
Day 10: Morning game drive and Departure to Kampala
On the last day of the 10-day Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari, you will have morning breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your guide to go on a game drive in the park. While on the game drive, you will be able to view several wild animals like warthogs, zebras, giant forest hogs, waterbucks, impala, and giraffes, among others.
After the game drive, you will drive out of the park and begin your journey to Kampala. While driving back to Kampala, you will have a stopover at the equator in Kayabwe, where you will have a delicious en route lunch, enjoyfuturistic photography, and buy craft items.
Then proceed with the journey to Kampala. In the evening, your driver-guide will drop you off at a convenient location or at the airport for your next flight back home.
End of the 10-Day Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari
The tour includes:
Gorilla trekking permit @ $800 pp
Chimpanzee trekking permit @ $200 pp
Park entrance fees/game drives
Boat cruise fees
Boat cruise on Lake Bunyonyi
Rhino tracking fee
All activities included in the itinerary
Full-time English-speaking driver guide
Accommodation as indicated in the itinerary
All meals at the lodge (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
Pick up and drop off in Kampala/Entebbe
4WD safari van and fuel
Bottled drinking water
The tour excludes:
Air flight tickets
Visas
Personal Insurance
Optional activities not included on the itinerary
Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, cigarettes, crafts, drinks, laundry services,
hiring a porter, and tips, among others
