This 8 days Uganda safari ( Murchison falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi safari )is an extraordinary adventure that starts and ends in Kampala. The safari will take you to the four most interesting national parks in Uganda that is Murchison falls national park and Queen Elizabeth national park where you will be able to enjoy views of the big five mammals which include lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants and rhinos at Ziwa rhino sanctuary and other animals like giraffes, oribi, waterbucks among others. The safari will also take you to Kibale forest national park where you will be able to spend time with chimpanzee and Bwindi impenetrable national park where you will get an opportunity to visit the endangered mountain gorillas.
Highlights of the 8 days Uganda safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Murchison falls national park
Day 2: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 3: Transfer to Kibale forest national park
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 5: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 6: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 7: Gorilla trekking and Batwa cultural tour
Day 8: Departure to Kampala
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Murchison falls national park
Depending on your location on the first day of the 8 days Uganda safari, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then start the journey to Murchison falls national park which is the largest national park in Uganda. The journey to the park takes about 5 to 6 hours’ drive and on the way you will have a stopover at Ziwa rhino sanctuary for rhino tracking where after you will proceed with another stopover in Masindi town for lunch. After lunch you will continue the journey to Murchison falls national park and upon arrival you will drive directly to the top of the falls where you will be able to enjoy stunning views of the waterfall, enjoy water splashes among others. From the top of the falls, you will drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
After an early breakfast on the second day of the 8 days Uganda safari, you will meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive where you will be able to view different animals like buffaloes, elephants, Uganda kobs, giraffes, oribi, waterbucks, warthogs, Jacksons hartebeest, view predators like lions, leopards and hyenas if you are lucky among others. After the game drive, you will drive to the lodge for lunch.
Afternoon boat cruise
After lunch, you will go for an interesting boat cruise to the bottom of the falls where you will be rewarded with beautiful views of the landscape, view large herds of hippos and nile crocodiles in water, view buffaloes, giraffes, elephants, warthogs among others along the shores, view water birds among others. After the boat ride which takes about 2 to 3 hours’ drive, you will return back to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Transfer to Kibale forest national park
You will have breakfast on the third day of the 8 days Uganda safari, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Kibale forest national park which is also known as the primate capital. It’s a whole day journey and on your way you will have stopovers to stretch your legs, enjoy views of the tea plantations, Rwenzori mountain peaks and have en-route lunch in Fort Portal. After lunch, you will proceed to Kibale forest national park and upon arrival you will go for a nature walk in Bigodi swamp where you will be able to view different primates, mammals, variety of bird species among others. After the Bigodi swamp walk, you will drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
After an early breakfast on the fourth day of the 8 days Uganda safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a chimpanzee trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest in search of the habituated chimpanzee family which 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 view other primate species, different bird species, plant and tree species among others. Once the chimpanzees are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with the chimpanzees where you will get an opportunity to learn more about their behaviors, habits, watch them feed, breastfeed, fight, groom young ones, fight, play, rest, take photos and take photos to show people back home after the safari.
After the one hour encounter with the chimpanzees, you will trek back to the starting point where you will meet up with your driver guide to drive back to the lodge for lunch where after you will check out of the lodge and start the journey to Queen Elizabeth national park which is the second largest national park in Uganda. Upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise
On the fifth day of the 8 days Uganda safari, you will have an early breakfast and then meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive where you will be able to view lions and leopards looking for a morning hunt if you are lucky, view buffaloes, elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs among others. After the game drive you will return to the lodge for lunch.
Afternoon boat cruise
After lunch, you will drive to Mweya landing site for an exciting boat cruise on Kazinga channel where you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view elephants, buffaloes and antelopes along the shores, view aquatic bird species like cormorants, kingfishers, fish eagles among others. During the boat cruise, you will also be able to view fisher mean along the shores preparing their fishing gears for night fishing. After the boat cruise, you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
After an early breakfast on the sixth day of the safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with our driver guide to start the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park. On the way you will have a stopover in Ishasha sector for a game drive where you will be able to view the tree climbing lions if you are lucky, view other animals like elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, topi among others. After the game drive you will have en-route lunch and then continue the journey with stunning views of the tea plantations, Kigezi hills, terraced farmlands, countryside among others. Upon arrival in Bwindi impenetrable national park, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Gorilla trekking and Batwa cultural tour
After an early breakfast on the seventh day of the safari, you will carry packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing, you will be subdivided into groups of 8 people where each group will be allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek and a park guide who is well conversant with different gorilla trekking trails. Trekking of mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view other primate species, mammals, different bird species, tree and plant species among others. Once the mountain gorillas are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn about their habits, behaviors, lifestyle, watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, breastfeeding, grooming young ones, take photos and record videos to show people back home after the safari.
After the one hour encounter with the mountain gorillas, you will trek back to the starting point where you will meet up with your driver guide to go for an exciting Batwa cultural tour where you will be able to interact with the Batwa/ pygmies, learn about their culture, history, visit their farmlands, homesteads among others. After the cultural tour, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Departure to Kampala
After a relaxed breakfast on the last day of the 8 days Uganda safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey back to Kampala. On the way you will have en-route lunch in Mbarara town and then proceed with another stopover at the Equator where you will buy souvenirs and take photos. From the Equator, you will continue to Kampala arriving early evening and upon arrival your driver guide will drop you off at Entebbe airport for your departure flight or drop off at any place of advise.
End of 8 days Uganda safari to Murchison falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi safari
Tour includes
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Bigodi swamp walk
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Batwa cultural tour
- Park entrance fees/game drives
- Lion tracking experience
- Boat cruise fees
- Rhino tracking
- Top of the falls
- Professional English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Ground transfers (in a 4WD vehicle)
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled drinking water
Tour excludes
- International air flight tickets
- Visas
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Life insurance
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.
