9-Day Uganda Gorilla, Chimps & Wildlife Safari

After breakfast, meet your driver-guide and depart Entebbe/Kampala for the northwest, breaking the journey at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for a guided, on-foot rhino tracking experience (briefing, then a 1½–2 hr walk with rangers to locate white rhinos and learn about conservation).

Continue through Masindi for lunch (or enjoy a packed lunch), then enter Murchison Falls National Park and, time permitting, detour to the Top of the Falls to feel the spray where the Nile squeezes through a seven-metre gorge—an epic first photo stop. Proceed to your lodge, crossing to the appropriate bank if needed, and check in by late afternoon.

The rest of the day is at leisure with sunset views and a briefing for tomorrow’s game drive and Nile boat cruise. Total travel time: roughly 6–8 hours including Ziwa and short stops, depending on traffic and road conditions.

Meals: Lunch & Dinner

Pre-dawn wake-up and coffee, then depart around 06:30 for a 3–4 hr game drive on the northern tracks. Early light and cool temps boost sightings—expect elephant, buffalo, Rothschild’s giraffe, Uganda kob, hartebeest, and possible lion/leopard near grazing herds. Return to the lodge about 10:00–11:00 for breakfast/brunch and a short rest.

Mid-afternoon, transfer to Paraa Jetty for the scheduled launch (~14:00–15:00). Cruise 2–3 hrs upstream to the base of Murchison Falls, passing large hippo pods, Nile crocodiles, elephants at the water’s edge, and prolific birdlife (fish eagles, kingfishers, herons).

If pre-arranged, disembark below the falls for the optional 45–60 min hike to the Top of the Falls, where the driver meets you; otherwise return by boat and drive back to the lodge for sunset and dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast, check out and drive south toward Kibale Forest National Park, routing via Masindi/Hoima and Fort Portal with views of the Albertine Rift and rolling tea estates near arrival. The journey typically takes ~5.5–7 hours depending on your lodge location in Murchison and road conditions.

Stop en route for lunch (Hoima or Fort Portal), then continue to your lodge near the forest. Arrive in Kibale Forest, home to the highest concentration of primates in Africa, including over 1,500 chimpanzees and 12 other primate species such as colobus monkeys and red-tailed monkeys. Upon arrival, check into your forest lodge, enjoy a relaxing evening, and prepare for the exciting chimpanzee trekking experience the next day.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After an early breakfast, report to Kanyanchu Visitor Centre in Kibale by 07:30 for registration and a ranger briefing, then enter the forest with UWA trackers for the morning chimpanzee trek. Walking times vary with the troop’s movements—typically 2–3 hours in total—with up to 1 hour spent observing once the chimps are located.

Expect lively vocalizations, feeding and grooming behavior, plus chances to see red-tailed, black-and-white colobus and red colobus monkeys, along with rich birdlife and butterflies. Return to the lodge to freshen up and have an early lunch, then check out and drive ~2.5–3.5 hours via Fort Portal/Kasese to Queen Elizabeth National Park, with views of crater lakes and the Rwenzori Mountains en route.

Check in at your lodge; time permitting, head out for a short sunset game drive on the plains before dinner and a briefing for tomorrow’s activities.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

At first light, head onto the Kasenyi Plains for a 3–4 hr game drive when predators and grazers are most active. Expect elephant, buffalo, Uganda kob, hippo along channels, and good chances for lion around kob breeding grounds—plus hyena and the occasional leopard.

Return late morning to rest and have lunch, then board the Mweya jetty boat for a ~2 hr cruise along the Kazinga Channel, drifting past large pods of hippo, basking Nile crocodiles, elephants at the water’s edge, and prolific birdlife (fish eagles, kingfishers, herons). Disembark and, time permitting, enjoy a short sunset drive before dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast, drive south through the Ishasha sector—famed for its tree-climbing lions—with a slow transit to scan fig trees and riverine tracks. Continue into the highlands toward Bwindi Impenetrable NP, arriving at your lodge by mid/late afternoon.

Check in, meet your guide to confirm tomorrow’s trek briefing time, and prepare gear (boots, long trousers, rain jacket, gloves, gaiters optional). The evening is leisurely with forest views and an early night ahead of the trek.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After an early breakfast, report to the sector headquarters by 7:30 am for registration and briefing, then set off with rangers and trackers; hiking time varies ~2–6+ hrs round-trip depending on terrain and the family’s movements.

Once located, enjoy up to one hour with the gorillas—keep voices low, no flash, and follow ranger positioning. Hike out, collect your certificate (if offered), then drive ~3–4 hrs to Lake Bunyonyi. Check in and unwind on the lakeshore—canoe at sunset or simply relax with the views of terraced hills.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Depart Bunyonyi after breakfast and drive ~4–5 hrs to Lake Mburo National Park, arriving for lunch and a short rest. In the afternoon, join a ranger-guided walking safari across open acacia woodland, approaching zebra, impala, eland, topi, waterbuck, and Rothschild’s giraffe on foot while l earning tracks and signs; birding is excellent too.

Return to the lodge for sunset; optional night game drive can be arranged to look for leopard, genet, and bush babies.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After a relaxed breakfast, exit the park and drive ~4–5 hrs to Entebbe, breaking at the Equator (Kayabwe) for photos and a craft stop. On arrival, continue to the airport for your international flight (aim to be at check-in ~3 hrs before departure); if your flight is later, consider a day room or a brief Entebbe visit (Botanical Gardens, lakeside lunch) before your final transfer.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch