Overview
The 11 Days Amazing Uganda wilderness safaris takes you to the most interesting national parks, dotted with amazing wildlife. The most remote areas with cultures, untouched beautiful scenery and wildlife attracts a big number of tourists and this is where the safari will take you. Some of the cultures to be explored are Batooro, Bakiga and Karamajong among others.
The four of the big five animals will also be spotted and these are buffalos, elephants, lions, and leopards. The safari adventures are the boat cruise, game drives, chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking, cultural encounters and visiting the Uganda equator in Kayabwe.
Detailed itinerary.
Day 1: Arrive and transfer to a hotel in Kampala. Optional visit to Uganda Wildlife Education Centre.
A warm welcome to you by the driver guide who will pack your luggage in the car and take you to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre just a few minutes’ drive from the Entebbe International Airport where you will be lucky to spot different captive animals such as Elephants, chimpanzees, buffalos, warthogs, crocodiles, hippos, giraffes, lions, leopards, among others.
Also spot different kinds of snakes like spitting cobra among others. Birds that are spotted here are the crested crane, rare shoebill stork, and peacock among others. Check in the booked hotel in Kampala.
Day 2: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park.
Wake up early and have your breakfast which will be followed by the transfer to Kidepo valley National Park – a journey taking over 9 hours. This is the most isolated national park in Uganda, situated at the border of Kenya, south Sudan and Uganda in the North East. This park was occupied by the Karamajongs who were evicted and now stay at the edge.
Kidepo Valley National Park has beautiful untouched scenery, a wide range of animals and it has four of the big five animals (buffalos, lions, elephants and leopards). Known to have the largest herds of buffalos in the whole of Africa. On arrival, you will head straight to the lodge with an evening game drive where animals like zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, warthogs and so much more.
Day 3: Game drives and cultural encounters in Kidepo.
Take morning game drive through the valleys of Kidepo national park and spot amazing trees like Kigelia Africana, acacia, among others, birds like the Abyssinian ground hornbill, lover birds and much more mammals like herds of buffalos, zebras, elephants, warthogs, jackals, olive baboons, lions, leopards among others.
Game drive break will be in the wild and later proceeded to a lodge for mid-breakfast. After lunch, head to encounter the Karamajongs culture where you learn about their lifestyles, traditional music and dances among others. Support them by buying some crafts from them and after return to the lodge.
Day 3: Transfer to Murchison falls national park.
Have an early morning breakfast and then transfer to Murchison falls national park located in North Western Uganda and bisected into two parts by the Nile River. The southern part of the park is well covered by woodland forest stretching to Budongo forests and the northern part is covered by savannah woodland hence good for game drives and balloon safaris.
While on the way, you will have lunch break in Gulu Town and visit the local markets where you will buy some fruits to enjoy the next day. Arrive and drive to the booked accommodation site.
Day 4: Full day Murchison falls national park adventure (game drive and boat cruise).
Take a morning drive in Murchison falls national park where animals like Elephants, Giraffes, Buffaloes, antelopes like bushbucks, reedbuck, duikers, kobs, oribis among others and birds like the Abyssinian ground hornbill, bee-eater, fish eagles, herons, pelicans among others. A break will be at the hippo pool where you will be served with fresh fruits and ease yourself and later proceed with a search of other animals you might have missed.
The game drive will end on the return to the lodge for lunch. Head for a launch trip on the waters of Victoria Nile which is part of River Nile and spot Nile crocodiles, hippos, birds like the eagles, hamerkop among others and the boat will take you to the bottom of the falls where you will take panoramic photos of the rainbow formed when the Nile squeezes itself through a small gorge. Return to the starting point and the driver guide will be ready to take you to another booked lodge in the southern sector.
Day 5: Transfer to Kibale national park, Visit Isunga Cultural Community.
Take breakfast and head to Kibale national park which is well known to be the home of chimpanzees our fellow cousins. The forest is also full of biodiversity such as plant species, over 300 bird species, over 70 mammals including 13 primates among others. The crater lakes of Ndali-Kasenda also make the park stand out.
The journey takes about 5 hours and on arriving, you will head to the Isunga cultural community where you will have a community tour to learn about the two tribes of the Batooro and Bakiga through their languages, traditional dances and music and if time allows you can also visit the cultural site of Isunga cold springs that are believed to be having natural healing powers. Then, head to the lodge for dinner and take a nap.
Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and leisure.
You will head to the Kanyanchu tourist center in the Kibale forest after breakfast where you will be able to receive a briefing. With a help of the park ranger guide, you will head to the forest to search for these chimps, though trekking time can depend on the distance covered and this can be anything between 3 and 7 hours.
An hour is given to you to be in their presence to be able to take photos and record memories of videos. After the tracking experience, you will head to the lodge and have leisure time.
Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park and boat cruise on Kazinga channel.
Have an optional activity like tea plantation visits or hike Top of the world and then depart to Queen Elizabeth National Park that is the most visited national park in Uganda. This park is also a place where you can find the rare tree-climbing lions that occupy the southern Ishasha sector.
Also, the park hosts migratory birds from Europe, Asia and the rest of African that are normally spotted on the Kazinga channel. On arrival, you will straight away head to the Kazinga channel for boat cruise where you will spot crocodiles, hippos and some birds that will be followed by a drive to the lodge after 2 hours of cruising.
Day 8: Transfer to Bwindi national park.
Transfer to Bwindi after breakfast with a game drive through Ishasha sector where you will be amazed to see the tree-climbing lions resting in the trees. Then head to Bwindi national park in Buhoma sector where you will engage in the gorilla trekking experience the next morning.
Bwindi forest national park boasts the largest number of gorilla individuals – almost half of the world population and therefore choosing this park to take a gorilla trekking experience is the best choice you can ever make and never regret. On arrival, you will check in the accommodation for dinner and leisure in the evening.
Day 9: Gorilla trekking adventure in Buhoma sector.
Head to the park offices for gorilla trekking briefing which is normally led by the park wardens. This is part of the experience and permits are crosscheck at this point, dos and don’ts are well outlined, placement of a group comprised of 8 visitors to trek with and assignment of the park ranger to guide you through the forest.
The ranger guide will take you to this impenetrable forest to be able to start the search that may take few hours to locate the endangered species. Gorilla trekking takes not more than 4 hours and an hour in inclusive while in the presence of gorillas. After the experience, you will head back to your lodge and have leisure time.
Day 10: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park with a stopover at Igongo Cultural Centre.
Head to Lake Mburo early in the morning after breakfast that can take about 5-6 hours and on arriving, you will embark on the boat cruise on Lake Mburo. This park is dotted with different lakes and the largest being Lake Mburo.
This lake offers the best moments of bird watching, game viewing like the hippos and crocodiles among others. This is the smallest savannah park in the pearl of Africa-Uganda and the nearest protected area to the capital city of Uganda – Kampala.
Day 11: Game drive and transfer back to Kampala, stop over at the Uganda equator.
Take a morning game drive in the park where you will be able to spot animals like Burchell’s zebra, impala, topi, eland, bushbuck, buffalo, warthog, and hyenas among others and later proceed with the journey to Kampala having a stopover at the Uganda Equator for lunch, photo moment and souvenir purchase. Your driver-guide will drop you at the airport and this will mark the end of your 11 days Uganda safari.