18 Days Ultimate Uganda Adventure Safari

On this day, after breakfast at your lodge you will meet your safari driver guide and you will drive to Lake Mburo National Park with stopovers at the Equator for photographs and another stopover for an en-route lunch. You will then proceed arriving at the Lodge in time for an afternoon boat cruise, after you will do an evening game drive and later dinner and an overnight stay.

Lake Mburo National Park is home to several animal species including topi, eland, klipspringer, zebra, buffalo, oribi, sitatunga, leopard and a variety of water and acacia savannah bird species such as the marabou stork, bronze tailed starling, and Uganda’s national bird, the beautiful grey crowned crane. Your stay at Lake Mburo will provide you with opportunities to experience the park’s vast wildlife in a variety of settings including morning and afternoon game drives, guided walks, and boat rides around the lake.

Drive time: Approximately 4-5 hours

Accommodation:Kigarama Safari Lodge or Rwakobo Rock Lodge

After breakfast at your lodge you will check-out and go for a morning sunrise game drive, after you will drive to Lake Bunyonyi for an evening relaxing sightseeing at the lake, dinner and an overnight stay at Bird nest Resort Cottages.

Lake Bunyonyi located in south-west Uganda is believed to be one of the deepest lakes in Africa, probably even one of the most beautiful lakes in Africa as well, dotted with numerous islands and surrounded by terraced hills. With its scenic environment, cool weather and numerous little islands, the place has been well marked as a great spot to relax and chill out and offers visitors a number of choices when it comes to things to see and do.

After breakfast at the lodge, you will go for a boat cruise on Lake Bunyonyi to visit the historical islands, after you will drive south to Bwindi impenetrable national park arriving in the afternoon at the Lodge for check-in, later have dinner and an overnight stay.

Drive time: 2-3 hours drive

Lodging: Buhoma Community Havens Lodge/Buhoma Community Rest Camp

After breakfast at the lodge, you will drive to the park headquarters for a briefing from the Uganda wildlife Authority ranger guides who will allocate you a gorilla family group you will trek with on that day. Once you have your 8 people group is confirmed, the 2 ranger guides will lead you into the thick impenetrable forest to start your search for the endangered rare species of Mountain Gorillas. The gorilla search always continues from the place where they were last seen the previous day. Upon reaching the area where these famous species are, you will only be allowed to interact with them for a maximum of one hour and you should always keep maximum silence while with these Gorillas. You are allowed to take photographs and so on.

Gorilla tracking can sometimes be strenuous depending on the trek that day which is normally determined by weather and the movement of the gorillas in the forest but given the fact that it is a very well organized activity you have 99% chances of seeing the gorillas on your trek. The trek is guided by advanced trackers who monitor the mountain gorilla movements all day in the forest and so this they will know where they nested for the last night and that’s where you start from looking for them. The 2 ranger guides will lead you all through the trek clearing trails, creating new trails and sharing with you information about the mountain gorillas and Bwindi forest. After the trek you will retrieve back to the starting point to pick your certificates as a sign of successful tracking of mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

Lodging: Buhoma Community Havens Lodge/Buhoma Community Rest Camp

After breakfast you will drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park arriving in the afternoon at the park, you will have an en-route game drive and stopovers along the way for sightseeing. On arrival at the hotel you will be warmly welcomed and checked-in for relaxing, later you will go for an evening game drive in search for late grazers and after return to the lodge for an overnight stay.

Overnight stay at Enjojo Lodge or Ishasha Jungle Lodge

After breakfast you will go for game drives in the Ishasha sector to search for tree climbing lions and other wildlife although spotting them depends on your luck and the weather of the day, as we cannot make any appointments with nature.

Overnight stay at Enjojo Lodge or Ishasha Jungle Lodge.

On this day you will head to the north of the park arriving at midday for Lunch and afternoon game drive. Queen Elizabeth National Park is the most popular and diverse conservation area with a variety of habitats ranging from grassland, acacia woodland, forests, wetlands and open water which sustains a wide range of mammals with the major ones being the Big 4 animals and a remarkable tally of bird life boosting to over 604 bird species.

Lodging: Elephant Hab Lodge/Buffalo Safari Lodge

After your breakfast you will drive to Kasenyi plains for a morning game drive in search for early bird wildlife. Some of the animals you will see include the elephants, large herds of buffalos, leopards, lions, bushbucks, kobs, antelopes, bushbucks and so much more.

The morning game drive will take you approximately 2-3 hours and then after you will drive to Mweya peninsula for hot lunch, relax and go for an afternoon boat cruise safari on Kazinga Channel. This boat ride is something worth it and is considered as a highlight of your safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park, you will have a chance to see various wildlife as they enjoy the shores of the channel, hippos enjoying the swim and various bird species. After the cruise return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and an overnight stay.

Lodging: Elephant Hab Lodge/Buffalo Safari Lodge

On this day you will start with a visit to Katwe Salt Lakes, after you will drive to Kibale National Park with a stopover for lunch enroute to the National Park. Depending on the time you arrive you will have a nature walk through the Bigodi Swamp awesome enjoying the sightseeing of the resident monkeys and birds.

Kibale Forest National park is home to 13 species of primates and over 335 bird species making it a popular destination for birders and primates lovers.

Drive time: 1-2 hours drive

Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee guest house/Turaco tree tops

After breakfast at your lodge you will drive to Kibale National Park headquarters to meet your guides for the day and begin your chimpanzee tracking experience. Experienced guides, researchers and trackers will accompany your party on an early morning trek into the forest to view wild chimpanzees as well as several other species of primates in their natural habitat.  You will have an opportunity to be within meters of these amusing and very social apes for four hours, sharing in their daily lives and experiencing their day-to-day activities. They will take you through the whole tracking process. Chimpanzees, our closest cousins, are extremely endangered with only an estimated 5000 remaining in Uganda. 

Please note that tracking may be fairly strenuous as the chimpanzees are highly mobile as they search for food throughout the forest. Also, chimpanzees are wild animals and as such sightings cannot be guaranteed.

Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee guest house/Turaco tree tops

On this day you will meet your guide and drive to Murchison Falls National Park and on arrival you will have an overnight stay at Pakuba safari lodge. You will have an en-route visit to the top of the falls and an evening game drive in search for late grazers then you will proceed to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Murchison falls National Park is the largest National Park and conservation area in Uganda with an area of 3840 kms. The River Nile divides the park into the north and south sectors and forms fall where it flows over the western rift valley escarpment.  Here, the river is forced through a 6-metre gap in the rocks and cascades into a boiling pot 40 meters below. A boat cruise up-stream to the falls provides an unforgettable experience! Visitors are able to watch a variety of animals. These include the elephant, buffalo, giraffe, lion, hippo, crocodile, several antelope species and many species of bird life along the Nile as the boat travels along. 

Drive time: Approximately 6-7 hours drive

Overnight stay: Pakuba Safari Lodge /Paraa safari Lodge

Meal Plan: Full board

After breakfast, you will go for your morning game drive that will provide you with an opportunity of spotting wild game that includes the giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes, hippos and if you are lucky cats such as lions and leopards. You will then return to the lodge for a lunch break before proceeding to the pier for your two-hour boat cruise to the bottom of the falls to witness how river Nile squeezes itself in a narrow gorge before exploding out producing an experience of a lifetime, during your cruise you will as well encounter various wild animals elephants and, hippos as they enjoy the banks for river Nile, reptiles and birds.

Overnight stay: Pakuba Safari Lodge/ Paraa safari Lodge

Meal Plan: Full board

On this morning, you will embark on a cruise downstream on the cool, calm morning water with breakfast on-board. Home to a wide variety of wetland and papyrus endemic bird species, including the elusive shoebill stork, this three to five hour cruise offers a unique opportunity to spot rarely found birds and animals such as hippo, elephants and large crocodiles. Travelling through the center of Murchison Falls National Park, guests can experience the constantly changing scenery of the Nile River as it winds its way to Lake Albert. You can also have a 2nd Game Drive – North Bank after lunch or if you wish in the late afternoon head out for one more game drive to try and spot any species you missed the first time around.

Overnight stay: Pakuba Safari Lodge or Paraa safari Lodge

Meal Plan: Full board

On this day you will connect to the largest park in Uganda, Kidepo National Park. You may find some seasonal springs and rivers often crossed by bridges and also start seeing Karamojong people arriving in Kidepo in the evening and after relax at the Lodge or go for a mini evening game drive.

Kidepo Valley National Park lies in the rugged semi-arid valleys between Uganda’s borders with Sudan and Kenya, some 800km from Kampala. Gazetted as a national park in 1962, it has a profusion of big game and hosts over 77 mammal species as well as around 475 bird species. Kidepo is Uganda’s most isolated national park but the few who make the long journey north through the wild frontier region of Karamoja would agree that it is also the most magnificent, for Kidepo ranks among Africa’s finest wildernesses. From Apoka, in the heart of the park a savannah landscape extends far beyond the gazetted area towards horizons outlined by distant mountain ranges. During the dry season, the only permanent water in the park is found in wetlands and remnant pools in the broad Narus Valley near Apoka. These seasonal oases, combined with the open, savannah terrain make the Narus Valley the park’s prime game viewing location.

Overnight stay at Kidepo savannah Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

On this day you will have game drives in the valleys of Narus and Kidepo since they have difference in the animals they inhabit. Valley is a rolling, grassland plain enclosed by distant mountains. The valley has permanent water and for much of the year the park’s wildlife congregates here. Thus, the area is well provided with game tracks with four loop circuits exploring the valley around Apoka. Many creatures such as lions, Jackson’s hartebeest, buffaloes, giraffes, oribis and reedbucks can be seen in the valley. Less commonly seen are cheetahs and leopards. The Narus dam and the water hole near the Tourism Centre are perfect observation points for game, especially during the dry season. At the southern end of the Katurum loop, Katurum kopje (the site of a derelict lodge) is an attractive destination with superb views north across the valley towards the Morungule mountain range. Kidepo Valley for most of the year, a lack of surface water means that little wildlife is found in Kidepo Valley though it is still worth the drive to visit the dry Kidepo River to stroll along its 50m wide bed of white sand between banks covered with borassus palms.

Overnight stay at Kidepo savannah Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

You will go for your second day full day game drives in Kidepo valley national park. You will have a chance to search for the animals you missed the previous day.

Overnight stay at Kidepo savannah Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After an early morning breakfast, you will drive back to Narus valley to enjoy a morning game drive. You can try to look out for the same animals and may be able to meet other species as you continue with the drives. You will proceed to Kidepo River as you pave your way to the Karamojong community. The valley is surrounded by hills which makes the scenery very stunning. The Karamajongo are very famous as cattle keepers who love their cattle. Visit their home steads known as the Manyatas, they will dance for you and explain their culture to you and then drive to Gulu for dinner and overnight

Overnight stay at African Roots Gulu

Meal plan: Full board.

This is the last day of the 18 Days ultimate Uganda adventure trip. You will meet your guide and drive back to Kampala/Entebbe via the Rhino sanctuary for on foot rhino tracking and hot lunch after which you will proceed for drop off to end your safari.

Ziwa rhino sanctuary is a popular destination and most of the safari travelers travelling from Murchison towards Kampala/Entebbe include a stopover at the sanctuary as a permanent part of their itineraries. Feedback from visitors is extremely positive and our visitor numbers are expected to continue to grow.

A security force of 80 Rangers of which many are armed, patrols the fence, guard the gates, and monitor the rhinos 24 hours each day. The sanctuary is not only home to the rhinos but also to approximately 20 other species of wildlife as well as 300 different bird species highlighting Uganda’s unique biodiversity and emphasizing the importance of conserving it. The conservation effort is proving successful as we see the numbers of wildlife growing within the sanctuary.  While here you will also go in search of the elusive shoe bill which is one of the Great birds and one not to miss while on safari in Uganda.

End of the 18 Days Ultimate Uganda Adventure Safari. Book Now