Overview
This 15 Days Uganda Wildlife & Adventure Trip will take you to Murchison Falls NP- the most magnificent site on the Nile and Uganda’s biggest wildlife Park, Kibale NP- known for the largest Number of Primates in Africa. The park is home for over 70 mammal species including Zebras and giraffe, 13 species including the Chimpanzee and over 375 species of birds. You will also enjoy a Bigodi wetland nature walk. This trip will also take you to Queen Elizabeth NP to the south of Kibale NP known for tree climbing lions and the highest number of birds in Uganda. You will also go to Bwindi Gorilla Park a UNESCO natural World Heritage Site. This Forest harbors mountain gorillas which are available for trekking, Lake Bunyonyi the second deepest lake in Africa for sightseeing, Lake Mburo Wild life park famous for the largest herd of Zebra in Uganda- it is the only place in Uganda to support a population of Impala (from which Kampala city derives its name and the trip and with Kampala city and cultural heritage sites with a ghetto slum tour and white water rafting on the Nile- the longest river in the world.
Highlights: Kampala, Murchison Falls NP, Kibale NP, Queen Elizabeth NP, Bwindi NP, Lake Mburo, Jinja
Activities: Rhino tracking, game drives, gorilla and Chimp trekking, Boat cruises/ hot air ballooning, white water rafting, photography, slum and ghetto tour, Kampala city and cultural heritage sites tour
15 Days Uganda Wildlife & Adventure Trip itinerary summary
- Day 1: Travel to Murchison Falls National Park
- Day 2: Full day Murchison Falls game drive and boat tour/ Hot Air balloon
- Day 3: Transfer to Kibale National Park
- Day 4: Chimp habituation experience and Bigodi wetland visit
- Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Day 6: Game drive & Boat cruise – Queen Elizabeth Park
- Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park- Ishasha – Bwindi Impenetrable forest: birding and search for tree climbing lions
- Day 8: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest-Gorilla trekking and a visit to Batwa Community
- Day 9: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi: Boat ride, Bird watching, watching the beautiful sunset and photography
- Day 10: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park and boat cruise
- Day 11: Transfer Kampala and a visit to Cultural Heritage sites
- Day 12: Transfer to Jinja: Zip lining
- Day 13: Nile water rafting and Nile sunset cruise.
- Day 14: Quad biking or Bungee jumping then transfer to Kampala.
- Day 15: Visit Kampala Ghetto slum and transfer to Entebbe
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Travel to Murchison Falls National Park
After an early breakfast, drive north-west to Masindi via the Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary where Rhino trekking is a must. After lunch, drive to the largest national park in Uganda that has a large concentration of wildlife animals. We shall reach at the top of Murchison Waterfalls in the afternoon and you’ll be transferred by our guide to your place of accommodation for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Red Chili Hideaway (Luxury, Mid-range, Budget), Parra Safari Lodge (Luxury), Murchison River Lodge (Mid- range) Heritage Safari Lodge (Budget) – Meal plan: Bed and Breakfast
Day 2: Full day Murchison Falls game drive and boat tour/ Hot Air balloon
After an African Cup of Coffee, go for a 2 hours game and expect to find animals that are unique to the African Savannah like the giraffe, lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant hyena, the Uganda Kob etc. The bird life is also impressive, with the African fish Eagle being one of the prized sightings and with luck the rare shoebill stork. There is also a variety of vegetation ranging from riparian forests and swamp lands to broad Savannah. Return to the lodge for breakfast and lunch.
The afternoon will be followed by a 3 hour boat cruise around the Nile River where you’ll also see loads of hippos, crocodiles, antelopes, and aquatic birds along the shore of the River.
Alternative Activity: Hot Air Balloon
Hot air balloon Safari gives you an aerial view of Murchison Falls National Park as you spot the many species wild animals. The hot air balloon is made to fly at the tree altitude so as to bring you closer so that you take a good look at the beautiful Murchison Falls National Park.
Accommodation: Red Chili Hideaway (Luxury, Mid-range, Budget), Parra Safari Lodge (Luxury), Murchison River Lodge (Mid- range) Heritage Safari Lodge (Budget) – Meal plan: Full board
Day 3: Transfer to Kibale National Park
After breakfast drive to Kibale Forest National Park a top destination for tracking wild chimpanzees found in Fort Portal. This day will be a long driving day of 8-9 hours; we will have numerous stops to stretch your legs and Lunch en-route. Dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Luxury: Ndali Lodge, Mid-range: Primate Lodge, Budget: Kibale Forest camp.
Day 4: Chimp habituation experience and Bigodi wetland visit
After Breakfast, go for chimpanzee Habituation Experience in the forest. You will meet chimpanzees and other primates include Gray-cheeked Mangabey, the L’Hoest’s, Red Colobus, Olive Baboon, Red-tailed, and many others. Also elephants, antelopes, buffaloes can be spotted in the forest. You will take a lot more photos and get to learn to identify the chimpanzees as individuals by their markings, scars and other unique features that differentiate them from others.
Butterflies and Birding in the forest is also very rewarding and you could encounter White-naped Pigeon, African Gray Parrot, Black Bee-eater, Hairy-breasted, Yellow Spotted and Yellow Billed Barbet, Chestnut-winged and Purple-headed, Waller’s and Narrow Tailed Starlings, Blue-throated Brown and Superb Sunbirds, White-collared Olive back among others.
After lunch, we shall visit Bigodi wetland to spot the Elusive Sitatunga Antelope in the Papyrus, baboons, bush babies and several other interesting species of birds like the Papyrus, Carruthre’s Cisticola, White-winged warbler and Gonolek.
Accommodation: Luxury: Ndali Lodge, Mid-range: Primate Lodge, Budget: Kibale Forest camp – Meal plan: Full Board.
Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park arriving afternoon. After lunch, take on an afternoon game drive as this is a wonderful way to see wildlife encounters like elephants, buffalo, water bucks, warthogs, tree climbing lions, spotted hyenas, bush bucks, stripped jackal, comical warthogs, elusive leopard, Uganda Kob, lakes and a variety of birds including Ibis, Fish Eagles and vultures among others. Primates include Olive Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Tantalus Monkey and chimps like Blue and Red Tailed Monkey.
Accommodation: Bush Lodge Camp, Mweya Safari Lodge (Luxury), Park view Lodge/ Kasenyi safari lodge (Mid- range), Enganzi lodge (Budget) – Meal plan: Lunch & Dinner
Day 6: Game drive & Boat cruise – Queen Elizabeth Park
After an African cup of coffee, we head out for a morning boat ride along Kazinga Channel one that joins Lakes Edward and George. The cruise is a wonderful way to see hippo, buffalo, Kob and the occasional Nile crocodile and a spectacular bird watching on the water bank. There a variety of 612 bird species of which Martial Eagle, African Skimmer, Eagle-Owl, Amur Falcon, Buttonquail, Harlequin Quail, Blue Quail, Broad Tailed Warbler, Red Capped Lark, African Crake, and Verreaux’s are endemic.
After the 3 hour drive, head back for lunch as you prepare for the afternoon 2 hour boat cruise on Kazinga channel which is home to over 550 hippos; also you will birds and other animals like crocodiles, elephants, antelopes among others. Return and have dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park- Ishasha – Bwindi Impenetrable forest: birding and search for tree climbing lions
After breakfast, embark your journey to Bwindi forest a home to Mountain gorillas via the seasonal Ishasha sector in search of tree climbing lions and if lucky the leopard is also sighted. Arrive in the park and rest and await for a marvelous experience the next day.
Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge / Mahogany Springs (Luxury), Silverback Lodge / Engagi Lodge (Mid- range), Buhoma Community Bandas / Bwindi View Bandas (Budget)-Meal plan: Full Board
Day 8: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest-Gorilla trekking and a visit to Batwa Community
One full day here is dedicated to seeing the gorillas. After an early morning breakfast, proceed to the park headquarters where rangers will give you a short briefing about the precautions to take, vital information about the Gorilla Trekking activity and given a chance to ask anything you and you’re off to track the gorillas. You will be allocated in groups according to your paces. Set off is accompanied by a couple of armed game rangers into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest where mountain gorillas live for Gorilla Trekking. This walk can sometimes be tough and it needs someone so strong.
Trekkers are always advised to carry their rain coats and boots because the weather there is always unpredictable. There are also some potters who always help with the carrying of the luggage on behalf of the visitors but at a small cost. Depending on the day and where your specific family of gorillas are, it can take any time between 1 to 8 hours to find the gorillas and once you find them (and you’ll always find them), you get 1 hour to interact, take photos, and generally gawk at what you’re witnessing but gorillas need their space as they are wild animals.
On your return, you may opt to visit the Batwa community to enjoy some cultural performances before retiring at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge / Mahogany Springs (Luxury), Silverback Lodge / Engagi Lodge (Mid- range), Buhoma Community Bandas / Bwindi View Bandas (Budget)
Day 9: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi: Boat ride, Bird watching, watching the beautiful sunset and photography
After breakfast, you will depart for Lake Bunyonyi. Upon arrival, you will go on a boat ride to enable you visit most of the islands on the Lake. Each Island is named according to the bird species found and some were named because of their purposes for example the Punishment Island which was used by the Bakiga people to drop their girls who got pregnant before marriage. After the Boat ride, return back to the Lodge for relaxation while you watch the beautiful sunset.
Accommodation: Bunyonyi Overland Resort (Budget), Lake Bunyonyi Rock Resort, Lake Bunyonyi Eco Lodge (Luxury) – Meal plan: Lunch & Dinner
Day 10: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park and boat cruise
After early breakfast, we shall drive to Lake Mburo National Park via Mbarara town for lunch and after transfer to Lake Mburo National Park for an afternoon boat ride amidst hippos on Lake Mburo. We shall then check in at your lodge for diner and overnight.
Accommodation options: Mihingo Lodge (Luxury), Lake Mburo Safari Lodge/Rwakobo Rock (Mid-range), Eagle’s Nest Lodge (Budget)
Day 11: Transfer Kampala and a visit to Cultural Heritage sites
After breakfast, we shall head to Kampala with a stopover at the Equator crossing for photography and also buy some souvenirs from craft shop and a lunch break. After lunch, drive to Kampala’s main highlights including the King’s Palace where you can see the prisons Idi Amin tortured his prisoners, Kasubi Tombs the Regal tombs of the Buganda people, Uganda Museum for ethnography & natural history displays, Uganda Martyrs Catholic Shrine Namugongo a Shrine & memorial with a unique design, the Gadhafi Mosque which is the National Mosque, Hindu Temple, Owino Market, Makerere Hill.
Return to your accommodation for dinner and an overnight.
Accommodation: Red Chili Hideaway (Luxury, Mid-range, and Budget)
Day 12: Transfer to Jinja: Zip lining
In the morning after breakfast, transfer to Jinja with a stopover at Ssezibwa waterfalls which is also one of the many destinations for birding in Uganda. After we will proceed to Mabira Forest for zip lining or Mabira canopy.
The Mabira Forest Canopy Super Skyway is a canopy “zip-line” system that sends you soaring between the tallest trees in the rainforest. You will be led across a network of 5 zip-lines that stretches 250 meters across River Musamya. High up in the canopy one is able to enjoy a view of the forest layers, mammals like grey cheeked Mangabeys and red-tailed monkeys, birds like palm nut vultures, African fish eagles, great blue turacos and the roaring griffin falls, making your zip a memorable day!
The hike back from the skyway takes you past the beautiful Griffin Falls.
Optional activity here is mountain biking. Have lunch and proceed to Jinja.
In the afternoon, you will go for a boat cruise and explore the might River Nile, taking in all its beauty. The cruise lasts about 2 hours and you will return to the loge well in time for dinner.
Accommodation: Jinja Nile resort (Luxury), Sunset international hotel (Budget) –Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner
Day 13: Nile Water rafting and Nile sunset cruise.
After Morning breakfast, depart for white water rafting along the Nile. Whether you are a first-timer, family, or high adventure enthusiast, you will find your perfect white-water adventure. The Rafting Trip-starting out with a safety orientation and then off down the river for the most exciting ride of your life.
Lunch on an Island on the river.
In the evening have a sunset cruise along the Nile. Nothing beats an African sunset and particularly one along the Nile.
Accommodation: Jinja Nile resort (Luxury), Sunset international hotel (Budget) –Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 14: Quad biking or Bungee jumping then transfer to Kampala.
After breakfast, you have an option of leaping over the source of the Nile from one of the most spectacular sites for bungee jumping or Guided quad bike safaris off the beaten track and into the warm heart of Uganda. Scenic rides through forests, farms and villages exploring the riverbanks from Bujagali, near Jinja at the ‘Source of the Nile.
After lunch, depart Jinja for Kampala to your place of accommodation for diner and overnight.
Accommodation: Red Chili Hideaway (Luxury, Mid-range and Budget)
Day 15: Visit Kampala Ghetto slum and transfer to Entebbe
After breakfast, your driver will take you to one of Kampala’s ghetto slums a home to some of the most vulnerable populations living below the standard conditions. They are characterized by flooding, inadequate access to sanitation, inadequate access to safe water, Insecure residential status, Poor structural quality of housing, Lots of school dropouts, High rates/levels of noise, crime, drug abuse, immorality (pornography and prostitution) and alcoholism, Children eating from Garbage, High HIV/AIDS prevalence and Overcrowding. You will have a memorable meaningful and fun day through your guided tour, learn about the lifestyle, experiences and touching stories of these simple, happy people who are always excited to see you and offer carefree interaction. Many of the children are forced into work, some just selling sweets on the street, from a young age. Receiving an education is not on the radar for many of them. It can amount to just USD 30 to send one child to school for a term which price is the same price for a meal and drink in developed countries.
You will also sample some local Ugandan food, delicious chapattis and the famous Rolex (it’s a roll with eggs) and some local meat grilling.
Later transfer to Entebbe for your flight.
END OF 15 DAYS UGANDA TRIP
Tour inclusions: Gorilla and Chimpanzee Permits, Rhino tracking, all tour activities as detailed in the itinerary, Park Entry Fees, Transport (in a 4×4 vehicle), Accommodation (Full Board), Drinking water during the safari, Professional English speaking guide/driver and Touring
Tour Exclusions: Extra activities not mentioned in the itinerary
