21 Days Around Uganda Safari

Today you will arrive at Entebbe airport and you will be welcomed by your safari guide. Depending on your time of arrival, you may have an optional city tour of Entebbe town.

Entebbe is one of the oldest towns in Uganda and has many buildings that date over half a century ago. It sits on the shores of Lake Victoria and here is found the only international airport in Uganda.

After early morning breakfast, the guests will proceed to Mabamba swamp where most of the birding is done by canoeing. Mabamba swamp lies on the border of Lake Victoria and is one of the most sought after birding spots in Uganda.

The swamps are famous as home to the elusive Shoebill stork. Other birds to be seen include; African Water rail, Purple Gallinule, Squacco, Goliath, Grey Herons, a variety of Egrets and ducks.

After the birding trip in the swamps, you will head to the capital Kampala where you will have lunch. In the afternoon you have an opportunity to visit the Buganda kings’ palace, cathedrals, Gadhafi mosque and Bahai temple all around the city. You may also visit the Uganda Museum. You will return to your hotel in the evening.

Early in the morning you will drive from Kampala to Jinja and assemble at the water rafting point for an initial briefing. You will be fitted out with life jackets and helmets before heading off downriver to the start point.

Once down at the river’s edge, you will receive a detailed safety briefing, before launching into the river for some practical instruction. The rafting carries through meanders of the Nile through beautiful scenery and challenge points selected for an enthralling but safe adventure. You have the opportunity to choose the intensity of your adventure and the level of rapids to raft.

After lunch, you will drive to Jinja town for a city tour and boat ride to the source of the Nile. Jinja town is best known for the source of the Nile where the river starts its 4000-mile journey to the Mediterranean from Lake Victoria.

After an early breakfast, depart for Kapchorwa town to visit Sipi waterfalls. You shall have a nature walk to the Sipi falls. These are a series of 3 magnificent waterfalls.

You shall walk to the base of the falls and relax while taking a dip in the cool water of the falls, located at the base of Mt Elgon. Mount Elgon itself is a 4,321 metres high extinct volcano which, in prehistoric times stood taller than Kilimanjaro.

The Sipi Falls area, found at the base of Mount Elgon is particularly famous for Bugisu Arabica Coffee produced and grown by the local farmers. Arabica coffee grows best at an altitude of between 1,600 and 1,900 meters, it is the main cash crop in the area and genuinely one of the finest coffees in the world.

You will be led by local guides to tour coffee farms owned by the locals. You will also learn about post-harvest handling and local methods of roasting coffee.

Today shall be a day to relax in the Eastern Uganda region. You may spend it at your accommodation or take an adventurous hike to Wanale ridge outside Mbale town.

The site is significant to the traditions of the local Bamasaba as initiation grounds where boys and circumcised and initiated into manhood. The biennial ceremony is locally called “imbalu”. While up the ridge, you will enjoy spectacular views of the countryside.

Today you will start the long drive from Mbale to Kidepo Valley National park. Gazetted as a national park in 1962, it has a profusion of big game and hosts more than 77 mammal species as well as about 475 species of birds.

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. Kidepo ranks among Africa’s finest wildernesses with a picturesque savannah landscape extending far beyond the gazetted area, towards horizons outlined by distant mountain ranges. Depending on your time of arrival, you may have a short evening game drive in the park.

After breakfast, you will embark on an extensive all-day game drive in Kidepo valley national park. You will carry a packed lunch and with the company of a ranger guide, start your search for the animals and birds of Kidepo.

The park ranger will help you spot the lions that may be sitting on the valley’s various rocks. Other wildlife includes elephants, leopard, bush duiker, jackal, bushbuck, bush pig, ostrich, buffalo and much more, in the wild Narus Valley.

The game drive will traverse open plains that extend past Kanangorok Hot Springs towards mountains across the Sudanese border. This is the part of the park where ostriches are most commonly seen. At the hot springs, you will take a brief walk to observe and photograph.

Kidepo Valley National Park offers a range of nature walks depending on your strength or preference. Shorter guided walks of around two hours can be taken through the Narus Valley extending over a 5-kilometre radius from Apoka Tourism Centre. The walk to Lomej Mountains can last four hours, the hike starts at 7 am.

Guests can also wander along the splendid Kidepo River Valley between banks of attractive Borassus palm forest. Namamkweny Valley can be reached in one hour from Apoka. In the afternoon you will take a visit to a willing community of Karimojong.

Discover the unique culture of this remote tribe with the Lorukul Cultural Group, located just outside Kidepo Valley National Park. Their main livelihood is herding livestock, and the social and cultural importance will be explained as you walk with the guides to the traditional Karamojong manyattas (homesteads), granaries (food storage) and cattle enclosures.

Learn how the villagers make their distinctive beads, sample the local cuisine, and even learn the tribe’s folklore and beliefs.

You will depart from Kidepo Valley National Park in the morning and drive to Murchison falls national park via Kitgum and Gulu.

Along the way, you may have a brief stop at Aruu waterfalls. Explore this pristine site and enjoy numerous photography opportunities. You will also stop in Gulu town for lunch.

Upon entry into Murchison falls national park, you will head to your accommodation and relax after the long drive.

After an early breakfast, proceed for a game drive.

Murchison falls National Park is the largest in Uganda and boasts of 76 mammals’ species and 451 birds’ species. Elephant, Cape buffalo, Rothschild's giraffe, Uganda kob, hartebeest and waterbuck are commonly seen. You may also spot oribi, bushbuck, Bohor reedbuck, bush duiker, warthog and bush pig. Large carnivores include lion, leopard and spotted hyena.

After lunch, you will go for a boat safari upstream the calm Victoria Nile. En-route, marvel at the toothsome hippos and crocodiles and over this 17 km stretch where you may also see elephant, waterbuck and Uganda Kob besides the Nile.

This is also a zone of many bird species like Goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelican bee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant and the rare shoebill stork. The boat will stop just tens of metres from the sinister, frothing and bubbling base of the falls.

You will then leave the boat and take a guided hike to the top of the thunderous Murchison falls. You will enjoy spectacular photography moments at the top of the falls before being picked up by your guide to return to your accommodation.

After breakfast, you will depart Murchison falls national park and drive southwards to Fort Portal town. This long drive will last 5 – 6.5 hours. It will lead you through the green countryside with some rough road surfaces.

Along the way, you will enjoy spectacular views of tea plantations. You may stop at any of them for photo moments and also interact with the tea pickers. You will stop in Fort Portal town for lunch. Later you will proceed to your accommodation near Kibale Forest National Park.

After breakfast, you will embark on the search for chimpanzees inside Kibale Forest national park. You will be led by experienced ranger guides who will provide detailed information, not only about primates but on all the forest fauna and flora and will ensure that your walk is both informative and enjoyable. The tracking lasts approximately 3 hours. You will spend an hour photographing the chimps before concluding and returning to the lodge.

In the afternoon you will visit Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary to search for smaller mammals and primates. Look out for the rare red colobus monkey and the sitatunga. The guided 4.5km circular trail through the swamp is also one of the best-guided bird trails in East Africa as well as offering a realistic opportunity to see up to six different primate species in a space of a few hours. This walk is excellent for viewing bird life and seeing primates at close quarters.

Fort Portal is regarded as one of the most beautiful places in Uganda. Nestled in the foreground of the Rwenzori mountain ranges, the region receives abundant rainfall that keeps it green through most times of the year. It is covered in gentle hills and dotted with numerous crater lakes.

Today you will have an opportunity to tour the region by bike. You will ride through numerous tea plantations and pay a visit to one tea factory where you will briefly observe the processing. You will also ride to Saaka Crater Lake, then to Kichwamba hills on your way to Amabeere ga Nyinamwiru caves where you will learn the myths behind the stalagmites and stalactites rows.

Tour the dark caves and check out the series of waterfalls inside. Your biking tour shall end in Fort Portal town where you will be able to visit the Kings’ Palace, cathedrals and a children’s home if you wish. You will then check into your accommodation in Fort Portal town.

In the morning, proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park following the mystical Ruwenzori Mountain range for much of the journey.

Along the way, you will have a stop at Rubona Trading centre where you will visit a group of women who make and sell colourful baskets. This association of women was started to support families affected by HIV in the area.

The women will demonstrate how they use local herbs to dye materials that they use in different colours. You may also purchase some baskets as souvenirs to support them.

Upon arrival into the park, you may choose to do an evening game drive which might be rewarded with the spotting of antelopes, elephants, buffaloes and sometimes lions.

Early in the morning, in the company of researches; you will set off for an experiential predator tracking game drive in Queen Elizabeth national park. This activity gives you an opportunity to follow the Lions with the help of tracking devices.

You will be able to have up-close photography opportunities and vast information about the cats from the researchers. Queen Elizabeth National Park's diverse eco-system of grassy plains, tropical forest, rivers, swamps, lakes and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife. Along this game drive, you will also be able to see the leopard, giant forest hog, Cape buffalo, elephants, defassa waterbuck, Uganda Kob, Topi and bushbuck.

In the afternoon, you will enjoy the unique 2-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel and into Lake Edward. This trip passes through possibly the highest concentration of hippos and many animals may be seen drinking at the water's edge. This launch cruise offers an excellent platform for photography, bird watching and game viewing.

Ishasha Sector in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National park on the border between Uganda and DR Congo. This section is comprised of grassland and woodland savannah. It is famous for the sighting of tree-climbing lions on most parts of the day.

The sector also hosts large herds of buffalo, elephants and antelopes. Hyenas and leopards may also be spotted on some days. You will enjoy a full-day game drive in this section of Queen Elizabeth National park.

You will be assisted by a ranger guide to search for the big cats. The game drive shall end in the evening with a sundowner at just the perfect spot inside the park.

After breakfast, you will check out of the Ishasha sector as you start your journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park. You will visit a home neighbouring the national park to see the measures that the natives have adapted to ensure harmonious coexistence with wildlife from the park.

You will also visit a school in Kihihi where you may take part in teaching the pupils about environmental contribution and also plant trees with them. You are free to donate any materials or support to the school.

Afterwards, you will drive through the "Switzerland of Africa" area known as the Kigezi Highlands with its terraced hillside and winding roads to Bwindi. You will proceed to your accommodation located in the foreground of Bwindi impenetrable national park - the home of Mountain Gorillas in Uganda.

After an early breakfast, you will be transferred to the park headquarters from where you shall be briefed and grouped for the Gorilla trekking exercise.

You will be led by experienced ranger guides and guards off into the tangled and mist-shrouded forests with trackers that assist in locating the gorillas by finding the nest the family had used the previous night.

The search for these majestic animals goes through the thick untamed rainforest and it can be arduous at times, but the encounter is worth the effort. Tracking gorillas on average takes 3 to 8 hours depending on how far the animals have moved. Watching gorillas in their natural habitat is a memory that will last a lifetime.

The experienced ranger guides will freely share with you a lot of information about the history and lifestyle of the Gorillas. You will spend an hour following, observing and photographing the Gorillas as they feed, play and groom each other.After the experience, you will exit Bwindi Forest and proceed to Lake Bunyonyi where you shall relax.

This day is at your disposal to relax and enjoy the idyllic settings of Lake Bunyonyi. You may choose to swim at the hotel or receive a massage. You can also swim in Lake Bunyonyi – which is Bilharzia free and safe from life-threatening animals. There are also a number of optional adventure activities you may choose to do around Lake Bunyonyi. These include:

• Biking around the Lake Bunyonyi
• Island tours in canoe boats
• A boat ride around the islands
• Adventure park challenge and zip lining across the Lake.
• A community and school tour. All these activities can be arranged a day prior.

After an early breakfast, you will and drive to Lake Mburo National Park. You will have lunch along the way and also enjoy more photography stops. Lake Mburo national park neighbours prominent cattle keeping communities locally referred to as “Bahima” who rare the famous long-horned Ankole cows.

Traditionally, these communities depended mainly on their animals though this has changed of late. You will visit one of the neighbouring homes and take part in some management practices like milking. You will also learn about the traditional ways of fermenting and preserving milk. You will then proceed to your accommodation to relax.

Early in the morning, you will proceed for a morning nature walk under the escort of an armed ranger. Enjoy the sights of animals including close encounters with herds of Zebra and antelopes.

You will return to the lodge for breakfast and later depart for Entebbe where you will take your flight to your next destination. There will also be time to stop at the equator for photographs.