16 Days Explore Uganda Safari

Activities

• Visit to the Source of the Nile
• Explore Mt.Elgon National Park
• Community Visit
• Game Drives
• Boat Cruise
• Chimpanzee tracking
• Gorilla Trekking
• Canoe Ride
• Hiking
• Shoebill Excursion

Tour Highlights

Day 1: Arrival – Transfer to accommodation

Day 2: Travel to Jinja – Tour of Source of the Nile

Day 3: Drive to Mt. Elgon National Park

Day 4: Exploration of Mt. Elgon

Day 5: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park

Day 6: Community Visit – Game Drive

Day 7: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park

Day 8: Game Drive – Boat Cruise

Day 9: Transfer to Kibale National Park

Day 10: Chimpanzee Tracking – Transfer to Bwindi

Day 11: Gorilla Trekking – Community Tour

Day 12: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi – Canoe Ride

Day 12: Hike and Tour of Lake Bunyonyi

Day 14: Drive to Lake Mburo National Park – Boat Cruise

Day 15: Game Walk – Drive back to Entebbe

Day 16: Mabamba Island – Shoebill Excursion and Departure

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival – Transfer to accommodation 

On your arrival in Entebbe, you will be welcomed and transferred by a representative of Great Nest Image Safaris to your place of accommodation. You will spend an overnight here and get a briefing of the tour.

Accommodation Options 

•  Protea Hotel (Luxury)
• Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel (Midrange)
• Peniel Beach Hotel (Budget)

Day 2: Transfer to Jinja – Source of the Nile Tour

Our guide will pick you at 7.00am from where you are residing and drive you to Jinja in the eastern part of the country. There will be an excursion to Ssezibwa Falls in Lugazi town. You will also have a brief stopover at Mabira Forest, the largest remaining tropical forest in Central Uganda. You will then continue to the Source of the Nile in Jinja. You will explore the source of the Nile by boat and later have a brief drive through this historical town before heading to your accommodation.

Accommodation Options:

•  Source of the Smile (Luxury)
• Gately on the Nile (Midrange)
• Chel & Vade Cottages (Budget)

Day 3: Depart Jinja – Transfer to Mt. Elgon National Park

You will after an early breakfast drive eastward to Mt. Elgon. You will have a stopover at Sipi falls for a cultural feel and continue to Kapchorwa town located on the foothills of Mt. Elgon. En-route you will drive past tea and sugarcane plantations, lush green forests and grasslands, colorful fruits beautifully displayed by the roadsides and enjoy a varied display of landscapes and local communities. You will have lunch in Kapchorwa and proceed to tour the  Sipi falls located between beautiful hills and waterfalls. Your dinner and overnight will be at one of the selected lodges adjacent to the Sipi falls.

Accommodation Options

•  Mbale Resort Hotel (Luxury)
• Noah’s Ark Hotels (Midrange)
• Crow’s Nest Rest Camp (Budget)

Day 4: Mt. Elgon Exploration

You will have breakfast and thereafter take a walk to the Mt. Elgon Forest Exploration Center for a briefing on the activities of the day. You can go for an interactive Cultural Community Walk in the Bunduri Community not far from Mt. Elgon. This community group, based in Budadiri, offers cultural dances, guided coffee tours and community nature walks. Visitors can discover the region’s cultural dances, food preparation, folklore and its famous delicacy malewa bamboo shoots. There is also a tour of Mt. Elgon’s famous Arabica coffee processing plants, which supports local farmers.

Accommodation Options

•  Mbale Resort Hotel (Luxury)
• Noah’s Ark Hotels (Midrange)
• Crow’s Nest Rest Camp (Budget)

Day 5: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park

After a very early breakfast, embark on an adventurous road trip to the very far north east of Uganda – to the wild, remote and much lesser visited Kidepo Valley National Park. This particular Explore Uganda Safari in Uganda journey to Kidepo from Mt. Elgon will take you through Pian-Upe wildlife reserve where you will spot some wild animals. You will have lunch on the way and then continue the journey as you view the beautiful landscape and African lifestyle. The road trip will take around 10 hours depending on the weather conditions which determine the state of the roads in this part of the country. You will spend the night at one of the lodges in the park.

Accommodation Options

•  Apoka Safari Lodge (Luxury)
• Kidepo Savannah Lodge (Midrange)
• Apoka Rest Camp (Budget)

Day 6: Community visit – Game Drive in Kidepo

Today you will have a lazy morning allowing you to rest after the long journey. In the late morning hours, you will be taken on a Savannah Safari guided cultural village tour where you will learn about the nomadic lifestyle of the people around Karenga and Kidepo. During this cultural tour you will visit the Karamajong homesteads (manyattas) and see the kraals of cattle, the traditional costumes, stools, spears, headdress, knives, bows and arrows, jewelry, grinding stones and utensils all made locally by the natives. In the evening, after lunch an an afternoon rest, you will be taken for a sunset Savannah Safari game drive to explore more of Kidepo Valley National Park. You will return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation Options

•  Apoka Safari Lodge (Luxury)
• Kidepo Savannah Lodge (Midrange)
• Apoka Rest Camp (Budget)

Day 7: Drive to Murchison Falls National Park

After an early breakfast, we will set off for the tranquil Murchison Falls National Park. The drive will take you through Kitgum and Gulu towns taking approximately 8 hours before reaching Murchison Falls National Park. Lunch will be in Gulu. You will then be transferred to Murchison Falls National Park and then straight to your lodge where you will check in and spend the night.

Accommodation Options

•  Paraa Safari Lodge (Luxury)
• Pakuba Safari Lodge (Midrange)
• Rest Chili Rest Camp (Budget)

Day 8: Game Drive – Boat Cruise

After breakfast, proceed for a game drive on the northern bank of the Nile, giving you a great chance of seeing animals such as giraffes, elephants, lions, hartebeests and different species of birds. After Lunch, the safari will be continued with a boat cruise on the Victoria Nile to the base of the Murchison Falls. Look out for the Nile crocodile, hippos, water bucks and a variety of bird species. Upon reaching the bottom of the waterfalls you will disembark and climb your way up to the Top of the falls where you will be rewarded with amazing views of the falls. After return to your lodge, and enjoy a good night’s rest.

Accommodation Options

• Paraa Safari Lodge (Luxury)
• Pakuba Safari Lodge (Midrange)
• Rest Chili Rest Camp (Budget)

Day 9: Murchison Falls National Park – Kibale National Park

After an early morning breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and head to Kibale Forest National Park in western Uganda. The drive will take around 7-8 hours taking you past the Kijura and Bunyoro escarpments. You will have packed lunch on the way. Dinner and overnight will be at your reserved lodge.

Accommodation Options

• Kyaninga game Lodge (Luxury)
• Mountains of the Moon (Midrange)
• Chimpanzee Forest Guest House (Budget)

Day 10: Chimp Tracking – Transfer to Bwindi

After breakfast you will report at the briefing point for a breakdown of the rules before trekking the chimpanzee. The trek for the chimpanzees takes 2-3 hours and it will provide you with the opportunity to see other primates and animals as well as birds, and various species of butterflies and insects. You will have lunch at your lodge and thereafter drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Accommodation Options

• Gorilla Heights Lodge (Luxury)
• Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge (Midrange)
• Backpackers Lodge (Budget)

Day 11: Gorilla Trekking – Community Tour

The most exciting day of your safari! The briefing is at 8 am and you will learn about gorilla etiquette. Then you will start walking and hiking in the impenetrable forest until you find the gorillas. For one hour, you are allowed to watch those majestic giants! The whole activity can last from a few hours up to a full day, depending on the location of the gorillas as they range freely in the impenetrable forest. Depending on the duration of the track you can either relax in the afternoon at the lodge and just enjoy the view or go for a walk around and explore the village or walk up to the highest football field with the best view ever. Also today, you will carry a packed lunch.

Accommodation Options

• Gorilla Heights Lodge (Luxury)
• Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge (Midrange)
• Backpackers Lodge (Budget)

Day 12: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi – Canoe Ride 

Early in the morning, you will enjoy a heavy breakfast and then check out of your lodge and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi. On arrival, you will check in at the lodge of your booking at Lake Bunyonyi, have lunch and after go for a canoe-ride on the lake.

Accommodation Options

• Lake Bunyonyi Eco-Resort (Luxury)
• Lake Bunyonyi Overland Resort (Midrange)
• Amasiko Homestay (Budget)

Day 13: Hike around Lake Bunyonyi 

This day you will take a walk through the hills surrounding Lake Bunyonyi. The landscape around the lake is made up of steep slopes covered with lush green vegetation protruding from the water’s edge. Bunyonyi means “place of little birds” and as the name suggests, there is plenty of bird life around the lake. You can get to know the seven islands, visit the local families and admire views of Volcano Mountains.

Accommodation Options

• Lake Bunyonyi Eco-Resort (Luxury)
• Lake Bunyonyi Overland Resort (Midrange)
• Amasiko Homestay (Budget)

Meal plan:

• Full Board

Day 14: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park – Boat Cruise

You will have an early breakfast and travel to Lake Mburo National Park centered on a series of swamp-fringed lakes rich in bird life while its green acacia woodland harbors wildlife like the Zebra, warthog, Elands, Impala among others. You will have lunch in Mbarara town and continue the drive to the park. In the afternoon you will go for a 2-hour boat ride on Lake Mburo and get quite close to the water animals that include crocodiles and hippos. You will have dinner and overnight at the lodge of your booking.

Accommodation Options

• Mihingo Eco-Lodge (Luxury)
• Lake Mburo Safari Lodge (Midrange)
• Eagles Nest Camp (Budget)

Day 15: Game walk – Drive back to Entebbe

After breakfast go for an adventurous tour of the park on foot with an experienced game ranger who will explain to you which animals have left behind footprints and droppings and how long ago. Lake Mburo National Park is one of the two parks in Uganda where it is permitted to go for tour on foot. You will after the game walk return to the lodge for lunch and later set off on your return journey to Kampala. You will have a stopover at the Equator where you will have an opportunity to stand in two hemispheres at the same time and take some photos. You will arrive in Entebbe in the late afternoon and check in at your hotel / guest house.

Accommodation Options

• Protea Hotel (Luxury)
• Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel (Midrange)
• Peniel Beach Hotel (Budget)

DAY 16: Mabamba Swamp – Shoe-bill Excursion

After an early breakfast, head out to the Mabamba swamp on the shores of Lake Victoria. This is one of the few remaining swamps in the country protected by the local communities. It is an extensive papyrus swamp, with a labyrinth of channels and lagoons, and is home to several pairs of shoebills, Uganda’s most famous avian resident. This charismatic monotypic species is certainly among the most sought-after birds in Africa. Paddle through the channels by boat. View a good selection of classic East African water birds to observe along the way. Later return to your hotel/guest house and prepare for your departure. You will be transferred to the airport in time to check in for your flight back home.

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