Uganda is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Africa due to the abundance of animal species including some of the most rare. Our 20 Days Best of Uganda Safari takes you to explore most of Uganda has to offer.
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe airport – Kampala (1.5 hours’ drive)
Upon your arrival at Entebbe International airport, complete the Immigration formalities. On your arrival exit, you will meet the driver guide holding a paper bearing your names. Meet and greet with our office representative and then you are transferred to your booked accommodation either in Kampala. Overnight Kampala Serena Hotel (Luxury) or Latitude 0 Degree Hotel Kampala (High end). This marks the start of the 20 Days Best of Uganda Safari.
Meal Plan: Dinner. Click Here To Enquire
Day 2: Visit the source of the Nile
After breakfast, drive to Jinja via Sezibwa falls which has culture related to Buganda Kingdom. Proceed to Mabira Forest for a brief nature walk and it is an opportunity to enjoy the calm nature in Mabira forest. Later, drive to Jinja for the source of the Nile boat cruise. This is where the Nile River starts from as confirmed by John Speke. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered the longest river in the world, though this has been contested by research suggesting that the Amazon River is slightly longer. Later, proceed to Sipi falls which is a series of three waterfalls in Eastern Uganda in the district of Kapchorwa, northeast of Sironko and Mbale lying on the slopes of Mount Elgon National Park. Overnight at Mount Elgon Hotel (Luxury) or Mbale Resort Hotel (High end) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 3: Sipi falls visit Abseiling and Coffee tour experience
After breakfast, head to the base of Sipi falls, this is the most awe-inspiring activity in Eastern Uganda Just below Mountain Elgon National Park. The water fall hike to see the three series of Sipi waterfalls its amazing, it will take 3 hours along with your camera and it will be full of stunning Sipi falls photos. Proceed for Abseiling where you will descend with a rope on your west down to the base of the Sipi water falls. The evening will be spent on coffee tour experience where you will have crop to mouth experience of the coffee with the locals in the community. Overnight at Mount Elgon Hotel (Luxury) or Mbale Resort Hotel (High end) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 4: Sipi falls – Kidepo Valley National Park
After breakfast, drive to Kidepo Valley National Park which is one of the outstanding National Park in Africa with extinct wildlife species. Kidepo is the isolated national Park in Uganda located in Karamoja region sharing borders with South Sudan and Kenya. It seats on 1,442km2 and it is being dominated by the 2,750m of Mountain Morungole, partly rugged savannah and also transversed by the Kidepo and Narus rivers. It consists of 77 mammal species and 475 species of birds. This is one of the National Park which is compared to Masai Mara in Kenya, Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and Etosha National Park in Namibia. So Kidepo is one option to think of in your Uganda safari. On your arrival in the late afternoon. Check into your lodge and relax. Dinner and Overnight at Apoka Safari Lodge (Luxury) or Adere Safari Lodge (High end) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Kidepo Valley National Park
Have your breakfast in the morning and proceed for the game drive escorted by the armed ranger guide into the Kidepo Savannah. The guides will help you spot a variety of wild animals including Lions, Leopards, Elephants, Buffaloes, Giraffes, Hyena, and wild dog, Uganda Kobs, Jacksons Hartbeests, Oribis, Common Zebra, Bat-eared Fox, Carcal, Cheetah, Klipspringer, Striped Hyena, Lesser Kudu, Grant’s gazelle, Bohor Reedbuck, Waterbuck and Kongoni, Guenther’s Dik Dik. Senegal Galago and Side striped Jackal, White-tailed Mongoose. The afternoon will be for a cultural treat within the Karamojong communities and manyattas. So you will come into contacts with people in Kidepo and Karenga area. Meet the elders and cultural leaders of the community. They will show their Kraals, traditions, grinding stones and many other things regarding their local lifestyle. It is an amazing experience to interact with the locals in Karomoja. Enjoy your time as you return to your lodge for dinner and overnight at Apoka Safari Lodge (Luxury) or Adere Safari Lodge (High end) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 6: Kidepo Valley National Park – Murchison Falls National Park
Begin your day with breakfast, start your journey to Murchison Falls National via Aruu falls in Gulu, Very impressive place. The falls are incredible and there is a place where it is wallow as you see the water flowing over the rocks and you can take amazing pictures in this amazing place. Proceed to Murchison falls National Park. The park consists of 76 species of mammals and 451 species of birds. Expect breath-taking views of the mighty River Nile and the lush Murchison falls National Park. The tour experience along the mighty Victoria Nile is unforgettable. It divides Murchison Falls National Park into two banks, both the southern and northern bank. Dinner and overnight at Nile Safari Lodge (Luxury) or Paraa Safari Lodge (High end) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 7: Murchison Falls National Park
Have your morning breakfast and pick your armed ranger guide from Mubako ranger guide post ready for the morning game drive. The game drive is done in the northern bank of the park for 3-4 hours and it starts as early as 6:00am. It is an opportunity to meet and watch late hunters and early risers. Expect to see Lions, Elephants, Buffaloes, Hyena, Giraffes, Jackson hartebeest, Uganda kobs, Oribis, waterbucks and if you are lucky the leopard. The afternoon will be spent on a 3 hour boat cruise along the Victoria Nile to the bottom of the falls. This is where the world’s longest river explodes violently through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge into a frothing pool 43m below. In this 17km boat cruise stretch, you will have an opportunity to see the schools of hippos, crocodiles, Uganda kobs, buffaloes, and waterbucks including many birds like Goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelican, bee-eater, kingfisher, Hadada Ibis, cormorant and the rare shoebill stork. The boat cruise takes 3 hours. Dinner and overnight at Nile Safari Lodge (Luxury) or Paraa Safari Lodge (High end) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 8: Transfer to Kibale National Park
After breakfast, drive to Kibale National Park via the Albertain rift valley through Bugungu game reserve, Lake Albert and the Albertain escarpment. Traverse through the lush countryside and local and traditional homesteads to Kibale National Park via Fort portal tourism city. The park is known to sustain 70 species of mammals of which 13 are primate species with over 5000 chimpanzee individuals. Overnight at Kyaninga Lodge/ Chimpundu Lodge (Luxury) or Turaco treetops (High end) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 9: Chimpanzee trekking and relaxation
After your early morning relaxed breakfast, drive to the park headquarters in Kanyanchu. You will be briefed by the park warden or a ranger guide about the history of the park with rules and regulation of your Chimpanzee trekking experience. You will be escorted into the park by the armed ranger guide in search of chimpanzees. Enjoy seeing the chimpanzees play, eat, couple and communicate through their vocal calls and so often you will find them in the groups of between 5-20 individuals. This experience is rewarding and it is a chance to see other primate species like Olive Baboons, Bush babies / Demidoff Galago, Black and White colobus, Potto, Vervet monkeys, Blue monkeys, and Grey Cheeked mangabey among others. After your return, you will be given certificates for the successful chimpanzee trekking. The afternoon will be spent on leisure and relaxation at your lodge. Overnight at Kyaninga Lodge/ Chimpundu Lodge (Luxury) or Turaco treetops (High end) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and DinnerDay 10: Visit Sempaya Hot spring and Amabere Caves
Day 10: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After your early morning relaxed breakfast, visit the Nyakasura falls, the so called Amabere caves and later drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. It consists of 95 species of Mammals and 601 species of birds on 1,978 km². The evening will be spent on a game drive in search of Lions, Elephants, Buffaloes, Uganda Kobs and waterbucks. Dinner and Overnight at Ishasha Wilderness Camp/ Kyambura gorge Lodge (Luxury) or Buffalo Safari Lodge (High end) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 11: Game drive and Kazinga Channel Boat cruise
After breakfast, pick the armed ranger guide ready for the early morning game drive on the kasenyi plains, the guide will help you spot several animals including Lions, Elephants, Buffaloes, Hippos, Uganda Kobs, water buck and if you are lucky the leopard and hyena. The afternoon will be spent on a two hours boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel. This channel connects the water flow from Lake George to Lake Edward. It is also an opportunity to see hippos, crocodiles, Buffaloes, Elephants and antelopes on the banks of this Channel with very many bird species since it is known to be the birders haven. Dinner and Overnight at Ishasha Wilderness Camp/ Kyambura gorge Lodge (Luxury) or Bufalo Safari Lodge (High end) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 12: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast, drive to Kyambura gorge yet for another chimpanzee trekking and later proceed to Ishasha sector for another game drive in search of the tree climbing Lions, keep your eyes on the trees as you might spot a lion resting and it is another chance of spotting Elephants, Buffaloes and antelopes. Have lunch and continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site well known to habit more than 461 Mountain Gorilla individuals, a half of the world’s population found both in Bwindi and Virunga region in East Africa. Upon your arrival in the evening check into your room and relax for the next day. Dinner and Overnight at Trackers Safari Lodge / Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge (Luxury) or Buhoma Lodge /Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (High end) Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner.
Day 13: Mountain Gorilla Trekking
Have your early morning breakfast ready with your packed lunch and dressed on gorilla trekking attires; the driver guide will be on standby to drive you to the sector headquarters of your splendid Gorilla trekking experience. A warm welcome from the Batwa cultural dancers as they showcase their musical, tradition and dancing skills. You will be briefed by the park warden or ranger guide as he or she groups you into a group of 8 people to be assigned to a specific Gorilla family. The warden will take you through the brief history of the park, also the dos and don’ts of your gorilla trekking experience. You will be escorted by the ranger guide into the forest in search of the mountain Gorillas accompanied by the porters, It may take 2-6 hours depending on where the Mountain Gorillas built their nests the previous day. However, you are entitled to 1 hour of viewing the Mountain Gorillas upon meeting them. View them play, swing on the trees, eating and coupling. The young ones will always want to involve you in their game affair which is the most interesting moment in this encounter. After this gorilla trek experience, return to your lodge for resting and relaxing on your bed. OPTIONAL Batwa village walk to discover the lifestyle of the local people surrounding Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Dinner and Overnight at Trackers Safari Lodge / Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge (Luxury) or Buhoma Lodge /Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge (High end) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 14: Relaxation at Lake Mutanda
After breakfast, drive to Lake Mutanda, have a rest and after lunch, you will relax and rest at your lodge. Overnight at Chameleon Hill Lodge (Luxury) or Lake Mutanda Resort (High end) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 15: Golden Monkey Trekking and Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
After morning breakfast, you will be transferred to Mgahinga Gorilla National park. Have a briefing from the park ranger guides then walk into the forest for golden monkey trekking. You spend an hour with the golden monkeys seeing them playing, eating and they are inquisitive. Later in the afternoon, you will be driven to Lake Bunyonyi for leisure and relaxation at your lodge. Dinner and Overnight at Birdnest Resort Lake Bunyonyi (Luxury) or Lake Bunyonyi Rock Resort (High end) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 16: Lake Bunyonyi – Lake Mburo National Park
After your relaxed breakfast, drive to Lake Mburo National Park which is part of the Tanzanian plains. The afternoon will be spent on the boat cruise on Lake Mburo, this is where you will see the hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, elands and water backs and Uganda kobs on the shores for this lake, the evening will be spent on a mini game drive to tick more animals found in Lake Mburo National Park. Overnight at Kigambira / Mihingo Lodge (Luxury) or Hotel Triangle (High end) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 17: Mountain Biking and Horse riding in Lake Mburo National Park
Early morning breakfast and depart for the mountain biking on Lake Mburo National Park, this is most rewarding to do biking past Zebra, Elands and Uganda kobs and it is a great feeling to ride up to the communities exploring their lifestyles. It takes 1 -3 hours biking and it needs advance booking because of competition. The evening will be spent on a Horse safari which is an awesome way to see the wildlife around Mihingo Lodge. Without the noise of an engine you can hear so much more and you really feel part of nature. Riding a horse means you often get the chance to see the more timid animals. If you are very lucky you may see eland and buffalo. Ralph and Iddy were even lucky enough to see 2 leopards on a horse ride! However, this was a very rare sighting. You will nearly always see a mixture of warthog, topi, impala, duiker, bushbuck, waterbuck and zebra. Of course the time of year and the weather do affect the number and variety of animals that you see, as the animals graze where the grass is the most delicious. Watching animals from a horse is so peaceful and a totally different experience from being on a game drive; zebras come towards you to check out the strange relative without stripes. Even the eland that are usually very shy, look curiously at the horses without running away, but keep their distance. Overnight at Kigambira / Mihingo Lodge (Luxury) or Hotel Triangle (High end) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 18: Transfer to Kampala
Take your morning breakfast ready to return to Kampala or Entebbe town depending on arrangement. Leave Lake Mburo as you enjoy the farm lands, landscape while observing the lifestyle of the local people along the way, see the local people carry the food staff and farm produce to the markets from their plantations. Visit to Igongo Museum to explore the lifestyle of the Ankole people. Proceed to equator for another photo shoot before continuing to Kampala or Entebbe. Overnight at Kampala Serena Hotel (Luxury) or Latitude 0 Degree Hotel Kampala (High end) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 19: Sunset Boat Cruise on Lake Victoria
Breakfast at your lodge. Leisure and relaxation at your lodge and later in the evening have a sunset boat cruise on the local bays and shoreline of Lake Victoria for 1.5 hours including snacks and drinks on board. The drinks include Bottle of wine (Red or White). The sunset boat cruise starts @ 5.00pm until 6:30pm. Return to the Lodge for dinner and overnight at Hotel No.5 Entebbe (Luxury) or Boma Hotel Entebbe (High end) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
Day 20: Transfer to Entebbe airport
After your morning breakfast, you can choose to do shopping in Entebbe town or choose to relax at your hotel depending on your flight time to the next destination. So our driver guide will be on standby to take you to Entebbe airport for your flight to the next destination. Meal Plan: Breakfast.
End of the 20 Days Best of Uganda Safari.
This 20 Days Best of Uganda Safari package includes.
- Transportation in a 4×4 safari vehicle
- Accommodation and meals as per itinerary
- 1 Gorilla permit, per person to be paid and secured in advance
- Park fees
- Hiking top of the falls
- Sezibwa falls
- Sunset Boat cruise on Lake Victoria
- Source of the Nile visit
- Abseiling and sipi falls hiking
- Coffee experience
- Aruu falls visit
- Victoria Nile Boat cruise
- Golden monkey trekking
- Nyakasura falls
- Source of the Nile visit
- Sezibwe falls visit
- Kazinga Channel boat cruise
- Game drive
- Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale
- Kyambura gorge chimpanzee trekking
- Services of English speaking driver/guide
- 1 liter bottle of mineral water per day per person during safari
- Fun and other excursions as mentioned in the itinerary.
- AMREF Emergency Evacuation Insurance covers
Optional activities
- Batwa Village walk
- Batwa trail experience
- Gorilla habituation experience (spend 4 hours with mountain Gorillas)
- Flight from Bwindi to Entebbe airport
- White water Rafting on Victoria Nile
The 20 Days Best of Uganda Safari excludes expenses of personal nature like: Air fare, Visa, drinks, laundry, tips to local guides, telephone, porter fee while trekking, personal travel insurance, personal shopping bills and cigars.