16 Days Uganda Gorillas and Wildlife Adventure

The 16 Days Uganda Gorillas and Wildlife Adventure are just perfectly enough to allow you explore almost all the beauties that Uganda received. These amazing 16 days take you to 6 out of the 10 national parks in Uganda. First you will visit Murchison falls national park whose flagship is in the world’s strongest waterfalls that nature positioned here.

You will then visit Kibale forest national park for the chimps, Queen Elizabeth national park for the tree climbing lions, Bwindi impenetrable national park for the mighty mountain gorillas, Mgahinga national park for the golden monkeys and finally Lake Mburo national park for its exceptional wildlife. The 16 days in Uganda will not fail to amuse you.

HIGHLIGHTS

Day 1: Arrival and pick up from the airport
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison falls national park
Day 3: Morning game drive and a boat ride at the Nile
Day 4: Transfer to Kibale forest national park
Day 5: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi wetland
Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 7: Morning game drive and Boat ride on Kazinga channel
Day 8: Tree climbing lions’ tracking in Ishasha sector and Community
Day 9: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park
Day 10: Gorilla trekking and the Batwa community
Day 11: Drive to Mgahinga national park
Day 12: Sabinyo mountain hike
Day 13: Golden monkey tracking
Day 14: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park
Day 15: Walking safari and a boat ride on Lake Mburo
Day 16: Departure

DETAILS of 16 Days Uganda Gorillas and Wildlife Adventure

Day 1: Arrival and pick up from the airport

Arriving at the airport, be received by an experienced driver guide who will be representing our company. He will briefly take you through the whole trip movements and activities while driving you to the lodge where you will spend the overnight.

ACCOMMODATION: LUXURY – Serena Lake Victoria Resort, MIDRANGE – Cassia Lodge, BUDGET – Common Lens hotel / Forest Cottages

Day 2: Transfer to Murchison falls national park

Have an early breakfast and then depart for Murchison falls national park; the largest park in Uganda. The park encloses Murchison falls and hence its name. This is the most powerful waterfall in Uganda on the Nile River. The park has beauty that is incomparable with over 75 different mammal species calling it a home. It offers awesome game drive experiences and the best launch cruises that expose travelers to huge numbers of the aquatic wildlife.

You will have a stopover at the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary to have a chance to track these huge land mammals on foot. Have real close encounters with the Rhinos, an experience that is for a lifetime. From here you will proceed to Masindi town for lunch and then drive directly to the park.

ACCOMMODATION: LUXURY – Paraa Safari Lodge, MIDRANGE –Pakuba Safari Lodge / Murchison River Lodge, BUDGET – Red chili Rest camp

Day 3: Morning game drive and a boat ride at the Nile

Having had a delicious breakfast, embark on the drive through the park. Murchison falls national park being the largest park offers awesome game drive experiences that expose travelers to countless chances of spotting various wildlife species. The park is a home to more than 75 mammal species and on a game drive, chances are that you spot 80% of the wildlife here. The elephants, waterbucks, warthogs, hyenas, buffaloes, oribis, bushbucks, lions, leopards and many other species are guaranteed glances.

After lunch, cool off the warmth from the heavy lunch with a launch cruise on Africa’s longest river, the Nile River. Have amazing views of the world’s most powerful waterfalls as well as the strongest point at the Nile river, and banks evaded by numerous crocodiles, hippos and several seabird species.

Day 4: Transfer to Kibale forest national park

Early morning after breakfast, start the journey to Kibale forest national park; the primate capital of the world homing more than 400 chimps. Have a lunch stop in Hoima town and then proceed to Kibale through Fort Portal town, the once cleanest town in East Africa and currently Uganda’s tourism city.

ACCOMMODATION: LUXURY – Primate Lodge (Luxury cottages), MIDRANGE –Kibale Forest camp / Kyaninga Royal cottages, BUDGET – Rwenzori view guest house

Day 5: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi wetland

After an early breakfast head to the park headquarters for a simple briefing about the rules and regulations of chimp trekking in Kibale national park by the park ranger.

Enter into the profuse jungle to hunt down the chimps and have a moment with our next cousins in the forest. On the chimp search come across other different primates like the blue and red tailed monkeys, Lhoests, and colobus monkeys and perhaps the forest elephants. On meeting these beautiful chimps spend an hour watching them carry on their daily lives, feed and play from one tree branch to the other.

In the afternoon after lunch you will have a swamp walk in the Bigodi wetland. This gets you closer to even the smallest insights of nature. Spot various bird species, primates and tree species. It is simply a beautiful walk for an evening.

Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park

Setting off will be in the morning after breakfast to head to Queen Elizabeth national park, the medley of wonders. The journeys gives you stunning views of the Rwenzori mountain ranges, the beautiful savanna plains that lie along the road as well as the amazing craters and crater lakes that Queen Elizabeth national park encompasses.

ACCOMMODATION: LUXURY – Mweya Safari Lodge, MIDRANGE – Queen Elizabeth Park View Tourist Lodge, BUDGET – Queen Elizabeth Park View Tourist Lodge

Day 7: Morning game drive and Boat ride on Kazinga channel

After breakfast, have a morning game drive through the park to see the beautiful landscape of the park that is traversed with numerous craters and crater lakes curled in the valleys of small hills in the park. The savanna landscape that homes more than 70 mammal species like the elephants, buffaloes, oribis, warthogs, lions, bushbucks, waterbucks, Uganda kobs and many others which can’t be miss to be spotted on a game drive here.

In the afternoon you will be occupied by a launch cruise at Kazinga channel connecting Lake Edward to Lake George. This is one of the longest water channels in Africa and its shores are populated by several huge hippos, elephants that come over to cool themselves, other wildlife looking for water as well as various bird species. Actually it’s one of the birding spots in Uganda.

Day 8: Tree climbing lions’ tracking in Ishasha sector and Community

On having breakfast, embark on the safari vehicle to drive through the famous Ishasha sector for tree climbing lions. This is one of the only two places in East Africa where these world’s most sought species can be found. And a game drive here will surely expose you to some lions lying in the tree branches of fig trees.

In the evening, you will have an evening walk to the Leopard village and have an encounter with the local people that live in and around the park. Enjoy cultural performances from traditional groups, learn how to cook local foods and also taste the local cuisines

ACCOMMODATION: LUXURY – Ishasha wilderness camp, MIDRANGE – Enjojo lodge, BUDGET – @the River Lodge

Day 9: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park

Wake up to a palatable breakfast, check out of the lodge and then transfer to Bwindi impenetrable forest national park. This is the prime home for mountain gorillas in Uganda with more than 500 forest giants calling it a home. This journey gives spectacular views of the Virunga ranges that are shared by the three African countries of Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo.

ACCOMMODATION: LUXURY – Gorilla safari lodge, MIDRANGE – Gorilla valley lodge, BUDGET – Ichumbi lodge

Day 10: Gorilla trekking and the Batwa community

After an early breakfast, head to the park headquarters for a simple briefing from the park ranger guide about the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking, be divided into groups of eight, the maximum number of people to visit a gorilla family in a day.

Start on the hunt of one of the gorilla groups in Bwindi, an experience so awesome that cannot be easily forgotten. Walking through the rugged terrains of the forest and following the gorillas is a challenging activity that takes you through the thick lush with slippery terrains. Trekkers might also encounter other different mammal species like the forest elephants and buffaloes, bird species and butterflies.

Later in in the afternoon, after lunch have a cultural encounter with the Batwa people. See how the ancient forest people, also known as the first inhabitants of the forest used to hunt with a bow and arrow, learn how to make fire and cook locally. A taste of the local cuisines is a guarantee except to the one who doesn’t wish. Then return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight

Day 11: Drive to Mgahinga national park

Mgahinga national park is one of the neglected parks on almost all Uganda safari itineraries, so this journey takes you to some of the virgin places that have not been fully explored. It is the only park in Uganda where you can spot both the gorillas and the golden monkeys. The journey is also an experience of its own as it exposes you to various sights of beautiful features that lie along the way.

ACCOMMODATION: LUXURY – Chameleon hill lodge / Gahinga lodge, MIDRANGE – Travelers rest hotel, BUDGET – Amajambere Iwacu camp

Day 12: Sabinyo mountain hike

Early morning, have breakfast and head to the park headquarters for a simple briefing the hike. The local guides takes you through the guidelines and the would be requirements for the hike. The hike roughly takes 7 hours, tough this also depends on the fitness of the hikers. It’s a one day hike, tourists ascend and descend on the same day.

Mountain Sabinyo has three peaks and summiting the third peak gives the hiker a chance to stand in three countries of Uganda, Rwanda and Congo at the same time. It is a challenging hike but worth every step taken.

Day 13: Golden monkey tracking

Still wake up to a delicious breakfast, head to the park headquarters for briefing from the local guide about the rules and regulations of golden monkey trekking. Now enter into the forest to look out for these impressive features that hide in the thick forest on Mgahinga Mountain. Meet them and watch then play from one tree branch to the other, feeding and carrying on their daily normal lives. Take as many pictures as you want if the camera doesn’t have a flash.

Day 14: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park

The journey will start in the morning after breakfast, giving you outstanding views of the Kigezi highlands. Have a lunch stopover in Mbarara legendary town of milk and then proceed to Lake Mburo national park. This is the country’s smallest savanna park and the closest to Kampala capital city.

Accommodation: Luxury: Mihingo Lodge, Midrange: Arcadia cottages, Budget: Eagle’s Nest

Day 15: Walking safari and a boat ride on Lake Mburo

In the morning, unlike other parks with game drives, you will instead have a walking safari through the park to have closer encounters with the wildlife and also experience nature out of the 4 wheel vehicles. In a few minutes you will immediately have sights of the impalas, zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, waterbucks, elephants plus so many others.

Later in the afternoon after lunch, have a relaxation with a boat cruise on Lake Mburo. It gives you the best chances to breathe in the freshest air also spot several wildlife species that come to drink water from the lake in the afternoon. Also spot numerous bird species, the park is simply a birders’ haven.

Day 16: Departure

Have breakfast in the morning and drive back to Kampala. We could even take you straight to the airport if your flight is on that day. That will be your end 16 Days Uganda Gorillas and Wildlife Adventure.