16 DAYS UGANDA GORILLAS AND WILDLIFE ADVENTURE
The 16 Days Uganda Gorillas and Wildlife Adventure are just perfect enough to allow you to explore almost all the beauties that Uganda has to offer. 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 to 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 on 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 the Kazinga channel
- Day 8: Tree-climbing lions’ tracking in the Ishasha sector and the 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 night.
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 home. It offers awesome game drive experiences and the best launch cruises that expose travellers to huge numbers of 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 – RedChillii Resort
Day 3: Morning game drive and a boat ride on 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 travellers to countless chances of spotting various wildlife species. The park is home to more than 75 mammal species, and on a game drive, chances are that you’ll spot 80% of the wildlife here. The elephants, waterbucks, warthogs, hyenas, buffaloes, oribis, bushbucks, lions, leopard, and many other species are guaranteed to be seen.
After lunch, cool off from the warmth of 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, home to 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 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,s 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 into 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 journey 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 the 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, buffalo, oribis, warthogs, lions, bushbucks, waterbucks, Uganda kobs and many others, which can’t be missed to be spotted on a game drive here.
In the afternoon, you will be occupied by a launch cruise on the 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,y it’s one of the birding spots in Uganda.
Day 8Tree-climbingng lions’ tracking in the Ishasha sector and the Community
After 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 who 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 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 for one of the gorilla groups in Bwindi, an experience so awesome that it 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 mammal species like the forest elephants and buffalo, bird species and butterflies.
Later 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 guaranteed, except for those who don’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 – Travellers’ 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 on the hike. The local guides take you through the guidelines and the requirements for the hike. The hike roughly takes 7 hours, though 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 a briefing from the local guide about the rules and regulations of golden monkey trekking. Now, enter the forest to look out for these impressive features that hide in the thick forest on Mgahinga Mountain. Meet them and watch them play from one tree branch to the other, feeding and carrying on their daily 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, 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 of the 16 Days Uganda Gorillas and Wildlife Adventure.
PRICE INCLUSIONS
- Gorilla permit
- Chimpanzee permit
- Golden monkey permit
- Lion tracking
- Park entrance fees
- All activities as per the itinerary
- Vehicle & Fuel
- Guiding fees
- Drinking water
EXCLUSIONS: Visas, Air tickets, Tips, Souvenirs, Alcoholic drinks, and any other activity outside the itinerary.
