9 Day Uganda Safari
Day 1: Kampala
On your arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be met by our Safari guide who will transfer you to your accommodation.
Included meals: Breakfast
Day 2: Kampala to Murchison Falls
You will be picked up from your hotel in Kampala and drive via Bombo and Masindi town to Murchison Falls National Park. Visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Rhino tracking. Have lunch before proceeding to Murchison Falls National Park through Kichumbanyobo gates. If time allows, you will take a drive to the “Top of the Falls” for a breathtaking sight of the raging Nile as it forces its way through a rocky gap barely six metres wide. This is the point where the Nile River explodes through a narrow gorge and cascades down to become a placid river.
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Approximate driving time: 5 hours
Day 3: Murchison Falls
Go for an early morning game drive on the Northern Bank of the Murchison Falls National Park. You may be able to view animals that are unique to the African savannah like giraffe, elephant, antelope, lion, and the Ugandan Kob. Return to the accommodation for a mid-morning breakfast, as you relax to wait for lunch. After lunch, you will go for a launch cruise on the Nile River. The cruise takes you to the bottom of the roaring falls where you will see huge crocodiles, schools of hippos, buffaloes, elephants and a variety of water birds like herons, ducks, cormorants, bee-eaters, skimmers, kingfishers, fish eagles and the rare Shoebill. Return to your accommodation for overnight and dinner.
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: Murchison Falls to Kibale
After an early breakfast, depart for Kibale National Park, via the Albertine Escarpment of the western Rift Valley on the Masindi-Hoima-Fort Portal Road. This will be a long drive south via Hoima to Fort Portal, passing though verdant countryside and traditional homesteads and farms. Fort Portal rests in the shadow of the legendary “Mountains of the Moon”. After checking in, you will go for a guided walk in Bigodi Swamp to look for different bird species like the shining blue kingfisher, Blue-throated Roller and other rare species and also find the fruiting trees, which attract Narina Trogon, Pied Hornbill, Yellow-spotted, Hairy-breasted and Yellow-billed Barbets.
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Approximate driving time: 9 hours
Day 5: Kibale National Park
A relatively early start, to report to the ranger station in Kibale National Park at 8am to track habituated chimps – these delightful apes, more closely related to humans than to any other living creature, are tremendous fun to watch as they squabble and play in fruiting trees. The incredibly diverse forest is home to over 13 species of primates including Red Colobus Monkey, the rare L’Hoest, blue monkey, Grey Mangabey, Pottos, Black-faced Vervet Monkeys, baboons and also Bushbabies. A network of shady forest trails provides much to delight botanists and butterfly lovers, while birders are in for a treat with 335 species recorded including the endemic Prirogrine’s ground thrush. The elusive forest elephant, smaller and hairier that its savannah counterpart, moves seasonally into the developed part of the park, while other terrestrial mammals include buffalo, giant forest hog and a half dozen antelope species.
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6: Kibale to Bwindi
Leave for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, driving through the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth called Ishasha. Here you will take lunch by the Ishasha River and try to find the famed Ishasha tree-climbing lions before continuing on to Bwindi, home to the few remaining mountain gorillas. Bird life and primate life in Bwindi is quite superb, and there is an incredible variety of flora. Bwindi is the bird watchers haven! It holds 348 species of birds and supports 24 of 26 Albertine Rift Endemics that occur in Uganda; and seven red data book species. Once continuous with the forests of the Virunga Volcanoes (Dian Fossey’s stomping ground), Bwindi is now an ecological island, surrounded by cultivation on the rich volcanic soils.
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Approximate driving time: 7 hours
Day 7: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
After an early breakfast and briefing from the guides, set off for mountain gorilla tracking inside the Bwindi Forest. You need to carry drinking water, rain jacket and jungle boots while the rangers will provide you with a walking stick. Gorilla tracking is one of the unique activities in East Africa and you will certainly enjoy photographing and observing the gorillas. After tracking, come back to the accommodation and relax. Should you have the energy this afternoon, you might go for a village walk and see how Ugandans live!
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8: Bwindi to Kampala
The drive back to Kampala stops at the Mpigi Royal Drum Makers. Here you will be able to watch the ceremonial drums being crafted using methods passed down through generations. There will also be time to stop at the equator for photographs and you will arrive in Kampala in the afternoon.
Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Approximate drivng time: 8-10 hours
Day 9: Departure
Spend the day at your accommodation or visit sights around Kampala. Later, check out for your departure flight.
Included meals: Breakfast
Approximate price: US$3950
Ask us about group discounts and/or budget/luxury accommodation options
Inclusions:
- All transport and tours/game drives as listed on the itinerary in a comfortable safari vehicle
- Services of a professional English-speaking driver/guide
- Park entrance fees
- Accommodation and meals as per itinerary
- Boat trips
- Gorilla permit
- Chimpanzee tracking
- All game drives
- Activities included above
Not Included:
- Flights
- Visa fees
- Airport taxes
- Items of personal nature like laundry, bar bills and beverages
- Tipping and any extra expenses not included above
- Accommodation
We recommend luxury or mid-range accommodation, reasonably priced, charming hotels/lodges with private bath, hot water, good service and value. The price is based on two people sharing a double or a twin-bedded room. We reserve the right to substitute equivalent or superior hotels. We make every effort to arrange shared accommodations for single travelers when requested to do so. If the request cannot be honored, a single supplement will apply.
Food
The cost of the tour includes most meals. Check the program to see where food is included and where not.
Journey times
All journey times are close approximations, as you can never quite guarantee what will happen on the African roads. We could be in for a bumpy ride on parts of the route (which adds to the excitement of being on safari!); we may encounter road-works; and of course, there are the photo stops. Either way, you can be certain that although you may be seated for long periods at times during the trip, you will be passing some spectacular countryside and there will always be something of interest to see along the way!
Guide
Your guide will be a professional and experienced English-speaking guide (local).
Gorilla permits
Only when payment has been received can permits for gorilla tracking in the relevant National Park be purchased. Getting a gorilla permit is not a guarantee of seeing a gorilla. Local conditions sometimes mean that access to the gorillas is made impossible at short notice. We are unable to accept liability for any circumstance that might lead to gorilla viewing being cancelled, whether it is closure of the National Park or borders, absence of the gorillas, or security changes. Refunds are at the discretion of the relevant authority and we cannot accept liability for them. We shall endeavor to obtain a refund and if a refund is paid by the relevant authority, we shall pass it on to the client. Note that the chances of seeing the gorillas stand at 98%.
Insurance
It is essential that, before undertaking a holiday with us, you have appropriate insurance for the type of holiday being taken. Such insurance should fully cover death, personal injury, medical expenses, repatriation in the event of accident or illness or death, cancellation or curtailment of the holiday by either side and loss of, damage to, or theft of your personal property. Activities with a greater inherent risk, such as mountaineering, animal tracking on foot, and white-water rafting should be covered. Evacuation cover is provided by OTA for guests undertaking a full safari package.
