9 Days Best of Uganda Wildlife and Gorillas Safari
This 9 Days Best of Uganda Wildlife and Gorillas Safari will take you to the misty dense jungle of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park (for the endangered mountain gorillas), Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale National Park, and Lake Mburo National Park. While at Bwindi, during gorilla trekking, you will get a close encounter with the mountain gorillas that are said to share 98% with humans. Kibale Forest National Park will introduce you to the world of chimpanzees and other primates, hence the term “the primate capital of the world,” and later visit Bigodi and Kasenda Crater Walk and cultural tour. You will also visit the mighty Murchison Falls National Park to see the eye-catching waterfalls, which are considered to be the strongest waterfalls globally. Expect to enjoy game drives and boat cruises as well.
Day 1: Visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary—Drive to Murchison Falls National Park
Wake up early and prepare yourself around 5:30 am, have breakfast, and after check-out of your hotel, embark on an adventurous trip to Murchison Falls National Park with a visit to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, where you will encounter the white rhinos close to their feet with the help of your site ranger guide. You will spend a maximum of an hour with these majestic gentle giants. Have lunch, and then proceed with your drive guide to Murchison Falls National Park. Upon reaching the park before checking into your booked lodge, visit the top of the falls to enjoy the cascading views of the mighty River Nile from Lake Victoria going through a narrow 7-meter gorge wide that makes it violent and causes a thunderous sound of the falls as they drop into a pool of water, which is so lovely and adventurous. Later proceed to your booked lodge for dinner and an overnight.
Accommodation Option: Paraa Safari lodge (Luxury), Pakuba Safari Lodge (Mid-range), Hornbill Bush Lodge (Budget)
Meal plan: Breakfast/Lunch /Dinner
Day 2: Morning Game Drive Safari and Afternoon Boat Cruise Along the Nile River
Your Day 2 of 9 Days Best of Uganda Wildlife and Gorillas Safari will start with a hearty breakfast, and head for an exciting and superb game drive in search for several animals such as lions, Leopards, elephants, Caped buffalo, Uganda Kobs, Roth child giraffes, Jackson hartebeest, oribis, warthogs, and some primate species. After the game drive, return to your lodge to relax, have lunch, and then drive to the Paraa gathering point for an afternoon boat cruise safari on the Victoria Nile. The boat cruise safari goes upstream from the calm waters of the Victoria Nile to the base of the Murchison Falls, stopping a few meters from the ‘Devil’s Cauldron’ of the falls, which will give you a spectacular view of the falls and see how the mighty Nile drops into a pool. Expect to see several water mammals and several water birds like the Fish Eagle, Egyptian Goose, Cormorants, African Darter, African Skimmer, Kingfisher, Goliath Heron, and many others. Mammals to see include elephants (along the Nile River), hippopotamus, and reptiles like monitor lizards and Nile crocodiles, among others. After your boat trip, return to your lodge
Accommodation Option: Paraa Safari lodge (Luxury), Pakuba Safari Lodge (Mid-range), Hornbill Bush Lodge (Budget)
Meal plan: Breakfast/lunch/dinner
Day 3: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
Have your breakfast in the morning and check out of your lodge slowly; drive through the park, across the Nile River, towards Kibale Forest National Park. On your way to Kibale Forest National Park, you will enjoy the breathtaking views of tea estates, several dotted forests, and the shadow of the legendary Rwenzori Mountain, which creates a mysterious backdrop of the beautiful volcanic landscape. You will have lunch, then head to the lodge.
Accommodation Option: Crater Safari lodge (Luxury), Isunga Safari Lodge (Mid-range), Rwetera Safari Camp (Budget)
Meal plan: Breakfast / Lunch /Dinner
Day 4: Chimpanzee Tracking Safari—Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, go to the park’s information offices to join other guests for a briefing on how to interact with chimpanzees and the rules to follow when searching for chimpanzees in the forest. After, embark on your guided nature forest walk to search for these intelligent chimpanzees, and according to research, they are the closest living relatives of man with 98% human DNA.
You might come across additional mammal and bird species, like bush pigs and other primates, while on your woodland ramble. You will spend an entire hour with the chimpanzees after you meet them, watching them play in the tree branches, feeding and caring for their young, and snapping as many pictures as you like. After retiring, take a car to Queen Elizabeth National Park and settle into the lodge you have reserved. There, you can relax until dinnertime and bedtime.
Accommodation Option: Mweya Safari Lodge (Luxury), Elephant Hab Safari Lodge (Mid-range), Pumba Cottages (Budget)
Meal plan: breakfast/lunch/dinner
Day 5: Morning Game Drive—Afternoon Boat Cruise on Kazinga Channel
Get up early for breakfast, meet your diver guide, and transfer to Kasenyi for the morning game drive. This will introduce you to a variety of wildlife species such as elephants, leopards, buffaloes, lions, Uganda kobs, hyenas, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, bush pigs, and a variety of bird species that are among the animals you will view during the game drive. After, return to the lodge for lunch and head for the afternoon boat cruise down the Kazinga Channel. This is the primary waterway that runs through the park and links Lake George and Lake Edward. Arguably the boat cruise is one of the most highly suggested adventurous activities for visitors to Queen Elizabeth National, which allows you to get up close and personal with a variety of species, including hippos, Nile crocodiles, buffaloes, elephants, and many more.
Accommodation Option: Mweya Safari Lodge (Luxury), Elephant Hab Safari Lodge (Mid-range), Pumba Cottages (Budget)
Meal plan: breakfast/lunch/dinner
Day 6: Drive to Ishasha Sector to Search for The Tree Climbing Lions—Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
After enjoying a delicious breakfast, head to Queen Elizabeth National Park’s southern sector for another thrilling game drive safari where you can see tree-climbing lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, various antelope species, primates, and many more creatures. Proceed to the national park of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, where you will arrive in the evening for dinner and a night’s stay.
After enjoying your tasty breakfast, head to the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park for yet another spectacular and exciting game drive safari in search of wildlife species such as the majestic tree climbing lions, elephants, leopards, buffaloes, primates and several antelopes, and many others. After proceed to the iconic Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park arriving in the evening for dinner and an overnight at your booked facility.
Accommodation Option: Sanctuary Gorilla forest camp(Luxury), Silverback Lodge (Mid-range), Gorilla Mist Camp (Budget)
Meal plan: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner
Day 7: Mountain Gorilla Trekking Experience –Drive to Lake Bunyonyi
Rise up for a heavy breakfast, get your packed lunch boxes and enough drinking water; meet your guide and head to the park headquarter offices for briefing. Then embark on your forest walk in search of the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitats. Once you encounter the assigned mountain gorilla family, you will spend an hour watching the playful babies, mothers grooming their babies and the dominant Silverback, watching the situation silently as he is ready to protect the family from any kind of both internal and external attack. Retire and then drive to Lake Bunyonyi to relax while enjoying a boat canoeing safari on Lake Bunyonyi. Have dinner and an over-night stay at the lodge.
Accommodation Options: Bird nest Resort (Luxury), Arcadia Lodge Bunyonyi (Mid-range), Bunyonyi Safari Resort (Budget)
Meal plan: Breakfast /lunch/dinner
Day 8: Morning Boat Cruise—Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park- 9 Days Best of Uganda Wildlife and Gorillas Safari
Get up at your time of convenience, have breakfast, and then take a morning boat cruise on Lake Bunyonyi to explore and learn the historical background of the many islands found on the lake. During the canoeing, your local guide will tell you the fascinating history of each of the 29 islands on Lake Bunyonyi. After this exciting experience, embark on your journey to Lake Mburo National Park with a stopover at Igongo Cultural Centre in Mbarara for lunch before reaching the maiden Lake Mburo National Park. Embark on an evening game drive where you will have a chance to see the highest concentration of zebras, elands, impalas, waterbucks, klipspringers, reedbucks, oribis, giraffes, and some primate species by going on an evening game drive. After your evening game drive safari, head back to the lodge for some rest and dinner before returning to the night game drive to experience the jungle’s nightlife, observe how animals spend their nights, take in the stunning sounds of the jungle, and increase your chances of seeing a variety of nocturnal mammals that are not visible during the day. After the night game drive, head back to your lodge for the night.
Accommodation Option: Bird nest Resort (Luxury), Arcadia Lodge Bunyonyi (Mid-range), Bunyonyi Safari Resort (Budget)
Meal plan: Breakfast / Lunch /Dinner
Day 9: Lake Mburo National Park- Morning Jungle walking safari-Game drive safari-Drive back to Entebbe
Get up early and prepare all of your luggage so that it can be loaded into your safari vehicle. Drive to the park for the two-hour morning jungle walking safari after eating breakfast and checking out of the accommodation. Because it lets you be free and not confined in a safari vehicle, a jungle walking safari is one of the most amazing ways to experience and enjoy the jungle. You can walk with mammals like elands, zebras, giraffes, and topis, as well as take in the fresh air straight from the bush and the whirling sounds of the birds. Additionally, you will see hyenas returning to their dens and hippos emerging from the water. The salt licks area, where animals congregate to savour the flavour of the salty licks composed of soil and water, will be explored during the nature walk. Return to Entebbe International Airport to conclude your safari after this experience. You will make a stop at the Kayabwe equator landmark, which is located at zero degrees latitude on Earth, on your route back to Entebbe. This landmark is an imaginary line that circles the planet between the two hemispheres of the north pole and the south pole, marking the 0-degree latitude line, which divides the earth at a cross-section, dividing the northern and southern hemispheres at the centre. After this trial, go to the craft shops, eat lunch, and continue travelling to Entebbe to end your 9 Days Best of Uganda Wildlife and Gorillas Safari with Caracal Explorers.
Meal Plan: Breakfast/Lunch
Includes:
- All airport transfers (pick up and drop off at Entebbe International Airport)
- All Accommodations and meal plans
- An English-Speaking guide
- All ground transport using 4×4 wheel drive safari vehicles
- Park entrance fees and activities
- All government taxes
- All trekking permits (gorilla and chimpanzees)
- All activities mentioned in the itinerary
- Bottled drinking Rwenzori water
The 9 Days Best of Uganda Wildlife and Gorillas Safari package price excludes:
- Domestic and International Flights
- Personal travel insurance
- Tips, souvenirs
- Extra meals and activities
- Alcoholic drinks and other soft drinks (sodas, special juice and wines)
- All other items not included in the itinerary
- All other personal items
