13-Day Uganda Safari | Wildlife, Chimpanzees & Gorillas
A 13-day Uganda safari offers a comprehensive tour of the country’s top attractions, combining primate tracking, big game drives, and scenic landscapes. Key highlights include gorilla trekking in Bwindi, chimpanzee trekking in Kibale, game drives in Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National Parks.
Murchison Falls is where you’ll spend the first two nights of your tour. Have an unforgettable brunch atop the falls, thrilling game drives, and a peaceful Nile River cruise. Afterwards, embark on a one-of-a-kind Chimpanzee Habituation Tour in the magical Kibale Tropical Rainforest. You’ll get to spend time in the wild with chimpanzees, researchers, and trackers.
The next stop on your adventure is Queen Elizabeth National Park, home to some of the most diverse wildlife habitats on Earth. Take a boat ride across the Kazinga Channel and see a concentration of hippos that is second to none. At last, make your way to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to have a memorable encounter with the magnificent mountain gorillas up close and personal. Visiting the Pygmies after your trip gives you a unique opportunity to learn about their traditional practices, arts, and crafts.
A Detailed 13-Day Uganda Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Entebbe
Here you are in Africa. Relax by the spacious outdoor pool at the Protea Hotel in Entebbe and take in breathtaking views of the lake from the balcony. Enjoy a leisurely dinner before retiring to your bedroom this evening.
Day 2: Murchison Falls – Nile Safari Lodge
Stop at Murchison Falls National Park on the way to breakfast. In the park’s very center winds the majestic Nile, the world’s longest river. Stop at the 40-meter-tall Murchison Falls on the way to the lodge to take in the scenery. Here, the Nile is forced through an 8-meter-wide fissure in the escarpment of the Rift Valley. Get to camp before lunchtime so you may relax and enjoy the afternoon. Sip a sundowner cocktail while taking in the African nightlife this evening.
Day 3: The Nile
Rise early for a game drive to the falls’ vantage point. Travelling downstream on the Nile, you will reach the base of the falls on the launch excursion. Those who enjoy birdwatching will not be disappointed by their visit to Murchison Falls National Park, often regarded as the top game park in Uganda.
Day 4: Launch Trip and Game drive
Early in the morning, you will set sail toward the Victoria Nile River Delta. A scene from The African Queen was shot in the region where your game drive will take place. Games abound.
Day 5: Kibale Tropical Rain Forest – Ndali Lodge
Your journey today will take you away from the Rift Valley and into the lower foothills of the Mountains of the Moon, specifically to the Kibale Forest area. When you see picturesque tea estates, it will be a hint that your long journey is almost over.
Day 6: Chimpanzee Habituation
Only a small group of people get to spend time in the wild with chimpanzees, researchers, and a team of trackers. You, the visitor, are an integral element of the Habituation Experience’s two-year-long effort to acclimatise the chimpanzees to human presence.
Day 7: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Kyambura Gorge Lodge
You will arrive to Uganda’s most well-known and easily accessible savannah reserve after a trip to the lush, tropical region of Queen Elizabeth National Park. With over 610 bird species and 95 animal species, this region boasts one of the world’s highest biodiversity scores for game reserves.
Day 8: Kazinga Channel
A morning game drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park is waiting for you after breakfast. Spend two hours in the afternoon exploring the Kazinga Channel, where you can see some of the world’s greatest concentrations of hippos.
Day 9: Ntungwe River – Ishasha
Travelling downstream the Ntungwe River to the secluded Ishasha Wilderness Camp in the picture-perfect Southern Ishasha section of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Not only is Ishasha one of just two locations on Earth where you may witness tree-climbing lions, but it is also an exclusive camp with first-rate lodgings for those who relish the escape of genuine wilderness.
Day 10: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park – Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge
Crossing the rugged Albertine Rife Valley ridges, we continue on to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Just over half of the world’s mountain gorillas call Bwindi home, making it one of the most famous wildlife parks in the world.
Day 11: Mountain Gorillas
Go for a walk to see the mountain gorillas first thing in the morning. It usually takes three to eight hours for tracking to complete. On your way to see the gorillas in the jungle, you’ll be accompanied by a guide and other trackers. The most prized aspect of any safari in Uganda is the opportunity to spend an enchanting hour watching these incredible creatures in their natural habitat. After a cold shower, head back to camp for supper and the night.
Day 12: Gorilla Habituation – Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge
Southern Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, specifically the Rushaga region, is where gorilla habituation takes place. The habituation experiment has a daily cap of four participants. Indulge in a once in a lifetime chance to spend four hours interacting with wild gorillas as they engage in eating, playing, grooming, and bonding activities.
Day 13: Travel home
As you say goodbye to your Uganda Safari, take a deep breath of the dazzling African air and catch a flight from Kihihi Airstrip to Entebbe, where you may connect with your flight out.
End of the 13-Day Uganda Safari