8-Day Uganda Walking Safari | Off The Beaten Path

Without completely abandoning the possibilities presented by contemporary civilisation, adventure travellers enjoy going off the grid and exploring uncharted territories in a more traditional fashion. This walking safari package through Uganda is what we provide to make it happen.

Embark on an 8-day Ugandan walking safari that takes you off the main route to the southwest. The stunning rural scenery of the Pearl of Africa can be explored on foot during a walking safari expedition. Embark on an 8-day walking safari through Uganda and learn about the fascinating local culture, as well as the ethereal mountain gorillas that call this remote region home. You may only get the chance to go on a gorilla hike once in your lifetime due to the plight of mountain gorillas. Ever!

From Entebbe, you can take a regular domestic aircraft to Kisoro, and the next day, you can put your boots to work. To reach the lake where the dug-out canoe experience takes place, you must trek for two hours through various settlements and garden slopes. You spend the night on the picturesque banks of the lake, at the foot of the Virunga volcanoes.

The events of the first day were just the beginning. Through six days of off-the-beaten-path activities, including a magical hour with the entire gorilla family, we will immerse you in the rural region’s beauty. The daily description follows for further information.

8-Day Uganda Walking Safari Highlights

Visit the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park by air and stay in charming cottages in the forest with amazing facilities. The environment is fascinating and challenging.
Explore the Bwindi UNESCO World Heritage Site on foot with a troop of mountain gorillas and watch as they do acrobatics.
Step off the main road and embark on a foot exploration of the fascinating rural area. Embark on a canoe ride with local fisherman across the crater-filled waters of Lake Mutanda. Join the Batwa people as you explore a cultural woodland walk through time.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is one of the oldest rainforests in Africa; walk through it to marvel at its pristine beauty and incredible variety of plant and animal life.

A Detailed 8-Day Uganda Walking Safari

Day 1: Entebbe — Shoebill tracking

You will be picked up by our driver from Entebbe International Airport and dropped off at your accommodation within Entebbe. The ride should take about 15 minutes. Your tour consultant will meet with you for a briefing right before supper.

Alternatively, for individuals who are up for an energetic adventure and come early, there are optional activities in the vicinity of Entebbe. Birdwatchers, for instance, can encounter the extinct shoebill in the Mabamba marshes or in the world-famous botanical gardens. You have the option of shopping at contemporary malls or taking a leisurely stroll to nearby markets.

Stay at: Boutique Hotel Number 5 (Luxury) or Papyrus Guesthouse (Comfortable)

Day 2: Fly Entebbe to Kisoro – Canoeing

An hour-long internal flight departs from Entebbe and arrives at Kisoro Airport around 7:30 in the morning, so you’ll need to get up early. Slightly beyond the southern edge of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park lies Kisoro Airport. A driver will come and get you before you begin your walking tour of the hamlet.

Approximately 45 minutes separate Kisoro Town and the trailhead, which follows village footpaths and passes through breathtaking landscapes characterised by verdant mountain sides, verdant jungles, and human villages.

Hiking through village trails is a great way to meet interesting locals and gain insight into their life. As we arrive, we will be greeted by a multitude of youngsters and locals who are out tending to their farms, animals, and springs.

You will encounter fisherman and their traditional dug-out canoes as you make your way to the shore of Lake Mutanda’s placid waters. In dug-out canoes, you press on northward accompanied by the stories of your guide and the chanting of the fisherman. Canoeing for 2.5 hours is more than simply a ride; it’s an opportunity to relax and rejuvenate surrounded by beautiful scenery, peaceful water, friendly rowers, and nature’s soothing sounds. As you navigate your boat around the lake’s shore, you may encounter locals going about their daily lives, such as fishermen inspecting their nets, farmers transporting their crops to market by canoe, and artisans shaping reeds for various purposes.

After disembarking, you may have lunch and clean up at the Mutanda Lake Resort Hotel before settling in for a beautiful evening. From the beach cottages, you can see the Virunga mountains reflected in the lake at sunset in a dark blue hue.

Situated on a wooden platform with charming porches and polished wooden floors, these luxurious chalets at this laid-back resort owned by the Dutch jut out into a breathtaking view of the lake.

Staying at: Mutanda Lake Resort
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Day 3: Mutanda – Nkuringo Walking Trail

Your next stop should be at Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, which is 19 km away from Mutanda Lake Resort.

Indulge your hunger for more rural scenery hiking in just 2-3 hours as you walk the track. The trail winds its way through terraced garden slopes, houses, dusty roads, and up and down hills, leaving no room for the imagination when it comes to mountainous landscape views. You should definitely get it if you’re an explorer.

Your driver will come and get you later in the morning after breakfast if you aren’t feeling well enough to walk the rest of the way to Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge in the mountains. If you would like a less challenging hike, he may also shorten the trail.

As the sun sets, you’ll accompany Batwa elders on a two-mile woodland trek where they’ll perform traditional medicine, dance, and storytelling while sharing stories about their old forest civilisations. Their only means of passing on their traditions is to demonstrate how they formerly lived in harmony with the gorillas in the rainforest. It’s fun to watch.

Staying at: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
Meals: Full Board.

Day 4: Stay in – Optional Activities

In preparation for the gorilla hike the next morning, there are a few things to do.

Many visitors prefer to remain at their cottages, where they can relax with friends or family and take in breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and valleys from an altitude of 7,000 feet (2,400 meters). Meet the chef for secret local dishes, relax with a glass of South African wine or Cognac at the bar and then strike up a conversation with a local to listen to unguided indigenous storytelling.

See how people survived for almost 70,000 years without modern medicine by visiting the local shaman, who is also a traditional healer. He will show you around his nature lab.

If your desire to venture off the usual path persists, you can follow the trail through the village of Suma to reach the waterfall. It winds its way up and down steep slopes for about 7 kilometres (4.3 miles), passing through ranches and valley settlements. Perched on the outskirts of Suma town, the 7-meter falls provide water to a river that winds its way into the surrounding rainforest. From the entrance on a ridge, you will be captivated by the breathtaking aerial view of the village.

You can also engage in other pursuits that will challenge you.

On a sundowner picnic, you can reach the “Top of the World” and take in a breathtaking
panorama of the countryside.
Stop by a nearby medical center or school
Witness the brewing of regional gins and beers.
Stop by a farm to try some fresh, regional cuisine.
Watch the neighbourhood blacksmith in action
Stop by the center for women’s crafts
Observe the youth group as they perform dances.

Staying at: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
Meals: Full Board

Day 5: The Gorilla Trek

You need to have breakfast, gather your food, and double-check your gear by 7:00 in the morning, so you can get a head start on another busy day. Prior to 7:30 in the morning, your private driver will ensure that you reach the meeting location. No matter the weather or the number of the group, gorilla trekking always begins at approximately 8:00 in the morning.

Spend more time tracking mountain gorillas than observing them, even though you could spend most of the day in the jungle. Maintaining a distance of 10 meters from the enormous, black-furred monsters will give you approximately one hour to observe them. However, there are instances when they approach, and you’ll need to adhere to the jungle’s regulations.

Spending time with the big apes will more than make up for the strenuous jungle hiking that tests your physical fitness. Prior to your arrival, I suggest you exercise for at least a few days.

After you have lunch in the bush and return to your hut for the night, you should be out of there by 2:00 pm. Join in on the conversation in the lounge after dinner.

Staying at: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
Meals: Full Board.

Day 6: Hiking Across Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Following a brief briefing at the resort with your walking safari guide, you will set out on the route at approximately 8:30 in the morning. If you want to be beneath the jungle canopy when the afternoon sun rays hit, you need to hit the trails in the misty early morning. A local guide and two rangers armed with firearms will accompany you on your journey. Pack lightly; all you need is a daypack, some food, a camera, and some walking shoes. The trail can be walked in a day or two, at most.

You will need to decide which of two paths leads down to Buhoma town; they converge in the middle of the bush. The lengthier one winds its way across multiple ridges and six or more meanders along the Kashasha River. The shorter one begins from the Kashasha River and winds its way through the Nteko valley and the Ivy River. The Ivy River Trail begins at Nteko village, which is approximately 15 kilometres away. But for daring adventurers, the two paths offer the same thrill.

This gorillas and wildlife safari in Uganda is enticing for many reasons, including the fact that it is located in a UNESCO World Heritage site and the fact that walking through an unspoiled rainforest is good for your health. Join a native walking guide as they lead you into this dense jungle, where you may see a variety of animals, including chimpanzees, forest elephants, birds, monkeys, and butterflies.

In contrast, you will be staying in a cottage in the forest at Mahogany Springs Lodge, which is located in the spring valley and offers views of the Bwindi, which is now a forest that you may penetrate.

Staying at: Mahogany Springs Lodge
Meals: Full Board.

Day 7: Mahogany Springs Lodge

At Mahogany Springs Lodge, you’ll have a fun-filled day doing village walks, participating in some creative activities, and even dropping by the local women’s studio, Ride4AWoman.

Guests of Mahogany Springs Lodge can unwind on the balcony of their cottage while taking in peaceful views of the forest canopy.

In a breathtaking natural environment with views of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Mahogany Springs Lodge offers guests seclusion, tranquillity, and the best in comfort. It encompasses the area around the jungle-dwelling Muyanja River.

In this enchanted location, you’ll find a homemade vegetable garden and other surprises along the garden trails, as well as exotic gardens and intricately laid stone walks that lead to the river.

Meals: Full Board

Day 8: Fly Kihihi to Entebbe

From Kihihi Airport, which is located an hour away from Buhoma, you will take a domestic flight at 8:00 in the morning to Entebbe International Airport, which is located on the edge of Lake Victoria. As you soar above Lake Victoria and some of Uganda’s most breathtaking scenery, the journey will take around an hour.