About This Journey
This is Uganda's classic wildlife circuit, condensed into thirteen well-paced days. It opens with a guided rhino tracking walk at Ziwa — Uganda's only wild rhino population — before moving into Murchison Falls National Park for game drives and a boat safari beneath the country's most powerful waterfall.
From there the route runs south through Kibale Forest for chimpanzee tracking, into Queen Elizabeth National Park for game drives and a Kazinga Channel boat cruise, and on to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for the trip's centrepiece — a morning with a habituated mountain gorilla family. A canoe trip on Lake Mutanda and two unwinding nights on Lake Bunyonyi close out the journey.
Every departure is private and led by an expert Ugandan driver-guide, built around your dates and pace rather than a fixed group schedule.
Trip Highlights
- A guided rhino tracking walk at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, home to Uganda's only wild rhino population
- Game drives and a boat safari beneath Murchison Falls
- Chimpanzee tracking and a swamp walk in Kibale Forest
- Game drives and a Kazinga Channel boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park, home to ten primate species and over 600 bird species
- One unforgettable hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
- A canoe trip on Lake Mutanda, with views of the distant Virunga volcanoes
- Two nights unwinding on the terraced, island-dotted shores of Lake Bunyonyi
Day by Day
Welcome to Uganda! You're met on arrival and transferred to your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe to rest after your flight.
In the evening, your guide joins you for a welcome dinner and briefing on the days ahead.
- LuxuryKampala Serena Hotel · Sheraton Kampala Hotel
- Mid-rangeCassia Lodge · Papyrus Guest House
- BudgetForest Cottages · Fairway Hotel
- Meals
- Dinner
Set off for Murchison Falls, branching off near Nakitoma–Nakasongola for a guided tracking walk at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary — home to Uganda's only wild population of southern white rhino, part of an ongoing reintroduction programme.
Continue to the park, checking in to your accommodation in time for a sunset cruise on the Nile or a visit to the top of the falls as the light fades.
- LuxuryParaa Safari Lodge · Nile Safari Lodge · Baker's Lodge · Chobe Safari Lodge
- Mid-rangePakuba Safari Lodge · Murchison River Lodge · Sambiya River Lodge · Fort Murchison Safari Lodge
- BudgetRed Chilli Rest Camp · Heritage Safari Lodge · Parkside Safari Lodge · Boomu Women's Camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A morning game drive across the Buligi plains — home to lion, elephant, giraffe, and other wildlife — followed by a three-hour launch trip to the base of the falls, cruising past hippo pods, crocodiles, and bathing buffalo.
- LuxuryParaa Safari Lodge · Nile Safari Lodge · Baker's Lodge · Chobe Safari Lodge
- Mid-rangePakuba Safari Lodge · Murchison River Lodge · Sambiya River Lodge · Fort Murchison Safari Lodge
- BudgetRed Chilli Rest Camp · Heritage Safari Lodge · Parkside Safari Lodge · Boomu Women's Camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
An early game drive across the park's rolling plains, watching for lion, hartebeest, buffalo, and elephant, plus birds such as the Secretary Bird, Black-chested Snake Eagle, and — with luck — the Shoebill.
In the afternoon, walk to the top of Murchison Falls, where the Nile forces its way through a 7-metre gap before plunging 43 metres into Lake Albert.
- LuxuryParaa Safari Lodge · Nile Safari Lodge · Baker's Lodge · Chobe Safari Lodge
- Mid-rangePakuba Safari Lodge · Murchison River Lodge · Sambiya River Lodge · Fort Murchison Safari Lodge
- BudgetRed Chilli Rest Camp · Heritage Safari Lodge · Parkside Safari Lodge · Boomu Women's Camp
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Drive south to Kibale, one of Uganda's loveliest tracts of tropical forest — cover interspersed with grassland and swamp across an elevated plateau.
- LuxuryPrimate Lodge Kibale · Crater Safari Lodge · Kyaninga Lodge
- Mid-rangeTuraco Treetops · Kibale Forest Camp · Isunga Lodge
- BudgetChimpanzee Forest Guest House · Kibale Guest Cottages · Chimps Nest
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Kibale holds the highest density of primates in Africa. Track a habituated chimpanzee community through the forest, then take an afternoon swamp walk in Bigodi, home to Red Colobus, Red-tailed Guenon, Grey-cheeked Mangabey, and L'Hoest's Monkey.
- LuxuryPrimate Lodge Kibale · Crater Safari Lodge · Kyaninga Lodge
- Mid-rangeTuraco Treetops · Kibale Forest Camp · Isunga Lodge
- BudgetChimpanzee Forest Guest House · Kibale Guest Cottages · Chimps Nest
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Uganda's most popular reserve, with ecosystems ranging from savanna to forest to fertile wetlands — ideal habitat for classic big game, ten primate species, and over 600 bird species. Afternoon game drive, with an optional chimpanzee search on foot in Kyambura Gorge.
- LuxuryMweya Safari Lodge · Kyambura Gorge Lodge · Katara Lodge
- Mid-rangeEnganzi Game Lodge · Marafiki Safari Lodge · Park View Safari Lodge · Elephant Hab Lodge · Buffalo Safari Lodge
- BudgetSimba Safari Camp · The Bush Lodge · Pumba Safari Cottages
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A further game drive, then a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, past dense elephant and hippo concentrations, with craters carved into the surrounding hills and the Ishasha plains — home to the park's tree-climbing lions — visible in the distance.
- LuxuryMweya Safari Lodge · Kyambura Gorge Lodge · Katara Lodge
- Mid-rangeEnganzi Game Lodge · Marafiki Safari Lodge · Park View Safari Lodge · Elephant Hab Lodge · Buffalo Safari Lodge
- BudgetSimba Safari Camp · The Bush Lodge · Pumba Safari Cottages
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Drive with a packed lunch to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, arriving in the late afternoon and checking into your lodge.
The next morning, set out with rangers and trackers for your gorilla trek — an unforgettable hour with a habituated family deep in the forest — before an afternoon canoe trip on nearby Lake Mutanda, with views toward the distant Virunga volcanoes.
- LuxuryBuhoma Lodge · Bwindi Lodge · Mahogany Springs Lodge
- Mid-rangeEngagi Lodge · Buhoma Haven Lodge · Gorilla Forest Camp
- BudgetBuhoma Community Rest Camp · Trekkers Tavern Cottages · Bwindi Backpackers Lodge
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Wind down at Lake Bunyonyi — the 'place of little birds' — a restorative spot ringed by terraced hills and dotted with 29 islands. Two nights here give time to swim, canoe, visit the islands, or simply rest after an active week, with Echuya Forest nearby for those wanting a final morning of birding.
- LuxuryBirdNest @ Bunyonyi Resort · Arcadia Cottages
- Mid-rangeLake Bunyonyi Rock Resort · Lake Bunyonyi Eco Resort
- BudgetBunyonyi Overland Resort · Crater Bay Cottages
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
On the drive back, stop at the Equator to stand between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres for photographs, before continuing to Kampala or Entebbe for your international flight home.
- Meals
- Breakfast
What's Included
Included
- 12 nights' accommodation in hand-picked lodges
- All meals as indicated in the itinerary (B/L/D)
- Private English-speaking Ugandan driver-guide and 4×4 pop-up-roof vehicle
- All fuel and bottled water in the vehicle
- 1 gorilla trekking permit per person (Bwindi Impenetrable National Park)
- 1 chimpanzee tracking permit per person (Kibale Forest National Park)
- Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary guided tracking walk and sanctuary fee
- Lake Mutanda canoe trip
- Murchison Falls boat safari and Kazinga Channel boat cruise
- All national park entrance fees for parks visited
Not Included
- International airfares
- Uganda entry visa
- Personal travel and medical insurance
- All alcoholic drinks
- Meals and snacks not indicated in the itinerary
- Chimpanzee search permit at Kyambura Gorge (optional add-on)
- A porter for gorilla trekking (optional — carries your daypack)
- Optional Batwa community visit at Bwindi
- Tips and gratuities for driver-guide and hotel staff
- Personal expenses — laundry, souvenirs, and items of a personal nature
Accommodation
Kampala Serena Hotel
Paraa Safari Lodge
Primate Lodge Kibale
Mweya Safari Lodge
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Buhoma Lodge
BirdNest @ Bunyonyi Resort
Ready to Plan This Safari?
Every trip we run is private and tailored around you — your dates, your pace, your budget. Tell us what you have in mind and one of our safari planners will craft it into a detailed, costed proposal.
