Day 1: Arrive in Uganda through Entebbe International Airport
Arrive on Uganda at her main entry point Entebbe International Airport where you will be warmly welcomed by one of our experienced company representative to transfer you to the lodge. Retire for relaxation, dinner and overnight
Accommodation:
Luxury: Sheraton Kampala Hotel
Midrange: Cassia Lodge
Basic: Common Lens Inn Hotel
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park. Visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary en route
East Africa safaris
After breakfast at your place of stay in Kampala, embark on the trip to Murchison Falls National Park in the north of Uganda, a journey of 311km about 5 hours’ drive. You traverse through the undulating hill slopes of Nakasongola before branching off at Nakitoma for 7 km to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. The Sanctuary boasts to be the home to White Rhinos and thus offers an unforgettable Rhino tracking. After this activity, you will continue on the drive to Murchison Falls National Park for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge
Midrange: Pakuba Safari Lodge
Basic: Red chili Rest camp
Day 3: Morning game drive, afternoon Nile launch cruise and hike to the top of the falls
After an early morning cup of tea at the lodge, continue to the park for a morning game drive which tends to last 3 – 4 hours exploring the park’s attractive wilderness in its authenticity. The activity is carried out in the northern sector of the park which is a renowned hub where numerous counts of wildlife dwell including lions, Rothschild giraffes, leopards, elephants, Buffaloes, Jackson Hartebeest, Oribis, and Kobs among others. Return from the activity and head back to the lodge for relaxation and a sumptuous lunch after which you assemble at Paraa Jetty for a thrilling afternoon Nile launch cruise departing at 2pm heading for the bottom of the waterfalls. The boat cruise avails you with opportunities to encounter numerous birds, terrestrial and aquatic species such as the Nile Crocodiles, Hippos and the elusive shoebill stork not forgetting other wild game that quench their thirst from the Nile waters during sunny afternoons. The stretch to the bottom of the falls and the eventual hike to the top of the falls soon you are exposed to the thunderous roar of the waters of the Nile, arguably the longest river in the world where it squeezes its self to penetrate through a less than 8m gorge forming a rapid drop of spray marked by a trade mark rain bow as it plunges 43m below to what has been termed as the Devil’s Cauldron. Retire from this rather interesting 3 hour activity for relaxation, dinner and overnight at the hotel.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge
Midrange: Pakuba Safari Lodge
Basic: Red chili Rest camp
Day 4: Transfer to Kibale. Whole day drive
After breakfast, embark on the trip to Kibale National Park, a journey of 441km about 9 hours’ traversing the panoramic country side landscapes marked with traditional home steads and plantations,. You will arrive in Kibale in the evening for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Primate Lodge
Midrange: Kibale Forest camp
Basic: Rwenzori View Guesthouse
Day 5: Morning chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi wetland walk in the afternoon
Following your breakfast at the lodge, assemble at the park headquarters, Kanyanchu Tourism Center at 8am for briefing and set off. The park staff will take you through this session and clarify on the chimpanzee trekking code of conduct and the trekking instructions after which you proceed to the forest in search of our closest cousins. The hike through the jungle with sights of birds, impressive flora and other primate species like Black and white colobus monkeys and eventual encounter with the chimpanzees as they roll themselves in their natural habitat gathering fruits, socializing and making pant hooting calls combine to make your chimp tracking experience memorable. The Chimpanzee trekking experience tends to last 2 – 5 hours and including one hour of direct encounter with them. You will retreat to the starting point for a short relaxation and enjoy your lunch. After this, you will embark on a historical afternoon wetland walk in the nearby Bigodi wetland. The Bigodi wetland walk allows you to have an encounter with nature, the local people and a great deal of wetland biodiversity. The swamp has numerous populations of birds, a wide range of over 138 different species of birds including the Great Blue Turaco, swamp animals like Sitatunga antelope and an encounter with the community where you visit the traditional healer makes it more interactive. Retreat from this as activity and return to the lodge for relaxation dinner and overnight.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Primate Lodge
Midrange: Kibale Forest Camp
Basic: Rwenzori View Guest house
Day 6: Semuliki National Park. Undertake Sempaya nature walk to explore the hot springs. Visit the Amabere Ga Nyinamwiru caves and Fort portal Crater Lake hike
After breakfast, embark on the journey to Semuliki National Park driving through Fort Portal town and certainly proceeding to Semuliki. Upon arrival, you will begin with Sempaya Nature Walk exploring both female and male hot springs at Sempaya. The walk does not go beyond 4 hours before you transfer back to Fort Portal.
On your transfer to Fort Portal, branch off near Nyakasura School and follow a down ward curving murram road to visit the Amabere Ga Nyinamwiru caves. The Amabere Ga Nyinamwiru literally translated in Rutooro as the ‘breasts of Nnyinamwiru’ are breast like features that are arguably the breasts of Nnyinamwiru the daughter of Bukuku a self-enthroned king of the Bachwezi who chopped off her breasts and hanged them in protest of her father’s decision that denied her an opportunity to breastfeed her baby Ndahura. From this activity, you proceed to hike the fort portal crater field, the magnificent Nyakasura hills that overlook fort portal town and summiting the towering Kyeganywa hill offers you impressive vistas of the crater lakes and explosion crater hollows below and the distant views of the legendary mountains of the moon, Rwenzori Mountains on a clear day. Retreat from the activity and transfer to Fort Portal in the evening for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
You can also engage in an optional Batooro pet naming ceremony and have an opportunity to enjoy the cultural pet name baptism experience.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Primate Lodge
Midrange: Kibale Forest Camp
Basic: Rwenzori View Guest house
Day 7: Transfer to Kasese on the foothills of Mount Rwenzori. Visit the Bunyangabu bee keepers, Ruboni community craft village and Rwenzori Art foundation – the only bronze casting center in Africa
After breakfast, embark on the journey to Kasese on the foothills of the legendary mountains of the moon. Traversing the fascinating landscapes with lovely sceneries of the area before making a stop at Bunyangabu bee keepers where the local people will demonstrate apiculture business to you and the products got from it. You will continue on the tour to Ruboni community craft village where a group of village women have dedicated themselves to exhibit a considerable dexterity and skill in the craft making industry. You will also visit the Rwenzori Art foundation, apparently the only bronze casting center in the whole of Africa. There are a range of sculptures at the site and you can acquire an African souvenir to take back home. You can also choose to engage in the casting process to get some knowledge and enhance the memories.
Retire for relaxation dinner and overnight.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Equator Snow Lodge
Standard: Ihamba Safari Lodge
Basic: Ruboni Community Camp
Day 8: Whole day Mount Rwenzori hiking exploring the legendary mountains of the moon
After breakfast, embark on a life time adventure to explore the legendary mountains of the moon – the Rwenzori Mountains towering to an altitude of 5,109m above sea level with its peaks blanketed with mist snow, a unique characteristic to this mountain since it stands along the equator line. This mountaineering adventure gives meaning to the package, the Uganda Gorilla trekking tour. It is a thrilling encounter from the foothills traversing through its lush flora that have earned it a status as a UNESCO heritage site. Mount Rwenzori stands as the tallest mountain range in Africa apart from mountains Kilimanjaro and Kenya which are free standing. Retreat from the activity and retire relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Equator Snow Lodge
Midrange: Ihamba Safari Lodge
Budget: Ruboni Community Camp
Day 9: Queen Elizabeth National Park and afternoon Kazinga Channel launch cruise
After a splendid morning cup of coffee at your hotel, embark on the drive across the fascinating rolling savannah rangelands of Queen Elizabeth in search of wild game. The stretch to the Kasenyi plain, the renown mating ground offers you a lifetime opportunity of encountering numerous families of wild game at a glance including elephants, buffaloes, water bucks and Kobs along with predators like lions, leopards and jackals. The game drive takes 3 – 4 hours and you retreat back to the lodge for relaxation and lunch. After lunch, you continue to Mweya jetty to catch up with a boat trip at exactly 4pm. The 2 hour boat cruise offers a chance to explore the 45km long Kazinga Channel which links the twin lakes, George and Edward, the channel is known to be the capital of Hippos and Nile crocodiles. Its banks are usually fully stocked with numerous wild game like elephants and buffaloes which can be seen along quenching their thirst from the Kazinga waters on a hot day. Retreat from the activity and do the game drive along the channel track as you proceed to the lodge.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge
Midrange: Ihamba Safari Lodge
Budget: Simba Safari Camp
Day 10: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Game drive through Ishasha sector in search of tree climbing lions
After breakfast, embark on the trip to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in south western part of Uganda. You undertake a game drive en route in Ishasha sector in search of the rare tree climbing lions together with other wild game that dwell in this woodland part of the park. The tree climbing lions prefer to lie flat on fig tree branches in the mid-morning sun while waiting for their prey. After this encounter, proceed on the drive to Bwindi arriving in the evening for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Gorilla Safari Lodge
Midrange: Bakiga Lodge
Budget: Broad bill Forest Camp
Day 11: Mountain gorilla trekking and relax at the lodge
Wake up for an impressive warm breakfast to shake off all the morning cold conditions experienced in this part of the country before assembling at the respective park headquarters at 8am for briefing and pre tracking rules and regulations about gorilla trekking and allocating each group of individuals a respective gorilla family to track. You continue to the misty Bwindi forest in search of the world’s most sought after and endangered species, the mountain gorillas. The trekking adventure takes you through impressive hikes exploring the attractive forest landscapes characterized by rugged terrain which makes it quite challenging to explore. The duration of the activity is between 2 – 8 hours inclusive of one (1) hour direct encounter with these elusive creatures as they forage, socialize and make their joyous tactics with the frightening eyes of the Silverback. You are free to shoot as many photos as you desire before you retreat from the activity to return to the starting point. After this encounter, you will return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Gorilla Safari Lodge
Midrange: Bakiga Lodge
Budget: Broad bill Forest Camp
Day 12: Mgahinga National Park. Trek from Bwindi south to Kisoro via Lake Mutanda. Do a canoe paddle on Lake Mutanda
After breakfast, embark on a trip to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. You will begin with a walk from the south of Bwindi traversing the rural landscapes of Kisoro with impressive panoramic views of the area overlooking the Virunga Volcanoes before arriving on Lake Mutanda. You venture into a memorable canoe paddle exploration, and visit the lake’s countless Islands with the aim of crossing it. You drive to Kisoro and proceed to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Accommodation options:
Luxury:Mount Gahinga Lodge
Standard: Travellers Rest Hotel
Basic: Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp
Day 13: Do Volcano Climbing / Batwa heritage trail / Golden Monkey tracking and relax at the lodge
After a warm cup of tea, undertake one of these adventurous activities, the volcano climbing in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. There are three (3) Volcanic Mountains in the park namely Gahinga (3,474m) which is the shortest with a swamp filled crater and giant lobelia with opportunities of viewing golden monkeys in the bamboo zone followed by Sabyinyo (3,669m) which has a sharp ridge to be summited, and eventually Muhabura (4,127m) which is the tallest. Since all the peaks can be climbed, you can select on which mountain to climb. Alternatively, you can opt to undertake the golden monkey tracking where you have a chance to encounter the other critically endangered apes known to exist only in the Virunga massif in this part of the world. Return from the activity and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
The last option would be venturing into the famous Batwa heritage trail which takes you to explore the rich heritage of the Batwa, the inhabitants of the forest while studying their culture and traditions. Retreat from this long day trip and relax at the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Mount Gahinga Lodge
Midrange: Travellers Rest Hotel
Basic: Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp
Day 14: Lake Bunyonyi, spend the whole day relaxing at the lake and undertake a recreational boat cruise
After a relaxed breakfast, this Uganda gorilla trekking safari will expose you to a lake of a thousand islands – Lake Bunyonyi, spending the entire day at Uganda’s deepest lake. You explore the attractive landscapes of the lake and impressive relief of Kigezi region. Reach out to some of its 29 Virgin Islands amidst the pleasantly undulating hills of Kigezi. You can also engage in a natural simple walk to explore the life of the islanders.
The 5 – 6hr boat cruise is a rewarding experience worth venturing. You return to the lodge and spend the rest of the day relaxed, enjoying dinner and overnight.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Arcadia Cottages
Midrange: Bunyonyi Safaris Resort
Basic: Supreme Adventure Park
Day 15: Lake Mburo National Park and evening game drive
After breakfast, embark on the trip to Lake Mburo National Park, a journey of 199 km about 4 – 5 hours’ drive traversing the impressive plain lands in the countryside of south western Uganda before getting to Igongo Cultural Center 12 km past Mbarara town for a traditional sumptuous lunch. You will later continue for a distance of 33km to Lake Mburo National Park for an evening game drive activity exploring the park’s savannah low lands with impressive faunal and floral species. Retire for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Mihingo Safari Lodge
Standard: Arcadia Cottages
Basic: Eagles’ Nest
Day 16: Morning game walking safari and transfer back to Kampala
Concluding a Uganda gorilla trekking tour is quite enriching with a game walking safari on your enroute back to Kampala. Embark on a fascinating game walking safari after the sunrise to explore the magnificent savannah acacia landscapes with gentle rolling hills marked with the extrusive Kopje rocks and other ancient Precambrian rocks that have existed in that locality for the past 500 million years. The animals which can be encountered include; Impala antelope which only exists in this small but rich national park, Lake Mburo National park, Burchell’s Zebra, Rothschild Giraffes, Topis, water bucks, warthogs, among other wildlife. Retreat from the 3 – 4 hour activity and undertake the transfer back to Kampala 240km about 4 hours’ drive. You will make a stop at Uganda Equator crossing Kayabwe for an amazing photo session for memories to mark the end of your 16 days Uganda gorilla trekking safari.
End of safari with Love Uganda Safaris
