DAY 1 – ARRIVAL AT ENTEBBE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 

 Welcome to Uganda! You land at Entebbe airport, where your tour guide will happily greet you and take you to the hotel.

The journey to your hotel covers approximately 5 kilometers with an estimated travel time of 15 minutes.

Hotel/Lodge: Best Western Hotel

Meal Plan: Bed & Breakfast – BB

DAY 2 – ZIWA RHINO SANCTUARY|RHINO TRACKING |TRANSFER TO MURCHISON FALLS

The journey into the breathtaking nature of Uganda begins. You drive through numerous villages and beautiful landscapes to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where white rhinos that had been extinct in the wild were reintroduced to their original habitat since 1997. A short trek to the Southern White Rhinos awaits you. After this impressive experience, you continue your journey north, to Murchison Falls National Park.  The park hosts the most powerful waterfalls in the world – The Murchison Falls. You will proceed to your accommodation for the next two nights.

The journey covers approximately 370 kilometers with an estimated travel time of 6 hours.

Hotel/Lodge: Pakuba Safari Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner – FB

DAY 3 – MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK| MORNING GAME DRIVE |AFTERNOON BOAT CRUISE

Today is reserved for safari experiences in Uganda’s largest protected area, Murchison Falls National Park. The park is divided by the Nile, and although the area south of the river is much larger, most animals live in the hilly savanna landscape of the smaller northern part. Good for you, because in the morning you get into the off-road vehicle for around three hours to look for amazing and breathtaking wildlife sightings like Elephants, Buffaloes, Lions and Leopards. There is also a particularly large population of Rothschild giraffes and the native Uganda Kob antelope which you might also spot on the game drive. In the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to observe the whole thing again from a different perspective with a chance of seeing what you might not have seen from the safari vehicle. A boat cruise on the Nile for about three hours to the bottom of Murchison Falls will most probably be the highlight of the tour. Watching the Nile squeeze through a 7 meter gap and the Wildlife busking by the river banks plus the sound of around 450 species of birds. Later you will visit the top of the falls.

The driving distance is 100 to 150 kilometers with a variable travel time.

Hotel/Lodge: Pakuba Safari Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner – FB

DAY 4  – TRANSFER FROM MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK TO KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK

After an early breakfast, you leave Murchison Falls National Park and drive south along the Great Rift Valley. The route takes you past Lake Albert, the second largest lake in Uganda. When visibility is good, you can see as far as the Blue Mountains on the other bank, which are already in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The further south you go, the cooler and wetter the climate becomes. While on the way, you will have a stopover for lunch and then continue with your journey to the lodge for dinner and relaxation.

The Journey covers approximately 400 kilometers with an estimated travel time of 7 hours.

Hotel/Lodge: Turaco TreeTops

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner – FB

DAY 5 – CHIMPANZEE TRACKING |TRANSFER FROM KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK TO QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK

Begin your guided forest trek in search of chimpanzees. Although chimp sightings are not guaranteed, the odds are good that you will encounter them today in the lush green forest. Perhaps you will also see other types of primates, including the red-tailed monkey. The hike will last approximate 2 – 3 hours while your expert guide shares the secrets of the forest’s flora and fauna. After lunch, a drive takes you past volcanic crater lakes to Queen Elizabeth National Park. After settling in at your hillside lodge overlooking the vast savannah plains of the park, take a late afternoon game drive, followed by dinner at the lodge.

The journey covers approximately 120 kilometers with an estimated travel time of 2 hours

Hotel/Lodge: Buffalo Safari Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner – FB

DAY 6 – QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK | MORNING GAME DRIVE |AFTERNOON BOAT CRUISE AT KAZINGA CHANNEL

Today’s agenda is to explore Queen Elizabeth National Park. The country’s oldest and second largest national park and UNESCO biosphere reserve is a popular safari destination. Around 100 mammals and more than 500 bird species feel right at home here. You go on an extensive game drive to look for elephants, buffalo and various species of antelope. Be vigilant, because where antelopes live, lions, leopards and hyenas are not far away. You will then be transferred back to the lodge where you will be served lunch and then proceed to the docking area for your Kazinga Channel boat cruise experience. While on your afternoon boat cruise, you will see various animals both in water and on land for example hippos, elephants, crocodiles, various bird species and many more.You will then be transferred back to the lodge for dinner and relaxation.

The driving distance is approximately 150 kilometers. with a variable travel time.

Hotel/Lodge: Buffalo Safari Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner – FB

DAY 7 – MORNING GAME DRIVE |AFTERNOON TREE CLIMBING LIONS GAME DRIVE SEARCH

Round two in Queen Elizabeth National Park: Anyone who could not get enough yesterday has a second chance today. You will drive to Ishasha which is the southern sector of the park. This part of the park is famous for its residents – the Tree Climbing lions. On a game drive,  you once again have the opportunity to observe the park’s colorful wildlife with the major focus being the tree climbing Lions. Again, as nature dictates and traverses over a wide area, the sightings are not 100% guaranteed.

The driving distance is 100 to 150 kilometers. The travel time is variable.

Hotel/Lodge: Ishasha Wilderness Camp

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner – FB

DAY 8 – TRANSFER FROM QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK TO BWINDI FOREST NATIONAL PARK

Today you go on a very interesting journey from Queen Elizabeth National Park towards Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site) in southwest Uganda; close to the borders with Rwanda and the Congo. You drive through a beautiful part of the country that is also known as the “Switzerland of Africa”. The landscape changes from savannah to swamp to rainforest, always with the backdrop of the Virunga Mountains. The path leads past villages and small towns until you finally take a break in one of these places. In the late afternoon you will reach your accommodation near the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Can you hear the gorillas yet? Relax a bit in your accommodation and get some rest before you head out in search of our furry relatives tomorrow.

The Journey covers approximately 320 kilometers with an estimated travel time of 6 hours.

Hotel/Lodge: Buhoma Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner – FB

DAY 9- GORILLA TREKKING IN BWINDI FOREST & THE BATWA COMMUNITY VISIT

This is a unique opportunity to see the gorillas in the wild – just a few meters away from you. After breakfast, you will be transferred to the briefing area where you will be allocated a gorilla family and with your packed lunch, your group will be guided through the rough terrain of the rainforest in search of one of the park’s gorilla families. The trek will last up to 7 hours depending on the location of the animals. When a gorilla family is found, you will be allowed an hour in their company to watch them eat, preen and play. Later trek back to the briefing area where you will be awarded certificates of participation and back to the lodge. In the afternoon, you will visit the batwa community and learn their history and way of life.

The driving distance is 50 to 70 kilometers. The travel time is variable.

Hotel/Lodge: Buhoma Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner – FB

DAY 10 – RELAXATION AT LAKE BUNYONYI | COMMUNITY TOUR | LAKE BUNYONYI SWIM | CANOE BOAT RIDE  

Wave goodbye to the gorillas again before continuing on to Lake Bunyonyi today. You should wake up late after yesterday’s activities. Take your breakfast and check-out. Our guide will begin the journey to the beautiful Lake Bunyonyi. Lake Bunyonyi is one of the most naturally beautiful places to visit in Uganda. It is one of the deepest lakes in Africa and hence not suitable for those with no swimming skills. What really makes the lake special are the surrounding green vegetation, forests and the 29 islands. Lake Bunyonyi is a favorite for honeymooners and those who want a cool place to rest after a long safari in Uganda. It is one of the best places to go for birdwatching in Uganda and is a bird sanctuary in its own right.

In the afternoon you may choose to go on different activities; a boat cruise and hop from island to island, swim in a bilharzia free lake, visit a nearby village or laze away as you watch the day go by. This is a great place to recharge your energies after the last 9 days.

The Journey covers approximately 80 kilometers with an estimated travel time of 2 hours.

Hotel/Lodge: Rock Resort

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner – FB

DAY 11- DEPARTURE I TRANSFER FROM LAKE BUNYONYI TO ENTEBBE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Wake up early, take breakfast. You should now be ready to hit the road for your journey back to Entebbe International Airport. Driving through the beautiful landscapes gazing at various tea plantations, you will have a stopover for lunch and then proceed with your journey.