Uganda Highlights – 10 DAYS

Uganda is all about its friendly people and the diversity in landscapes and activities. This trip will show you the best of what Uganda has to offer. Queen Elizabeth National Park features grassland savannah teeming with wildlife and Lake Bunyonyi is perfect for kicking back and relaxing. All of this is on top of all main highlights like gorilla tracking, chimpanzee tracking and the boat safaris. You will overnight in the best mid-range accommodations Uganda has to offer. 

Day 1: Welcome to Uganda!

• You will be picked up from the airport by a representative of your hotel. He will transfer you to your hotel. You will meet your driver/ guide tomorrow morning when he picks you up from your hotel. 
• You will stay in a nice lodge with beautiful views on Lake Victoria. The hotel has cozy safari style furnished rooms, equipped with satellite TV, fridge bar, telephone, fan, balcony with lake-view and a comfortable bathroom.
• Journey Time; 1 hour
• Accommodation: Cassia Lodge
• Meal Plan: No meals inclusive

Day 2: To Murchison falls national park

• The journey today goes from Kampala – across Uganda – to Murchison Falls National Park. Covering an area of over 3,840 km², Murchison Falls National Park is the largest conservation area in Uganda. The park’s name derives from its famous waterfall: the mighty Murchison Falls.  
• The Nile River divides the park into its north and south sections. At the spectacular Murchison Falls the world’s longest river explodes violently through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge into a frothing pool 43m below.
• A game drive in the park allows you to be eye-to-eye with the African animal kingdom featuring elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, lions, leopards, different species of antelope and many bird species.
• Your accommodation for the coming two nights is at Murchison River Lodge. The lodge has been carefully and sensitively built on the edge of the mighty River Nile overlooking pods of hippos and Uganda’s stunning Murchison Falls National Park. There is a swimming pool overlooking the river.
• You will say at a comfortable furnished safari tent. The furnished safari tent has been placed on leveled ground overlooking the River Nile. You can relax in the late afternoon and enjoy the swimming pool.

Journey Time:             7 Hours

Accommodation:         Murchison River Lodge

Meal Plan:                   Breakfast and dinner

Day 3: Murchison Falls National Park

• Get ready for an early wake up today! In the early morning hours animals are the most active, the sun is not yet so bright and temperatures are cooler. It offers the best time to spot wild animals. After an early breakfast you will go out on a game drive to explore the northern part of the park.
• Come eye-to-eye with the African animal kingdom: elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, lions, leopards, different species of antelopes and many tropical birds may all be spotted during the game drive. So keep your eyes open, they are all there in Murchison Falls National Park!
• In the afternoon you will take a boat safari up the Nile River to Murchison Falls. Carefully watched by crocodiles, hundreds of hippos, buffaloes, water birds, monkeys and all the other thirsty wildlife that the Nile attracts, you will reach the base of the 43-meter high fall which approach with a thunderous sound. 
• After the boat safari you will hike to the top of the falls. From here you have a wonderful view and fantastic photo opportunities!

Accommodation:                     Murchison River Lodge

Meal Plan:                               Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Optional activity: Rhino Tracking:    Possible on day 2

• At the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary you will go – together with an experienced ranger for a safari hike to the rhinos. You will see the rhinos in a very close range!
• Kidepo Valley and Murchison Falls National Parks once had both black and white rhinos; however widespread poaching during the Idi Amin era resulted in the disappearance of these majestic animals from the wild.
• Founded in 1998, Rhino Fund Uganda works to reintroduce black and white rhinos into Uganda and runs a breeding program, as well as work to educate communities on endangered rhinos.

Costing: $40 us dollar p.p.

Optional activity: Chimp tracking Budongo forest

• Budongo Forest is located in the southern part of Murchison Falls NP., and has the highest number of wild chimpanzees of Uganda.
• The habituated groups are located in Kaniyo Padibi, where you can go for chimpanzee tracking. Budongo Forest has an incredible biodiversity that – beside the chimpanzee – includes several other species like the Blue monkeys, Red-tailed monkeys, Vervet monkeys and Olive baboons. 

Costing: $95 us dollar pp. in high season and $85 us dollar p.p in low season

Optional activity: Hot air balloon safari – Possible on day 3

• Discover Murchison Falls from the air! Sign up for this optional activity and enjoy to unique experience of flying over Murchison Falls NP in a hot air balloon.
• You will have the most amazing views over the river Nile, Lake Albert, the great Murchison Falls and of course this is thé best way to spot lots and lots of animals.
• You will start early morning, so you will see the sun rise over the park. After your balloon safari you will have a bush breakfast in the park (inclusive). 

Costing: $380 us dollar p.p.

Day 4: To Kibale forest N.P.

• Today you will begin your journey to Kibale Forest N.P.The long drive is incredibly scenic, passing through tea plantations and the lush green countryside which characterizes so much of Uganda.
• A packed lunch is included, which you can join on the way. Spend the late afternoon relaxing and enjoy a lovely view of the forest and its wildlife.

Journey Time:                         8 hours

Accommodation:                      Kibale Forest Camp

Meal Plan:                               Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 5: Chimpanzee Tracking & Swamp Walk

• Today you will experience some serious monkey business! Kibale Forest National Parkboasts the highest number of primate species in the world, including the chimpanzees.
• Approximately 5,000 chimpanzees live in the wild in Uganda, which makes it a perfect place to spot them!
• An experienced ranger will take you chimp trackingin the morning or afternoon; you might also see other monkey species that live here. Once you locate the chimpanzees, you will have a full hour of eye-to-eye contact with them.
• Since they are wild animals, we can never guarantee you to see them and might have to settle with hearing their hoots and hollers.
• Your swamp walk (2-3 hours) will take you through grassland, small communities and some beautiful scenery, where the locals are likely to greet you with enthusiastic waves.
• It is usual to spot three to four different primate species during this walk, though the highlight is catching a glimpse of the great blue turaco!

Optional: Chimpanzee habituation tracking

• At an additional fee of only $70 US Dollar p.p. you do the chimpanzee habituation tracking instead of the regular chimpanzee tracking.
• This will take all day and you will be 100% sure to have a very close encounter with your closest relatives. Book this in time because only 6 persons per day are allowed to go. Your swamp walk can be postponed to the next morning.

Costing: US$ 70 pp extra. 

Journey Time:                         15 minutes each way

Accommodation:                     Kibale Forest Camp

Meal Plan:                               Breakfast and dinner

Day 6: Queen Elizabeth National Park

• In the morning, you can relax at your lodge. You will then continue your journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
• Queen Elizabeth N.P. is Uganda’s second largest park, located at the base of the majestic Rwenzori Mountain range, adjacent to Lake Edward and Lake George.
• The park has prolific game, including gazelle, Uganda kob, warthog and waterbuck. Lions are often sighted both in and at the entrance to the park.
• Be prepared for large numbers of hippos and elephants, and keep your eyes peeled for a leopard lazing in the sunshine.
• In the late afternoon you will go for a game-drive into the park.
• Marafiki Safari Lodge is located on a unique location and has been designed and handcrafted using local materials, fitted by artisans from the local community.
• Overlooking Lake George in the Queen Elizabeth National Park it offers private safari tents on raised wooden floors and canvas walls that can be rolled up to allow you to sit comfortably watching the Savannah Plains with breath taking views across the Park and the Rwenzori Mountains.
• Watch wildlife from your verandah and fall asleep to the roaring of Lions on the distant savannah. This truly is Africa!

Journey Time:                         3½ hours

Accommodation:                     Marafiki Safari Lodge

Meal Plan:                               Breakfast and dinner

 Day 7: Park Game Drive & Boat Safari

• Today you wake up early. A little before sunrise coffee, tea and donuts will be served in the lounge before we head out for a long game drive in time to see the first rays of light.
• You will search for all the wildlife in the park and are likely to come across elephants, buffaloes, lions, waterbucks, leopards, Ugandan kobs, and many warthogs.
• A well-deserved brunch will be served back at the lodge in the late morning.
• In the afternoon you will take a boat safari along the Kazinga Channel which joins Lake George and Lake Albert. Here, you will see a lot of hippos (more than you can possibly imagine!), as well as a variety of other animals which come to the waterhole to drink or bathe. You can expect to see buffaloes, crocodiles, bathing elephants, and a wide range of beautiful birds. This will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of your tour.
• After the boat safari you drive back to the lodge through the park.

Journey Time:                         Only the game drive

Accommodation:                     Marafiki Safari Lodge

Meal Plan:                               Breakfast and dinner

Optional activity: Lion Tracking:

• For visitors who yearn to get up close to wild African fauna, a research trip is a rewarding adventure. This new and unique experience allows visitors to actively participate in monitoring some of lions in the park, using locator devices and learn habituation calls, as well as monitoring weather, surroundings and behavior. The results are added to researchers’ databases, contributing valuable information to the overall understanding of wildlife ecology – and helping to conserve this wonderful ecosystem. This will as well give you a 95% chance to see the lions!
• The number of people on each outing is limited in order to reduce stress on the animals and to increase the quality of the experience for visitors. 
• The experiential tourism activities currently available are Mongoose Tracking, Lion Tracking, Hippo Census, and Bird Counts. The number of people on each outing is limited in order to reduce stress on the animals and to increase the quality of the experience for visitors.
• Experiential tours lasts between one and three hours. They usually take place in the early morning or evening, or occasionally at night. All activities must be booked through the Visitor Information Centre in Mweya at least 24 hours in advance.

Costing: $85 US Dollar p.p.

Optional activity: Kyambura Gorge:

• Another optional activity in Queen Elisabeth N.P. is to visit the Kyambura Gorge. A hike through the gorge gives you the opportunity to see habituated chimpanzees and other types of primates including red-tailed monkey, black-and-white colobus, baboons and vervet monkeys.
• Although the chance of spotting chimpanzees is only 50%, the landscape is among the most impressive in Uganda and is absolutely worth it! 

Costing: $50 US Dollar p.p.

Day 8: Travel to Lake Mutanda and Bwindi

• Today you drive to Lake Mutanda in the south-western part of Uganda, close to the borders with Rwanda and Congo.
• You cross a beautiful part of the country often referred to as ‘the Switzerland of Africa’. You will pass the country side and a bamboo forest and have great views over the Virunga Mountains. For lunch you will stop at a local restaurant on the road (lunch is not inclusive).
• Perched on a peninsula in Lake Mutandain the shadow of the Virunga Mountain Range, Mutanda Lake Resort offers comfortable accommodation combined with the most beautiful views on planet earth. Situated between Kisoro town, Mgahinga and Bwindi National Parks, the resort serves as a perfect base for gorilla trackers, volcano hikers, bird lovers, as well as for those looking for a secluded place in nature.

Journey Time:                         8 hours

Accommodation:                   Mutanda Lake Resort

Meal Plan:                              Breakfast and dinner

Day 9: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Forest

• Today is the big day… prepare yourself for an encounter with one of Bwindi’s gentle giants: the endangered mountain gorilla. For most people this is the absolute highlight of their tour in Uganda.
• Bwindi Impenetrable Forestboasts both mountain gorillas and chimpanzees – the only forest in Africa that can make this claim. It also hosts five other species of primates, 113 species of mammals, over 200 species of butterflies and 360 species of birds. The gorillas you track belong to one of nine habituated family groups who can tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period every day.
• The time taken to track the gorillas can be as few as two hours to as many as seven hours. Once the gorillas have been located, your group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. Coming face-to-face with a mountain gorilla is a truly humbling and emotional experience. This is a fantastic and privileged opportunity to get up close and personal with Uganda’s very own ‘Gorillas in the Mist’.

Journey Time:                         1 hour each way

Accommodation:                   Mutanda Lake Resort

Meal Plan:                              Breakfast, packed lunch and dinner

Day 10: Return to Kampala or Entebbe

• After breakfast at the lodge, you will drive back to Kampala or Entebbe (Airport). As you pass through the equator, there will be a stop for the requisite snapshot and a bit of souvenir shopping.
• Accommodation for tonight is notinclusive in the program. If you wish to depart tonight from Entebbe Airport, make sure your flight is at 10 pm or later. If you want us to book one (or more) nights in Kampala and/or Entebbe, please let us know.
• Journey Time: 9 hours to Kampala / 10 hours to Entebbe
• Accommodation: Not Included
• Meal Plan:             Late Breakfast

Option Fly out via Kigali

• Instead of driving back to Entebbe (10-12 hours), you can also fly out via Kigali, Rwanda. The drive to Kigali is only 4 hours from Mutanda, so that gives you a shorter drive and some extra time at Mutanda Lake Resort or some time to explore Kigali!
• Costing: US$ 200 per transfer for a maximum of 7 people (transfer will be organized by your accommodation). Ask for more information about this option and how to apply for your East African Visa (that included both Uganda and Rwanda) with your booking.
• Please note that activities in Kigali and accommodation in Kigali are not inclusive in the program. If you would like us to book one (or more) nights in Kigali, please let us know.
• Journey Time: 4 hours to Kigali
• Accommodation: Not included
• Meal Plan:             Breakfast