16 Days Uganda Wildlife & Cultural Safari

The 16-day Uganda Wildlife & Cultural Safari explores top national parks including Kidepo, Murchison Falls, Lake Mburo, Queen Elizabeth, and Semuliki. It features unique experiences like Ziwa rhino tracking, Nyero rock paintings, Bigodi swamp walk, and Amabere caves. Expect rich wildlife, including the Big Five. A highlight is the Karamoja region, known for its vibrant culture, scenic highlands, and mountain hiking opportunities. Home to several ethnic tribes, Karamoja is now safe and welcoming after past insecurity. The tour starts and ends in Kampala, offering a perfect blend of wildlife, culture, and adventure for an unforgettable Ugandan safari experience.

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe airport and transfer to Lake Mburo national park

Upon arrival at Entebbe International airport, you will meet our company representative who will also be your safari guide. The driver will pick you up, brief you about the safari then embark on your journey to Lake Mburo national park. It’s about 5 hours’ drive from Entebbe with an en-route stop at the Equator for the equator experiment and also have lunch before you proceed to the park. Upon arrival late afternoon, enter the park and connect for an evening game drive then proceed to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight stay

Day 2: Boat trip and game drive – Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park

Early breakfast, connect for an early morning game drive to find some of the missed animals the previous day. Common found animals in Lake Mburo include; Impala (where the name of Uganda’s capital city – Kampala was derived from), the zebras, giraffes, Uganda Kobs, warthogs, waterbucks to mention a few. After the game drive for about 2 hours or less depending on the availability of the animals, connect for a boat ride on Lake Mburo to see some of the water animals like the hippos and water birds. Lake Mburo is also one of the best birding sites in Uganda and taking a boat trip will enable you see some of the common birds in the park. Return to the lodge, check-out and transfer to Mbarara town for lunch. Later proceed to transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park. It’s about 5 hours’ drive. Proceed to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight stay at

Day 3: Lion tracking/Game drive and Boat cruise – Exploration crater trail

Wake up early, have your delicious breakfast, meet your guide, and drive to the Kasenyi area where you will hand over to the research team for a lion tracking experience. This experience is only carried out in Queen Elizabeth national park where you are guaranteed to view the lions. You will get an opportunity to come close to a pride of lions. You will also connect to a game drive for chances of finding some of the park’s habitats like the Buffaloes, elephants, waterbuck, Uganda Kob and other types of Antelopes.

Return for lunch at your lodge, before you return to the park for a boat cruise that will take you along the Kazinga channel. The lakes have the highest concentration of hippos and other animals drinking at the water’s edge, also good for bird watching. The cruise also offers a good platform for photography, bird watching, and games.

Depending on the time, you will either visit the Katwe exploration crater trail after your game drive or after your boat cruise, your safari guide will advise on the ground. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above

Day 4: Transfer to Semiliki national park – Hot springs and Batwa community visit/Evening game drive

After early morning breakfast, transfer to Semiliki national park via Fort portal town, it’s a 4 hours’ drive from Queen Elizabeth national park with great views of Rwenzori mountain ranges with en-route lunch in Fort portal town, proceed to Semuliki national park and visit the Sempaya hot springs and also visit the Batwa community village. Thereafter, connect to Semuliki Safari lodge with an en-route game drive to find some of the available animals in the park. Dinner and overnight stay at

Day 5: Visit Amabera caves and Crater Lakes – Bigodi swamp

After breakfast at the lodge, meet your guide after check-out and return to Fort portal town, it’s about 2 hours’ drive from Toro Semuliki wildlife reserve. Connect to Amabera Ganya Mwiru caves for an excursion; these caves and waterfalls have great cultural and historical information that will amuse you. Later connect to view the crater lakes in Fort portal. Have lunch in Fort town then connect for the Bigodi swamp walk in Kibale forest for a nature walk experience. The swamp is blessed with other primates like the black and white colobus monkeys, Vervet monkeys to mention a few. Bigodi is also one of the best destinations in bird watching in Africa, enjoy the sounds of birds and spot a variety of birds in this unspoiled nature. This will take about 2 hours’ depending on your interest before proceed to your booked accommodation close to the park for relaxation, dinner, and overnight stay at

Day 6: Transfer to Ziwa Rhino sanctuary

After early morning breakfast, embark on your journey to the north-western part of Uganda to Nakasongola district – home to the only existing rhinos in Uganda. It’s quite a long drive from Fort portal taking about 6-7 hours via Kyenjojo-Hoima road with en-route lunch. Upon arrival in the afternoon, you may do the rhino tracking experience. You will be briefed before you connect to see the rhinos. This will take 2-3 hours depending on the location of the rhinos. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay at

Day 7: Transfer to Murchison falls national park – Top of the falls visit and evening game drive

After your delicious breakfast, check-out of the lodge and transfer to Murchison falls national park. It is about 3-4 hours’ drive from the sanctuary. On arrival at the Kichwabanyobo gate, check-in and proceed via Budongo forest to connect to the Top of the Murchison falls to vividly view the falls at a closer range. The park derived its name from the mighty falls that exist inside the park and are extremely interesting to see how the narrow gorge forces water through creating a strong force of water flow and sound forming a rainbow. This is a must-visit area in Murchison falls national park. After exploring the top of the falls, drive to your booked lodge for lunch, and relax in the afternoon as you wait for an evening game drive. Dinner and overnight stay at

Day 8: Game drive and River Nile boat cruise

After breakfast, embark on a game drive at the delta area where you will find most of the animals. Murchison falls National Park is the only park where you will be able to see most of the animals in the park. This will take about 2-3 hours depending on the availability of the animals including Elephants, Rothschild giraffes, Buffaloes, Lions, Hartebeest, Uganda Kobs, Oribis and waterbucks.

Thereafter return to the lodge for lunch and later at 2 pm, you will set off for the boat cruise on the along the Nile which will give you an exciting panoramic view at the bottom of the mighty Murchison falls. Along the cruise, you will encounter crocodiles, hippos, and birds on the river banks like kingfisher, cormorants and bee-eater, drive back to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay as above.

Day 9: Transfer to Kidepo national park

Early morning after breakfast, embark on your long journey to Kidepo valley national park located in the far North-Eastern part of Uganda in the semi-arid area of Karamojong region. It’s a 7-8 hours’ drive through the beautiful scenery of the northern region of Uganda with en-route lunch in Gulu town. Upon arrival in Kidepo national park late afternoon, proceed to check-in your lodge for dinner and overnight stay at

Day 10: Morning and afternoon/evening game drive in Narus valley

Wake up early and connect for a morning game drive in Narus valley. As you enjoy your game drive, bush breakfast will be served and return for more adventure in the savannah plains of Kidepo national park on your morning game drive in Narus valley. This area is famous for finding the big 4 game including the lions, elephants, leopards and buffaloes. If you are lucky, you will spot the Cheetahs and hyenas as well. Other animals to be found include the kobs, Oribi, Zebras, the giraffes to mention a few.

Return for lunch at the lodge and later afternoon; visit one of the communities around the park for a community tour, learning about the Karamojong culture and tradition. As you return to the park, enjoy another evening game drive for the missed animals. Before nightfall, drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above

Day 11: Game drive in Kidepo valley – Hot springs visit

After breakfast, connect for yet another game drive in the Kidepo valley. This area is further from Narus valley and it is where you will find the Ostrich birds and other animals. This area is closer to South Sudan border to Uganda. You will also visit the hot springs of Kanangorok before you return to your lodge. Spend the rest the rest of the evening at leisure. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above

Day 12: Climb Mount Morungole to visit the IK tribe

After breakfast, drive to the starting point of Mount Morungole located in the absolute northern hills of Karamoja. Here is where we find the smallest tribe of Uganda called the IK. The IK people lived in nowdays Kidepo national park but were misplaced when the area was gazetted as a national park. The IK now live on Mount Morungole ridges as a community. Visiting the IK people gives visitors a rare insight into the unique tribe/culture in Africa. You will also enjoy the beautiful scenery, the higher the climb takes you, the more breath-taking the scenes in the valleys below and into the Eastern rift valley of Kenya and over to southern Sudan. Dinner and overnight stay at Kaabong Resort Hotel

IK tribe

Day 13: Visit the Dodoth Community and transfer to Kotido and visit the Jie community

After breakfast, meet your guide and visit a Dodoth community. The Dodoth are the Karamojong group that settled in Kaabong area, they have a unique culture that is interesting to experience. Thereafter, transfer to Kotido which takes about 3-4 hours’ drive. Upon arrival in Kitodi, enjoy lunch then connect to visit the Jie community in Kotida.  They also belong to the Karamoja tribe and they are known to be warriors. Connect to your booked hotel for dinner and overnight stay at La Maison Hotel

Day 14: Transfer to Moroto – Visit the Bokora community

After breakfast, transfer to Moroto town. It’s about 4-5 hours; drive from Kotido, with-en-route lunch visit and experience the Karamong culture by visiting one of the Karamojong communities of the Bokora. You will participate in traditional games, daily activities as preparing staples foods, harvesting, beading, learning, dance, traditional friendly wrestling and know how to shoot using a bow and arrow. These activities can be done for a whole day. Return for dinner and overnight stay at Mount Moroto Hotel

Day 15: Transfer to Nyero Rock paintings

After breakfast, meet with your guide and set off via Soroti road to connect to Nyero rock paintings with en-route lunch. The paints have lived on the rocks over years and they are said they were drawn by the Batwa we first settled in the area before they were misplaced. The rocks are interesting to view, take pictures and drive back to Kumi town where you will be spending a night. Dinner and overnight stay at Kumi Hotel

Day 16: Transfer to Entebbe airport for departure

Wake up early, have breakfast and embark on your journey back to Kampala. It’s a 5-6 hours’ drive with en-route lunch in Jinja town – home to the source of the Nile. Proceed to Kampala and connect to Entebbe airport for your departure flight.

End of Safari