17 Days Ultimate Uganda

This bespoke 17 day trip takes in the very best that Uganda has to offer; lose yourself on the vast plains of Kidepo National Park, get up close to wildlife on foot including rhinos, gorillas and chimpanzees and engage with a range of local communities as you learn all about the Pearl of Africa. 

Day 1: Pickup and transfer to Ziwa Rhino trekking and transfer to Gulu.

Depending on your location on the first day of the safari, you will be picked by our driver guide from your hotel or Entebbe airport, brief you about the safari and later start the journey to Gulu. On the way you will have a stopover at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino trekking. After rhino tracking, you will proceed with another stopover for en-route lunch. Upon arrival in Gulu, you will check into the lodge for Dinner and overnight at Church Hill hotel 

Day 2: Transfer to Kidepo national park and evening game drive. 

On the secondday of the safari, you will have breakfast and your driver guide will pick you up from the hotel to continue the journey to Kidepo national park. On your way you will have great scenic views of the landscape, hills, and the Karamojong manyatas among others. Upon arrival you will check into the lodge and have lunch. After lunch you will freshen up and relax as you prepare yourself for an evening game drive where you will get an opportunity to take beautiful pictures and have great views of the sunset, animals like giraffes, buffaloes, elephants, zebras, lions, waterbucks, bushbucks, Jackson’ s hartebeests among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Kidepo savannah lodge-midrange 

Day 3: Morning game drive and cultural tour. 

After an early breakfast on the third day of the safari you will meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive. During the game drive you will be able to view different animals like lions, cheetahs, leopards, bush duikers, jackal, buffaloes, elephants, bushbucks, giraffes, zebras, bird species among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch. After lunch you will go for a cultural tour where you will visit the Karamojong people that live near Kidepo valley national park. During the cultural tour you will interact with the local people in the community which gives you an opportunity to know more about their lifestyle, culture, learn about their way of living, visit their homesteads which are known as manyattas, enjoy traditional performances in form of dances and songs, and listen to ancient stories. After the cultural tour you will meet up with your driver and transfer to the lodge for dinner and overnight as above. 

Day 4: Full day game drive in Kidepo national park 

Have breakfast and brace yourself for another thrilling game drive in the vast savannah of Kidepo Valley intercepted by patches of Borassus palm and the rising scenic hills. Enjoy the stunning views of the morning sun shining over the hills of Lomej and the Lotukei Mountains before the rays strike down to the endless valleys of Kidepo and Narusvalley. View different animals like buffaloes, elephants, waterbucks, elands, impalas and giraffes among others. Return to the lodge for lunch and unwind a bit before embarking on another game drive in the park where you will be able to encounter ostriches within the region and other animals that you might have missed during the previous game drive. Dinner and overnight at lodge as above. 

Day 5: Drive to Murchison Falls national park (Full day drive) 

Very early after breakfast, depart from Kidepo to Murchison falls national park. On the way you will have en-route lunch and proceed to Murchison falls national park. This is a full-day drive entering the park through one of the gates. Drive directly to your lodge for a night rest at Pakuba safari lodge for mid-range or Parkside Safari lodge for budget. 

Day 6: Morning game drive and boat cruise 

After breakfast, connect for a morning game drive where you will be able to view different animals like elephants, buffaloes, Jackson’s hartebeest, waterbucks, oribi, giraffes, warthogs and view predators like lions and leopards if youare lucky. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch. After lunch, you will connect for an afternoon boat cruise along the Nile which will give you an exciting panoramic viewat the bottom of the mighty Murchison Falls. Along the cruise, you will encounter crocodiles, hippos. Keep your eye on banks and in the trees as you search for the diverse bird life that make the river banks their home. Expect to see a variety of  kingfishers, cormorants, and bee-eaters amongst others. Return to the lodge with an en-route evening game drive to find some animals. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above. 

Day 7: Nile delta boat cruise and evening game drive in Murchison After breakfast, you will go for an interesting Nile delta boat cruise where you will cruise downstream to the Victoria Nile delta stretching to the shores of Lake Albert. During the Nile delta boat cruise you will have great views of water birds, animals like elephants, Nile crocodiles among others. After the Nile delta boat cruise youwill return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch you will drive to the top of the falls where you will enjoybreath-taking views of the waterfalls. From the top of the falls, you will go for an evening game drive where you will be able to view different animals like buffaloes, waterbucks, giraffes, view predators like lions, leopards, hyenas among others. After the game drive you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight. 

Day 8: Transfer to Kibale national park After breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Kibale forest national park whichis located in western Uganda. It’ s a whole day journey and on the way you will have en-route lunch and enjoy stunning views of the beautiful scenery, consisting of tea plantations, the Rwenzori Mountains, and crater lakes. Upon arrival in Kibale national park, you will continue to check into the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Chimpanzee forest lodge-midrange or Kibale forest camp-budget. 

Day 9: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk 

After an early breakfast, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to transfer to the Kanyachu park headquarters for a chimpanzee trekking briefing. After the briefing you will start trekking in the forest which takes about 30 minutes to 5 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they like to move from one area to another in search of food. During trekking you will be rewarded with views of other primates, and different bird species. Once the chimpanzees are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their environment as they feed, play, fight, hunt, and rest. Observe their behaviors, take photos and record videos as you enjoy an experience that will live long in the memory. After the one hour encounter with the chimpanzees you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will meet up with your driver guide and return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch you will go for an interesting swamp walk in Bigodi sanctuary where you will be able to view a variety of bird species and several primates. After the nature walk you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight as above. 

Day 10: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park 

On the tenth day of the safari, you will enjoy a relaxed breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park which is the second largest national park in Uganda. On the way you will enjoy spectacular views of the scenery, and upon arrival in the park you will check into the lodge for lunch. Spens an afternoon relaxing after your logn drive before going for an evening game drive where you will be able to view different animals like elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, warthogs, waterbucks, bushbucks. After the game drive, you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Elephant hab lodge-midrange or Queen Elizabeth bush camp-budget 

Day 11: Morning gamedrive/optional lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise 

After an early breakfast, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive in Kasenyi plains. During the game drive you will be able to spot different animals like elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, Uganda kobs, waterbucks which will be grazing in open savannah plains, view predators like lions, leopards, hyenas which will be looking for a morning hunt, After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch. After lunch you will go for an interesting boat cruise on Kazinga channel a waterchannel that connect lake Edward and lake George where you will be able to view large herds of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view buffaloes, elephants, warthogs, waterbucks drinking water along the shores. It will also be possible to spot a wide vaiety of birds such as hornbills, cormorants, fish eagles and kingfishers. Afterthe boat ride you will return to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight as above. 

Day 12: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park 

On day 12 of the safari, you will enjoy a relaxed breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park. On the way you will have a stopover in the Ishasha sector in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park where, with luck, you will be able to view the famous tree climbing lions which will be lazily lying up in acacia/ fig tree branches. After the game drive in the Ishasha sector you will have lunch and then continue the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park. You will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Buhoma haven lodge-midrange or Buhoma community rest camp-budget. 

Day 13: Gorilla trekking experience 

After an early breakfast on day 13 of the safari, you will carry packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquartersfor a gorilla trekking briefing. After the briefing you will start trekking in the jungle in search of the mountain gorillas which takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the gorillas are located. During trekking you will be able to view other primate species, different birds and plants.  Once the mountain gorillas are found, you will be able to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat, giving you an opportunity to observe their behaviors, watch them carry out their daily activities, take photos and record videos. After the one hour encounter with the gentle giants you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will be rewarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking and then meet up with your driver guide to either return to the lodge for relaxation or go for an Optional Batwa cultural tour where you will be able to interact with the Batwa, learn about their culture, tradition, way of living, visit their homesteads, listen to their ancient stories, enjoy their traditional performances. After the cultural tour, you will return back to the lodge for dinner and overnight as above. 

Day 14: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park-evening game drive Start your day with an early morning breakfast and after you will transfer to Lake Mburo National Park. On the way you will enjoy great views and upon arrival in the park you will have lunch at the lodge where afteryou will spend the rest of the day at leisure. In the late afternoon, leave the lodge as you embark on an evening game drive where you will be able to view different animals such as Zebras, Buffaloes, giraffes, waterbucks, warthogs, topi, elands. Predators such as the big cats and hyenas are most actie at this time, increasing your chances of spotting these incredible animals. After the game drive you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay Kigarama wilderness Lodge for mid-range or EaglesNest lodge for budget. 

Day15: Morning game drive, walking safari and night game drive 

After breakfast on day 15 of the safari, you will meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive in the park where you will be able to spot animals like buffaloes, impalas, oribi, topi, waterbucks, zebras, giraffes. After the game drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch, you will meet up with your driver guide to go for a walking safari in the park where you will get up close and personal with different wildlife species, listen to sweet sounds of bird species, enjoy the cool breeze. After the guided nature walk, you will drive back to the lodge for an evening relaxation and dinner. After dinner, you will go for a night game drive where you will be able to spot nocturnal animals like leopards, hyenas, hippos, bush baby, white tailed mongoose among others which becomeactive at night. Afterthe night game drive, you will return to the lodge for an overnight as above. 

Day 16: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise 

After an early breakfast, you will meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive where you will be able to view animals like zebras, buffaloes, impala, topi, waterbucks, bushbucks, elands, warthogs, giant forest hogs, giraffes grazing in savannah plains. If you are lucky you will be able to view predators like leopards, hyenas, view different birds, and enjoy the beautiful sunrise. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch. After lunch you will go for an interesting boat cruise on Lake Mburo where you will have views of buffaloes, warthogs, antelopes along the shores, view hippos and crocodiles in water, and a variety of aquatic birds. After the boat cruise you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight as above. 

Day 17: Departure to Kampala/Entebbe 

On the last day of the safari, you will enjoy breakfast at leisure, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer back to Kampala with en-route lunch and stopover at the Equator where you will be able take photos and buy craft souvenirs. From the Equator you will proceed to Kampala arriving early evening and upon arrival your driver guide will drop you off at Entebbe international airport for your departure flight or drop off at any place of advise. 

End of 17 daysUganda safari