Are seeking for an unforgettable Uganda Safari, this 9 Days Uganda Gorillas & Wildlife Safari is an ideal Uganda Tour Package for you tailored to offer you some of the best adventures Uganda has to offer. You will have fascinating encounters with the Big Five – lions, leopards, cape buffaloes, rhinos and elephants, the endangered mountain gorillas, playful chimpanzees – our closest relatives and smaller primates and amazing scenery.
Highlights of 9 Days Uganda Gorillas & Wildlife Safari
- Day 1: Pickup from Kampala or Entebbe – Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
- Day 2: Canoeing, Island hopping and swimming – Transfer to Bwindi – Visit the Batwa Pygmies
- Day 3: Gorilla Tracking – Transfer to the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Day 4: Game drive to see tree climbing lions – Afternoon Boat cruise at the Kazinga Channel
- Day 5: Morning game drive at the Kasenyi Sector – Transfer to Kibale National Park – Visit the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary.
- Day 6: Chimpanzee Habituation Experience
- Day 7: Transfer to Murchison falls – Visit the top of the falls
- Day 8: Morning Game drive – Afternoon Launch cruise on the river Nile
- Day 9: Visit the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary – Transfers to Kampala or Entebbe
Detailed itinerary of 9 Days Uganda Gorillas & Wildlife Safari
Day 1: Pickup from Kampala or Entebbe – Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
After breakfast, you will be picked up from your hotel in Entebbe/ Kampala or on arrival at Entebbe International Airport. The driver-guide will brief you about the tour and let you know what to expect and embark on a journey to Lake Bunyonyi.
The journey is long but very interesting as it offers you chance to observe the life in countryside of Uganda and see the local people going on their daily lives. The south western part of Uganda is blessed with incredible scenery, along the way you will have stopovers at various landmarks including at the equator crossing for an opportunity to take photos.
Have en-route lunch and continue to Lake Bunyonyi arriving in the late afternoon, check in at your lodge and spend the rest of the day at relaxation.
Lake Bunyonyi is the deepest lake in Uganda and the second deepest in Africa, the lake is known as a place of little birds. This beautiful lake is surrounded by terraced hills and forests along the shores. 29 islands are found in the lake including the punishment island among others.
Accommodation: Arcadia Lodge
Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner
Day 2: Canoeing, Island hopping and swimming – Transfer to Bwindi – Visit the Batwa Pygmies
Wake up early for breakfast and take a walk along the shores of Lake Bunyonyi as you wait for breakfast. After an amazing meal, you will head for a canoeing and visit the different islands on the lake.
The birdlife within and around the lake is amazing. Some of the islands in the lake are breeding grounds for several bird species, while on the islands you will be taken for a visit to the fishing villages, schools and medical centers, interact with the local people and learn about how they survive in the island.
After the boat ride, you will check out of the journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park which only takes 2 hours of driving, once you reach the park you will check in at your lodge for check-in and refreshment. In the late afternoon, you will head to the local Batwa Community for a cultural experience.
Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3: Gorilla Tracking – Transfer to the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park
Wake up early for breakfast and head to the park headquarters for briefing which is conducted by a Senior Warden from Uganda Wildlife Authority, rules and regulations to follow while in the forests and dos and donts will be shared. In groups of 8 people you will be assigned a gorilla family to trek, then head into the forest looking for mountain gorillas.
The trek normally takes 2 to 6 hours or more depending on the movement of the gorillas and where they spent their previous night. When you locate the gorillas, you will be amazed by their social structure which is so similar to ours, watch them groom and bond with each other among other interactions.
While in the presence of the gorillas, keep your distance and avoid eye contact, never touch a young gorillas even if it approaches you. After spending one hour with these gentle giants, you will be led back to the starting point and be rewarded with your certificate of participation.
Your driver guide will be waiting from to take you back to the lodge for lunch before starting the journey to Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Game drive to see tree climbing lions – Afternoon Boat cruise at the Kazinga Channel
Wake up early for breakfast and head to the Ishasha Sector for your first game drive, this sector is renowned for being home to the largest group of tree climbing lions in the world, it also has the largest population of Uganda Kobs.
During the gam drive you will see lions lounging on tree branches, lookout for other animals like Uganda kobs, zebras, elephants and buffaloes. Return to your lodge for lunch and in the afternoon, you will head to Kazinga Channel for the afternoon launch cruise.
The Kazinga Channel is a body of water connecting Lake Albert to Lake George, the channel has one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in East Africa. As you sail, you will enjoy excellent sightings of crocodiles, hippos in the waters and buffaloes, elephants along the shores of the lake and several water bird species including flamingoes, malachite, kinfishers, papyrus Gonolek among others.
Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Morning game drive at the Kasenyi Sector – Transfer to Kibale National Park – Visit the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary.
Wake up early and head for the second game drive in Kasenyi Sector, this game drive is more rewarding as the area is has high concentration of wildlife and striking scenery. Some of the animals to lookout for include lions, elephants, hyenas, warthogs, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, topis, cape buffaloes, black and white colobus monkeys.
After the 3 hour game drive, you will be transferred to Kibale National Park with en-route lunch. On arrival at the park, you will be taken to the lodge for check-in before heading for a guided walk in Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary. The sanctuary is home to 12 species of primates and is one of the most visited birding sanctuaries in Uganda.
Accommodation: Turaco Treetops
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Chimpanzee Habituation Experience
Once again, wake up early for breakfast and head to the park’s headquarters for briefing with your packed lunch. A senior ranger will take you through rules and regulations to follow while on this chimpanzee habituation experience, then head in to the forest.
On this activities, you will follow a chimpanzee group from the time they wake up until they make their nests later in the evening. You will have opportunities to spot many of the smaller primates including Red Colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys and grey cheeked mangabeys among others.
Chimpanzee habituation Experience in Kibale Forest allows 4 hours with the primates excluding the time taken tracking them, later head back to the starting point, meet the guide and return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Turaco Treetops
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 7: Transfer to Murchison falls – Visit the top of the falls
Wake up and have breakfast at your leisure, be picked up by your driver and start the long journey to Murchison Falls National Park via Fort Portal, Hoima and Masindi. Along the way, enjoy beautiful landscape, Mount Rwenzori and the countryside with several small towns and trading center.
Have en-route lunch and once you reach the park, the driver will take you straight to visit the top of the falls where you will be able to witness the river Nile force its way through a 7 meter gorge before falling 45 meters before continuing with a mighty roar. The area around the falls has incredible natural beauty and is excellent for photography.
Accommodation: Paraa Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 8: Morning Game drive – Afternoon Launch cruise on the river Nile
Wake up early for breakfast and head to the park for a morning game drive perfect for watching predators as they return back to their dens after hunting at night, this is the best time to spot hyenas, leopards and other predators.
Other animals to lookout for include Bohor reedbuck, bush duiker, bush pigs, bushbucks, oribi, sitatunga, warthogs and small primates inside the park including the common baboon, vervet monkeys and colobus monkeys.
Return to the lodge for lunch and in the afternoon, you will be taken for a boat cruise along the river Nile. Expect to spot countless hippos, crocodiles and for birders, you are in for a retreat. Lookout for birds like bee-eaters, cormorants, goliath herons, hornbills, kingfishers, shoebill, pelicans among others.
The boat cruise ends close to the waterfalls in a place known as the “Devil’s Cauldron”, here you will watch the fall from the below, take as many photos as possible before disembarking and walking up to the top of the falls where your driver guide will be waiting.
Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation: Paraa Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 9: Visit the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary – Transfers to Kampala or Entebbe
Wake up at your own leisure and embark on a journey to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino tracking on foot, the sanctuary is home to the remaining rhinos in Uganda and acts as a breeding place. After tracking the rhinos, you will continue to Kampala with en-route lunch.
Your driver guide will drop you off either at the hotel or at the airport to catch your departure flight back home.
End of 9 Days Uganda Gorillas & Wildlife Safari
The 9 days Uganda safari package includes;
- Gorilla permits
- Chimpanzee permits
- Batwa visit
- Game drives
- Boat cruises
- Lake Bunyonyi tour
- Ziwa Rhino sanctuary
- Park Entrance and Ranger fees
- All activities included in the tour package
- Transfers to and from the airport
- A standard 4X4 tour van
- An experienced driver with great knowledge about the country and who speaks excellent English
- Accommodation for 8 nights including meals and water
- Meals and water outside the hotel
- Government taxes
The safari excludes;
- Air tickets and entry visas to Uganda
- Medical and Travel insurance
- Tips to the gorilla trekking porters, rangers and staff at the hotels
- Expenses on alcohol, cigars, phone calls, soft drinks, souvenir and anything that can be considered personal
