12 Days Best of Uganda Safari Adventure
12 Days Uganda Safari takes you to some of Uganda’s top National Parks plus a visit to Jinja-the source of the Nile. On Your 12 Days Uganda you will visit Murchison Falls National Park for a game drive and boat cruise, Kibale National Park for a chimpanzee tracking experience, Queen Elizabeth National Park for another spectacular game drive and thrilling boat cruise, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for an ultimate gorilla trekking experience and finally summing it up with a visit to Jinja city for a visit to the source of the Nile before we return to Kampala.
Safari Highlight of the 12 Days Uganda Safari
- Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport and Pickup
- Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
- Day 3: Game drive and Boat Cruise
- Day 4: Transfer to Kibale National Park
- Day 5: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi Swamp Walk
- Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Day 7: Game drive and Boat cruise
- Day 8: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Day 9: Gorilla Tracking
- Day 10: Transfer to Kampala
- Day 11: Transfer to Jinja-Source of the Nile
- Day 12: Transfer to Entebbe
Detailed Itinerary of the 12 Days Uganda Safari
DAY 1: ARRIVAL AT ENTEBBE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AND PICKUP
On arrival, you will be received by the company representative who will transfer you to the hotel in Kampala for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Overnight: Cassia Lodge Meal Plan: Bed only
DAY 2: TRANSFER TO MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK.
After early morning breakfast, you will be briefed by the guide about the 12 Day Uganda safari. Thereafter, you will set off from your hotel as we embark on our journey to Murchison Falls National Park. We shall pass through Luwero town and continue with our journey to Masindi town. We shall have a lunch stopover in Masindi.
We shall then proceed to the park. Along our way, we shall be able to spot some baboons grooming on the roadside, warthogs, and many other species of the park. Arrive at the lodge for check-in, relaxation, and overnight.
Overnight: Pakuba Safari Lodge Meal Plan: Full Board
DAY 3: GAME DRIVE AND BOAT CRUISE
Arise very early in the morning, have breakfast, and head out for a game drive in the savannah in search of wildlife such as Nubian giraffes, Lake Chad buffalos, lions, spotted hyenas, Savannah elephants, Uganda kobs, Lelwel’s hartebeest, Common warthogs, Oribis, Bohor’s Reedbuck and many birds like Black-headed Lapwing, Blue-headed Coucal, Giant kingfisher, Swamp flycatcher, Red-throated bee-eater, Black-billed barbet. The game drive is conducted in the Northern sector. After the game drive, we shall come back and have lunch at the lodge then prepare for a thrilling boat cruise on the Nile. The launch cruise will grant you an opportunity to an eccentric view of the Nile, amidst the encounter of the huge Nile crocodiles, hippos, and several other wildlife and waders like African skimmers on the lake shores. We shall return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Overnight: Pakuba Safari Lodge Meal Plan: Full Board
DAY 4: TRANSFER TO KIBALE NATIONAL PARK
Today we shall transfer to Kibale Forest National Park. Kibale Forest National Park is one of the best places for chimpanzee tracking in Uganda. The park is also home to over 375 bird species, 351 tree species, and 70 mammal species, out of which 13 are primate species including chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus, L’Hoest’s monkeys, Blue monkeys, Red-cheeked Mangabey, and Uganda red colobus monkeys.
Overnight: Kibale Forest Camp Meal Plan: Full Board
DAY 5: CHIMPANZEE TRACKING AND BIGODI SWAMP WALK
After your early morning breakfast, we shall drive to the chimpanzee briefing point where you will be briefed about the activity. You will be assigned a game ranger and armed men for your safety and security. Shortly, you will walk through the forest as the ranger keeps in touch with the monitoring team on the ground. Upon finding the chimpanzees, you will be given ample time to interact depending on their mood. Later, we shall drive back to the lodge for lunch as we prepare for the Bigodi swamp walk and community experience. Among the activities to excite you here include local liquor making, weaving of baskets, cultural dances, and also paying a visit to the cultural doctor. We shall then drive back to the lodge for an overnight.
Overnight: Kibale Forest Camp Meal Plan: Full Board
DAY 6: TRANSFER TO QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK
After our breakfast, we shall transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Rwimi driving through scenic views of some different crater lakes like Lake Nyinambuga, Kasenda, and Kifurukwa, seen along the way. As we approach Kasese town, we shall be able to have spectacular views of the Rwenzori ranges. Arrive in Queen Elizabeth National Park for check-in and lunch. After lunch, we can choose to relax at the lodge or take an afternoon game drive with chances of seeing species like African elephants, African Cape buffaloes among others. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Overnight: The Bush Lodge Meal Plan: Full Board
DAY: 7 GAME DRIVE AND BOAT CRUISE
We shall have breakfast and head out for a game drive in the Kasenyi plains exposing us to species like African elephants, African Cape buffaloes, Uganda Kobs, leopards, lions, and the park boasts a record of over 600 bird species. After, we shall drive back to the lodge for hot lunch and take a boat cruise on the Kazinga channel. The Kazinga channel is a 42km stretch, connecting Lake George and Lake Edward with rewarding big herds of buffaloes, schools of hippos, Nile crocodiles, and different bird species like the rare African skimmers and Lesser Flamingos. After the cruise, we can opt for a sundowner at one of the crater lakes or transfer back to the lodge for relaxation and overnight.
Overnight: The Bush Lodge Meal Plan: Full Board
DAY 8: TRANSFER TO BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK
Today after breakfast, we shall transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site and home to the famous Mountain Gorillas making it the best place in Uganda for tracking these gentle giants. We shall arrive later in the afternoon for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Overnight: Four Gorillas Lodge Meal Plan: Full Board
DAY 9: GORILLA TREKKING
After morning breakfast, we shall drive to the park headquarters for a briefing before the gorilla trekking activity. You will then be assigned a group to track a particular gorilla family. You will be led into the jungle by an armed ranger who will keep in touch with the monitoring team on the ground in order to easily locate the mountain gorillas. The activity takes between 3-7 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas. Once you locate the gorilla family, you will be given ample time to watch them in their natural habitat playing, feeding, resting, and going about their daily life. We shall later return to the lodge for dinner and relaxation.
Overnight: Four Gorillas Lodge Meal Plan: Full Board
DAY 10: TRANSFER TO KAMPALA
After breakfast, we shall check out and set off for Kampala with a stopover for lunch en-route. We shall also have an en-route stopover at the equator for a photo session and you may also purchase some hand-made craft souvenirs before we proceed with our journey, arriving in Kampala in the afternoon for check-in and overnight.
Overnight: Cassia Lodge Meal Plan: Full Board
DAY 11: TRANSFER TO JINJA-SOURCE OF THE NILE
On this day after breakfast, we shall take a motorboat ride to the source of the longest river in the world ‘River Nile’. Along the Nile cruise, we shall come to close encounters with more birdlife of species like Green-backed Heron, African Darter, Giant and Malachite Kingfisher, Little Egrets, and the famous Nile monitor lizards. The cruise also gives a spectacular aerial view of the Nile where John Speke stood and spotted the source of the Nile and how the water flows from Uganda to the Mediterranean Sea. After the cruise, we shall have lunch and return to Kampala overnight.
Overnight: Cassia Lodge Meal Plan: Full Board
DAY 12: TRANSFER TO ENTEBBE (OPTIONAL VISIT TO MABAMBA SWAMP)
After breakfast, depending on the time of your flight, you can choose to visit Mabamba swamp. Located on the fringes of Lake Victoria, Mabamba swamp/wetland is one of the best places to see the rarely sighted shoebill stork. We shall drive to board a motorized traditional canoe in search of the Shoebill in the papyrus swamp. While here, we also have opportunities to spot other bird species including the Swamp Flycatcher, Blue-breasted bee-eater, African fish eagle, white-winged tern, and the Spur-winged goose among others. We shall then transfer to Entebbe to catch your flight back home.
Meal Plan: Breakfast
INCLUSIONS
- Accommodation and meal plan as per itinerary
- Ground transportation in a 4×4 wheel with an English speaking safari guide
- Activities in the park as per the itinerary
- Gorilla permits
- Chimpanzee permits
- National park fees
- Source of the Nile visit
EXCLUSIONS
- Activities not listed in the itinerary
- Phone bills
- Laundry services
- Tips
- Travel insurance
- Any personal bills
- Lunch en-route fees
