9 Day Uganda Safari

This safari takes you to Murchison Falls National Park for a game drive and boat launch cruise, to Kibale Forest National Park for chimpanzee tracking and a swamp walk, to Queen Elizabeth National Park for chimpanzee tracking and a boat launch cruise, and to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for mountain gorilla trekking. The tour begins and ends in Kampala.

Day 1: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
This morning, we depart for Murchison Falls National Park arriving in the afternoon. The drive will take 5-6 hours, taking a stop over at Masindi hotel for lunch. We will visit the top of Murchison Falls. Here, the Nile River is forced through a narrow gap in the rock before plunging 140 feet down. From here we will continue on, taking a ferry across the river, viewing hippos, elephants, buffalos and other animals along the river banks.

Dinner and overnight at:
Paraa Safari Lodge / Nile Safari Lodge / Chobe Safari Lodge (Luxury)
Sambiya River Lodge (Midrange)
Red Chilli Rest Camp (Budget)

Day 2: Game drive and boat cruise
We depart on an early morning game drive in this park, with excellent opportunities to see lions, leopards, giant forest hogs, buffaloes, elephants, waterbucks, Uganda kobs, topi and much more. This drive will be in the Kasenyi area of the park. Then, we will enjoy a two-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel and into Lake Edward. This cruise provides great bird watching and game viewing.

Dinner and overnight at:
Paraa Safari Lodge / Nile Safari Lodge / Chobe Safari Lodge (Luxury)
Sambiya River Lodge (Midrange)
Red Chilli Rest Camp (Budget)

Day 3: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
We will depart for a half day drive west via Mubende to Fort Portal, passing though the scenic countryside of Rwenzori Mountains. Known as the "Mountains of the Moon", the Rwnezori mountain range in Central Africa is the source of the Nile River. We relax in the afternoon.

Dinner and overnight at:
Kyaninga Lodge / Ndali Safari Lodge (Luxury)
Chimps' Nest / Mountains of the Moon (Midrange)
Ataco Country Resort (Budget)

Day 4: Chimpanzee tracking and nature walk
We enter Kibale Forest National Park Forest for primate viewing in the morning. We search for chimpanzees and other primates including phoestes, Red-Colobus, Blues, Red-tailed and grey cheeked Mangabey. After lunch, we visit to Bigodi swamp eco tourism site and explore the areas rare and beautiful flora and fauna. A variety of bird species flourish among these trees.

Dinner and overnight at:
Kyaninga Lodge / Ndali Safari Lodge (Luxury)
Chimps' Nest / Mountains of the Moon (Midrange)
Ataco Country Resort (Budget)

Day 5: Depart to Queen Elizabeth National Park
This morning, we depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park. Queen Elizabeth is Uganda's most popular game reserve. It boasts one or the highest bio diversity ratings of any game park in the world, from the open savannah to rain forest, dense swamps and beautiful crater lakes to the vastness of Lake Edward. Almost 100 species are found here including hippos, lions, buffaloes, leopards, hyenas, chimps, colobus monkeys and baboons.

Dinner and overnight at:
Mweya Safari Lodge (Luxury)
Katara Lodge (Midrange)
Ihamba Safari Lodge / Simba Safari Camp (Budget)

Day 6: Chimpanzee tracking and boat cruise
We venture into Queen Elizabeth park to view antelopes, hyenas, lion and other animals on the savannah. Also, we enter the Kyambura Gorge to track chimpanzees. In the afternoon, we enjoy the unique 2-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel and into Lake Edward. This trip passes through a high concentration of hippos, buffalo, elephants, crocodile and water birds, for fantastic photo opportunities.

Dinner and overnight at:
Mweya Safari Lodge (Luxury)
Katara Lodge (Midrange)
Ihamba Safari Lodge / Simba Safari Camp (Budget)

Day 7: Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
This morning, we will leave for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home to the few remaining mountain gorillas. Bird life and primate life in Bwindi is quite superb, and there is an incredible variety of flora. Once continuous with the forests of the Virunga Volcanoes (Dian Fossey's stomping ground), Bwindi is now an ecological island, surrounded by cultivation on the rich volcanic soils.

Dinner and overnight at:
Silver Back Lodge / Ruhija Gorilla Lodge (Luxury)
Lake Kitandara Tented Camp / Engagi Lodge (Midrange)
Buhoma Community Bandas / Kisoro Tourist Hotel / Wagtail Eco Lodge (Budget)

Day 8: Gorilla trekking
We head to the park headquarters for a briefing from the Uganda Wildlife Authority before setting off to the forest see the gorillas. The ranger guides will take you through the forest to track gorillas, which can take from half an hour to five hours. A reasonable degree of fitness is required as well as a sturdy pair of walking shoes. If you have the afternoon free, you will take a guided village walk to see how the Ugandans live.

Dinner and overnight at:
Silver Back Lodge / Ruhija Gorilla Lodge (Luxury)
Lake Kitandara Tented Camp / Engagi Lodge (Midrange)
Buhoma Community Bandas / Kisoro Tourist Hotel / Wagtail Eco Lodge (Budget)

Day 9: Return to Kampala
We will depart to Kampala, with lunch en route, arriving in the evening.