The 10 Days Uganda wildlife and Primate Safari will provide you with an unforgettable experience of Uganda’s unique wildlife, including the Big Five game, a large number of savannah species spread across protected parks, and the spectacular Uganda monkeys. Uganda boasts a diverse range of habitats and ecosystems that support various species, such as over half of Africa’s bird species, over 345 mammal species, 20 primates, and the world’s highest concentration of mountain gorillas, plant species, reptiles, and amphibians. Furthermore, the snow-capped Mount Rwenzori, crater lakes, volcanoes, the Nile River, and rainforests make Uganda a must-see destination for all tourists. This package will take you through Uganda’s most captivating national parks, including Murchison Falls National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Semiliki Wildlife Reserve, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which has the highest gorilla population in Uganda, as well as Lake Bunyonyi. The 10-day Uganda safari tour offers a diverse range of experiences, such as game viewing, chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking, boat cruising, nature walks, hot springs adventure, birdwatching, and relaxation at Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda’s deepest lake. This package focuses on providing reasonably affordable rooms in the mid-range and budget categories. Given the locations of these national parks, long-distance drives are required; yet, drives on Ugandan roads are daring and provide spectacular vistas of nature.
Highlights of 10 Days Uganda wildlife and Primate Safari
Day One: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park.
Day 2: Game drive and launch cruise at Murchison Falls.
Day 3: Transfer to Kibale National Park.
Day 4: Chimpanzee trek and Bigodi swamp walk. Day 5: Transfer to Semuliki National Park for hot springs and night game drive.
Day 6: Transfer to the Queen Elizabeth National Park boat tour and evening game drive.
Day 7: Lion tracking and transfer to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Day 8: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi.
Day 9: Explore Lake Bunyonyi.
Day 10: Transfer to Entebbe / Departure
Detailed itinerary.
Day One: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park.
A company representative or driver guide will welcome you, depending on your location in Kampala, and then transfer you to Murchison Falls National Park, stopping en route at the Ziwa rhino sanctuary for rhino trekking. It is a 2-3 hour trip from Murchison Falls National Park. After trekking, drive to Murchison Falls National Park. You will enter through Kichumbanyobo Gate and travel to the top of the falls before heading to your resort for supper and an overnight stay at Heritage Safari Resort for budget or Pakuba Safari Lodge for mid-range.
Day 2: Game drive and launch cruise at Murchison Falls.
After enjoying breakfast early in the morning, you will embark on a wildlife drive to witness a variety of animals such as elephants, giraffes, lions, and Uganda kobs. In the afternoon, you will embark on a launch cruise that showcases the park’s primary tourist attraction, the distinctive Murchison Falls, and the River Nile, home to a variety of crocodiles and hippopotamuses that stream along the sandbanks, attracting a wide array of diverse species that come down to drink and wash. Dinner and overnight as described above.
Day 3: Transfer to Kibale National Park.
You will eat breakfast early before driving to Kibale Forest National Park, stopping in Fort Portal for lunch. It is around a 7-8 hour trip from Murchison Falls National Park. Proceed to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Chimpanzee Forest Guest House (mid-range) or Isunga Lodge.
Day 4: Chimpanzee Trekking and Bigodi Swamp Walk.
We have breakfast early in the morning, followed by a briefing before we begin our Chimpanzee trekking. Kibale Forest National Park is a top safari site in Africa for chimpanzee tracking. Kibale National Park, which covers 795 square kilometres, has one of Uganda’s most magnificent and diverse expanses of tropical forest. This is home to a variety of woodland fauna, most notably 13 species of ape combined with chimps.
After trekking, you will have lunch and then visit Bigodi wetland, where you will see a variety of birds and a pristine environment. You will have dinner and spend the night at the lodge, as previously mentioned.
Day 5: Transfer to Semuliki National Park (hot springs and nocturnal game drive)
You will get up early and travel to Semuliki National Park. Visit the Park headquarters to register, then visit the Sempaya hot springs and the Pygmies in their new community at Ntandi. In the afternoon, go to the wildlife reserve for a game drive, looking for species such as leopards and forest elephants.
Check in for supper. Late in the evening, you will proceed on a night game drive in search of animals such as the slender mongoose, various cats, the white-tailed mongoose, and the small genet. Semuliki Wildlife Reserve is one of Uganda’s parks that allows visitors to go on night game drives. Stay overnight at Ntoroko Safari Lodge or Semiliki Safari Lodge for a luxurious experience.
Day 6: Transfer to the Queen Elizabeth National Park boat tour and evening game drive.
After breakfast, you will transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, arriving in plenty of time for lunch. Enjoy your lunch before embarking on a launch cruise to see various water animals, such as hippos and crocodiles. The voyage will also provide you with information about numerous water birds. Connect for an evening game drive in the Kasenyi area to see elephants, buffaloes, and, if you’re lucky, lions and leopards. After dinner, stay overnight at Pumba Cottages (cheap) or Parkview Safari Lodge (midrange).
Day 7: Lion tracking and transfer to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
After breakfast, join us for a 2-hour lion tracking tour before continuing on to Bwindi National Park via the Ishasha section of Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you may glimpse some tree-climbing lions. You will have lunch en route and arrive in Bwindi in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at Buhoma Haven Lodge for mid-range or Buhoma Community Rest Camp for budget.
Day 8: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi.
After enjoying an early breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters with your packed lunch. There, you will receive a briefing from the ranger guides before entering the forest with your trekking gear. This gear includes trekking sticks, good hiking shoes, stockings for tucking in, long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, and a raincoat or jacket, among other items. Similar to other trekking parks, gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park takes 2 to 8 hours, depending on the gorillas’ movements. The gorillas roam the park freely, making it impossible to predict their whereabouts on any given day, but rangers track them daily to locate them. When you discover them, you will have an hour to admire and photograph these friendly primates before descending.
After the trek, meet your safari guide to get to Lake Bunyonyi. It is around 2-3 hours’ driving from Bwindi National Park. Lake Bunyonyi is the ideal place to relax after gorilla trekking. Connect to your lodge, which offers views of the rolling hills. Dinner and sleep at Bunyonyi Overland Resort (cheap) or Arcadia Lodge (middle range).
Day 9: Explore Lake Bunyonyi.
Lake Bunyonyi means “place of little birds,” and it is formed by high hills covered in beautiful green foliage that extends to the water’s edge. So, after breakfast, take a canoe journey to several of the lake’s islands and see various bird species. You will also enjoy any other trips that you want. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge mentioned above.
Day 10: Transfer to Entebbe / Departure
You will eat breakfast before leaving the park to return to Kampala, stopping for lunch and a visit to the Equator along the way. Proceed to Entebbe, and depending on your flight, you will be left off at your own booked accommodation or taken to the airport for your onwards travel home.
End of 10 Days Uganda wildlife and Primate Safari
