7-Day Uganda Safari Tour
A 7-day Uganda Safari Tour gives you a chance to see some of the most amazing wildlife in Africa. You will track chimpanzees, come face to face with mountain gorillas, watch tree-climbing lions, and cruise along a beautiful waterway teeming with hippos and birds. Along the way, you will also meet local communities and learn about their way of life. This tour takes you through three world-class national parks — Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, and Bwindi Impenetrable. It starts from Kampala or Entebbe and can also begin from Kigali in Rwanda.
Day 1: Travel to Kibale National Park and Tour Fort Portal
Your driver picks you up early in the morning from your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe. After a quick breakfast, you set off on the road to Kibale National Park. The drive is long, but it is full of great sights. You pass through green countryside, small towns, large tea plantations, and river valleys. You also see the famous long-horned Ankole cattle grazing by the roadside.
When you reach Fort Portal City, you stop for lunch. After eating, you take a walk around this small and charming town. Fort Portal is the tourism hub of Uganda. It sits at the foot of the Rwenzori Mountains and enjoys cool, fresh weather all year round. Many people call it the most peaceful town in Uganda. In the evening, you check in to your lodge and rest before the big day ahead.
Day 2: Chimpanzee Tracking and Bigodi Swamp Walk
You wake up early and eat breakfast before heading to Kibale National Park headquarters for a briefing. Park guides explain the rules, what to expect, and how to behave around the chimps. Then, they lead you deep into the forest to find the chimpanzee families.
Chimpanzee tracking is a truly lively experience. The chimps spend much of their time high up in the trees. You can often hear their loud calls long before you see them. Once you find the group, you get one full hour to watch them up close. Use that time well — take photos, observe their behavior, and enjoy every moment. After the hour ends, your guide leads you back to the park offices.
Later in the afternoon, you visit the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary for a gentle walk. This quiet swamp is one of the best spots for bird watching in Uganda. You also spot small monkeys, colorful butterflies, and tall forest trees along the trail.
Day 3: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Game Drive in Ishasha, and Visit Kyambura Gorge
After breakfast, you check out and head south toward Queen Elizabeth National Park. The drive takes about two hours and passes through the famous Ishasha sector of the park. This area is well known for its tree-climbing lions. Unlike most lions in Africa, these big cats rest and sleep on the branches of fig and acacia trees. Scientists believe they climb trees to escape insects on the ground and to get a better view of their prey. Spotting one of these lions in a tree is a rare and exciting sight.
After the Ishasha game drive, your guide takes you to your lodge to check in and refresh. In the afternoon, you visit the Kyambura Gorge. This deep gorge holds an underground forest that feels like a hidden world. Inside, you find chimpanzees, baboons, monkeys, hippos, and many rare birds. The trees and plants in the gorge have adapted to this unique environment. It is a truly special place to explore.
Day 4: Morning Game Drive and Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise
You start the day with an early breakfast, then head out for a morning game drive across the Kasenyi Plains. This is the best time to see nocturnal animals heading back to rest after a night of hunting. You also spot early-rising birds, herds of buffalo, hartebeest, elephants, and the occasional leopard. The plains feel alive in the cool morning air.
After the game drive, you return to the lodge for lunch and rest. In the afternoon, you board a boat for a cruise along the Kazinga Channel. This wide waterway connects Lake Edward and Lake George and draws large numbers of animals to its banks. Hippos and crocodiles lounge in the water while elephants and buffalo drink along the shore. The channel is also one of Africa’s top birding sites. You see both resident and migratory birds in impressive numbers. The boat cruise lasts about two hours and gives you some of the best wildlife views of the entire trip.
Day 5: Maramagambo Forest, Lake Katwe Salt Mining, and Transfer to Bwindi
This day is full of variety. First, you visit Lake Katwe, a saltwater crater lake where local people mine salt using traditional methods. Your guide introduces you to the salt miners, and you learn how this work has supported their families for many generations. It is a warm and eye-opening experience.
Next, you walk through the Maramagambo Forest. Here, you visit the famous bat caves and watch pythons hunt from a hidden viewing platform above. The forest is also home to red-tailed monkeys, small antelopes, and other primates. You also get to see two beautiful crater lakes — Nyamasingiri and Kyasanduka — that sit within the forest.
In the afternoon, you leave Queen Elizabeth and drive south to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The road winds through green hills and tea farms before you arrive at your lodge for dinner and a good night’s sleep.
Day 6: Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi and Visit to the Batwa Pygmies
This is the highlight of the entire safari. You wake up early and arrive at the park offices by 7:00 am for a briefing. Rangers explain how to behave around gorillas, what to carry, and what to expect. They then assign each visitor to a gorilla family based on age and fitness, since some groups live deeper in the forest.
You set off into the dense forest with your ranger. The trek takes between two and six hours, depending on where the gorillas are. When you finally find the family, you get one full hour with them. During that hour, you watch them eat, groom each other, play, and rest. Young gorillas may even walk right past you. Stay calm, follow the rangers’ instructions, and take as many photos as you can. It is an experience you will never forget.
After the trek, you collect your certificate and return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, you visit the Batwa pygmy community. The Batwa are one of Africa’s oldest forest peoples. The government moved them out of the Bwindi forest years ago, and they have struggled to adapt to life outside. During your visit, you see traditional dances and hear stories about their history and culture. It is a moving and important part of understanding this region.
Day 7: Return to Kampala
On the final day, you wake up at your own pace and enjoy a last breakfast in the mountains. Your driver then takes you on a scenic route back to Kampala. Along the way, you stop at the Igongo Cultural Centre in Mbarara for lunch and to explore local history. You also stop at the Equator crossing in Kayabwe for photos — a fun moment to mark before heading home.
If time allows, you also stop at the workshop of the Buganda royal drum makers to see how traditional drums are crafted. By evening, your driver drops you at Entebbe Airport or your hotel in Kampala.
This 7-day Uganda Safari Tour packs a lifetime of memories into one week. Contact Safari Vacations and Travel Services to book your permits, transport, and accommodation today.
