21 Days Uganda Ultimate Safari

Day 1: Pickup and transfer to a Hotel in Kampala or Entebbe

Welcome to the Pearl of Africa. For international arrivals who will fly in by the evening, our experienced guide will be happily waiting for you outside the Airport.

S/He will pick you up and drive to an already booked hotel/lodge in Entebbe or Kampala for overnight. He will use the same opportunity to brief you about the trip in case you ain’t too tired to listen.

For our clients who will be already in Uganda, your 21-day Uganda Ultimate safari starts on the 2nd day as per the itinerary.

Day 2: Full-Day Kampala City Tour

We shall start our 21-day Uganda Ultimate safari adventure with a Kampala capital city tour after a hefty breakfast at the hotel. The city tour will be a combination of both driving and walking safari through some of the iconic places in Kampala.

Visit the Bahai temple, the only one of a kind in Africa, St. Balikuddembe (Owino) market. It provides fresh food and gives a memorable experience as you engage with the locals in the market.

You will also visit the Uganda Martyrs shrine Namugongo to learn about the Christian martyrs. You’ll also visit Gadaffi mosque, the biggest in the country. After, you’ll visit the Uganda Museum to view the historical items kept there. You’ll pay a visit to Bulange Mengo to learn more about the Buganda kingdom and their administrative organization to mention but a few.

Dinner and overnight: Sheraton Kampala Hotel/Fairway Hotel

Day 3: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park, En-route Photography at the Equator

The 3rd day of our 21-day Uganda Ultimate safari will begin with a drive to Lake Mburo National Park. It is the smallest Savannah game park in Uganda.

As you trans-locate to Lake Mburo National Park, you will have a stopover at the equator. Uganda is one of the few countries crossed by the equator. So, you will have a chance to take photos at the equator and also perform a water experiment, lunch will be had along the way.

After, embark on your journey to Lake Mburo for an evening game drive as you view different animals within the park.

Dinner and overnight stay: Mihingo Lodge/Hyena Hill Lodge

Day 4: Wildlife viewing by Game Drive and Boat Cruise

After a morning breakfast head out for a game drive in the park. You will have to spot various animals at different angles of the park and the salt lick.

Animals in the park include zebra, impala, eland, buffalo, oribi, Defassa waterbuck, leopard, hippo, hyena, topis, and reedbuck and it is a birders’ hub for birders due to the numerous bird species.

Proceed for a boat cruise after the lunch break on Lake Mburo. You will view different animals and bird species that come to drink water around the shores of the lake. Water animals around the lake include; hippos, crocodiles, antelopes, buffaloes, and over 3 types of otters.

Also when it comes to the birds, you will view the malachite kingfishers, African Fish eagles, blue-headed weavers, Rufuos long-tailed starlings, the pied kingfishers, hammer Kobs, Herons, pelicans, the rare shoebill as well as the cormorants.

After the boat cruise head back to the lodge for the evening relaxation at the lodge. There are other activities that one may opt to partake in. These include; horseback rides, biking, culture encounters, and nature walks. You can choose to do one and it comes with an extra cost.

Dinner and overnight stay: Mihingo Lodge/Hyena Hill Lodge

Day 5: Morning game drive and Transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

On this day, after your hefty breakfast, take a snap game drive and head to Mgahinga National Park. “Gold meets silver” in this park, as it is the only park in Uganda where mountain gorillas and golden monkeys coexist.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is along the Uganda, Congo, and Rwanda border forming the Virunga conservation area. When you arrive at the park, check into the hotel and relax around the lodge.

Dinner and overnight: Mount Gahinga Lodge/Travelers’ Rest Hotel

Day 6: Golden Monkey and Batwa Trail

Have an early morning breakfast and set off for Golden Monkey trekking. You will meet at the park’s briefing center for a briefing about the activity and the rules of the trek.

You are allowed only 1 hour with endangered primates to take photographs and observe their behavior. With this activity, there is no minimum number of tourists who track each group, and the age limit is 12 years.

After the fascinating exercise, go back for lunch at the lodge as you prepare to go for the Batwa cultural trail. The Batwa Trail leads from the base of Muhavura Cave.

The walk is a living museum where you can learn about the Batwa People, a pygmy tribe that used to live in the Mgahinga forests.

These people were hunter-gatherers and ferocious warriors who depended on the forest for shelter, food, and medicine. In reserving the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, these people were forced out of the park. The government relocated them to the communities that surround the park.

This walk is conducted by Batwa guides who provide insights into their traditional forest life and culture. The Batwa display their past hunting techniques; and ways of gathering honey. The guides will highlight the medicinal plants used and reveal how to make bamboo cups.

The guides finally invite Guests to the sacred Ngarama Cave, once home to the Batwa King. The women of the community perform a cultural dance and you can join in their dance. Head back to the lodge after the trail.

Dinner and overnight: Mount Gahinga Lodge/Travelers’ Rest Hotel

Day 7: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for a Canoe Ride and then to Bwindi Forest

Wake up to an early morning breakfast as you transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you will visit Lake Bunyonyi first for canoe riding and bird watching.

You will visit different islands on the Lake and expect to see different bird species. These include African kingfishers, weavers, grey crowned cranes, levillant cuckoos, and white-tailed monad. Slender-billed baglafetch, cardinal woodpecker, and grey-crowned cranes are other birds that you can see.

You will later on transfer transfer to Bwindi National Park. On arrival, check-in and relax around the lodge as you view the scenery around.

Bwindi forest is in the southwestern part of Uganda covering a total land expanse of 331 sq km.

Dinner and overnight: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge/Rushaga Havens Gorilla Lodge

Day 8: Mountain Gorilla Trekking Experience and Community Walk

On this day, you will have an early morning breakfast as you head out for mountain gorilla trekking. Meet up with the park ranger, who will brief you about the rules to follow while on gorilla trekking.

After the briefing, set off for a gorilla trekking activity. Since there is no specific time the activity may last, it is advisable to carry a packed lunch and enough drinking water. You may hire a porter to help you carry your backpack.

When you meet the mountain gorillas, you are given only 1 hour to spend with the gentle giants, and only 8 people per group are allowed in a day. Gorilla trekking is a vigorous activity that involves hiking and it needs one to be physically fit.

After trekking, go back to the lodge and relax for the evening.

The Batwa community tour is an optional activity that one may carry out after gorilla trekking.

Dinner and overnight: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge/Rushaga Havens Gorilla Lodge

Day 9: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park through the Ishasha sector

After breakfast, set off to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Tourists famously know it for the climbing lions in the Ishasha sector, the 40km Kazinga channel, and the best place for wildlife safari.

You will enter Queen Elizabeth Park through the Southern gate and drive through the Ishasha sector. You will view the famous Tree-Climbing Lions and other wildlife.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is in western Uganda, in the districts of Kasese, Bundibugyo, and Bushenyi. It is the 2nd largest national park in Uganda, Murchison being the largest.

A visit to this zoological park will leave you with a lot of memorable incidents due to the various activities in the park.

Dinner and overnight: Ishasha Wilderness Camp/Ishasha Jungle Lodge

Day 10: Full-day wildlife Experience by Game drive and Boat cruise

On a rosy day, you will wake up to a sturdy breakfast as you prepare for a game drive in the “Medley of Wonders”. The park has a diversity of wildlife like Cape buffalo, Uganda kob, waterbuck, warthogs, lion, leopard, hyena, giant forest hog, Topis as well as elephants.

Queen Elizabeth National Park was founded in 1952 as Kazinga National Park. The government renamed it two years later to commemorate a visit by Queen Elizabeth II.

The park covers 1978 square kilometers and it is located on the rift valley between the Lakes of George and Edward. The Rift Valley harbors a variety of mammals and birds.

The two lakes are connected by a 40km Kazinga channel where different animal species are found along the shorelines. These include hippos, buffalo, kob, and crocodiles.

Queen Elizabeth Park also offers spectacular bird viewing opportunities. It has over 612 species of birds and boat cruises will allow you to view these different species and animals.

So after your lunch, head out for a launch cruise on this magnificent channel for a spectacular view. You’ll also feel the natural breeze around the channel as you view the two lakes from a distance.

Dinner and overnight: Mweya Safari Lodge/Buffalo Lodge

Day 11: Transfer to Kibale National Park, Visit Crater Lakes

After a tempting breakfast, embark on your journey to Kibale Forest National Park in western Uganda. You’ll visit the crater lakes after having a local Lunch experience.

Kibale National Park was gazetted in 1932 and formally established in 1993 to protect a large area of forest previously managed as a logged forest reserve.

Kibale is one of the last outstanding expanses to contain both lowland and montane forests in Eastern Africa. It sustains the last momentous area of pre-montane forest.

Kibale National Park is a habitat for wild chimpanzees and other twelve popular primates. It makes it one of the paramount national parks to visit while on your 21 days Uganda Ultimate Discovery Safari.

There are a total of 13 species to be found here which, aside from our close relatives the chimpanzees. They include the grey-cheeked mangabey, endangered red colobus, and black-and-white colobus monkey. There are also blue monkeys, Olive baboons, pottos, bush babies, red-tailed monkeys, and the rare L’Hoest’s monkey. On arrival at the park, check into the lodge.

Dinner and overnight: Primate Lodge/Kibale Forest Camp

Day 12: Chimpanzee Tracking and Bigodi walk

Have an early morning breakfast as usual, and meet up with the park ranger. He will brief you about the rules of chimpanzee tracking. After the briefing, proceed to the forest as you start trekking the chimps.

You’ll hear the intriguing chimpanzees before you see them. Their screams wheeze hoots and our local tracking experts use the barks to bring you even closer to them.

Once you trace the chimps, you will spend up to one hour with them. After, the forest walk continues in search of other primates such as the grey-cheeked mangabey, endangered red colobus, and black-and-white colobus monkey. Others include the blue monkey, olive baboon, potto, bush baby, red-tailed monkey, and  L’Hoest’s monkeys.

After trekking relax for lunch as you get ready for the Bigodi walk. This walk goes to community development projects. Just outside the park itself, the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary is an underscore of the area, a community-run reserve that provides a great example of how tourism and local communities can work hand-in-hand to benefit the environment.

The sanctuary has over 335 bird species and at least five primate species and you’ll see them when you partake in a Bigodi walk.

Dinner and overnight

Day 13: Transfer to Semliki National Park

Semliki National Park is in a distant corner of southwestern Uganda. It protects an eastern conservatory of the vast Ituri Forest. It forms part of a forest continuum that stretches across the Democratic Republic of Congo to the Zaire River.

Semliki Forest Reserve was created in 1932 and upgraded to national park status in 1993. It is a domicile to 400 bird species 216. of which include the lyre-tailed honey guide forest ground thrush and Sassi’s olive greenbul are true forest birds.

There are also other 12 unique bird species, which are tremendously limited in East Africa. However, tourists can see it by spending a few days in the Park.

These include the Western bronze-napped pigeon, yellow-throated cuckoo, piping hornbill, red-sided broadbill, Xavier’s greenbul, capuchin babbler, yellow long bill, blue-headed flycatcher, red-billed helmet-shrike, crested malimbe, pale fronted ant pecker and chestnut-breasted negro-finch among others.

After your succulent breakfast; set off to this fascinating park.

Dinner and overnight: Mountains of the Moon Hotel

Day 14: Game drive and a visit to the hot springs

Have a morning breakfast and set off for a hike on Kirumia Trail which runs through the heart of the forest to the Semuliki River.

This trail is ideal for bird watching as there are higher chances of spotting different bird species.  Semuliki national park is home to over 400 bird species such as the western bronze-napped pigeon, yellow-throated cuckoo, piping hornbill, red-sided broadbill, Xavier’s greenbul, capuchin babbler, yellow long bill, blue-headed flycatcher, red-billed helmet-shrike, crested malimbe, pale fronted ant pecker and chestnut-breasted negro-finch among others.

You will be able to spot buffaloes, Hippos, and Crocodiles along the Semuliki River. After lunch, you will head out to the Sempaya nature trail –This trail leads you to the Sempaya hot springs.

The walk is through a scrap of forest where you are most likely to come across the black-and-white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and grey-cheeked mangabey.

Along the trail to the male hot springs, you will pass by the tree house where you view the abundant birdlife and striking panorama.

The ‘female’ hot springs have a boiling spout at over 1000C. Often you have a chance to cook plantains and eggs in the boiling waters and devour them as you continue your trekking journey.

Dinner and overnight: Mountains of the Moon Hotel

Day 15: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park

Begin your day with a heavy breakfast as you get ready to transfer to Murchison Falls National Park. It is the largest Ugandan park having the strongest waterfalls in the world.

It is home to over 76 species of mammals like the big four. There are also 451 bird species such as Shoebill Stork, the Goliath Heron – the largest heron in the world – and pairs of elegant Grey Crowned Cranes – Uganda’s national bird.

Also seen along the banks of the Nile are the Blue-headed Coucal, Swamp Flycatcher, Squacco Heron, African Jacana, Sandpipers, Denham’s Bustard, Abyssinian Ground-Hornbill, Black-billed Barbet, Black-headed Gonolek, Eastern Grey Plantain-eater, Piapiac, Silverbird, Weaver Birds, Pied, Giant and Malachite Kingfishers, Red-throated Bee-eater, White-browed Sparrow Weaver, Speckle-fronted Weaver and African Quail-Finch.

Visit the top of the falls on arrival before checking in to your lodge.

Dinner and overnight: Paraa Safari Lodge/Red Chilli Rest Camp

Day 16: Game drive, Boat cruise, and Hike to the falls

Have an early morning breakfast and set off for the game drive. It’ll take you through the savanna, along Lake Albert delta, where you will see profuse wildlife as you move slowly in the park at sunrise.

Expect to see wild animals such as lions, leopards, elephants, hippos, buffaloes, warthogs, giraffes, and hilarious appealing warthogs. Some of the birds are the shoebill stork, the goliath heron, and elegant grey-crowned cranes.

Then break off for lunch at the lodge. After lunch you hit the road for a launch cruise up to the bottom of the falls, moving at a snail’s pace along the river bank viewing animals.

You will hike to the top of Murchison Falls where the Nile is forced through a narrow opening in the rock. You will view the powerful flow of the falls and the undeviating rainbow formed by the waterfalls.

Don’t miss seeing the herds of elephants cooling off, crocodiles enjoying an evening of sunshine, and hippopotamuses frolicking in the water. After go back to the lodge for refreshments.

Dinner and overnight

Day 17: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park, En-route to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

After your morning breakfast, meet up with your guide to take you to Kidepo Valley National Park. It is in the Kaabong district in Northeastern Uganda.

On your way, you will visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for the endangered Southern White rhino trekking before heading to Kidepo.

Kidepo Valley is the most isolated national park in Uganda lying in the rugged, semi-arid valleys between Uganda’s borders with Sudan and Kenya, gazetted as a national park in 1962.

It still stands out to be one of the best virgin places every wildlife viewer can ever visit in Uganda.

Kidepo National Park being a far park offers a diversity of views as you travel to this incredible park. You’ll expect to view the amazing scenery as you head to the north, the stunning culture of the people, lots of wildlife, and lots of other things this park has to offer.

Dinner and overnight: Kidepo Savannah Lodge/Zebra Safari Lodge

Day 18: Game drive and a Visit to the Iks

You will have a morning game drive after your breakfast to see the various wildlife in this park. These may include, elephants, giraffes, Lions- zebras, leopards, black and white, and side-stripped jackals.  Others include the spotted hyena, the greater and lesser kudu, Chandler’s mountain reedbuck, Burchell’s Giraffe, Carcal, Klipspringer, cheetah, the bat-eared fox, and many more.

For birders, you also have an opportunity to view the different birds on your safaris such as the Kori bustard, Abyssinian ground hornbill, secretary bird, ostrich, carmine, yellow-billed, and Jackson’s hornbills, and some ostriches.

Come back for lunch at your lodge before setting off for a cultural experience with the IK people. You will visit different local homesteads and participate in the African cultural dances of the Karamajong/Ik people.

Dinner and overnight: Kidepo Savannah Lodge/Zebra Safari Lodge

Day 19: Transfer to Mt Elgon

Mountain Elgon National Park is situated on the Uganda-Kenya border. it is also the oldest and largest solitary, volcanic mountain in East Africa. Mountain Elgon has the largest caldera in the world.

The park was named after the most significant natural feature – Mount Elgon which stands at a height of 4321 meters. Mount Elgon is an extinct Volcanic Mountain once the tallest mountain in Africa. However, due to erosion, it is now the 4th highest in Africa Kilimanjaro being the highest now.

Mountain Elgon National Park has a lot to offer making it worth a visit. It has the most beautiful caves, cliffs, gorges, and waterfalls in the country. After your delicious breakfast head out to Mt Elgon National Park with a lunch stop along the way.

Dinner and overnight: Mbale Resort Hotel

Day 20: Explore Sipi Falls

After a mouthwatering breakfast, proceed to Kapchorwa to Sipi Village, nestled between mountains and waterfalls. Get to enjoy a hike to the exquisite Sipi Falls.

Take a walk to the bottom of the eminent waterfall and then continue with a precipitous climb to a series of caves. Experience this exigent trail as you check the trail to the other waterfalls. Cool off with a natural shower and enjoy the magnificent views over the valley.

The waterfall leaves with a bravura sunset, one you will never experience again. Loosen up as the sun spreads its final ray of light over the plains of Eastern Uganda. Feel the ecstasy of your life as you watch the waterfalls.

Dinner and overnight: Mbale Resort Hotel

Day 21: Transfer back to Kampala/Entebbe

Wake up to a morning breakfast and prepare to head out to Kampala for your return flight. You will pass through Jinja as you continue with your journey.

In Jinja, you will be able to enjoy the magnificent views of the town as you also cross the bridge to view the Nile. Lunch will be eaten on the way in Jinja or Mukono cities.  After,  proceed to the airport in Entebbe for your return flight or return to the hotel.

End of the 21 days Uganda Ultimate Safari