10-Day Uganda Safari Overview
10-Day Uganda Safari combines mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi, chimpanzee trekking in Kibale, rhino tracking at Ziwa, and unforgettable wildlife experiences in Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth and Lake Mburo National Parks.
The journey begins with rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary before continuing to Murchison Falls National Park for game viewing, a Nile boat safari, and the powerful Murchison Falls.
From Murchison, travel south toward Kibale National Park, one of Uganda’s leading primate destinations. Here, you will join an experienced ranger guide for chimpanzee trekking and later explore Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary.
The safari then continues to Queen Elizabeth National Park for game drives and a Kazinga Channel boat cruise. You will travel through the Ishasha Sector while searching for its famous tree-climbing lions before entering the forested landscapes of Bwindi.
Mountain gorilla trekking is one of the journey’s major highlights. After locating your assigned habituated gorilla family, standard trekking visitors normally spend up to one hour observing the gorillas.
Your final destination is Lake Mburo National Park, where zebras, impalas, giraffes, elands and other wildlife provide a memorable conclusion to your Uganda adventure.
10-Day Uganda Safari Highlights
- Rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
- Visit Murchison Falls National Park
- Game drive in Murchison Falls
- Nile boat safari toward the bottom of Murchison Falls
- Visit the Top of Murchison Falls
- Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park
- Bigodi Wetland guided nature walk
- Game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Kazinga Channel boat safari
- Search for Ishasha tree-climbing lions
- Mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi
- Game viewing in Lake Mburo National Park
- Guided nature walk in Lake Mburo
- Scenic drives through western and southwestern Uganda
- Private safari vehicle and professional driver-guide
Your 10-Day Uganda Safari begins with an early morning pickup from Entebbe or Kampala by your professional driver-guide.
Travel north toward Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, where you will join a trained guide for rhino tracking on foot. The sanctuary provides an opportunity to observe southern white rhinos while learning about Uganda’s rhino conservation efforts.
After the experience, have lunch and continue toward Murchison Falls National Park.
Depending on your arrival time and lodge location, proceed to your accommodation for check-in, dinner and relaxation.
Main activity: Rhino tracking
Destination: Murchison Falls National Park
Meals: Lunch and dinner
Accommodation options:
Budget: Red Chilli Rest Camp
Mid-range: Pakuba Safari Lodge
Luxury: Nile Safari Lodge
After an early breakfast, head into Murchison Falls National Park for a morning game drive.
Explore the park's open savannah and woodland habitats with your driver-guide. Wildlife you may encounter includes elephants, Rothschild's giraffes, buffaloes, Jackson's hartebeests, Uganda kobs, oribis, warthogs and various antelope species. Lions may also be encountered, while leopards are present but generally more elusive.
Return for lunch before transferring to the Nile for an afternoon boat safari.
Cruise upstream toward the base of Murchison Falls. Hippos and Nile crocodiles are commonly associated with the river, while elephants, buffaloes and other animals may approach the banks to drink.
Birdlife can include African fish eagles, kingfishers, herons, egrets and other water-associated species.
Return to your lodge for dinner.
Main activities: Game drive and Nile boat safari
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation options:
Budget: Red Chilli Rest Camp
Mid-range: Pakuba Safari Lodge
Luxury: Nile Safari Lodge
Have breakfast and begin the long but scenic journey toward Kibale National Park in western Uganda.
The drive takes you through changing landscapes, rural settlements and agricultural areas as you travel toward the Fort Portal region.
There will be stops along the way for refreshments and lunch. As you approach Kibale, the scenery becomes increasingly green, with tea plantations, rolling hills and tropical vegetation characterizing the region.
Arrive at your lodge in the late afternoon or evening. Check in and relax in preparation for the following day's chimpanzee trekking adventure.
Main activity: Scenic transfer to Kibale
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation options:
Budget: Kibale Forest Camp
Mid-range: Turaco Treetops
Luxury: Primate Lodge Kibale
After an early breakfast, transfer to the designated chimpanzee trekking briefing point in Kibale National Park.
Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger guides will introduce you to the forest, explain trekking rules and provide important information about chimpanzee behavior.
Enter the tropical forest in search of an assigned habituated chimpanzee community. The trek duration varies according to the location and movements of the chimpanzees.
Once the chimpanzees are located, standard tracking visitors normally spend up to one hour observing them. You may see them feeding, resting, grooming, communicating or moving through the forest canopy.
Kibale is also home to other primates, including black-and-white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys and grey-cheeked mangabeys.
After the experience and lunch, continue to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Check into your lodge and relax.
Main activities: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation options:
Budget: Pumba Safari Cottages
Mid-range: Twin Lakes Safari Lodge
Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge
Wake early for breakfast before beginning a morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Explore areas such as the Kasenyi Plains, where open grasslands attract Uganda kobs and other herbivores. Your guide will search for elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, waterbucks and predators such as lions. Leopards and spotted hyenas are also present but are less predictable.
Return to your lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, head to the Kazinga Channel for a boat safari. The natural channel connects Lake George and Lake Edward and is one of the park's rewarding wildlife-viewing areas.
Expect excellent opportunities to observe hippos, while Nile crocodiles, buffaloes, elephants and various waterbirds may also be encountered along the shoreline.
Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Main activities: Game drive and Kazinga Channel boat safari
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation options:
Budget: Pumba Safari Cottages
Mid-range: Twin Lakes Safari Lodge
Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge
After breakfast, travel toward the southern section of Queen Elizabeth National Park and explore the Ishasha Sector.
Ishasha is particularly known for lions that sometimes rest in the branches of large fig trees. Your guide will search the area's game tracks for these tree-climbing lions, although sightings cannot be guaranteed.
Other wildlife can include topis, Uganda kobs, buffaloes, elephants and other savannah species.
Continue toward Bwindi Impenetrable National Park after your Ishasha experience.
The scenery changes from open savannah to cultivated highlands and densely forested hills as you approach Bwindi.
Arrive at your lodge, check in and prepare for the following morning's gorilla trek.
Main activities: Ishasha game drive and transfer to Bwindi
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation options:
Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge
Mid-range: Gorilla Leisure Lodge
Luxury: Burunga Gorilla Lodge
Today is one of the biggest highlights of your 10-Day Uganda Safari.
After an early breakfast, transfer to your designated gorilla trekking briefing point. Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers will explain trekking procedures, gorilla behavior and conservation guidelines.
You will then enter Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with ranger guides to search for your assigned habituated mountain gorilla family.
Trekking time varies considerably because the gorillas move naturally through the forest. Trails may involve steep hills, thick vegetation and muddy sections.
Once the gorillas are located, standard gorilla trekking visitors normally spend up to one hour with the gorilla family. Observe their behavior and interactions while following instructions from your ranger guides.
Afterward, trek back to the starting point and meet your driver-guide. Return to your lodge and spend the remainder of the day relaxing.
Main activity: Mountain gorilla trekking
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch and dinner
Accommodation options;
Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge
Mid-range: Gorilla Leisure Lodge
Luxury: Burunga Gorilla Lodge
After breakfast, leave Bwindi and travel toward beautiful Lake Bunyonyi, surrounded by the terraced hills of southwestern Uganda.
This shorter transfer provides a welcome opportunity to relax after the previous day's gorilla trekking. Check into your accommodation and enjoy views across the lake and its numerous islands.
Spend the afternoon relaxing at the lodge or choose from locally available optional activities such as a canoe excursion, boat trip or community visit.
Lake Bunyonyi provides a peaceful break between the forests of Bwindi and your final wildlife destination at Lake Mburo.
Main activity: Scenic transfer and relaxation
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation options:
Budget: Bunyonyi Overland Resort
Mid-range: BirdNest Resort at Bunyonyi
Luxury: Arcadia Lodge Lake Bunyonyi
After breakfast overlooking Lake Bunyonyi, begin your journey toward Lake Mburo National Park.
Travel through the rolling landscapes and agricultural countryside of southwestern Uganda before arriving at the park.
After lunch and check-in, head out for an afternoon game drive. Lake Mburo is one of Uganda's best destinations for seeing plains zebras and impalas. The park also supports giraffes, elands, buffaloes, topis, warthogs, waterbucks and other wildlife.
Explore the park until late afternoon before returning to your lodge.
Main activities: Transfer and wildlife game drive
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation options:
Budget: Eagle's Nest Camp
Mid-range: Rwakobo Rock
Luxury: Mihingo Lodge
Start the final morning of your 10-Day Uganda Safari with a guided nature walk in Lake Mburo National Park.
Accompanied by an authorized guide, explore selected areas on foot. Walking provides an opportunity to appreciate animal tracks, vegetation and smaller features that can easily be missed from a safari vehicle.
Depending on wildlife movements and your walking route, you may encounter zebras, giraffes, impalas and other species from an appropriate distance.
Return for breakfast before checking out and beginning the journey to Entebbe.
You may make a stop around the Equator area before continuing through central Uganda toward Kampala and Entebbe.
Your driver-guide will drop you at your hotel or Entebbe International Airport, marking the end of the safari.
Main activities: Guided nature walk and transfer to Entebbe
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Accommodation:
No accommodation included on the final day. A hotel in Entebbe can be arranged upon request.
10-Day Uganda Safari Includes
- Private 4×4 safari vehicle
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- Fuel throughout the safari
- Nine nights' accommodation
- Meals as specified
- One Uganda gorilla trekking permit per person
- One Kibale chimpanzee tracking permit per person
- Guided rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
- National park entrance fees for included activities
- Murchison Falls game drive
- Nile boat safari in Murchison Falls
- Visit to the Top of Murchison Falls
- Queen Elizabeth National Park game drives
- Kazinga Channel boat safari
- Ishasha wildlife viewing
- Lake Mburo game drive
- Guided nature walk in Lake Mburo
- Bottled drinking water during road transfers
- Entebbe/Kampala pickup
- Entebbe drop-off
- Applicable taxes on included services
- Safari Vacations and Travel Services support
10-Day Uganda Safari Excludes
- International flights
- Uganda visa fees
- Alcoholic and premium beverages
- Tips and gratuities
Frequently Asked Questions
The safari combines rhino tracking at Ziwa, Murchison Falls, chimpanzee trekking in Kibale, Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Kazinga Channel, Ishasha, mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi, Lake Bunyonyi and Lake Mburo National Park.
After locating your assigned habituated gorilla family, standard gorilla trekking visitors normally spend up to one hour observing the gorillas. The entire trek may take several hours depending on the location of the gorillas and terrain.
The itinerary provides opportunities to see rhinos, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, lions, hippos, Nile crocodiles, Uganda kobs, zebras, impalas, elands, warthogs, chimpanzees and mountain gorillas. Leopards, hyenas and Ishasha's tree-climbing lions are also possible, although individual wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed.
Bring comfortable waterproof hiking shoes, long trousers, long-sleeved shirts, gardening gloves, a lightweight rain jacket, insect repellent, sunscreen, a hat and a small daypack. A waterproof camera bag is also useful. Porters are usually available locally for the gorilla trek.
Yes. The itinerary is designed to provide a broad introduction to Uganda by combining primates, savannah wildlife, boat safaris, waterfalls, lakes and different landscapes. However, some transfer days are relatively long because the major parks are spread across different regions.
The safari can be arranged using budget, mid-range or luxury accommodation. The properties listed above are examples, and the final selection depends on availability, budget, confirmed activities and the gorilla trekking sector.
