16 Days Uganda Primates, Culture & Wildlife
This 15 Days Uganda primates,culture and wildlife safari takes you to to the leading safari spots this country has to offer. Do game drives in the famous kidepo valley, visit the top of the Murchison falls, trek chimpanzees in Kibale Forest. You will also get chance to look for the rare but here common tree climbing lions in Ishasha sector of Queen elizabeth National park before visiting the mountain gorillas in Bwindi. End your adventure with a bike safari or horse back safari or safari walk amongst zebras, giraffes and elands in Lake Mburo National park.
Day 1 Arrival
Day 2 Optional activities
Day 3 Travel to Gulu via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Day 4 Travel to Kidepo and afternoon game drive
Day 5 Full Day game drive in Kidepo
Day 6 Game drive & safari walk
Day 7 Visit Karimajong community and travel to Murchison Falls National park
Day 8 Full day game drive and boat trip
Day 9 Visit the top of the falls and travel to Kibale Forest
Day 10 Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Day 11 Travel to Queen Elizabeth via Kasenda – afternoon game drive
Day 12 Game drive and boat trip
Day 13 Game drive in Ishasha and travel to Bwindi
Day 14 Gorilla Trekking
Day 15 Travel to Lake Mburo National Park- Evening game drive
Day 16 Optional activities and travel to Entebbe
Detailed Tour
Day 1. Arrival
On your arrival at Entebbe Airport, you will be welcomed/picked up by your guide for transfer to your hotel in Kampala. On this day you will be briefed about your whole tour.
Accommodation – Via Via Guesthouse
Meal Plan – Lunch and Supper
Day 2 Optional activities
On this day, you will have breakfast at leisure and later take on any optional activity of your
choice. You can choose to visit a local restaurant and have a taste of some Ugandan foods, go
for a Kampala city tour, or visit the botanical gardens in Entebbe. From there you will return to
your hotel for dinner and relaxation.
Meal plan; Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation –Via Via Guesthouse
Day 3 Transfer to Gulu via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
After a morning breakfast, you will meet your guide from Mandela Safari Holidays. He will brief you about your whole Safari and embark on your journey to Gulu located in the eastern region of Uganda. While on the way you will pass by the ziwa rhino sanctuary to trek rhinos .This is the only place you can see rhinos in the wilderness of Uganda. You will trek Rhinos on foot under guidance of an experienced guide. From there you will proceed with your journey, have lunch on the way and arrival will be in the late afternoon. On arrival, you will check into your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meal plan; Lunch and dinner
Accommodation – Boma Hotel Gulu
Day 4 Travel to Kidepo valley National Park and evening game drive
You wake up early for breakfast and after embark on your journey to Uganda’s least explored National park. Kidepo is the third biggest park after Queen Elizabeth National Park with a variety of animals. Arrival will be in the afternoon where you will check into your lodge, have lunch and after go for a game drive in the Narus valley. This part has high concentration of animals due to the presence of a permanent water source the Narus River. While on the drive expect to see leopards, giraffe, ostriches, zebra, many bird species among others. From there you will return to your lodge for dinner and relaxation.
Meal plan; Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation – Kidepo Savannah Lodge
Day 5 Full day Game drive
Have an early breakfast, and then drive to the northern end of the Kidepo Valley National Park if the weather allows. This area tends to be much drier than in the Narus Valley side. The vegetation is different. Occasionally, it is possible to spot some ostriches in this area. Return to your lodge for a hot lunch and later have a safari walk. You walk on foot under the guidance of an expert game ranger. He will tell you more about Kidepo fauna and flora. Do not forget to enjoy the landscape. Kidepo is dubbed, Africa’s most picturesque park.
Meal plan; Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation – Kidepo Savannah Lodge
Day 6 Game drive and safari walk
Have an early breakfast, and then drive to the northern end of the Kidepo Valley National Park if the weather allows. This area tends to be much drier than in the Narus Valley side. The vegetation is different. Occasionally, it is possible to spot some ostriches in this area. Return to your lodge for a hot lunch and later have a safari walk. You walk on foot under the guidance of an expert game ranger. He will tell you more about Kidepo fauna and flora. Do not forget to enjoy the landscape. Kidepo is dubbed, Africa’s most picturesque park.
Meal plan; Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Accommodation – Kidepo Savannah Lodge
Day 7 Visit a Karimajong community and travel to Murchison Falls National park
In the morning after breakfast, you drive to Lorukul cultural village where you will get a glimpse into the Karimajong culture. The Karimajong are known for havng resisted mordernisation for a long time. They are pastoralists and you will know how important animals are to their day-to-day life. You will be given a tour of the typical Karimajong homestead and later travel to Murchison Falls National park. You will have a lunch break in Gulu town and arrive at your lodge at dawn.
Meal plan -Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation – Fort Murchison Camp
Day 8 Full day Game drive and boat trip
After having breakfast, you are to have a morning game drive in search for giraffes, water bucks, elephants, warthogs, hyenas, leopards, oribis and so on. You then have lunch and get ready for the boat trip to the bottom of the Murchison Falls. Expect to see hundreds of hippos bathing, crocodiles, warthogs, antelopes, elephants, buffaloes, lions, hyenas and many more. This park is also home to over 350 bird species. You are advised to wear a hat and insect repellent to avoid bites of insects. You will then hike with your guide to the top of the falls to see how the Victoria Nile plunges over 45 meters over the Remnant rift valley wall thus creating the amazing Murchison Falls. You will also be able to see the rainbow that appears on the top of the falls no matter what time of the day. We then drive to our lodge to relax.
Meal plan – Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation – Fort Murchison Camp
Day 9 Travel to Kibale Forest
Wake up at leisure, have breakfast and then have a game drive in this magnificent park. Expect to check out of the park at before 9:00 am and then travel to Kibale Forest, The primate capital of the world. The forest is home to 13 primate species including the chimpanzee, blue monkeys, nocturnal portal, bush babies, and so on. It is also home to several species of butterflies. In the evening, you have an option to a walk in the Bigodi wetlands giving you a opportunity to see several bird and primate species.
Meal plan – breakfast and dinner
Accommodation – Chimpanzee Forest Lodge
Travel time – Approx 6 hrs
Day 10 Chimpanzee Trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Wake up early for breakfast and then travel to Kyanyanchu Park head quarters in Kibale Forest. You will be briefed about the dos and don’ts of chimpanzee tracking. You then enter the tropical rainforest as you search for man’s closest relatives, the chimpanzee. Having encountered them, enjoy a full hour observing their behaviour and then return to your lodge to relax.
In the afternoon, you have an option to go for a Bigodi Swamp walk (usd 25 per person) which might give you an opportunity to see some primate species including black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys and so on. This is also a ramsar site for bird watchers. Species to see include the African fish Eagles, kingfishers, herons and so on. You also have an option to visit the Amabere caves and Nyakasura falls in the footsteps of mountain Rwenzori. (usd 30 per person)
Meal plan – breakfast and dinner
Accommodation – Chimpanzee Forest Lodge
Day 11 Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park -Afternoon game drive
Have breakfast and then embark on the road less travelled. Visit the Kasenda crater lakes region on your way to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Common lakes include Lake Nkuruba, Lake Nyabikere, Lake Mubiro and so on. Among these, the most visited are ones at the “top of the world”. Due to their scenic and romantic location they are commonly visited by the newlyweds. The area is home to various bird species such as the great blue turaco, black and white casqued hornbill and so on. Proceed to Queen Elizabeth, check in your lodge and have an afternoon game drive around the Kasenyi area.
Meal plan – breakfast and dinner
Accommodation – The Bush Lodge
Day 12 Morning Game drive and afternoon boat trip
We wake up for early breakfast and embark on a morning game drive around Kasenyi sector to search for the early risers. This sector is known as a matting ground for antelopes and therefore a hunting ground for predator such as lions, leopards and so on. The game drive lasts for 3 to 4 hrs and ends at the shores of Lake George. We then return to the lodge for a lunch break.
We are to have lunch on the Mweya peninsular and then a boat safari on the Kazinga channel in search for crocodiles, hippos, elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, water birds and so on. This channel is a water stream that joins two lakes George and Edward and is known as a hippo paradise because it has the highest concentration of hippos in the world. If time allows, you are to end your day with an evening game drive before returning to your lodge to relax.
Meal plan – Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation – The Bush Lodge
Day 13 Game drive in Ishasha and travel to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
We eat breakfast and then travel to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. On the way, you are to have a game drive in Ishasha, the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This area is famous for the rare tree climbing lions. They tend to relax on fig trees as they escape the mid day sun. Arrival to your safari lodge will be in the early evening.
Meal plan – Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation –Gorilla Mist Camp/Bakiga Lodge
Day 14 Gorilla tracking.
After a mighty breakfast prepared by your accommodation, we report at the gorilla tracking starting point for a short briefing. You then enter the Impenetrable forest with your packed lunch to search for the endangered mountain gorillas. Be ready to walk for 45 minutes to 5 hours depending on where you will find the gorillas that day. Having encountered them, you will be given a full hour to interact with gorillas and then return to your accommodation. In case you return early, you will enjoy cultural dances from the local community before relaxing at your lodge.
Travel Time-Approx. 3Hrs
Accommodation – Gorilla Mist Camp/Bakiga Lodge
Meal Plan-Breakfast and dinner
Day 15 Travel to Lake Mburo National park
Having had dinner, travel to lake Mburo National Park. This is Uganda’s smallest savannah park and is dominated by large herds of zebras and impalas. Other big game to see includes, the eland, buffaloes, waterbucks, Topi and so on. Arrive in time for an evening game drive and later check in your lodge for overnight.
Travel time – approximately 4 hours.
Meal plan – breakfast and dinner
Accommodation
Budget – Hyena Hill Lodge/Rwakobo Rock
Day 16 Optional activities and travel to Entebbe
Having had breakfast,feel free to take part in any of the optional activities such as safari walk, (30usd) bike safaris, (25usd)horseback safaris,(50usd) boat trip(30usd), night game drive(usd30). The absence of large predators such as lions makes this park a perfect place to have these adventurous activities.
You then travel to Kampala or Entebbe to catch your flight. The journey takes you through the Ankole kingdom famous for its long-horned cattle/Ankole cattle. You will have a lunch stop at Kayabwe/Equator village. This is where the earth is divided into south and northern hemisphere. In this case, you will cross from south to northern hemisphere and arrival at your destination will be in the early evening hence end of safari.
Travel time -Approximately 4 hours.
Accommodation – Not included.
Meal plan – breakfast and lunch
Accommodation – Not included
Highlights
Gorilla tracking
Chimpanzee tracking
Sight seeing
boat trips
Nature walks
Salt Lake visit
Game drives
Included in the cost are,
1 gorilla permit per person
1 chimpanzee permit per person
All park entrance fees.
1 safari walk
Game drives
All meals as the itinerary states
15 nights’ accommodation
4WD Safari car with a popup roof customized for safari viewing
English speaking guide/driver
2 boat safaris
Bottled drinking water.
Not included in the cost are
Porter for gorilla trekking (if you need one)
Activities marked optional in the itinerary.
Drinks besides water
Packing list
A pair of waterproof trousers and jacket.
A hat
Insect repellent
A pair of sunglasses
Personal camera
A pair of binoculars
Note that weather at Bwindi is unpredictable, it can rain at any time.
While on site, we accept payment in only US Dollars, GB Pound, Euro and UG Shillings.
You can remove the bits you do not want and add the ones that you want to meet your budget and interest.
Enjoy your tour!
