This 14 Uganda Primates Safari, culture & Wildlife Expedition leads you to Uganda’s classic parks, tropical rain forests and country sides which will give you a taste of Uganda. It involves rhino tracking, gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking, game drives, bird watching, cultural experiences, sightseeing and so on.
Tour overview
Day 1 Arrival
Day 2 Optional activities
Day 3 Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
Day 4 Murchison Falls National Park
Day 5 Transfer to Kibale Forest
Day 6 Chimpanzee Trekking and optional activities in the afternoon
Day 7 Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 8 Full day game drives
Day 9 Travel to Ishasha
Day 10 Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Day 11 Gorilla Tracking
Day 12 Travel to Lake Mburo National Park
Day 13 Morning game drive and optional activities
Day 14 Travel to Kampala or Entebbe
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1 Arrival
On arrival at Entebbe airport, you will be welcomed by your safari guide from Mandela Safari Holidays
and transfer you to your Hotel in Kampala or Entebbe.
Meal plan – Lunch and supper
Accommodation
Budget – Via Via Guesthouse/Airport Guesthouse
Midrange – Papyrus Guesthouse/Pineapple Guesthouse
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 do shoebill trekking in the Mabamba swamp, 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
Budget – Via Via Guesthouse/ Airport Guesthouse
Midrange– Papyrus Guesthouse/Pineapple Guesthouse
Day 3 Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
Your safari guide will meet you in the morning after breakfast and give
you a short briefing about the whole tour and then travel to Murchison
Falls National Park. On the way, you are to do rhino tracking at the Ziwa
Rhino Sanctuary. This is the only place to see rhinos in the wild in Uganda. You track rhinos on foot
under the guidance of an expert guide. We then continue to Murchison falls National Park and drive to
the Top of the falls. This is where you will see how the Nile moves into a 6meter wide gorge and forms
the Murchison Falls.
Meal Plan –Breakfast, Lunch and Supper
Accommodation
Budget – Horbill Bush Lodge/Mama Washindi Lodge
Midrange – Pakuba Safari Lodge/Tilenga Safari Lodge
Day 4 Game drive and boat safari
Have breakfast and then start your game drive in search for
elephants, giraffes, lions, buffalos, leopards and so on. Spend the
morningexploring the Buligi track, Albert track, Queen’s track, the
Nile Delta and so on. You will have a lunch break and later go for a
boat safari on the Nile River. The intention is that you see the bottom of the Murchison Falls. Here the Nile river is forced into a narrow gorge and forms the loud
Murchison falls. This is the world’s most powerful falls. While on the boat trip expect to see hippos,
elephants,crocodiles, buffalos, antelops, many water birds and so much more. You then return to your
lodge to relax.
Accommodation
Budget – Horbill Bush Lodge/Mama Washindi Lodge
Midrange – Pakuba Safari Lodge/Tilenga Safari Lodge
Day 5 Travel to Kibale Forest National Park
Having had breakfast, 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. Arrive at your lodge in the afternoon and relax.
Meal plan – breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation
Budget – Kibale Forest Camp (Safari Tent)
Midrange – Chimpanzee Forest Lodge
Day 6 Chimpanzee Trekking
Wake up early for breakfast and then travel to Kyanyanchu Park
headquarters where 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 behavior and
then return to your lodge to relax.
In the afternoon, you have an option to go for a Bigodi Swamp walk which might give you an
opportunity to see some other 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 end this walk with a village walk led by a local guide.
Meal plan – breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Accommodation
Budget – Kibale Forest Camp (Safari Tent)
Midrange – Chimpanzee Forest Lodge
Day 7 Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Kasenda craters
After a mighty breakfast, you are to travel to Queen Elizabeth
National Park. You drive through the Kasenda crater lakes region
and your guide will identify some of the lakes. The whole journey
overlooks the mountains of the moon, also known as Rwenzori by
the locals.
The journey takes close to three hours and arrival will be in the afternoon. Have lunch and later enjoy an evening game drive in the Kasenyi sector. Look out for the mighty elephants, buffaloes, Kobs, leopards, etc. This area is a mating ground for kobs and therefore a good area to spot the African savanna lions.
Meal plan – Breakfast, lunch, and supper
Accommodation
Budget – Tembo Safari Lodge/Pumba Safari Cottages
Midrange – The Bush Lodge/Buffalo Safari Lodge
Day 8 Full day game drives
We wake up for early breakfast and embark on a morning game drive
to search for the early risers. The game drive lasts for 3 to 4 hrs. and
ends at the shores of Bunyampaka Salt Lake. We then return to the
lodge for a lunch break and go for an afternoon boat safari on the
Kazinga channel. This is the water stream that joins Lake Edward to
Lake George. It is said to have the highest concentration of hippos in
the world. Expect to see elephants, buffaloes, crocodiles,
waterbucks, monitor lizards and so on. This water stream is also a
bird watchers paradise as it is home to several bird species including the pelicans, African Fish eagles, gulls, kingfishers and so on.
Meal plan – Breakfast, lunch, and supper
Accommodation
Budget – Tembo Safari Lodge/Pumba Safari Cottages
Midrange – The Bush Lodge/Buffalo Safari Lodge
Day 9 Travel to Ishasha
Have breakfast and then travel to Ishasha, the southern sector of Queen
Elizabeth National Park. This area is famous for the rare tree climbing
lions. Climbing trees is not a common habit in lions, so you will get to
know why these cats tend to climb fig trees in this area. Other animals to
see on this game drive include elephants, buffaloes, kobs, topi,
waterbucks and so on.
Meal plan – Breakfast, lunch, and supper
Accommodation
Budget – Enjojo Lodge(Safari Tent)
Midrange – Enjojo Lodge(Banda)
Day 10 Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
We eat breakfast and then travel to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. This is
home to more than half of the world’s only surviving mountain gorillas.
Other mammals such as black and white colobus monkeys, L’hoest
monkeys, forest elephants and so on roam the forest. Arrival at your
safari lodge will be in the afternoon.
Meal plan – Breakfast, lunch, and supper
Accommodation
Budget – Ride for a woman/Ruhija Rest Camp
Midrange – Bakiga Lodge/Gorilla Mist Camp
Day 11 Gorilla Tracking
On this day, you wake up very early, move to the park headquarters for
paperwork and then get briefed about gorilla trekking before entering the
Impenetrable Forest. Be ready to walk for one to six hours depending on where
you will find the gorillas. Having encountered them, you will enjoy a full hour in
their presence. The one hour you spend with the gorillas is unforgettable. The mountain Gorilla is the most powerful and muscular primate on earth.
While inside the forest, the baby will stay at the lodge with a babysitter.
In the afternoon you have an option to relax or do a village walk or visit a Batwa
community.
Meal plan – Breakfast, lunch, and supper
Accommodation
Budget – Ride for a woman/Ruhija Rest Camp
Midrange – Bakiga Lodge/Gorilla Mist Camp
Day 12 Travel to Lake Mburo
After having breakfast, travel to Lake Mburo National
Park. This is famous for large herds of zebras and
impalas. Other animals to see include elands,
waterbucks, buffaloes, giraffes and so on. Due to the
scarcity of big predators, you can have a bike safari,
horseback safari, walking safari inside this park. This
evening, you have an option to do a night game drive
giving you chance to see some of the nocturnal
creatures.
You arrive in the afternoon, check into your accommodation, and relax.
Meal plan – Breakfast, lunch, and supper
Accommodation
Budget – Hyena Hill Lodge/Leopard Rest Camp
Midrange – Rwakobo Rock/Arcadia Lodges Mburo
Day 13 Morning game drive and optional activities
After a morning breakfast you will embark on a morning game drive in search for early risers like lions,
leopard elephant, many antelopes among others. From there you will return to your hotel for lunch and
relaxation. In the afternoon you have an option to take on any optional activity of your choice for
example safari walk, bike safari, horseback safaris, boat safari. The absence of large predators such as
lions makes Lake Mburo a perfect place to have these adventurous activities.
Meal plan -Breakfast, lunch, and supper.
Meal plan – Breakfast, lunch, and supper
Accommodation
Budget – Hyena Hill Lodge/Leopard Rest Camp
Midrange – Rwakobo Rock/Arcadia Lodges Mburo
Day 14 Departure
Wake up for a morning game and later drive to Kampala or Entebbe. You are to have a lunch stop at
Kayabwe (Equator village) where you can also shop for some souvenirs for the trip. You will reach
Entebbe in the evening and this marks the end of your Uganda Primates Safari.
Meal plan – Breakfast and lunch
Accommodation – Not included.
COST
Budget
2/3 people – Euros 3750 per person
4/5 people – Euros 3215 per person
6 people – Euros 2950 per person
Midrange per person
2/3 people – Euros 4350 per person
4/5 people –Euros 3925 per person
6/7 people – Euros 3550 per person
HIGHLIGHTS
Rhino tracking
Game drives and game walks
Bird watching
Hiking to the top of the fall
Boat trips
Gorilla tracking
Chimpanzee tracking
Gorilla tracking
Included in the cost of Uganda Primates Safari
Airport Transfers
All meals
All accommodation
Top of the Falls
All park entrance fees.
Game ranger fee
All game drives.
Rhino tracking fees
1 gorilla permit per person (valued at USD 800)
1 chimpanzee permit per person (valued at USD 250)
Boat trips on the river Nile, and Kazinga Channel
4WD Safari vehicle (Landcruiser) suitable for game viewing
Enough Bottled drinking water while on safari
Not included in the cost of Uganda Primates Safari
Any activity marked optional in the itinerary.
Porter for chimpanzee and gorilla trekking (if you need one)
Flights
Visa fees
Tips
Drinks besides water provided in safari vehicle.
Packing list
A pair of waterproof trousers and jacket.
A hat
Insect repellent
Sunshine repellent
A pair of sunglasses
Personal camera
A pair of binoculars
Personal sleeping bag
Good hiking shoes
This safari program can be further personalized to meet your interests. Feel free to let us know where
you need us to change.
