Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Uganda (Entebbe International Airport) & transfer to the Hotel
Arrive in Uganda following the flight from your respective country of origin. You land at Entebbe International Airport which is the main gateway to Uganda where you will find a representative of your booked hotel and will offer you a courteous welcome. The amazing weather and brightening atmosphere on the shores of Lake Victoria give you a remarkable first impression of Uganda on 12 days of Uganda Gorilla Trekking safari. Connect to the respective hotel for overnight stay.
Accommodation: Lake Heights Hotel
Day 2: Transfer from Entebbe to Murchison Falls National Park
Early morning after breakfast, you will be picked from your hotel by our tour guide for a transfer to Murchison Falls National Park. Branch off at Ziwa Rhino sanctuary in Nakasongola to track the Rhinos and later continue to the park. Arrive in Murchison falls with a visit to the top of the falls for a remarkable sight of the Nile crushing through a narrow gorge of 7m wide before plunging 43m deep into the devil’s cauldron. You will then drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at your booked lodge.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Fort Murchison
Day 3: Game Drive, Boat Safari on River Nile to the Bottom of the Falls & Hike to the Top of the Falls
After a heavy breakfast, you will embark on an early morning game drive where you are likely to spot animals like Lions, buffaloes, waterbuck, Jackson’s hartebeest, Rothschild’s giraffe, oribi among others on 12 Days Uganda gorilla trekking tour.
After lunch set out for a 2-hour Launch Cruise (boat safari) on River Nile which sets off at Paraa, going upstream to the bottom of the Murchison Falls. The boat ride offers an array of wildlife sightings – crocodiles, hippos, and lizards are a common sight throughout the cruise.
Reaching the bottom of the Murchison Falls, you will leave the boat and set out for 45-minute hike rocks adjacent to the Murchison falls and thereby accessing great views of the falls at different spots along the trail.
Once reached the top you will find the tour guide waiting to drive you back to the lodge for dinner and overnight. You will have the opportunity to watch the sunset over the River Nile at dusk.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Fort Murchison
Day 4: Transfer from Murchison Falls National Park to Kibale national park
After an early breakfast, you will depart for Kibale National Park. The drive goes through the Albertan Escarpment of the western arm of the East African Rift valley with dramatic views of Lake Albert, traditional homesteads and scenic views of the mountains of the moon. Reach Fort portal in the evening for dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Chimpanzee Guesthouse
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking – Cultural Village Walk in Bigodi
This morning go in search of chimpanzee near Kanyanchu. Chimps live in communities of about 100 individuals; learn about the physical and behavioral aspects we share in common. Check out more primates such the golden monkey, olive baboons, red Colobus, white and black Colobus monkeys, grey checked mangabey and blue monkeys.
Later explore the atmospheric village of Bigodi accompanied by one of our professional English-speaking field-guides.
The walk will take up to 3 to 4 hours depending on the pace of the group. According to your interests, you will first visit a traditional healer who will happily share his knowledge about spirits, herbs, plants and local medicines. Secondly, the visitors will visit the homes of elderly men and women who tell interesting stories about birth, marriage, ceremonies, clans and their traditional life. Learn more about the history and issues that they face as a developing community of rural Uganda. Along the way, you will also be given the chance to experience the Ugandan school system, visit a local church and Bigodi’s trading centre, a hub of rural life and activity. The fieldguides are ready to answer any questions during the walk.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Chimpanzee Guesthouse
Day 6: Transfer from Kibale National Park to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Drive to Queen Elizabeth national park situated at the bottom of Mountain Rwenzori which is among the finest mountain ranges in the world. On your way to the park you might see a number of wild animals plus birds since this park hosts approximately 100 species of mammals and an outstanding 606 species of birds.
Travel time: 3 hrs
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Irungu Forest Safari Lodge
Day 7: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Game drive and Boat cruise
After a cup of coffee, begin the day with a game drive in the Kasenyi plains that may lead you to see bush buck, Uganda Kob, topi, Defassa waterbuck, and Cape buffaloes, Lions, elephants and many more.
You will later return at the lodge for a late breakfast, relax as you wait for lunch. In the afternoon, you will enjoy an afternoon boat ride along the Kazinga Channel for a wide view of yawning hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, various bird species such as red chest, papyrus Gonolek, pink backed pelicans, malachite kingfishers, yellow crown, water thick-knee, yellow-billed stork, shoe bill stock among others. Return at the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at your booked lodge.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Irungu Forest Safari Lodge
Day 8: Search for Tree climbing lions & transfer from Queen Elizabeth NP to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After a heavy breakfast, you will depart for Bwindi impenetrable national park- a home to half of the endangered Mountain gorillas in the world. It is a scenic drive with an en route game drive in Ishasha sector that offers an opportunity of viewing the tree climbing lions at a closer range and later continue to Bwindi with lunch en route. Arriving in the evening for dinner and overnight stay at your booked lodge.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Bakiga Lodge
Day 9: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Forest & Community visit
After an early breakfast depart to the starting point for briefing about your gorilla trekking adventure after which you will be led by experienced gorilla trackers on the slopes of the volcanoes. You will start from the site where the gorillas were encountered the day before and from here the gorilla tracking begins. Although the hike can be physically demanding, the anticipation of the exciting experience ahead is amazing, and the beauty of the gorilla forest and its inhabitants are fascinating. It is a humbling experience to stand just meters from man’s distant cousins as they eat rest, play and bond with their young ones.
Follow the mountain gorillas in the impenetrable forest, and discover their natural habitual and the many species they share it with. You are allowed an hour with the gorillas before sloping down back to your lodge.
Later after lunch, take walk around the lodge after lunch to visit the Batwa /Pygmy community to see how they live.
The batwa community walks in Bwindi take you to batwa local communities where you learn more about their forest life. It’s not just a conventional nature walk but an in-depth interaction which increase an understanding of who the batwa are. You may meet some small groups of batwa during gorilla trekking but a walk out to their homes is an amazing experience.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Bakiga Lodge
Day 10: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for Canoeing /boat cruising
After having breakfast, we shall take a scenic drive to Lake Bunyonyi taking you through the beautiful terrain of the rolling hills with terraced landscape.
A short drive leads us to the beautiful Lake Bunyonyi where we can relax and enjoy some reflection time. With its fresh water, bilharziasfree and beautiful landscapes, Lake Bunyonyi is a small paradise for travelers.
After meeting our local guide for the day, we are led out for a canoe trek as well as bird watching on the beautiful Lake.
On this tour, you will visit and adventure some of the 29 islands that fill Lake Bunyonyi. You meet the people who live on the islands and then create new friendship, discover the islands with the tales of their own like the prison Island and many other.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Lake Bunyonyi Lake Resort
Day 11: Transfer from Lake Bunyonyi to Lake Mburo National Park
After breakfast transfer to Lake Mburo, the ‘Zebra magnet’. Leave Lake Bunyonyi and continue driving through the hilly areas. Arrive in the park and have lunch at the lodge before heading for an afternoon game drive for view of Zebras, Topis, Warthogs, cape buffaloes and impalas.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Rwakobo Rock
Day 12: Transfer from Lake Mburo to Entebbe
Rise early for a short drive to the Rwonyo Park headquarters. This has often been a good chance of seeing hyenas coming back to their dens, hippos walking back to the water, you will see buffalo, zebra, impala and topi and with a bit of luck maybe even a sitatunga, an antelope rarely seen living in the papyrus swamps.
After your early morning activities, return the lodge for a late breakfast and check-out. We then bid farewell to the park’s friendly staff as we depart for Entebbe. En route we will stop at the Equator for photographs and ‘polarwater experiment’, then local community crafts shops and fruit markets. We will be in Entebbe in the evening before for your flight back home.
Meal plan: Breakfast & Lunch
Included:
- Gorilla permit
- Chimps permit
- All activities (unless labeled as optional)
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation (unless labeled as optional)
- All Taxes/VAT
- Emergency evacuation
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- Meals (as specified in the day-by-day section)
- Bottled water throughout the trip
Excluded:
- International flights (from/to home)
- Drinks
- Visa fees
- Covid-19 test
WHY BOOK TRIP WITH US?
– Rated Excellent on TripAdvisor
– Gorilla permits guaranteed
– Local Tour Operator based in Uganda & Rwanda
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– Affordable and unforgettable tours and excursions
– All our tours are available in budget & luxury versions
– Travelling in small groups (2-12 persons)
– Individual tailor-made safaris possible
– Drive around in the best 4WD Land Cruisers
– Professional English speaking Ugandan drivers and guides