This 17-day safari takes you through some of Uganda’s most remarkable landscapes and wildlife areas. Starting in remote Kidepo Valley, the journey continues to Murchison Falls, Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi, and Lake Mburo. Along the way, you’ll enjoy game drives, boat cruises, chimpanzee tracking, gorilla trekking, cultural encounters, and scenic drives through the Ugandan countryside.
Itinerary.
Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe/ Kampala.
Upon arrival, your driver-guide will greet you and transfer you to your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala. Depending on your arrival time, you can relax at the hotel or take an optional excursion to Entebbe Botanical Gardens or Mambaba Swamp. Your guide will brief you on the safari itinerary and confirm departure arrangements for the following day. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.
Accommodation: hotel in Entebbe/Kampala.
Day 2: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park.
After an early breakfast, depart Kampala for Kidepo Valley National Park in northeastern Uganda, traveling via Gulu and Kitgum. The journey covers approximately 599 km and takes 10 to 12 hours. On arrival, check in and relax after the long drive. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Accommodation: Zebra Safari Lodge.
Day 3: Morning game drive and guided nature walk.
After an early breakfast, enjoy a morning game drive across the park’s open savannah plains, where you may spot elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, elands, oribis, Jackson’s hartebeest, klipspringers, reedbucks, leopards, cheetahs, bat-eared foxes, and side-striped jackals, among other wildlife. During the drive, visit the Kanangarok Hot Springs and take in spectacular mountain views. Return to the lodge for lunch and some rest.
After that, enjoy a guided nature walk across the Kidepo plains, leading to the Morungole Mountains, where you’ll meet the IK people and hike to the Lomeji Mountains. Along the way, look out for elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, reedbucks, zebras, and giraffes grazing, as well as ostriches and other bird species. Take in the beautiful scenery and landscapes while listening to the birdsong. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Zebra Safari Lodge.
Day 4: Birdwatching and an evening game drive.
After breakfast, enjoy a birding safari across the Kidepo plains. Look for species such as the Karamoja apalis, yellow-rumped seed eater, superb starling, yellow-necked spurfowl, ostrich, African grey flycatcher, scarlet-chested sunbird, African swallow-tailed kite, long-tailed nightjar, red-billed oxpecker, white-billed buffalo, singing bush lark, and purple heron, while taking in spectacular views of the park and its wildlife.
Return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation; then, you will go on an evening game drive in the Narus Valley, which has permanent water sources that attract large concentrations of wildlife, including reedbucks, buffaloes, and oribis. Predators such as lions, leopards, and cheetahs may be hard to spot because they will be hiding in the heat. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation: Zebra Safari Lodge.
Day 5: Community visit and Night game drive.
After breakfast, visit local communities, including the Karamojong in neighbouring villages and the IK people, who live atop Morungole Mountain. Learn about their culture, lifestyle, and history during your visit. You’ll also visit Manyatta homesteads, discover how bride price is determined in their culture, and have the opportunity to buy craft items. Enjoy cultural performances featuring music, dance, and drama. Return to the lodge for lunch and some rest before preparing for the night game drive.
After dinner, head out on a night game drive with tour guides who will help you spot nocturnal wildlife using spotlights for a clearer view. Look out for caracals, leopards, aardwolves, hyenas, wild dogs, side-striped jackals, and more. Return to the lodge for the night.
Accommodation: Zebra Safari Lodge.
Day 6: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park.
After breakfast, begin the journey to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s oldest and largest park. The 314 km drive takes approximately 6 to 9 hours. On arrival, check in and relax. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.
Accommodation: Chobe Safari Lodge.
Day 7: Morning game drive and Nile Boat Cruise.
After breakfast, set out on a morning game drive through the northern savannah sector of Murchison Falls National Park, looking for elephants, Rothschild’s giraffes, buffaloes, and Uganda kob. Lions and leopards may also be spotted, but sightings are not guaranteed. Return to the lodge for lunch and an overnight stay.
Afterward, enjoy a boat cruise on the Nile, where you can spot hippos, crocodiles, waterbirds, and elephants. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Chobe Safari Lodge.
Day 8: Top of the Falls and chimpanzee tracking in Budongo Forest.
After breakfast, follow the designated trail to the viewpoints at the top of Murchison Falls. Watch the Nile squeeze through a narrow 7-metre gorge before plunging downstream, then return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation.
Head into Budongo Forest for chimpanzee tracking, passing beneath ancient mahogany trees. Spend an hour observing the chimpanzees as they feed, play, groom and interact. You may also spot other primates, including olive baboons, black-and-white colobus monkeys and red-tailed monkeys, as well as a variety of bird species. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Chobe Safari Lodge.
Day 9: Transfer to Kibale National Park and guided nature walk.
After breakfast, transfer to Kibale Forest National Park, the primate capital, covering 253 km and taking approximately 4 to 5 hours. Upon arrival, check in, have lunch, and rest before your nature walk.
After that, take a guided nature walk through the forest, where you may spot other primates, including red colobus monkeys, black-and-white colobus, L’Hoest’s monkeys, and grey-cheeked mangabeys. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Primate Lodge.
Day 10: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary walk.
After breakfast, you’ll head to the Kanyanchu Visitor Centre for a briefing before entering the forest to begin tracking. Once you spot the chimpanzees, you’ll have one hour to observe them feeding, interacting, playing, and grooming. Then you’ll return to the lodge for lunch and a rest.
In the afternoon, take a walk at Bigodi Sanctuary along a community-run boardwalk trail just outside the park. Enjoy excellent birdwatching, with chances to spot the great blue turaco and monkeys. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Primate lodge.
Day 11: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park and afternoon game drive.
After breakfast, drive through Fort Portal to Queen Elizabeth National Park, passing through savannah and woodland habitats. On arrival, check in at the lodge, enjoy lunch, and get ready for the afternoon activity.
Enjoy an afternoon game drive across the Kasenyi Plains, where you may spot elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, and other wildlife. Continue to the Queen’s Mile to look for lions, leopards, and antelopes. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Elephant Plains Lodge.
Day 12: Morning game drive and Kazinga Channel boat cruise.
After breakfast, head out for a morning game drive across the Kasenyi Plains. Enjoy views of the open savannah and woodlands as you look for elephants, Uganda kob, buffaloes, warthogs, and other wildlife, as well as predators such as lions, which are not guaranteed to be seen. Return to the lodge for lunch and a rest.
Take an afternoon boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, which connects Lakes Edward and George and is home to large numbers of hippos, crocodiles, and waterbirds. Elephants and buffaloes may also be spotted near the water. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Elephant Plains Lodge.
Day 13: Ishasha Sector and Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
After breakfast, travel through the Ishasha sector in the southern part of the park, where tree-climbing lions are sometimes seen resting in fig trees, though sightings are never guaranteed. Continue to the Rushaga sector of southern Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Upon arrival, check in at your lodge, relax, and prepare for the next day’s activity. Your guide will confirm the gorilla trekking arrangements for the following morning. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Accommodation: Rushaga Havens Lodge.
Day 14: Mountain Gorilla trekking in Rushaga sector.
After breakfast, you will head to the park headquarters for a briefing before entering the forest. Then, accompanied by guides, you will trek through dense forest and muddy trails. Once you find the gorillas, you will have one hour to observe them from a distance as they feed, groom, play, and interact. You may also take photographs, following the instructions provided. After the trek, you will return to the lodge to relax. Dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Accommodation: Rushaga Havens Lodge.
Day 15: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park and evening game drive.
After breakfast, check out and travel through the highlands and rural communities of southwestern Uganda to Lake Mburo National Park. On arrival, check in at the lodge and relax. Later, enjoy an evening game drive in search of zebras, impalas, elands, buffaloes, and other wildlife. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Kigambira Safari Lodge.
Day 16: Morning game drive and Boat Cruise.
After breakfast, enjoy a morning game drive across the park’s savannah plains, where you may see zebras, elands, buffaloes, impalas, and other wildlife, as well as the park’s diverse ecosystems. Return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation.
Afterward, take an afternoon boat cruise from Rwonyo Jetty to spot large pods of hippos, crocodiles, and wetland birds such as the shoebill stork. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Kigambira Safari Lodge.
Day 17: Transfer to Kampala/Entebbe.
After breakfast, transfer back to Kampala or Entebbe for your flight or hotel. En route, stop at the equator crossing in Kayabwe for photographs, then continue to your final destination. End of trip.
Conclusion.
This 17-day safari combines Uganda’s savannah wildlife, river ecosystems, and tropical forests in one extended journey. Visitors enjoy game drives in Kidepo, Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, and Lake Mburo, along with chimpanzee tracking in Kibale and mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi. The journey offers a varied introduction to Uganda’s wildlife and conservation areas, with opportunities to learn about local communities.
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