Lake Mburo, Lake Bunyonyi, Bwindi, Queen Eilzabeth, Kibale and Murchison Falls
0 / Person
Spanning over 11 days, this Uganda tour is a spectacular choice to cover almost everything that the country has to offer. It takes you through the misty Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, which is home to more than half the population of Mountain Gorillas. Later to Lake Bunyonyi for some relaxation, which is said to be one of the most beautiful lakes in Uganda. Also, you get to visit the Queen Elizabeth National Park for a great game viewing experience in the Ishasha sector and enjoy game drives and a boat cruise on the Kazinga channel. You will also enjoy a game drive and a boat cruise along the Nile River in the Murchison Falls National Park. With a visit to Kibale Forest National Park for the chimpanzee trekking activity, you will conclude your tour with some unforgettable memories.
Day 1 - Kampala to Lake Mburo National Park (Boat Ride)
You will be picked up around 7:00 am from Kampala (or Entebbe) and depart for Lake Mburo National Park. The drive takes 4-5 hours with stopovers at the Equator for an opportunity to stand in both the northern and southern hemispheres at the same time.
You will continue through the Savannah grasslands dotted with human homesteads, banana plantations, and several herds of local long-horned Ankole cattle endemic to this part of the country. You will have lunch at the lodge reserved for you after which you will go for a boat ride on Lake Mburo, rich with a variety of water animals such as hippos and crocodiles, and bird species.
Day 2 - Lake Mburo National Park (Game Drives and Nature Walk)
You can either have a relaxed breakfast and depart for a full day game drive around 9:00 AM with packed lunch and return back to lodge late afternoon around 6:00 PM. Or you can depart at 6:00 AM on an early morning game drive. Later return to the accommodation for breakfast and relax for a bit and depart on an afternoon game drive with packed lunch.
While on the game drive you will find wildlife like zebra, hippos, crocodiles, eland, antelope, impala, and a variety of birds. Later in the evening take a guided nature walk. This walk takes you to the salt lick area which offers a chance to see at least four different species of animals at any one point while they lick the salty soil.
Day 3 - Lake Mburo National Park to Lake Bunyonyi
After an early breakfast, you will set off for the southwestern part of the country. Heading to Lake Bunyonyi. This lake is said to be one of the most beautiful places in western Uganda. It is the second deepest lake in Africa [900 meters deep] and also one of the few places in the country where it is considered safe to swim. The landscape around the lake is made up of terraced hills protruding from the water’s edge. Bunyonyi means “place of little birds” and as the name suggests, there is plenty of birdlife around the lake.
At Lake Bunyonyi you can pay the extra amount for the activity (Community Walk, Canoe Ride, Boat Ride, Bicycle Ride, Bird Watching and Cray Fishing...) directly at the accommodation and do the activity of your choice.
Day 4 - Lake Bunyonyi to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
You will be transferred to Bwindi National Park for Lunch. Post Lunch you will do a Batwa cultural experience (optional), You will go through their villages to have an experience of how they go about their daily routine activities and be amazed by the way they skillfully cultivate the hillsides and how they care for their animals (cows) that are a prime source of pride.
Day 5 - Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorilla Trekking) to Ishasha
You will have an early morning breakfast at 6:30 am and with packed lunch, you will move to the park headquarters to join other trackers in a briefing about the gorilla trekking rules at 7:30 am. You will trek through thick creepers and undergrowth with your guides to find the Gorillas, which can take you 1-8 hours. The steeply forested landscape is incredibly dense but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails allowing access by tourists. You will stay with Gorillas sometimes once sited and transfer to Ishasha Sector for accommodation.
Day 6 - Game Drives in Ishasha and Boat Ride in Kazinga Channel
After your breakfast you will be taken to Ishasha, famous for the tree-climbing lions lounging in the tree branches while keeping a close eye on herds of Uganda kob, their favorite prey, you could have a chance to spot some tree-climbing lions, and after you proceed to your lodge.
In the afternoon you will take a Boat Cruise along the amazing Kazinga channel to see, at close range, the water animals to include Hippos, Buffalos, Crocodiles, and elephants bathing on the channel banks. There is also a variety of bird species on the water banks especially the famous Shoebill, pelican, and Jacana
Day 7 - Queen Elizabeth National Park to Kibale National Park
After breakfast, you will take a packed lunch and head game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park to see Africa’s highly famed “Big 5”, Bush Bucks, Giant Hogs, Antelopes, Waterbucks, and plenty of birds. . Later in the evening you will be transferred to Kibale Forest National Park.
Day 8 - Kibale National Park (Chimp Tracking and Bigodi Swamp Walk)
After breakfast head to Kibale Forest. The activity begins at 8.00 am with a briefing of the rule for trekking the chimpanzees after which you set off to search for them in the forest. Kibale Forest National Park. It boasts the highest number of primate species in the world, including chimpanzees. Approximately 5,000 chimpanzees live in the wild in Uganda, which makes it a perfect place to spot them! An experienced ranger will take you chimp tracking in the morning. Once you locate the chimpanzees, you will spend an hour with them and then head back to the accommodation for Lunch.
Post Lunch you will be taken for Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary walk This is a guided swamp walk that takes you closer to seeing primates mostly monkeys, birds, and butterflies. The wetland is a birder’s paradise with about 138 species and is best known for being home to the Great Blue Turaco.
This is a 2.5 - 3 hour walk and is a must for bird lovers. The walk is almost as popular as the Kibale Forest Walk. You will need good walking shoes since part of the walk is sometimes muddy. Hopefully, you will spot the elusive Sitatunga antelope and the Shoebill Stork. This is nothing to be missed. You will meet some of the primates here, even a chimpanzee at times. Other primate species include the black-and-white colobus, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed, l’Hoest’s, blue monkeys, and olive baboons. Also, Bushbucks and mongooses, and many more can also be found here. Bigodi Sanctuary is located outside the park in Magombe Swamp.
Day 9 - Kibale National Park to Murchison Falls National Park
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Murchison Falls National Park which is a 7-8 hour drive. Head straight to tour the top and bottom of majestic falls, where the Nile crashes through a 7 meters gorge and then falls 45 meters. Numerous scenic viewpoints are a photographers’ delight. The most impressive view is of the foaming waters rushing into the gorge with a deafening roar.
Day 10 - Murchison Falls National Park (Game Drives and Boat Ride)
You will set off at 6:30 am, cross to the northern bank of river Nile and head for a sunrise game drive in the Nyamsika plateau to see the Cape buffaloes, Rothschild’s giraffes, Uganda kob, hartebeest, and waterbucks. You may also spot oribi, bushbuck, Bohor reedbuck, shy sitatunga, bush duiker, warthog, and bush pig plus large carnivores including lions, leopards, and spotted hyenas. Chimpanzees and olive baboons head the list of six species of primates found in the park. Crocodiles and hippos will be seen along the banks of the Nile. Some of the more common birds that can be seen include goliath heron, Egyptian geese, pelican, bee-eaters, kingfishers, hornbill, cormorant, saddle-bill stork, and the rare shoebill stork.
You will return to your lodge for a late breakfast and some relaxation before setting off in the afternoon for a boat cruise on the placid Victoria Nile, upstream, to the base of the falls. En route, you will see hippos, crocodiles, waterbuck, and a wide variety of birds including the unusual shoebill stork. The boat stops just tens of meters from the “Devil’s Cauldron” for pictures to be taken of the photogenic and majestic Murchison Falls.
Day 11 - Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary (Rhino Tracking) to Kampala
After early morning breakfast, depart with great memories of the moments spent at Murchison falls, You will be driven to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, after a briefing from the ranger you trek the sanctuary for close to two hours. With Lunch en-route, you will be transferred back to Kampala (or Entebbe).
MEALS:
Day 1 - Lunch & Dinner
Day 2 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 3 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 4 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 5 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 6 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 7 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 8 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 9 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 10 - Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 11 - Breakfast & Lunch
DRIVING TIMES:
Day 1 - Kampala to Lake Mburo takes about 4.5 to 5 hours (244 km)
Day 3 - Lake Mburo to Lake Bunyonyi takes about 4.5 to 5 hours (243 km)
Day 4 - Lake Bunyonyi to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park takes about 1.5 to 3 hours (65 to 100 km)
Day 5 - Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to Queen Elizabeth National Park (Ishasha) takes about 2 to 5.5 hours (75 to 150 km)
Day 6 - Queen Elizabeth National Park (Ishasha) to Queen Elizabeth National Park (North) takes about 1.5 to 2 hours (82 km)
Day 7 - Queen Elizabeth National Park (North) to Kibale National Park takes about 2 to 2.5 hours (110 km)
Day 9 - Kibale National Park to Murchison Falls National Park takes about 8 to 8.5 hours (389 km)
Day 11 - Murchison Falls National Park to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary takes about 2.5 to 3 hours (136 km)
Day 11 - Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to Kampala takes about 3.5 to 4 hours (169 km)
Note 1: These are estimated drive times. Because of the traffic, location of the accommodations, and several other factors, actual drive times may vary. Driving distances are approximate and do not account for exact places.
Note 2: Driving distance and drive time to and from Bwindi will vary depending upon the sector and location of the accommodation.
Park Fees (for Non-Residents).
Gorilla trekking permit in Bwindi.
Chimp tracking permit in Kibale.
All accommodations while on Safari.
Game drive as mentioned in the itinerary.
A professional driver/guide.
4x4 Land Cruiser or Safari Van.
All Taxes and VAT.
Meals as per itinerary.
Drinking water while on safari (2 liters per person per day).
Activities mentioned in the itinerary.
International flights.
Airport Transfers (Unless mentioned otherwise).
Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour (Unless mentioned otherwise).
Tips.
Personal Items (Souvenirs, Travel Insurance, Visa Fees, etc.).
The government imposed an increase in Taxes, Gorilla trekking permits, Chimp tracking permits, and or Park Fees.
Any activities not mentioned in the itinerary.
Our team is always here to help