Immerse yourself in the diverse landscapes and wildlife of Africa on this Uganda Safari & Gorilla Trekking Tour.
Experience unforgettable encounters with gorillas and chimpanzees in their natural environments. Discover game-rich wilderness, dense rainforests, vast lakes, and rural villages. Cross the equator to the Nile's source, see hippos in Lake Mburo, tree-climbing lions in Ishasha, witness the power of Murchison Falls on the Nile River, and explore the vast plains game in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
With Uganda's wild habitats, rare primates, abundant wildlife, stunning scenery, and friendly locals, you'll be eager to plan your next visit.
This Uganda Safari & Gorilla Trekking Tour departs from a selected hotel in Entebbe at 08h00 am. From Entebbe, we travel through the outskirts of Kampala, Uganda's vibrant capital city, before beginning our journey southwest through lush green hills dotted with rural villages. Along the way we will pay a visit to some of the local markets, including a drum market.
We will stop at the Equator to take photos, and you will have the opportunity to test which way water drains from a bath here! After lunch (own expense) we continue our journey to the first of Uganda's many lakes that we will visit: Lake Mburo. In the afternoon we enter the Lake Mburo National Park, known for its plains game and large hippo population. We spend our first night camping on the shores of Lake Mburo.
We arrive at our camp in the late afternoon. An upgrade to fixed accommodation is possible, but to ensure availability this should be pre-booked
Day two of our Uganda Safari begins with an early morning game drive in Lake Mburo National Park. Your guides point out the array of animals and plants found in this diverse Ugandan game reserve as you explore. Wildlife includes lions, leopards, zebras, buffalos, hippos, crocodiles, impala, eland, waterbuck, oribi, and more. Over 350 bird species have also been recorded in this compact national park.
Then we leave the national park and head south to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Our route takes us through landscapes of rolling hills scattered with banana plantations and herds of striking long-horned Ankole cattle. In the afternoon the roads through the mountain become rough and passing mist-shrouded villages we reach Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
On day two we camp on the fringes of the rainforest. This evening we prepare for our mountain gorilla trek the following day.
Two days are set aside for gorilla trekking in Bwindi Forest, the crowning highlight of this Uganda Safari.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to half of the world's population of the highly endangered mountain gorillas. Permits to visit them are limited and there are strict rules in place to minimise the impact on these creatures as they are susceptible to human diseases. You are divided into small groups and each is assigned a family group to visit.
You set off with local guides, trekking into the forest in search of the gorillas. Be warned that the going is tough - slopes are steep and muddy and the undergrowth is thick. Be sure to come prepared for the conditions. Despite the conditions, it will be worth it ... the encounter with these surprisingly gentle giants is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You will have the opportunity to spend an hour with the gorillas, truly one of the most unique and rare wildlife encounters on earth!
We allow two days in Bwindi to ensure that the whole group has time to be scheduled on the a gorilla trek. Should all be scheduled for day four, we then visit Lake Bunyonyi on day three. Between gorilla trekking, we enjoy village walks and seek out the splendid birds that populate the edges of this incredible primevil forest.
Leaving the misty mountains and forests of Bwindi Forest National Park behind, we descend to the open savannahs and head to the Queen Elizabeth National Park.
We spend the next two nights of our Uganda Safari at a remote campsite. While here, we explore the Ishasha section of the national park, an area well-known for its tree-climbing lions, its massive hippo population, as well as an abundance of mammal, reptile, and bird species.
On our game drives in Queen Elizabeth Park, we scan the tall fig trees for lions and search the grasslands for other African wildlife.
We get an early start today. After packing up camp, we head out, traversing the full length of Queen Elizabeth National Park keeping our eyes open for wildlife along the way.
Our game drive takes us via Maramagambo Forest where we may spot wild chimpanzees and marvel at the diverse birdlife. Then we cross over the Kazinga Channel (which joins Lake Edward and Lake George) and exit Queen Elizabeth Park.
We continue our journey, driving through Kasese town and stopping for lunch at a viewpoint overlooking the Rwenzori Mountains. These are the legendary 'Mountains of the Moon' - The tallest peaks of the Rwenzori reach over 5000m above sea level. While tropical forests grow on the mountain slopes, the highest peaks are permanently snow-capped - a surprising sight so close to the Equator! It is the glaciers at these altitudes which are one of the sources of the great Nile River.
After our picnic lunch, we drive down the mountains into the tea plantations near Fort Portal city in the western province of Uganda. We set up camp for the night amongst the tea plantations.
On day eight of our Uganda Safari & Gorilla Trekking Tour, we take a long drive headed towards Murchison Falls National Park. Leaving the lush green tea plantations behind we travel northeast along rough roads via Hoima town, covering a great distance to reach the town of Masindi. Tonight we stay in a hotel in town to get a good night's rest after the long journey.
Next, experience one of the highlights of this Uganda Safari - chimpanzee tracking in Murchison Falls Park.
This morning we enter the Murchison Falls National Park where we will spend the next two nights. We will go on a guided walk in search of chimpanzees in the densely forested southern area of the Park, a prime primate habitat. The guides will search out a group of chimpanzees to observe in the forest. This is a unique opportunity to spend an hour to witness chimpanzee behavior in the wild.
Later, we head to the savannah in north section of the park which is popular with herds of plains game, including the the rare Rothschild's giraffe. To reach the northern region we cross the Nile by ferry at Parra, an adventure of its own!
We will visit Murchison Falls, where the Nile forces its way through a gap in the rocks only 7 metres wide, plummeting into the Rift Valley gorge below. On one day we will enjoy a boat cruise on the Victoria Nile River. Our program is flexible, depending on the season, road conditions, and availability, but all these activities are included.
We leave Murchison Falls National Park early to drive south towards Jinja, East Africa’s adventure capital. Jinja is located near the source of the White Nile, where the river flows out of Lake Victoria. Our camp for the next two nights is at the Kalagala Falls just outside Jinja.
We spend a full day here so you have time to participate in any of a number of adventure activities - options include: whitewater rafting, bungee jumping over the source of the Nile, boat cruises, horse riding, visiting local community projects (own expense).
As our Uganda Safari & Gorilla Trekking Tour comes to a close, the bus leaves for Entebbe after breakfast.
Alternatively, speak to our consultants about extending your stay in Jinja. The Nile River offers some of the most exciting whitewater rafting in the world - a real adrenalin adventure - or perhaps you would like the opportunity to spend a day working on a local community project? Both of these activities are highly recommended, but optional and at your own expense. Booking an extra night at camp is advised if you decide to participate in either of these activities or perhaps spend a day relaxing at the "Source of the Nile".
NOTE: you can extend your stay in Kalagala Falls or participate in further optional activities and take a later transfer directly to Entebbe, all of which we can arrange for you.
This Uganda Camping Safari is also available as a fully-accommodated tour staying in fixed accommodation (hotels and lodges) instead of camping. For more information about upgrading to the accommodated version of this Uganda Safari, contact us.
Weather, road, and other local conditions will influence the route chosen on each Uganda Safari and we may run the overland tour in reverse if required, so clients need to be flexible in this regard. An open mind and a spontaneous attitude will go a long way to ensuring that you get the most out of your adventures in Uganda.
A sleeping bag, towel, and pillow are required for this overland tour. Visas are required by most nationalities for Uganda and clients are responsible for obtaining these. Precautions against malaria are advisable and yellow fever inoculations are required. A small daypack is recommended for the day treks. The recommended currency for this Uganda Safari is the US Dollar, in small denominations and all currency notes should be dated 2000 or later.
For up-to-date and confirmed pricing info for optional items, please drop us an enquiry.
This tour does not take children.
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