The top highlights of this fully guided 8-day Uganda Safari include:
Other highlights of this fly-in Uganda Lodge Safari include exploring Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you embark on game drives in the southern Ishasha and northern Mweya regions and take a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel.
This 8-day Fly-in Uganda Safari starts when you are collected from Entebbe International Airport and transferred to your overnight accommodation at The Best Western Premier Garden Hotel Entebbe, just a few minutes from the airport on the Kampala-Entebbe Highway.
The hotel is conveniently situated adjacent to the Victoria Shopping Mall with direct access to the mall from the hotel, and attractions like Lake Victoria, the Botanical Gardens, and Entebbe Golf Course are all nearby. Offering 51 full-service ensuite rooms, the hotel features modern amenities and free Wi-Fi. Dining options at the hotel include The Garden Restaurant, which serves international cuisine, a Coffee Shop, and a Terrace Bar. The outdoor swimming pool and sun loungers are perfect for enjoying a dip and relaxing outside.
Entebbe is one of the main small towns found along the Northern shore of Lake Victoria and is easy to explore on foot or by local motorbike taxis called boda bodas. Spend your day enjoying a relaxing boat cruise on Lake Victoria and stroll through the Botanical Gardens, where you can see indigenous birds and monkeys in the trees. Visit the markets for crafts and souvenirs, meet the friendly locals, and sample local beer at various restaurants, bars, and clubs.
This morning we head to Entebbe airport and embark on a scheduled light aircraft flight to Kihihi Airstrip for our transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Kihi Airstrip is near both Bwindi and Queen Elizabeth National Parks. From here, we travel for about 90 minutes via mountain roads through scenic countryside and villages of rural Uganda to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
This lush and diverse forest, known as the ‘Pearl of Africa’ is one of the richest and most diverse ecosystems in East Africa. The Bwindi National Park is a precious conservation area, as an estimated half of the world’s most endangered Mountain gorillas live here. This ecosystem supports over 120 mammals, 345 species of birds, 200 species of butterflies, and 160 species of trees.
Located at the gateway to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, accommodation for the next two nights is at Buhoma Lodge, which is one of only two lodges in the National Park and a perfect base for your gorilla trekking adventure. This sustainably constructed Africa-inspired lodge is tranquil and cozy with a homey ambiance. There are ten spacious, eco-friendly wooden chalets, each with a private verandah where guests can enjoy early morning coffee and marvel at the sights and sounds of the primal forest. The elevated central lounge, bar, and dining area are perfect for relaxing and enjoying the spectacular uninterrupted forest view or for observing the resident L'Hoest's monkey troupe who visit the gardens in front of the lodge almost daily. With Buhoma Lodge being so close to the start of the trek start point, gorillas too are occasionally spotted.
Led by experienced guides and trackers, Day 3 starts with an early morning trek into the dense tropical rainforests of the steep mountainside in search of gorillas. There is usually a 95% viewing success rate, but gorillas are wild animals and there is no guarantee that they will be spotted.
A good fitness level is required as gorilla tracking can be quite strenuous, trekking up and down steep mountain slopes, ravines, and dense forests at high altitudes and often hot weather. These treks can last anywhere from 45 minutes to 8 hours, so it is recommended that you hire a local porter to assist you if needed. Once we spot a family of gorillas, we spend an hour or so quietly observing them. Make sure to take your time to fully experience and savor this rare and exciting wildlife encounter with not only your camera.
Permits for Buhoma and Ruhija are bought on our scheduled departures, which are accessible from the Buhoma area. A road transfer is necessary to get to the start point of one of the Buhoma and Ruhija families. It offers an opportunity to see a different part of the region. Depending on availability at the time of purchase, your permit can be organized for day 3 or day 4. After an exhilarating trek, we head back to Buhoma Lodge, where we will overnight, and you can indulge in a complimentary massage or visit the surrounding Bwindi community.
We leave Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and continue our Uganda Safari to Ishasha in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This is a 2 to 3-hour drive, and en route, we will stop at a community project near Ishasha Village. Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in the Western branch of the Great Rift Valley and it incorporates diverse habitats including swamplands, savannahs, and woods. It is the top wildlife destination in Uganda, known for its excellent game viewing of elephants, buffalos, antelopes, baboons, Uganda kob, and lions. Maramagambo, one of Uganda's largest surviving natural forests in Uganda, is in this Ishasha area of Queen Elizabeth National Park and is home to the unusual tree-climbing lions, often sighted lazing in the treetops.
We camp at the idyllic Ishasha Wilderness Camp, and explore the area on an afternoon game drive, spotting wildlife and birds. Ishasha Wilderness Camp offers exclusive luxury tented accommodations with superb service. Located in the remote Ishasha region with its low-impact, eco-sensitive design, complementing and respecting the environment, each of the spacious, comfortably furnished framed canvas tents has an en suite bathroom and a private verandah, from where you can enjoy your morning coffee and watch the resident troops of Vervet monkeys, Black -and White monkeys, and game such as elephant, roaming freely through the camp.
Guests can relax in the cosy thatched central lounge and dining area, or beside the river as meals are often served ‘al fresco’ here. There is an outdoor fireplace beside the river, perfect for enjoying sundowners in the evening.
Today we enjoy game viewing on game drives in the Ishasha section of Queen Elizabeth National Park which boasts one of Uganda's biggest natural forests, Maramagambo, home to the unusual tree lion, often spotted lazing in the tree tops. We end the day with snacks and bush sundowners and overnight at the Ishasha Wilderness Camp again before heading north to the ‘Mweya’ sector of the park tomorrow morning.
On day 6 of your Fly-in Uganda Safari, we make our way to The ‘Mweya’ area of the Queen Elizabeth National Park. This northern region of the national park is rich with wildlife and characterized by crater lakes and euphorbia succulents or “candelabra” trees. Flanked by beautiful mountain ranges, the many nearby crater lakes provide a beautiful backdrop for your journey as you look out for the rich wildlife of this scenic area. Mweya is also a good place for bird watching, especially at the crater lakes which attract flocks of flamingoes.
We overnight at Elephant Plains Lodge, a small, luxury lodge with spectacular and sweeping views of the surrounding fauna and flora. Perched on a stunning viewpoint and nestled next to Lake Kikorongo in the northern section of Queen Elizabeth National Park, you will be enchanted by the view from your private verandah of endless miles of open grassland to Lake George and the stunning views of the beautiful Lake Kikorongo where large herds of elephants come to drink. Elephant Plains Lodge is well-spaced out on a hilltop offering 6 spacious cottages and 2 family units all with large glass windows and private verandahs with spectacular views that overlook the lake. It operates on solar power to reduce its impact on the environment and the lodge boasts an eco-friendly swimming pool, lounge, spacious restaurant with an outside deck, and a well-stocked bar and wine cellar.
This afternoon, we take a laid-back boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, a 32 km-long natural channel that links Lake Edward and Lake George. This relaxing boat cruise takes us past fishing villages with lovely views of the Mweya Peninsula and its surroundings. The boat cruise is perfect for spotting herds of elephants, hippos, buffalo, warthogs, antelope, crocodiles, and numerous species of birds as you drift along the channel. The cruise usually departs at 14h00, depending on availability when booking, and is subject to change. Drinks and snacks are not included for the cruise.
Today we enjoy game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park and experience chimp trekking in Chambura (Kyambura Gorge). The forested gorge is known as the Valley of Apes and is in the eastern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Walking into the lush rainforest of tangled vines, buzzing with life, you are very likely to see chimpanzees at close range either moving quickly through the forest canopy or resting and eating near the forest floor. Other primates also hang out in these trees, including a variety of monkeys and baboons, as well as a rich array of birds. As with gorilla trekking, sightings are likely but cannot be guaranteed. After an exhilarating day, we return to Elephant Plains Lodge where you spend the last night of your Uganda Safari.
After breakfast this morning, you are transferred to the nearby Mweya Airstrip for your return flight to Entebbe where your Fly-in Uganda Safari will end. Please check the exact timing of your flight with us before booking your international departure flight.
Please note: If you are catching a flight on day eight, please only book flights departing after 20h00.
When booking your safari you can arrange an extra night of accommodation (additional cost) after the safari, if you plan to stay over in Entebbe.
We recommend adding an extra day or two after the safari, in order to explore Kampala and enjoy optional activities such as visiting Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary and giong to Jinja for grade 5 white water rafting on the Nile or bungee jumping and more.
In order to go gorilla and chimpanzee trekking you need to be in good health - free of any contagious illnesses, cold, flu, or virus. If any signs of communicable diseases are detected the Uganda park officials have the right to refuse you entry. If you wish to volunteer at UWEC extra inoculations and health checks may be required, so please enquire when booking your safari.
For up-to-date and confirmed pricing info for optional items, please drop us an enquiry.
This tour does not take children.
Families with children younger than 16 years of age, wanting to do this safari, are able to do so on a Private Safari basis.
Please contact African Budget Safaris for further information.
Please note: Certain activities may not allow for children under 15 years of age, namely Gorilla trekking in both Uganda & Rwanda and Chimpanzee trekking.
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