10 Days Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari

You will have the chance to trek and see all of Uganda’s top primates, such as mountain gorillas in Bwindi and chimpanzees in Kibale Forest National Park, during this 10-day Uganda Primates and Game Safari. You will also have time to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, and Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Big Game Safari, which will allow you to see all five of the country’s animals. This all-inclusive 10-day Uganda Primates and Game Safari includes return airport transfers and begins and ends in Kampala/Entebbe.

Day by day

DAY 01:  Pick up and Transfer to Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After being picked up from Entebbe International Airport or your Kampala/Entebbe hotel/guest house, you will drive south to Bwindi, stopping for lunch at the Equator before continuing on to Bwindi’s impenetrable national park, where you will check in, eat dinner, and spend the night at the Lodge.

DAY 02: Gorilla tracking Experience and community walk

You will drive to the park headquarters after breakfast at the accommodation for a briefing from Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger guides who will assign you a gorilla family group to walk. After your group of eight is confirmed, the two ranger guides will accompany you into the deep impenetrable forest to look for endangered Mountain Gorillas. Gorillas are always searched from the previous day’s location. The famous gorillas can only be interacted with for one hour, and you must keep silence. You can capture photos, etc.
Gorilla tracking can be tough depending on the hike, which is usually decided by weather and the gorillas’ movement in the forest, but it is highly organized, so you have a 99% chance of seeing them. Advanced trackers track mountain gorillas all day in the jungle to determine where they nested the night before, which is when you start hunting for them. Two ranger guides will conduct you through the walk, clearing and building pathways and imparting mountain gorilla and Bwindi forest information. After the trip, you’ll return to the start to get your mountain gorilla tracking credentials in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

DAY 03: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Following breakfast, you will travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park, getting there in the afternoon. You will make stops for sightseeing along the way. You will receive a warm welcome and be allowed to unwind after checking into the hotel. Later, you will go on an evening game drive to look for late grazers before returning to the lodge for the night.
The most well-known and varied conservation area is Queen Elizabeth National Park, which has a wide range of habitats, including grasslands, acacia woodlands, forests, wetlands, and open water. These habitats support a large number of mammals, including the Big Four, and an impressive number of bird species, which has increased to over 604 species.

DAY 04: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Cruise on Kazinga Channel

Following breakfast, you will take a morning game drive to the Kasenyi plains in order to look for wildlife and early birds. Elephants, massive herds of buffalo, lions, leopards, kobs, antelopes, bushbucks, and more are among the creatures you will witness.
After a two to three-hour morning game drive, you will drive to the Mweya Peninsula for a hot lunch, unwind, and then take an afternoon boat cruise safari on the Kazinga Channel. This boat ride is well worth the money and is regarded as the highlight of your safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will have the opportunity to see a variety of wildlife as they enjoy the channel’s shores, including hippos swimming and different bird species. Return to the lodge for dinner, rest, and overnight after the cruise.

DAY 05: Morning Drive/Visit Katwe Salt Lakes and Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

With everything you own in the car, go a morning game drive around the Mweya Peninsula. You continue your journey back to Kigali after the three-hour game drive. If you choose not to go game driving, you can visit the Katwe Salt Lakes after driving to Kibale National Park, stopping along the way for lunch. Upon arrival, you will have the opportunity to take a nature walk in the Bigodi Swamp, where you may witness the local birds and monkeys.
With approximately 335 bird species and 13 primate species, Kibale Forest National Park is a well-liked destination for both birdwatchers and primatologists.

DAY 06: Chimpanzee Tracking

You will drive to Kibale National Park Headquarters after breakfast at your accommodation to meet your day’s guides and start tracking chimpanzees. An early morning hike into the forest to see wild chimpanzees and several other primates in their natural habitat will be accompanied by knowledgeable guides, researchers, and trackers. They will walk you through the entire tracking process and give you the chance to spend four hours within meters of these entertaining and gregarious apes, partaking in their everyday activities and sharing in their lives. There are only an estimated 5,000 chimpanzees left in Uganda, making them our closest cousins and most endangered species.
Please be aware that while chimpanzees are quite mobile and forage throughout the forest, tracking them can be somewhat taxing. Furthermore, as chimpanzees are wild animals, sightings are not always guaranteed.

DAY 07: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park via a visit to the top of the falls and an en-route game drive to your lodge for overnight

After meeting your guide today, you will go to Murchison Falls National Park and spend the night at Pakuba Safari Lodge. Along the way, you will visit the top of the falls and go on an evening wildlife drive to look for late grazers. After supper, you will head to your lodge for the night.

DAY 08: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise to the bottom of the falls

Following breakfast, you will embark on your morning game drive, which will give you the chance to see antelopes, hippos, buffaloes, giraffes, and, if you’re lucky, cats like lions and leopards. After lunch, head back to the lodge before continuing to the pier for your two-hour boat ride to the base of the falls, where you will see the Nile River squeeze itself into a narrow gorge before exploding out, creating a once-in-a-lifetime experience. During your cruise, you will also see a variety of wild animals, including elephants, hippos, birds, and reptiles.

DAY 09: Morning Delta cruise and afternoon game drive

Take a breakfast-on-board sail downstream on the cold, still early waters this morning. This three to five-hour trip offers a rare chance to see uncommon birds and animals including hippo, elephants, and huge crocodiles. It is home to a broad range of wetland and papyrus indigenous bird species, including the elusive shoebill stork. As the Nile River meanders toward Lake Albert, visitors can take in the ever-changing landscape as they pass through the heart of Murchison Falls National Park. Game Drive #2: North Bank To try to see any species you missed the first time, go on another game drive after lunch, or late afternoon if you’d like.

DAY 10: Transfer back to Kampala/Entebbe via Ziwa Rhino sanctuary

On your final day of your 10-day Uganda Primates & Game Safari, you will meet your guide and travel back to Kampala/Entebbe via the Rhino Sanctuary for a delicious lunch and on-foot rhino tracking before your safari comes to an end.

End of your safari