10 Days Uganda Wildlife with Gorillas and Chimps

Overview

Uganda is all about its friendly people and the diversity in landscapes and activities. This 10 Days Uganda Wildlife trip will show you the best of what Uganda has to offer. Queen Elizabeth National Park features grassland savannah teeming with wildlife and Lake Mutanda is perfect for kicking back and relaxing. All of this is on top of all main highlights like gorilla tracking, chimpanzee tracking and the boat safaris. You will have overnight stay in the best mid-range accommodations Uganda has to offer.

 

 

Day 1 Welcome to Uganda

To begin with, you will be picked up from the airport by our representative. Then, he will transfer you to your hotel. You will meet your driver/ guide the next morning when he picks you up from your hotel. You will stay in a nice lodge with beautiful views of Lake Victoria. Also, the hotel has cozy safari style furnished rooms, fridge bar, telephone, fan, balcony and a comfortable bathroom.

Main Destination: Kampala
Accommodation: Sapphire Hotel, Mid-range hotel located in or near Kampala
Meals & Drinks: All meals included, Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 2 Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park

This journey today is from Kampala – across Uganda – to Murchison Falls National Park. Covering an area of over 3,840 km², Murchison Falls National Park is the largest conservation area in Uganda. Also, the park derives its name from its famous waterfall: the mighty Murchison Falls.

Your accommodation for the coming two nights is at Pakuba Safari Lodge. The lodge has been carefully and sensitively built on the edge of the mighty River Nile overlooking pods of hippos and Uganda’s stunning Murchison Falls National Park.

You will stay in a comfortably furnished safari tent. Additionally, the furnished safari tent has been placed on the leveled ground overlooking the River Nile.

Optional activity at Extra cost: Ziwa Rhino Tracking.
Main Destination: Murchison Falls National Park
Accommodation: Pakuba Safari Lodge, Mid-range lodge located inside Murchison Falls NP
Meals & Drinks: All meals included, Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 3 Game drive, Boat Cruise & Top of Murchison falls Experience

Get ready for an early wake-up on this day! In the early morning hours animals are the most active, the sun is not yet so bright and temperatures are cooler. It also offers the best time to spot wild animals. After an early breakfast, you will go out on a game drive to explore the northern part of the park. Come eye-to-eye with the African animal kingdom: elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, lions, leopards, different species of antelopes and many tropical birds may all be spotted during the game drive.

In the afternoon you will take a boat safari up the Nile River to Murchison Falls. Carefully watched by crocodiles, hundreds of hippos, buffaloes, water birds, monkeys, and all the other thirsty wildlife that the Nile attracts. After the boat safari, you will hike to the top of the falls. From here you have a wonderful view and fantastic photo opportunities!

Optional activities

• Ziwa Rhino sanctuary US$ 50 pp
• Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo forest US$ 85 pp
• Hot air balloon US$ 380 pp.

Main Destination: Murchison Falls National Park
Accommodation: Pakuba Safari Lodge, Mid-range lodge located inside Murchison Falls NP
Meals & Drinks: All meals included, Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 4 Transfer to Kibale National Park

To begin with, you will transfer to Kibale Forest National Park. The long drive is incredibly scenic, passing through tea plantations and the lush green countryside which characterizes so much of Uganda. A packed lunch is included, which you can join on the way. Thereafter, spend the late afternoon relaxing and enjoy a lovely view of the forest and its wildlife.

Main Destination: Kibale National Park
Accommodation: Rweteera Safari Park, Budget lodge located just outside Kibale National Park
Meals & Drinks: All meals included, Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 5 Chimpanzee Tracking and Bigodi Swamp Experience

Firstly, you will experience some serious monkey business! Kibale Forest National Park boasts the highest number of primate species in the world, including the 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 or afternoon. Once you locate the chimpanzees, you will have a full hour with them.

Additionally, your swamp walk will take you through grassland, small communities and some beautiful scenery, where the locals are likely to greet you with enthusiastic waves. It is usual to spot three to four different primate species during this walk, though the highlight is catching a glimpse of the great blue turaco!

Optional activity

At an additional fee of only $70 US Dollar p.p. you do the chimpanzee habituation tracking instead of the regular chimpanzee tracking. This will take all day and you will be 100% sure to have a very close encounter with your closest relatives.

Main Destination: Kibale National Park
Accommodation: Rweteera Safari Park, Budget lodge located just outside Kibale National Park
Meals & Drinks: All meals included, Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 6 Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

In the morning, you can relax at your lodge. You will then continue your journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Queen Elizabeth N.P. is Uganda’s second largest park, located at the base of the majestic Rwenzori Mountain range, adjacent to Lake Edward and Lake George. The park has a prolific game, including gazelle, Uganda kob, warthog and waterbuck. Also, lions are often sighted both in and at the entrance to the park. Be prepared for large numbers of hippos and elephants, and keep your eyes peeled for a leopard lazing in the sunshine. In the late afternoon, you will go for a game drive into the park.

Main Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Accommodation: Irungu Forest Safari Lodge, Mid-range lodge located just outside Queen Elizabeth NP
Meals & Drinks: All meals included and Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 7 Morning game drive and Boat Cruise

To begin with, you will wake up early. A little before sunrise coffee, tea and donuts will be served in the lounge before we head out for a long game drive in time to see the first rays of light. You will search for all the wildlife in the park and are likely to come across elephants, buffaloes, lions, waterbucks, leopards, Ugandan Kobs, and many warthogs.

In the afternoon you will take a boat safari along the Kazinga Channel which joins Lake George and Lake Albert. Here, you will see a lot of hippos (more than you can possibly imagine) as well as a variety of other animals which come to the waterhole to drink or bathe. You can expect to see buffaloes, crocodiles, bathing elephants, and a wide range of beautiful birds. This will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of your tour. After the boat safari, you drive back to the lodge through the park.

Optional Activities

• Hot air Balloon safari US$ 380 pp
• Chimp tracking Kyambura gorge US$ 50 pp
• Lion Predator tracking US$ 85 pp.

Main Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Accommodation: Irungu Forest Safari Lodge, Mid-range lodge located just outside Queen Elizabeth NP
Meals & Drinks: All meals included and Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 8 Transfer to Lake Mutanda

Today you drive to Lake Mutanda in the south-western part of Uganda, close to the borders with Rwanda and Congo. You cross a beautiful part of the country often referred to as ‘the Switzerland of Africa’. You will pass the countryside and bamboo forest and have great views over the Virunga Mountains. For lunch, you will stop at a local restaurant on the road (lunch is not inclusive). 10 Days Uganda Wildlife trip with Gorillas and Chimps

Perched on a peninsula in Lake Mutanda in the shadow of the Virunga Mountain Range, Mutanda Lake Resort offers comfortable accommodation combined with the most beautiful views on planet earth. Situated between Kisoro town, Mgahinga and Bwindi National Parks, the resort serves as a perfect base for gorilla trackers, volcano hikers, bird lovers, as well as for those looking for a secluded place in nature. 10 Days Uganda Wildlife trip with Gorillas and Chimps

Main Destination: Lake Mutanda
Accommodation: Mutanda Lake Resort, Mid-range lodge located in or near Lake Mutanda
Meals & Drinks: All meals included and Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 9 Gorilla Tracking Experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Today is the big day… prepare yourself for an encounter with one of Bwindi’s gentle giants: the endangered mountain gorilla. For most people, this is the absolute highlight of their tour in Uganda.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest boasts both mountain gorillas and primates – the only forest in Africa that can make this claim. It also hosts five other species of primates, 113 species of mammals, over 200 species of butterflies and 360 species of birds. The gorillas you track belong to one of nine habituated family groups who can tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period every day. 10 Days Uganda Wildlife trip with Gorillas and Chimps

The time taken to track the gorillas can be as few as two hours to as many as seven hours. Once the gorillas have been located, your group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. Coming face-to-face with a mountain gorilla is a truly humbling and emotional experience. This is a fantastic and privileged opportunity to get up close and personal with Uganda’s very own ‘Gorillas in the Mist’.

Main Destination: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Accommodation: Mutanda Lake Resort, Mid-range lodge located outside Bwindi NP
Meals & Drinks: All meals included and Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Day 10 .Transfer back to Entebbe

After breakfast at the lodge, you will drive back to Kampala or Entebbe (Airport). As you pass through the equator, there will be a stop for the requisite snapshot and a bit of souvenir shopping. Accommodation for tonight is not inclusive in the program. If you wish to depart tonight from Entebbe Airport. If you want us to book one (or more) nights in Kampala and/or Entebbe, please let us know.
This is the end of a wonderful tour in Uganda! 10 Days Uganda Wildlife trip with Gorillas and Chimps

Main Destination: Entebbe
Accommodation: No accommodation (End of tour)
Meals & Drinks: All meals included and Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

 

 

Includes:

• Park fees (For non-residents)
• Gorilla permits (One per person, non-resident)
•  Chimp permits (One per person, non-resident)
• All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
• All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
• A professional driver/guide
• All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
• All Taxes/VAT
• Round-trip airport transfer
• Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
• Drinking water (On all days)

Excludes:

•  International flights (From/to home)
• Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
• Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp. per day)
• Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc)
• Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees