11 Days Uganda (chimpanzees, Gorillas & Wildlife) Safari
11 days Uganda Safari takes you to Uganda’s frequently visited National Parks of Murchison Falls National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Bwindi impenetrable National Park, Kibale forest national Park, and Queen elizabeth national Park. The major highlighted activities include: Gorilla trekking, Chimpanzee tracking, Game drives & boat rides for Big 5 game viewing, not forgetting Rhino tracking at Ziwa rhino Sanctuary.
Detailed Itinerary for 11 days Uganda (Chimpanzees, Gorillas & Wildlife) Safari
Day 1:Transfer Kampala to Lake Mburo National Park
The highlights of a day game drive and Boat ride
Pick up from the hotel in Entebbe or Kampala and head to Lake Mburo National Park in the western part of Uganda. The drive takes 3-4 hours with a stopover at the Equator for an opportunity to stand in both the northern and southern hemispheres at the same time. Once you get into Lake Mburo National Park you will go for a game drive in search of wildlife like zebra, hippos, crocodiles, eland, antelope, impala and a variety of birds. Post lunch you will go for a 2-hour boat ride on Lake Mburo which is endowed with a variety of water animals such as hippos and crocodiles and several bird species. After the boat ride you will drive to your accommodation.
Day 2: Lake Mburo National Park
Activities of the day are Game Drives and Nature Walk
Depart for full-day game drives around 9:00 AM with packed lunch and return back to the 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: Transfer From Lake Mburo National Park to Lake Bunyonyi
After an early breakfast, you will set off for the southwestern part of the country 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 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 bird life around the lake. At Lake Bunyonyi you can pay the extra amount for the activity such as Community Walk, Canoe Ride, Boat Rides, Bicycle Rides, Bird Watching and Cray Fishing directly at the accommodation and do the activity of your choice.
Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Drive 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
Day activities: Gorilla Trekking and game drive in 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 sometime once sited and transfer to Ishasha Sector for accommodation.
Day 6: Game Drives in Ishasha and Boat Ride in Kazinga Channel
Drive through 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 head for a 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)
The highlight of the day: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
After breakfast head to Kibale Forest at 8.00 am for a briefing on the rule for trekking the chimpanzees after which you set off to search for them in the forest. Kibale Forest National Park 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 head 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. 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 metres gorge and then falls 45 metres. Numerous scenic viewpoints are a photographer’s delight. The most impressive view is of the foaming waters rushing into the gorge with a deafening roar.
Day 10: Murchison Falls National Park
what to do for a day? Game Drives and Boat Ride
You will set off at 6:30 am, cross to the northern bank of the 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, shy sitatunga, bush duiker, warthog and bush pig plus large carnivores including lions, leopards and spotted hyenas. 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, hornbills, cormorants, saddle-bill storks 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
activity for the day: Rhino Tracking and transfer to Entebbe. After early morning breakfast, depart with great memories of the moments spent at Murchison falls and head 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 Entebbe making the 11days safari end.