Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Lake Mburo National Park via Uganda Equator.

Upon your arrival at Entebbe International Airport or breakfast at your lodge in Kampala, you will meet our professional driver-guide. He or she will brief you about your 8 days Uganda Wildlife Safari.

You will then embark on the road to Lake Mburo National Park. You will have a stopover at the Uganda Equator in Kayabwe. This is just a few kilometers from Kampala city center along Masaka road. At the Uganda Equator, you will enjoy spectacular moments while performing a water balance and weight loss experience. You will also get an opportunity to step into the two hemispheres of the earth at the same time. It is the equator line that divides the earth into northern and southern hemispheres. When you are at the Uganda equator, you are at the center of it all. You can grab a cup of coffee and buy some craft from the shop which always reminds you of your 8 days Uganda Wildlife Safari.

You will then continue to Lake Mburo National Park with a lunch stopover along the way. You will enter the park through Nshara gate from where you will already be seeing some animals roaming the park. Check in the lodge, relax, have dinner, and spend the night over.

Driving time: 4 to 5 hours

Accommodation: Mihingo Safari Lodge or Rwakobo Rock Safari Lodge

Meals: Lunch and Dinner

Day 2: Horseback riding safari and afternoon boat cruise.

After a delicious morning breakfast at your lodge, you will embark on a spectacular horseback riding safari in Lake Mburo National Park. This is the only national park that offers horseback riding safaris in Uganda. The activity involves exploring deeper parts of the park on horseback. You will enjoy views of multiple animal species such as warthog, zebra, Uganda kob, giraffes, eland, and Thomson’s gazelles, to mention but a few. During the ride you will meet with the Ankole herdsmen taking care of their long horned cows – one of the best cultural experiences in Uganda. Return to the lodge at midmorning for relaxation and preparation for the afternoon activities.

After you have had lunch at the lodge, you will embark on the amazing Lake Mburo boat cruise. This will introduce you to multiple species of water animals such as crocodiles and hippopotamuses. You will encounter quite a number of bird species within the swamps along Lake Mburo.

In the later hours of the day, you will return to your lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Accommodation: Mihingo Safari Lodge or Rwakobo Rock Safari Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 3: Morning game drive and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After a morning breakfast at your lodge, check out and meet your driver-guide for a morning game drive. You will enjoy spectacular views of animal species roaming the park. This is an opportunity for you to see what you might have missed on the previous day.

You will exit the park using the Sanga gate and embark on the drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

You will make a stopover at Igongo Cultural Center which is a few kilometers from Lake Mburo National Park. Here, you will have an insight into the Banyankole culture and visit the museum. You can also hike to the Eclipse monument which lies opposite the center. At the monument, you will have amazing and clear views of the neighboring areas including Mbarara city.

You will then continue with lunch en route to Bwindi Impenetrable national park. Upon arrival, check in to your earlier booked lodge, relax, have dinner, and spend the night over.

Driving time: 5 to 6 hours

Accommodation  

• Budget/ Basic: Bwindi Guest house, Broadbill Forest camp and Bwindi Forest Lodge.
• Mid-range/Moderate: Gorilla mist camp, Rushaga gorilla camp and Gift nature lodge.
• Luxury/Upmarket: Cloud’s Mountain Gorilla lodge, Buhoma lodge, and Sanctuary Retreats Gorilla Forest Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable national park

For many tourists who come to Uganda, this is their long-awaited day. The day belongs to the primates of Bwindi Impenetrable national park. It starts with an early morning breakfast followed by a transfer to the park headquarters. Remember to carry all the gorilla trekking equipment including a lunch box since the activity may take longer than the anticipated time. You will be briefed about gorilla trekking rules and regulations and then grouped into 8 groups per gorilla family.

At 8:00 am the trekking begins, you enter the forests of Bwindi which are Impenetrable as the name of the park suggests. Following the gorilla trails and their markings, will make the walk easy and challenging at some point. The experienced safari guides and park rangers know the movements of gorillas and can tell where they spent the previous night. Upon meeting the gorillas, trekkers are given a full one hour to spend in their presence. It is here that you will take as many pictures as you wish as long as you do not use flashlight cameras.

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable national park takes between 2 and 8 hours including the one hour spent in the presence of the gorillas upon meeting them.

In the later hours of the day, you will return to your lodge for relaxation and late lunch.

In the evening hours, you embark on an optional Batwa community tour. This is one of the best cultural experiences in Uganda. You will learn about fire making, hunting tactics, dancing, and other traditional ways of life.

Return to the lodge for dinner and spend the night over.

Accommodation  

• Budget/ Basic: Bwindi Guest house, Broadbill Forest camp and Bwindi Forest Lodge.
• Mid-range/Moderate: Gorilla mist camp, Rushaga gorilla camp and Gift nature lodge.
• Luxury/Upmarket: Cloud’s Mountain Gorilla lodge, Buhoma lodge, and Sanctuary Retreats Gorilla Forest Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 5: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi and afternoon Launch cruise

Upon finishing your breakfast, check out of your lodge and meet your driver-guide. You will then embark on the drive to Uganda’s deepest lake – Lake Bunyonyi. You will enjoy spectacular views of the rolling hills, and coffee plantations, to mention but a few.

Upon arrival, check in to your earlier booked lodge, have a delicious lunch, and embark on the amazing afternoon boat cruise. The cruise comes with views of the 27 islands on Lake Bunyonyi alongside the rolling hills around the area. You will see local fishermen catching different types of fish. Needless to mention are the multiple species of birds that are found on the lake.

In the later hours of the day, you will return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Driving time: 2 to 3 hours

Accommodation: Supreme Adventure Park, Paradise Eco Hub, and Bunyonyi Overland Resort.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Day 6: Lake Bunyonyi Cultural tour and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park

After your delicious morning breakfast, you will go for a cultural tour of Lake Bunyonyi. Using a local boat, you will cross the lake and visit any of the islands and dive into the cultures that dwell within and around Lake Bunyonyi Every culture in Uganda is hospitable and unique. You will participate in the preparation of local beer and local foods. You will get a chance of tasting what you have prepared.

In the afternoon, you will return and check out of the lodge and embark on the drive to Queen Elizabeth national park – the Medley of wonders.

Check in to your earlier booked lodge upon arrival, relax, and spend the night over.

Driving time: 3 to 4 hours

Accommodation

Budget/ Basic: Tembo Safari Lodge, Kazinga Channel View Resort, and Simba Safari Camp

Mid-range/Moderate: Marafiki safari lodge and Kasenyi safari camp

Luxury/Upmarket: Kyambura Gorge Lodge, Ishasha Wilderness Camp, and Elephant Plains Lodge.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Day 7: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga Channel

After morning breakfast, meet your driver-guide and embark on an amazing game drive in Queen Elizabeth national park. Depending on your attraction of interest you can visit either the Kasenyi sector, Mweya Peninsular, or Ishasha sectors. Each sector is unique and has got something to offer. Tree-climbing lions are common in the Ishasha sector while elephants are dominant within the Kasenyi plains. You will see other species such as buffaloes, warthogs, oribis, Thomson’s gazelles, etc. Return to your lodge for lunch and some bit of relaxation.

In the afternoon, you will go to the Kazinga channel for an amazing boat cruise experience. The boat cruise will introduce you to water species such as the Nile Crocodiles and hippopotamuses. You will watch many animals as they visit the channel to drink some water while others use it as a hunting spot. Kazinga Channel is the water body that connects Lake Edward to Lake George.

Return to your lodge for dinner and spend the night over.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Day 8: Chimpanzee experience in Kyambura Gorge and transfer back to Kampala / Entebbe International airport – Departure

After the morning breakfast, check out of the lodge, meet your driver-guide, and embark on the visit to Kyambura Gorge. This is a rift valley escarpment that has a forest invested with chimpanzees and other primate species. Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura gorge is not complicated as that of Kibale national park. This is because the forest is small and the trails are easy to walk. This is why the activity can be done in the shortest time. You will enjoy views of the chimps as they play and dine. Other views include several bird species and primates other than chimps such as monkeys. All these create unforgettable memories during your 8 days Uganda Wildlife Safari adventure.

You continue on the journey back to Kampala with an en-route lunch. If you wish, you can have a second stopover at the eclipse monument in Mbarara and at the Uganda Equator in the Mpigi district. This gives you a chance of taking that memorable picture that you might have missed on the first day of your safari.

The driver-guide will drop you at any hotel in Kampala or Entebbe international airport for your outbound flight. This marks the end of your amazing 8 days Uganda Wildlife Safari.

Driving distance time: 6 to 8 hours

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch