20 days best of Uganda Safari
As you embark on your 20 days best of Uganda safari, it is best you go through what you are to expect. Uganda is a country gifted by nature with a variety of attractions from flora and fauna to the physical features. There are several wildlife species like the big five animals, hyenas, antelopes, giraffes, and many more to spot in the country. These can be spotted in the several national parks in the country.
These include Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, Lake Mburo, Murchison Falls, and Kidepo national parks. Uganda also hosts numerous bird and primate species. Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks harbor half of the world’s mountain gorilla population. This and much more you will see while on your 20 days best of Uganda safari.
Summary of the Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to your lodge (Optional Kampala City Tour)
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
Day 3: Game drive and boat cruise and hike to the top of the falls
Day 4: Transfer to Kibale National Park
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary tour
Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 7: Game drive and boat cruise on Kazinga Channel
Day 8: Chimpanzee tracking at Kyambura Gorge and nature walk
Day 9: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 10: Gorilla trekking and Batwa community tour
Day 11: Bird watching and mountain biking
Day 12: Visit Lake Bunyonyi
Day 13: Transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Day 14: Gorilla trekking and nature walks
Day 15: Golden monkey tracking and Garama cave tour
Day 16: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
Day 17: Game drive and boat cruise
Day 18: Horseback riding and transfer to Jinja
Day 19: Explore the Source of the Nile
Day 20: Transfer back to Kampala – Departure
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to the lodge (Optional Kampala City Tour)
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Park, you will be picked up by our driver guide. He will brief you and thereafter drive you to your booked hotel. Lunch will be served and you can take on an option Kampala tour. You will in the evening have dinner and rest for the night.
Meals: Lunch and Dinner
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
On the 2nd day of your 20 days best of Uganda safari after your breakfast, you will be transferred to Murchison Falls National Park. You will have a stopover at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and spend some time with the endangered white rhino. Lunch will be served while on your way to the park. By the time evening sets in, you will be at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3: Game drive and boat cruise and hike to the top of the falls
Breakfast will be served early morning and after you will embark on a game drive in the park. You will encounter wildlife species like the big 4 animals, giraffes, hyenas, antelopes, warthogs, bushbuck, and much more. If you are lucky enough you may catch the predators in action. You will be served lunch and after you head to the river for a boat cruise. This boat cruise gives you a chance to spot hippos and crocodiles the water lovers.
You will also spot the daily guests on the shores like buffaloes, elephants, antelopes, and numerous birds. The boat cruise will take you to the bottom of the waterfalls. From here you will then hike to the top of the falls. You will observe the spectacular scenes of Murchison Falls, the strongest waterfall in the world. In the evening you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Transfer to Kibale National Park
After your delicious breakfast, you will be picked up by our drive guide. He will then transfer you to Kibale National Park. Lunch will be served en route to the park. You will have splendid views of the green tea plantations that brighten the countryside. In the evening you will arrive in the park at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary tour
After breakfast, you will head to the park offices for a pre-trekking briefing. After that, you will be grouped into 8 and led through the forest to the chimpanzee habitats. Trekking usually takes 30 minutes before the allocation of the primates. You will then be entitled to an hour after the chimpanzees have been sought.
After your lunch, you will head to Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary for a tour. You encounter a lot of bird species, primates, and other wildlife species. Evening will clock in and you head to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
You will have breakfast early in the morning and hit the road to Queen Elizabeth National Park. There will be stopovers on the road at the tea and coffee plantations of the locals. You will also visit the Amabere Caves, and Nyakasura Falls and hike to the top of the world. Lunch will be served en route. By evening you will be at your lodge for dinner and later rest.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 7: Game drive and boat cruise on Kazinga Channel
After your breakfast, you will have a game drive in the Ishasha sector of the park. You will spot several wildlife species like elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, warthogs, and waterbuck among others. The peak of your drive will be viewing the tree-climbing lions. These can be spotted resting on tree branches on the savannah grassland plains. After you have had your lunch, you will have a boat cruise at the Kazinga Channel.
This channel hosts over 2,000 hippos the largest population of hippos in Uganda as well as Nile crocodiles. You will have an experience like no other as you will spot several wildlife species like elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, birds, and others on the shores. In the evening you will head back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 8: Chimpanzee tracking at Kyambura Gorge and nature walk
After breakfast, you will go to Kyambura Gorge for chimpanzee trekking. You will first be briefed about the expected code of conduct around the chimpanzees. After that, you will be grouped in groups of 8 eight people and start your tracking. With the help of a professional guide range, it will not take you long before spotting these primates. An hour with the chimpanzees in their natural habitats will be given to you.
You will later have lunch and embark on a guided nature walk in the park. On this walk, you will be led by an armed professional ranger. He will help you explore the park on foot through the hiking trails of the parks. You will spot some wildlife species like elephants, warthogs, waterbuck, bushbucks, numerous birds, and more. Our drive will then drive you to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 9: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
On the 9th day of your 20 days best of Uganda safari, you will have a delicious breakfast early in the morning before checking out of the lodge. The journey to the park is quite interesting as you will enjoy scenes of the countryside and lunch will be en route. You will view the beautiful hills of the Kigezi region. By evening you will be in the park at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 10: Gorilla trekking and Batwa community tour
Gorilla trekking will be your next thing on the agenda after your breakfast. A pre-trekking briefing about the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking will be conducted. After that, a guide ranger will lead you through the charted forests of Bwindi to the gorilla habitats. Bwindi has 26 habituated gorilla families. So it will not take you time before reaching the primates. You will be given an hour with the gorillas in their habitats. This is a moment to kill for as spot the endangered gentle giants up close.
You will later have lunch after your gorilla encounter. After your lunch, you take a Batwa community tour. This tour will introduce you to the forest keepers of Bwindi as they dwelt in the park before its establishment. You will tour around their markets and craft shops as well as interact with them about their history. In the evening you will head back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 11: Bird watching and mountain biking
You will wake up to your breakfast in the early morning before hitting the birding trails in the park. An experienced and professional guide ranger will help you locate several birds. The activity of bird watching is quite an adventurous one as you get to view some of the common and rare bird species.
You will later have lunch and prepare for the next activity. In the afternoon you will take on a mountain biking experience in the park. It is both an intense and adventurous activity as you explore through the park on a bike. It is also a chance to burn off some extra calories from your body. This activity will keep you engaged until the evening when you go back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 12: Visit Lake Bunyonyi
After your breakfast, you will be transferred to Lake Bunyonyi. Lake Bunyonyi is the deepest lake in Uganda. You will engage in several activities like canopying, boat cruises, and sport fishing. You will have lunch and after that, you will visit some islands that are on the lake. You will visit several fishing sites and interact with the local people. In the evening you will return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 13: Transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
In the morning you will have breakfast and check out of your lodge. Our drive guide will then transfer you to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Kisoro district. You will enjoy amazing scenes of the hilly terrain of the area. You will thereafter check in your lodge on arrival for dinner and rest.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 14: Gorilla trekking and nature walks
Before trekking, you will have breakfast early in the morning and a per-trekking briefing. Gorilla trekking is the major activity in Mgahinga. It involves going through thickets of vegetation searching for mountain gorillas. Mgahinga has two habituated gorilla families that can be trekked. After the gorillas have been sought, you will be given an hour with them. You will head back to the lodge for lunch. A ranger will guide you through your afternoon nature walk in the park. This is an impressive way of exploring the park on foot. You will come across a variety of bird and primate species along the hiking trails. In the evening you will have dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 15: Golden monkey tracking and Garama cave tour
After your breakfast, you will track down golden money. This is a rare species of primates. Track them begins with a briefing which eases the process of tracking. After tracking guidelines have been emphasized, you will be guided to the forest. You will be given an hour in the presence of these rare primates. In the afternoon after your lunch, you will tour the Garama caves. These carry a bit of history with them as they once hosted the Batwa pygmies. Now the caves are ruled over by numerous bats and other bird species. You will return to your after for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 16: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park will be next on your agenda immediately after your breakfast. You will have a stopover in Mbarara at the Igongo Cultural Center. This center has a museum that highlights the ancient history of Ankole. It also showcases several crafts and artifacts of the people of Ankole. You then be served lunch and after hike to the 1520 AD eclipse monument. Our driver guide will then transfer you to Lake Mburo National Park through the Sanga gate. You will check in have dinner and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 17: Game drive and boat cruise on Lake Mburo
You will have a game drive in the park after your breakfast. Lake Mburo National Park is equipped with a vast number of flora and fauna. From the wildlife species and bird species to the features like lakes and vegetation. These wildlife species include both carnivores and herbivores. A game drive is an ideal activity for exploring all these species in the comfort of your vehicle. After having your lunch, you will head to Lake Mburo for a boat cruise. You will spot several bird species at the shores of the lake with other wildlife species in addition to the hippos and crocodiles. You will later head to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 18: Horseback riding and transfer to Jinja
After your delicious breakfast, you will head out to the park on a horseback ride. This is quite a similar activity to game drive but a horseback ride is quite the adventure. This activity helps you to get closer to the wildlife species and observe them. You will then embark on the drive to Jinja – the source of the River Nile. The Nile River is the world’s longest river and has its origin in Uganda. Lunch will be along the way. You will also have a photography moment at the Uganda Equator. Upon arrival, check in to your lodge for dinner and spend the night over.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 19: Explore Jinja – The source of the Nile
On the 19th day of your 20 days best of Uganda safari, you will wake up to a delicious meal. You will embark on the many adventurous activities around the Nile River. These include; white water rafting, kayaking, Ssezibwa Falls tour, quad biking, zip-lining, and many more. The whole day belongs here, make the most out of it. Dinner and overnight will be at your lodge.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 20: Transfer back to Kampala – Departure
The last day of your 20 days best of Uganda safari will begin with an early morning breakfast. After checking out of your lodge, you will hit the road back to Kampala.
Lunch will be at a hotel in Kampala or Entebbe town. The driver will drop you at the Entebbe International Airport for your outbound flight. This will mark the end of your 20 days best of Uganda safari.
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
