7-Day Best of Uganda Wildlife Safari

Upon arrival at Entebbe international Airport, you will receive a warm welcome from our customer care representative and your allocated English-speaking safari guide to meet and greet you.  After transfer to the booked hotel in Entebbe town which is about 10 to 15 minutes’ drive from the airport on the shores of Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest fresh water body. Depending on your time of arrival, if time allows, visit the Entebbe Botanical Gardens that are found on the shores of Lake Victoria in Entebbe town for a walking safari. The gardens are home to primate species such as vervet monkeys and several bird species, have a nature walk along the lake shores as you enjoy the fresh breeze from the lake. Later return to your hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Hotel No.5
Meal Plan: Dinner

Wake up early in the morning and have your breakfast, after start your drive to Ziwa Rhino sanctuary, located in Nakasongola district, home of Uganda’s rhinos where you will have chance to see the white rhinos in their natural setting, up close to their feet, which provides a memorable experience and this will take you for a maximum of one hour with them. Ziwa rhino sanctuary stands out as the only destination in Uganda where you can see white rhinos in the wild. Once, Uganda had an adequate number of rhinos in Kidepo Valley National Park and Murchison Falls National Park but became naturally extinct due to numerous civil wars and illegal man’s activities such as poaching during the early 1970s. Later, in 2005 the Rhino Sanctuary was established to revive their existence by re-introducing them into Uganda’s wildlife inventory. After this stunning experience, you will have your lunch at Kabalega dinner and after proceed to Murchison Falls National Park. Here you will be welcomed by nature’s marvels including a number of baboons stretching along the road line to the park.

Visit the top of the falls that are considered to be the source of happiness to many nature enthusiasts. Enjoy the breathtaking views and the roaring sound of the powerful waterfalls as the might Nile River squeezes its self through a 7-meter gorge and plunges 45 meter into a pool that creates a lovely thunderous sound. The tour to the water falls starts from the top to the bottom of the water falls taking about an hour. After enjoying this spectacular experience of the waterfalls, proceed with the drive to your hotel and refresh. Spend the evening at your leisure while enjoying the atmosphere at your lodge, have dinner and an over night stay.

Accommodation: Paraa Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast/ lunch/ Dinner

On this day, wake up very early in the morning, have your breakfast particularly a quick cup of coffee with a snack to warm your body. Get boxes of your packed breakfast, get into your safari vehicle and embark on the early morning game drive. Start enjoying the beauty of the African jungle as you look out for the wildlife animals and several bird species. This game drive will give you a chance to enjoy the beautiful sunrise while in the jungle and encounter several wildlife species particularly herbivores such as elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, Uganda Kobs, Jackson Hartebeest, oribis and several other antelopes. Other animals to see include predators such as lions, hyenas, leopards, Jackals and many others.

Muchison Falls National Park stands out as a stronghold not only in Uganda but Africa as well for the Rothschild giraffes, therefore expect to see them in big numbers. Have a short break to enjoy your full breakfast, and proceed with your game drive safari until 12:00 p.m.  Your safari guide will help you encounter as many wildlife species as possible and share with you a lot of information regarding the various wildlife species that you will encounter. After the game drive, transfer back to your lodge, relax for some time and have lunch. After lunch, set off for a 3-hour afternoon boat cruise along the Nile that will take you to the bottom of the falls. Expect to encounter several wildlife species such as the Nile crocodiles, hippos, monitor lizards and some land mammals that always gather at the water source to relax and quench their thirsty such as elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks and other antelopes.

During the boat cruise experience, you will have the chance to take several photos of various animals and bird species as many as you can since the boat cruise takes you closer to them. After this experience return to your lodge and have a free evening till dinner time, then drive back to the park for a night game drive safari experience. This night game drive safari is so adventurous and gives you an opportunity to encounter nocturnal mammals and birds of the park and see how they behave especially the big predators such as the lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, civets and browsers like grazing hippos and many others. These species are more active during the night hours and on a lucky day you may see them hunting which is one of the best jungle experiences.  Murchison Falls National Park stands out as the best savannah park in Uganda for a night game drive. After the game drive back to your lodge for an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Paraa Safari Lodge

Meal Plan: breakfast/lunch / Dinner

On this day rise up at your best time, prepare all your travel bags and load them to your safari vehicle. Have break fast, check out and drive slowly through the park and proceed with your safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda that is proudly known as “medley of wonders”, as it enjoys a fabulous setting on the rift valley floor, surrounded by water bodies, escarpments and the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountain. The park will bring you close to many wildlife species, reptiles and birds along the shores of the Kazinga channel. Since the journey may take some good hours, you will have some stop overs at Fort Portal for lunch and later proceed via Kasese, where you will have more chances of enjoying the breathtaking views of the Rwenzori mountains at a distance, undulating hills and some crater lakes and many other attractions. In the evening, you will check in at your booked lodge and refresh, spend the evening at your leisure while enjoying the atmosphere of the sun set at your hotel, have dinner and over night stay.

Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast/lunch/Dinner

Wake up very early in the morning at 5:30am and prepare your self for the day. If possible, put on light clothes and shoes with a sweater for emergency, have breakfast and a box of packed breakfast, your binoculars and an extra battery for your camera among others. At 6:30am embark on the morning game drive to Kasenyi plains in the northern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is always paramount to start your game drive as early as possible because during the morning hours of the day, animals are more active, and chances are high to encounter as many species as possible. Queen Elizabeth National Park Is one of the top tourist destinations in Africa to encounter several wildlife species, and it is one of Uganda’s most visited and beautiful protected areas.

The park is home to two of Africa’s biggest cats, the majestic lion and the rare leopard, along side other classic big games such as 2500 elephants, 1000 buffalos, 5000 hippos and many other species. During your game drive safari, expect to encounter different animal species like elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, warthogs, spotted hyenas and several antelopes. Your driver guide will help you spot several animal species with information concerning their lifestyle making your safari interesting and memorable. Later, around 11:30 am, retire from the game drive and return to your lodge to have some time at leisure until its time to be served lunch. After drive back to the park for an afternoon boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, which starts at around 03:00pm.

On the boat cruise you will have an opportunity to have a close encounter with several mammal species like Nile crocodiles, hippos, herds of elephants and buffaloes, waterbucks, Uganda Kobs and many other antelope species.   Many visitors consider a boat cruise safari on the Kazinga channel the highlight of their visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park. After, the afternoon boat cruise on the Kazinga channel, return to the lodge and spend the evening at your leisure as you wait for dinner and an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner

After having your tasty breakfast, get all your luggage packed in the vehicle, check out of your lodge and return to Kasenyi plains to look for the missed-out wildlife species which is found in the north-eastern parts of the park. Mammals to see include lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and many antelope species. After the game drive, proceed with your safari to Kibale National Park located in western Uganda proudly known as the “primate capital of the world,” with over 13 recorded primate species than any other national park or wildlife reserve in Africa with the biggest population of chimpanzees that are mounting to more than 1500 individual chimpanzees. You will enjoy the spectacular views of the landscape, several forests and the shadow of the Rwenzori mountains that form a mystic backdrop to the beautiful volcanic landscape with a stop over in Kasese town for lunch, and after proceed to Kibale National Park. Check in at your booked lodge and later drive to Bigodi Swamp for a nature walk and community experience.

Bigodi sanctuary swamp is remarkable for its biodiversity of wildlife species, with about eight primate species, including olive baboons, L’hoest monkeys, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, black and white monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys and species like reptiles, bird species, wild pigs, mongoose and many others. The community walk will be guided by a knowledgeable and trained local guide, well versed with the local terrain and superb at identifying all animal, plant and bird species, with explanations giving you the details about their mating nature. Your tour will end in Bigodi village, a relatively small village situated on the edges of the park with all the characteristics that define a typical Ugandan rural setting such as homesteads made of dung and mud within the surroundings. You will have the opportunity to interact with the locals as you learn about their social, economic and historical lifestyle and also take part in some experiences such as coffee making, harvesting food crops, juice making, craftmaking and many others. After the community tour return to your lodge to refresh, have dinner and an overnight stay,

Accommodation: Nyaika Hotel
Meal Plan: Breakfast /Lunch/Dinner

On this day, wake up early in the morning and dress up in the recommended style with the necessary equipment such as a light rain jacket, hiking boots, binoculars, cameras, long-sleeved shirt and pants, Insect repellents and any thing else you may want and two litres of water with some snacks among others. Have breakfast and then meet your safari guide who will transfer you to the park head quarters at Kanyanchu where you are required to have reached by 7:30 am to meet the ranger guides for registration and pre-trek briefing about the dos and the don’ts during the chimpanzee tracking experience.

After the briefing you will be assigned a ranger guide and then set off for a forest walk to search for the chimpanzee family. Just like gorilla trekking, the experience involves trekking through the forest with ranger guides and porters where necessary to assist visitors in carrying their back packs.  As the search for chimpanzees continues, trekking might take a few hours or less but once you get to see the chimpanzees, a maximum of one hour is allocated to spend with them as you learn their behaviours and life style, an experience that is once in a life time. Before trekking back at the pick-up point, take as many memorable photos as possible. Finally, this marks the end of your adventure safari and after proceed with your driver back to Entebbe air port to conclude your 7-days best of Uganda wildlife safari Africa. You will have lunch en-route and also have a stop over at the equator and visit the craft shops for souvenirs and other personal items.

Meal Plan: Lunch

Includes:

• All ground transport in a 4×4 safari vehicle
• All airport transfers, both pick up and drop off
• Full board Accommodation
• Boat cruise
• Park entrance fees
• Drinking bottled water
• All activities mentioned on the itinerary
  Chimp permits

Excludes:

• Insurance
• Visa
• International flight ticket
• All Extra activities
• Extra accommodation and meals
• Tips
• Personal items like phone bills, gifts, laundry services, and porters