11 Days Uganda Wildlife, Primates and Lake Bunyonyi Safari
Embarking on an 11 Days Uganda Wildlife, Primates and Lake Bunyonyi Safari in Uganda is an exceptional way to explore some of the country’s most celebrated attractions, from the majestic mountain gorillas to the breathtaking views of the Bunyonyi islands. Whether you wish to explore the beautiful lake on a modern boat cruise or a traditional dug-out canoe, the experience is exciting.
This is a relatively long safari designed to start and end in Entebbe, but can be tailored to suit each client’s preferences and travel schedule.
Brief Safari Schedule
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to the hotel
Day 2: Rhino tracking and transfer to Murchison Falls
Day 3: Game drive and Boat cruise
Day 4: Hiking to the top of the falls and transfer to Kibale National Park
Day 5: Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park and optional activities (community or swamp walk)
Day 6: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
Day 8: Explore Lake Bunyonyi, canoe ride
Day 9: Transfer to Kampala
Day 10: Mabamba swamp
Day 11:Transfer to Entebbe International Airport for departure
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport and transfer to hotel
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our company representative. From there, you will drive to check in and have lunch and receive a short briefing of your safari schedule. Here you will have dinner and an overnight stay.
| Time | 15 mins |
| Meal plan | Full Board |
| Accommodation | Protea Hotel Entebbe |
Day 2: Rhino tracking and transfer to Murchison Falls
Waking up to a glimpse of the sun, your breakfast will be ready, after your breakfast,you will depart for Murchison Falls National Park, have an en route we will have a stopover at ziwa rhino sanctuary. Tracking of the rhinos, we will proceed late and have lunch in Masindi town. After lunch, proceed to our destination of the day. The drive takes you through Budongo, offering its stunning biodiversity, including monkeys and the thrilling tranquility of the forest. After crossing the Nile within the park, you will gently drive around the northern section of the plains for a chance to spot some predators, elephants, and other animals before checking in to your lodge for the overnight stay.
| Time | 7-8hrs |
| Meal plan | Full board |
| Accommodation | Parkside Safari Lodge |
Day 3: Morning Game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Murchison Falls National Park is a haven for wildlife and avian life, and the best time to see a variety of them is during the morning and evening hours. The morning will start with breakfast just before you start your game drive.
Next will be the 4 to 5-hour drive around the plains. Animals that you may expect to see include elephants, buffalo, Uganda kobs, Jackson’s hartebeest, and hippos. A good drive offers sightings of lions, leopards, and hyenas.
You will head back to your lodge for lunch and later go for a boat cruise along the Nile River. The boat cruise offers what you would best describe as nature’s most iconic blend, from the wildlife, the breeze, to the stunning waterfalls. Midway through the boat cruise, you will have a short break to capture photos of the bottom of the falls, then drive back to Paraa and visit the top of the falls before returning to the lodge.
| Time | N/A |
| Meal plan | Full board |
| Accommodation | Parkside Safari Lodge |
DAY 4: Hiking to the top of the falls and Transfer to Kibale National park
Today you will savor your last sunrise & breakfast in this beautiful National Park. Your day will start with a walk to the top of Murchison Falls. The walk will last for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. At the top of Murchison Falls, the Nile forces its way through a narrow gap in the rocks, only 7 m (23 ft) wide, and tumbles 43 m (141 ft), before flowing westward into Lake Albert. The result is a spectacular sight to behold!
After this great experience, you will proceed by road to Kibale National Park with a brief stop along the way for lunch.
Tonight, you will reside at the beautiful Kibale Forest Camp. Your stay in Kibale Forest Camp for the next two nights will offer you a unique jungle experience complete with forest sights and sounds, primates swinging through the trees and rare bird species all around. The elegant, tented camp is located in a patch of evergreen forest which borders the Magombe swamp and is a mere 10 min drive from where your chimpanzee trekking experience will start.
| Time | 6-7hrs |
| Meal plan | Full board |
| Accommodation | Kibale forest camp |
Day 5: Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park and optional activities (community or swamp walk)
Chimp trekking days start early if you are going for the morning session. By 8h00, visitors are expected to be at the park offices for a briefing, and later led into the forest by the park rangers. Kibale forest offers the highest chances of spotting our closest cousin, and it is always an exhilarating experience to encounter them here. While on the chimp-guided trek, you may also spot baboons, L’hoest’s monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and red colobus monkeys, among others.
In the afternoon, you can opt to take a guided walk around the nearby Bigodi village for interactions with people from the local community or go for a nature walk around Bigodi Swamp, a haven for birdlife.
| Time | 6-7hrs |
| Meal plan | Full board |
| Accommodation | Kibale forest camp |
Day 6: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
From Kibale National Park to Bwindi, you will have an en route lunch and expect to arrive at your lodge in the evening.
After breakfast at your lodge in Kibale National Park, you will check out and start the journey to Bwindi. You can have a short exploration of some craters around Kibale just before exiting this region for the transfer to the southwest of Uganda. Around early evening, you will arrive at your lodge, where you will check in. Of course, you will be exhausted and need to freshen up, have dinner, and rest.
| Time | 7-8hrs |
| Meal plan | Fullboard |
| Accommodation | Gorilla Mist Camp |
Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
Today, you will be woken up by the sounds of the jungle, and served an early morning breakfast. Your guide will pick you up from your lodge and transfer you to the gorilla trekking start point, where you will be briefed about the day’s trekking activity. After this, the adventure starts! Your day will be spent in the deep jungle trekking in search of the gentle giants, the mountain gorillas. Trekking is a great way to get close to the gorillas and you will relish the chance to meet the gorillas in their natural habitat. You will also have many great photo opportunities for sure. When your adventure with the gorillas is over, your guide will drive you back to the lodge for a relaxing evening in Gorilla Mist Camp where you will spend the night.
| Time | N/A |
| Meal plan | Full board |
| Accommodation | Birdsnest lodge- Bunyonyi |
Day 8: Explore Lake Bunyonyi, canoe ride
Today, after an early morning breakfast, you will spend the morning relaxing at your lodge enjoying the sounds of the birds since this is birders haven ‘Bunyonyi’ locally which means place of small birds.
You will have lunch at your lodge, after which you and your guide will kick start the evening activity by getting on a canoe, going canoeing on one of the deepest freshwater lakes in Uganda and in search of birds. At the end of this eventful day, you will retire to Birdsnest Lodge for a relaxing evening and a sumptuous dinner.
| Time | N/A |
| Meal plan | Full board |
| Accommodation | Birdsnest lodge- Bunyonyi |
Day 9: Transfer to Entebbe
Today, after breakfast, you will embark on a journey back to Kampala. You will have a stopover for lunch at the Equator where you can also take some photos and buy some souvenirs. Afterwards, you will proceed to Entebbe airport ready to catch your flight home. If you need to spend an extra night in Entebbe, we will be happy to arrange this for you.
| Time | 9 |
| Meal plan | Full board |
| Accommodation | Protea Hotel Entebbe |
Day 10: Transfer to Mabamba Swamp
Just like the previous days, you will start this with a yummy breakfast at your hotel, then set off to Mabamba. Here, there is nothing to keep a sharp lookout for other than the rare and endangered shoebill stork. The site guide will take you on the canoe with its expert rider, then embark on a gentle ride through the papyrus-fringed waterways in search of this iconic bird. Other bird species can also be spotted. At the end of the adventure, you will return to the mainland and drive back to your hotel.
| Time | 1hr |
| Meal plan | Full board |
| Accommodation | Protea Hotel Entebbe |
Day 11: Transfer to Entebbe International Airport for departure
This day of your safari has nothing more than a beautiful drive through the active roads of Uganda to the airport for your departure flight.
| Time | 15 |
| Meal plan | Break Fast |
| Accommodation | N/A |
End of 11 Days Uganda Wildlife, Primates and Lake Bunyonyi Safari.
Tour Includes
Ground Transport
Safari guide
Park entry fees
Gorilla and chimpanzee permits
Accommodation and meals as per the itinerary
Drinking water during travel
Activities mentioned in the itinerary
Tour Excludes
Visa and air ticket fares
Any extras not mentioned in the itinerary
Travel insurance
Tips and gratuity
Optional activities
Items of a personal nature.