13 Days Uganda wildlife experience

Uganda Wildlife

This 13 days Uganda wildlife experience is an extraordinary safari that will take you to the most visited national parks in Uganda. The Uganda wildlife safari will take you to Mabamba swamp where you will be able to spot the shoebill stork and savannah national parks including Murchison falls national park, Queen Elizabeth national park and Uganda Lake Mburo national park where you will be able to view different animals like elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, hippos, warthogs, bushbucks, giraffes, Jacksons hartebeest, oribi, lions, leopards, Nile crocodiles, zebras, impalas, topi, elands among others during the game drive and boat cruise. The 13 days Uganda wildlife experience will also take you to Kibale forest national park and Bwindi impenetrable national park where you will be able to spend time with the endangered mountain gorillas and chimpanzees in their natural habitat and Lake Bunyonyi which is the deepest freshwater Lake in Uganda.

Highlights of the 13 days Uganda wildlife experience

Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Entebbe

Day 2: Birding at Mabamba swamp

Day 3: Transfer to Murchison falls national park-rhino tracking

Day 4: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

Day 5: Transfer to Kibale forest national park

Day 6: Uganda Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk

Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park-afternoon game drive

Day 8: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

Day 9: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park

Day 10: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park

Day 11: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi-boat cruise

Day 12: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park-afternoon boat cruise

Day 13: Morning game drive and departure to Kampala

Detailed itineraries

Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Entebbe

Depending on your location on the first day of the 13 days Uganda wildlife experience, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then transfer to a hotel in Entebbe for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Birding at Mabamba swamp

After breakfast on the second day of the 13 days Uganda wildlife experience, you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Mabamba swamp for biding where you will be able to view different bird species including the shoebill stork, black crake, goliath heron, papyrus gonolek, white-browed Coucal. Yellow-billed duck among others. After birding, you will return to the lodge for lunch and spend the rest of the day at leisure and later have dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Transfer to Murchison falls national park via Ziwa rhino sanctuary

After breakfast on the third day of the 13 days Uganda wildlife experience, your driver guide will pick you up from the hotel to start the journey to Murchison falls national park. The journey takes about 5 to 6 hours’ drive and on the way, you will have a stopover at Ziwa rhino sanctuary for rhino tracking where after you will continue the journey with another stopover for lunch. After lunch, you will proceed to Uganda Murchison falls national park and upon arrival, you will drive directly to the top of the falls where you will enjoy great views of the waterfall, water plashes, enjoy views of the beautiful scenery among others. From the top of the falls, you will drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

After an early breakfast on the fourth day of the 13 days Uganda wildlife experience, you will meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive in the park where you will be able to view animals like buffaloes, Jackson’s hartebeest, elephants, waterbucks, giraffes, Uganda kobs, oribi, warthogs among others. After the game drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch.

Boat cruise

After lunch you will go for an afternoon boat cruise to the bottom of the falls where you will be able to view hippos and crocodiles in water, view other animals along the shores, water birds among others. After the boat cruise, you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Transfer to Kibale forest national park

After breakfast on the fifth day of the 13 days Uganda wildlife experience, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Kibale forest national park. On the way you will have en-route lunch and enjoy stunning views of the crater lakes, Rwenzori mountain peaks, tea and banana plantations among others. Upon arrival in the park, you will continue to check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk

Chimpanzee trekking

After an early breakfast on the sixth day of the 13 days Uganda wildlife experience, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge and transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing you will start trekking in the forest with an experienced park guide who is well conversant with chimpanzee trekking trails. During Uganda chimpanzee trekking tour which takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours, you will be able to view different bird species, other primates, plant species among others. Once the chimpanzees are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn about their behaviours, watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, playing, breastfeeding, resting, take photos and record the breath taking moments. After the one-hour encounter with the chimpanzees, you will trek back to the starting point where you will meet up with your driver guide and drive to the lodge for lunch.

After lunch, you will go for a guided nature walk in Uganda Bigodi swamp where you will be able to spot different primate species, birds, view plant and tree species, listen to sweet sounds of bird species in trees, take beautiful pictures among others. After the swamp walk, you will return to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park-afternoon game drive

After a relaxed breakfast on the seventh day of the 13 days Uganda wildlife experience, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Queen Elizabeth national park which takes about 2 to 3 hours’ drive. Upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for lunch where after you will go for an afternoon game drive in the park where you will be able to view animals like elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, oribi, lions, leopards, hyenas among others. After the game drive, you will return to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Day 8: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise

Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience

After an early breakfast on the eighth day of the 13 days Uganda wildlife experience, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for an exciting game drive in Kasenyi plains where you will be able to spot animals like elephants, waterbucks, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, warthogs, bushbucks, view predators like lions, leopards among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.

Afternoon boat cruise

After lunch you will go for an amazing boat cruise on the Uganda Kazinga channel a water channel that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. During the boat cruise you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs among others drinking water along the shores, view water birds like cormorants, hornbills, king fishers, fish eagles among others. After the boat cruise which takes about 2 to 3 hours’ drive, you will return to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Day 9: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park

After an early breakfast on the ninth day of the 13 days Uganda wildlife experience, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park via Ishasha sector where you will be able to view the tree climbing lions lying up in tree branches during the game drive. After the game drive, you will have lunch and then proceed to Bwindi impenetrable national park. Upon arrival in the park, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 10: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park

Gorilla trekking

On the tenth day of the 13 days Uganda wildlife experience, you will have breakfast, carry packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking. After the briefing, you will be allocated a gorilla family to trek and start trekking in the jungle with an experienced park guide. Gorilla trekking in Uganda Bwindi impenetrable national park takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view other primate species, birds, plants and once the mountain gorillas are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn about their behaviors, habits, watch them feed, breastfeed, groom young ones, take photos and record the moments to show people back home after the safari. After the one hour with the gorillas, you will trek back to the starting point where you will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking and later meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Day 11: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi-boat ride

After breakfast on day 11 of the 13 days Uganda wildlife experience, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale district. The journey takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive and upon arrival, you will connect to your lodge for lunch. After lunch, you will go for an exciting boat ride on  lake Bunyonyi where you will be able to explore the 29 islands, enjoy views of the stunning landscape, hills, terraced farmlands, spot different bird species among others. After the boat ride, you will return to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Canoeing on Lake Bunyonyi
Boat ride on Lake Bunyonyi

Day 12: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park-boat cruise

After an early breakfast on day 12 of the 13 days Uganda wildlife experience, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Lake Mburo national park. On the way, you will enjoy great views of the landscape, Kigezi hills among others and upon arrival you will check into the lodge for lunch.

After lunch, you will go for an amazing boat cruise where you will be able to cruise near hippos in water, buffaloes and antelopes drinking water along the shores, view crocodiles basking on the water banks, spot aquatic bird species like cormorants, fish eagles, hornbills, kingfishers among others. After the boat ride, you will drive to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

 Day 13: Morning game drive and departure to Kampala

On the last day of the 13 days Uganda wildlife experience, you will have breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to go for a short morning game drive in the park where you will be able to view some of the animals like buffaloes, waterbucks, bushbucks, impalas, oribi, giraffes, warthogs, zebras, elands among others.

After the game drive, you will drive out of the park and start the journey back to Kampala. On the way you will have en-route lunch and another stopover at the Equator where you will take photos and buy souvenirs. From the Equator you will proceed to Kampala arriving early evening and upon arrival your driver guide will drop you off at Entebbe international airport for your departure flight.

End of 13 days Uganda wildlife experience

Tour includes                                  

  • Gorilla trekking permit
  • Chimpanzee trekking permit
  • Birding at Mabamba swamp
  • Bigodi swamp walk
  • Park entrance fees/ game drives
  • Boat cruise fees
  • Rhino tracking
  • Top of the falls
  • Lion tracking experience
  • Professional English speaking driver guide
  • Full board accommodation
  • Ground transfers (in a 4WD vehicle)
  • Vehicle and fuel
  • Bottled drinking water

Tour excludes                      

  • International air flight tickets
  • Visas
  • Optional activities not included on the itinerary
  • Life insurance
  • Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.
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