13 Days Best of Uganda Safari

13 Days Best of Uganda Safari allowed to explore 50 percent of Uganda’s most attractive destinations including Jinja city, Murchison falls national park, Kibale national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Bwindi Impenetrable national park, Mgahinga national park, Lake Mburo national park and Lake Bunyonyi. All these destinations have unique features that are worth visiting. Jinja town is home of the Source of the Nile with exciting water activities such as white water rafting, kayaking, Bungee jumping, boat cruise on Lake Victoria, horseback rides, mountain biking to mention a few. Murchison falls National Park is home to the most powerful waterfalls in Africa along the River Nile. It also has plenty of wildlife like to see as compared to any other national park in Uganda. Kibale national park is home to the endangered chimpanzees in Africa. It is said to be the best destination in Africa to see the chimpanzees and other 12 primates’ species such as the Colobus monkeys, Red Velvet monkeys and many others. Queen Elizabeth national park is a home to the tree climbing lions in Uganda, making it the second place in Africa to see the tree climbing lions after those in Lake Manyara in Tanzania. This park also has a few more animals to see and a good destination for birdwatching especially during the boat cruise along the Kazinga channel. Bwindi Impenetrable national park is home to half of the remaining mountain gorilla in the world. Bwindi forest is divided into 4 sectors of gorilla trekking. This is the only place to enjoy and explore the endangered mountain gorillas. Mgahinga national park which is the smallest national park in Uganda is home to mountain gorillas and Golden monkeys located on the Virunga mountains, these primates are very similar to those of Rwanda however cheaper to experience as compared to Rwanda. Lake Mburo national park is the smallesy savannah national park in Uganda with fewer animals to see to however very unique since they can only be spotted in Lake Mburo national park, they include the Impalas. These animals are interesting that it is where the capital city of Uganda “Kampala city” derived her name. Lake Bunyonyi is Uganda and East Africa’s deepest lake with estimated depth of about 44meters to 900 meters deep and a width of about 7 kilometres to 25 kilometres wide. Visiting Lake Bunyonyi is the best way to end your gorilla trekking safari as a way of relaxing before you return to your final destination.

Safari highlights of the 13 Days Best of Uganda Safari

Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Jinja city
Day 2: Explore Jinja city – Drive to Kampala
Day 3: Transfer to Murchison falls national park
Day 4: Morning game drive and boat cruise along River Nile
Day 5: Transfer to Kibale forest national park
Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking – Bigodi swamp walk – Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 7: Lion tracking/Game drive – Boat cruise along the Kazinga channel
Day 8: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park
Day 9: Gorilla trekking experience
Day 10: Golden monkey trekking/Batwa community Trail – Lake Bunyonyi
Day 11: Explore Lake Bunyonyi and relaxation
Day 12: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park – Boat trip and evening game drive
Day 13: Walking safari – Transfer to Kampala – Departure

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Pick-up and transfer to Jinja

Upon arrival at Entebbe airport for the 13 Days Best of Uganda Safari in the morning, meet and greet your our company representative/safari guide. Transfer to Jinja town, it’s a 4 hours’ drive from Entebbe. Upon arrival in Jinja, check-in your hotel and rest. Later afternoon, visit the Source of River Nile and take a boat trip on Lake Victoria. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay

Luxury option: Jinja Nile Resort
Mid-range option: 2 Friends Guesthouse
Budget option: Source of the Smile Hotel

Day 2: Explore Jinja and transfer to Kampala

After breakfast on day 2 of the 13 Days Best of Uganda Safari, explore Jinja by visiting the Itanda falls. Optional activities to do while in Jinja include; white water rafting, bungee jumping, and mountain biking, horseback riding to mention a few. After lunch, drive to Kampala, dinner and overnight stay at

Luxury option: Sheraton Hotel
Mid-range option: Fairway Hotel
Budget option: Forest Cottages

Day 3: Transfer to Murchison falls national park – Rhino tracking

After breakfast, you will be picked up by your driver/guide who will transfer you Murchison falls national park. En route Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for 3 hours for Rhino trekking. Retreat from the activity and proceed to Murchison falls national park and proceed to check in your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at

Paraa Safari lodge for Luxury option:
Pakuba Safari lodge for mid-range option
Heritage Safari lodge for budget option

Day 4: Delta game drive and Boat cruise at the bottom of the falls hiking.

Early morning after breakfast at your lodge, embark on a morning game drive in the northern part of the park to the delta. This is where you may spot various animal species like elephants, giraffes, lions, hyenas, cape buffaloes, leopards (on a lucky day), and different species of antelopes including the Uganda Kobs, Jackson hartebeest, Oribi, waterbucks among others. After the game drive, return to your lodge to refresh and have lunch.

In the afternoon you will go for a boat cruise to see the magnificent falls along River Nile. Cruising along the bottom of the falls will expose you to the park’s streaming hippo and serried ranges of crocodile along the sandbanks, different bird species and large numbers of different species getting down to drink & bathe.

After viewing the falls, hike up to the top of the falls through Bakers trail and also be able to view the falls on Bakers stone. On this hike you will be able to view the falls on different viewpoints and finally spend some quality time observing the falls from the top. Later in the evening, meet your driver and return to your lodge as above, meals on full board.

Day 5: Transfer to Kibale National Park (7-8 hours)

After early morning breakfast, meet the drive and transfer to Kibale forest national park in the western part of the country. This is a full day drive with lunch en route. Arrive late afternoon and connect to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay at

Kyaninga Lodge for luxury option
Chimpanzee Guesthouse for mid-range option
Isungu lodge – Budget option

Day 6: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi Swamp visit – Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park

After breakfast, you will set out for chimp tracking within the Kibale Forest. During your search, expect to see a lot of primate species like chimpanzees, monkeys and other animals like the forest elephants, bush pig and duiker, warthogs, reptiles and amphibians as well as a colorful variety of butterflies. Return to the Lodge for lunch.

After lunch go for a nature walk in the Bigodi swamp area and look out for most of the water loving bird species. The forest /Park have almost 335 species of birds and therefore a good place for birders. Thereafter transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park, it’s a 3-4 hours’ drive from Fort portal town. Dinner and overnight stay at

Luxury option: Mweya Safari lodge
Mid-range option: Parkview Safari lodge
Budget option: Pumba Safari Cottages

Day 7: Lion tracking/game drive and Launch cruise along Kazinga Channel

Early in the morning after breakfast, you will set out for the lion tracking experience for chances of seeing the lions and a good day meet the leopards, also enjoy seeing other animals like the buffaloes, elephants and antelopes. The park has diverse eco-system of grassy plains, rivers, crater lakes, forests, swamps and lakes.

Return to your Lodge for lunch and after, go for a 3 hours launch cruise along the Kazinga Channel and into Lake Edward. This cruise will let you pass through a place of the highest concentration of hippos and you may also see many animals drinking at the water’s edge. The cruise also offers good platform for photography, bird watching and game viewing. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight as above.

Day 8: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

You will set out for the game drive in Ishasha area and expect to see the rare tree-climbing lions. The lions can be seen up on the fig trees. However it’s not a guarantee that the lions will be seen. Sometimes it depends on the luck and time of reaching the area. You will have lunch in the Ishasha sector and after you will proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable forest National Park in preparation for your next day Gorilla trek. Dinner and overnight stay at

Luxury option: Ruhija Gorilla Lodge
Mid-range option: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
Budget option: Bakiga Lodge

Day 9: Gorilla trek in Bwindi national park – Kisoro

Early in the morning after breakfast and a briefing from the UWA officials, set off for the gorilla tracking. This is a once life time experience and unforgettable adventure. The ranger guides will lead you into the thick forest and start your search for the endangered Mountain Gorillas. You will move up and down the rugged terrain until you finally meet these harmonious creatures that will entertain you with performances for about1hour.

The activity can take 2 -7 hours since the gorillas move up and down. This is an awesome and exciting moment. En-route, there are other types of the primates such as the monkeys, birds and more. After trekking, drive to stay in Kisoro close to Mgahinga national park. Dinner and overnight stay

Luxury option: Lake Mutanda Safari Resort
Mid-range option; Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge
Budget option: Travellers’ Rest Hotel

Day 10: Golden monkey trekking/Batwa Community trail in Mgahinga national park – Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

This day, you have 2 option activities to choose to do.

Option 1; Golden monkey trekking

Wake up early, drive to the park head offices for briefing about the Golden monkeys. After briefing, enter the montane forest to look for the golden monkeys. It takes 2-5 hours to find them depending on their location in the bamboo forest. On finding them, you will be allowed to spend an hour in their presence before you return to meet your waiting guide.

Option 2; Batwa Community trail

After breakfast, drive to Mgahinga national park for the Batwa community trail. The Batwa are the indigenous settlers of the Kigezi region with unique and interesting cultural and history. They are short people in size, they practiced hunting and bee keeping as their source of food, they lived in caves. You will also enjoy their entertainment and so on.

Later afternoon after you lunch, drive to Lake Bunyonyi. It’s about 3 hours’ drive from Kisoro. Check-in your booked lodge for relaxation dinner and overnight stay

Luxury option: Bunyonyi BirdNest Lodge
Mid-range option: Bunyonyi Eco Resort
Budget option: Bunyonyi Overland resort

Day 11: Explore Lake Bunyonyi

After breakfast, explore Lake Bunyonyi on a Canoe ride and visit some of the islands on the lake. Lake Bunyonyi is Uganda and East Africa’s deepest lake with estimated depth of about 44meters to 900 meters deep and a width of about 7 kilometres to 25 kilometres wide. It has about 32 Islands and it is Bilharzia free. Each Island is named according to the bird species found on the Island and some were named because of their purposes for example the Punishment Island which is the smallest and was used by the Bakiga people to drop their girls who got pregnant before marriage. After the Boat ride, return back to the Lodge for relaxation while you watch the beautiful sunset. Dinner and overnight at lodge as above

Day 12: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

Start your day with early morning breakfast and after you will transfer to Lake Mburo National Park. Reach the park at good time for lunch. After check-in and lunch, go for a boat ride on Lake Mburo which you will enjoy seeing different bird species and some animals. Later in the evening, enjoy an evening game drive to find animals such as Zebras, Buffaloes and elands, Impalas, Giraffes, warthogs. Return to your loge for dinner and overnight stay at

Mihingo Lodge for Luxury option
Acardia Cottages Lake Mburo for Mid-range
Eagles Nest lodge for budget

Day 13: Walking safari – Transfer to Kampala/Entebbe/Departure

Early morning, after your breakfast, meet your ranger guides for your walking safari, this tour is no different from a game drive except that here you will walk on foot to find the animals. This will take about 2 hours then you embark on a journey back to Kampala with en-route lunch and a stop at the Equator for water experiments and photographs, Royal drum Village at Mpambire for souvenirs. Proceed to Kampala and drop-off at Entebbe airport for your flight back home.

End of the 13 Days Best of Uganda Safari