17 Days Uganda Safari
17 Days Uganda Safari is an amazing safari that will see you traverse most of Uganda’s National Parks and tour destinations as you experience amazing wildlife species and different attractions.
Day 1: Rhino tracking and transfer to Gulu
The first day of your 17 Days Uganda Safari is basically for traveling. Considering the journey requires about 11 hours; pick up will be at 7:00 am and make an early start on your journey to Kitgum. Kidepo national park is far placed – northeast of Uganda, bordering Kenya to the east and South Sudan to the North. The journey can be very exhausting to drive directly to the park thus making it necessary to break the journey in Gulu and proceed the next day!
You will have stopovers along the way to enjoy fruits or snacks and stretch out. You will also stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for a rhino tracking experience. Reach Gulu in the late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at Church Hill Hotel – Gulu
Day 2: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park, Game Drive
On the second day of your 17 Days Uganda safari, you will make your final trip to Kidepo Valley National Park. Wake up to a hot cup of tea and embark on a 3 hours’ drive to the park where and connect on a game drive in Kidepo valley in anticipation of seeing herds of buffalos, zebras, elephants, giraffes, hyenas, and cheetahs. You will enjoy a slow drive and you can be sure to seize picture moments while on your game drive. Proceed to check-in your lodge and spend the evening at leisure in the wilderness. Dinner and overnight at Kidepo Savannah lodge for mid-range/budget
Day 3: Full day in Narus and Kidepo Valley
Enjoy breakfast then for yet another game drive and expect animals like the elephants, buffaloes, Giraffes, Zebras, the Cheetahs, lions, leopards can be seen on a very lucky day, elands. Birds like the Ostrich, secretary birds can also be seen. Connect to Kanangorok hot springs before you return to the lodge. If you didn’t take packed lunch, have lunch at the lodge, relax for some time then and later afternoon visit Karenna community for a cultural experience, before nightfall return to your lodge for overnight stay. Dinner and overnight at Kidepo Savannah Lodge as above.
Day 4: Drive to Murchison Falls national park (Full day drive)
After breakfast, depart Kidepo via Gulu for lunch then proceed to Murchison falls national park. This is a full day drive entering the park through one of the gates. Drive to connect to your lodge for a night rest at Pakuba safari lodge/Heritage Safari lodge.
Day 5: Boat cruise and hike top of the falls
After breakfast, drive to the landing site for your morning boat cruise that starts at 9 am to the bottom of the falls. From there you will hike to the top of the falls. This hike is a bit tuff but it’s fascinating as you will enjoy seeing the falls at different points and finally when you reach at the top of the falls, you will be amazed and eventually forget about the tuff hike. After spending a good time at the top of the falls, you will meet your driver and drive to cross the ferry in time to return to your lodge. Lunch will be served at your lodge. Relax at the lodge then later do the evening game drive to find some animals. Before nightfall, return to your lodge.
Day 6: Transfer to Kibale National Park
After breakfast, depart the lodge for your long journey to Kibale Forest National Park. This Park is home to almost 13 primate species. These include red colobus and L’Hoest’s monkey and many more. You will have lunch in Kagadi. Proceed with the journey to the Kibale forest. Dinner and overnight stay at Chimpanzee forest guest house
Day 7: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi Swamp Walk
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 has almost 335 species of birds and therefore a good place for birders. Return to the Lodge for dinner and overnight stay as above.
Day 8: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
After enjoying your cup of coffee in the morning, depart the park and embark on your journey to Queen Elizabeth national park home to the tree-climbing lions. Depending on your time, have a stopover for lunch and at the Equator to take some pictures before entering the park. Connect to exploration crater lakes in the park before you proceed to rest at your lodge. Dinner and overnight stay at Parkview Safari lodge for mid-range/Pumba Safari Cottages for budget
Day 9: Game drive and Launch cruise
After breakfast on day 9 of the 17 Days Uganda Safari, you will set off for the game drive in search of early risers in the Kasenyi area. The park has a diverse eco-system of grassy plains, rivers, crater lakes, forests, swamps and lakes. These are a home to various types of wildlife and a game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park will reward you with views of animals such as lions, antelopes, buffalos, elephants, waterbuck, Uganda Kob and other types of antelopes.
Enjoy en-route 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 a good platform for photography, bird watching and game viewing. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight as above.
Day 10: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
You will transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park breakfast. To manage time and depending on your gorilla trekking sector, if you trek gorillas in Buhoma or Ruhija, you will pass via Ishasha sector but if you trek in Rushaga or Nyakagezi or Nkuringo sector, you will pass via Ishaka district . Dinner and overnight stay at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge for budget/Buhoma Haven lodge for mid-range
Day 11: Gorilla trek in Bwindi
Early in the morning after breakfast on day 11 of the 17 Days Uganda Safari, go for 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 primates such as monkeys, birds and more. Return for dinner and overnight stay as above.
Day 12: Community tour and transfer to Kisoro/Mgahinga National Park
This day, you will have breakfast after which, you will visit the Batwa Pygmies and Participate in the cultural performances and so on. Later drive to Kisoro near the border of Uganda and Congo where you will spend a night. Dinner and overnight stay at Travelers Rest Lodge for mid-range/budget
Day 13: Golden Monkey tracking
After breakfast, you will transfer to Mgahinga National Park for briefing about the Golden monkeys with your packed food and water. Later enter the forest to search for the monkeys. On finding them, spend an hour viewing them while taking pictures and videos. Return for dinner and overnight at Travelers Rest Hotel as above.
Day 14: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
After breakfast, you will transfer to Lake Bunyonyi which is one of the deepest lakes in Africa. The Lake has almost 32 Islands. The Lake is a good stopover for relaxation for people from the trekking Mountain Gorillas. Upon arrival, you will go on a boat ride. This will enable you to visit most of the islands on the Lake.
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 Bunyonyi Overland Resort/Bunyonyi Bird Nest lodge – mid-range
Day 15: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
Start your day with early morning breakfast and after you will transfer to Lake Mburo National Park. You will reach Mbarara town in time for lunch after which you will enter the Park with a game drive en-route which will give you clear views of animals such as Zebras, Buffaloes, and elands. Upon reaching the park headquarters, Register and later go for the evening nature walk along the Kigambara loop. This loop offers interesting guided walks alongside the Lake. Dinner and overnight stay at Eagles Nest lodge for budget /Arcadia Cottages for mid-range
Day 16: Walking safari and Boat ride on Lake Mburo
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. Return to the Lodge for refreshments, Lunch and in the afternoon go for a boat ride on Lake Mburo which will get you quite close to Crocodiles and Hippos. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight as above.
Day 17: Transfer to Kampala/Entebbe/Departure
Early morning, you will have breakfast and after en-route game drive for the early risers and other missed animals on the previous game drive before embarking on a journey back to Kampala town with en-route lunch and 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.
