20 Days Discover Uganda
20 Days Discover Uganda : This 20 Days discover Uganda Safari takes you to the most adventurous parks in Uganda that is Kidepo national park, Murchison falls national park, Kibale national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Bwindi Impenetrable national park and Mgahinga national park. This trip features wildlife experience in Murchison falls national park, Kidepo national park and Queen Elizabeth national park which is a home to the tree climbing lions and a variety of different animals. Also features the primates’ destination that is Kibale national park for chimpanzee trekking, Bwindi for mountain gorilla trekking and Mgahinga national park for Golden monkeys trekking. Other destinations such as Jinja for a Nile water experience, Lake Bunyonyi which is deepest lake in Africa. This Reserve is the second biggest after Murchison falls reserve and it is rich with wildlife of some of the rare wildlife species. This trip starts and ends in Kampala with adventurous sights to view. If you do not want to take the long drives, you may take domestic flights to long distance journeys for example on the last day, driving for 9 hours from Lake Bunyonyi to Entebbe and spend the rest of the days relaxing at Ssesse Island destination for relaxing.
Safari highlights
Day 1: Arrival – Hotel
Day 2: Transfer to Kitgum/Gulu
Day 3: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park – Evening game drive
Day 4: Full day game drive – Narus valley and Kidepo valley
Day 5: Climb Mount Morungole to visit the IK tribe (4hrs up, 2hrs down)
Day 6: Transfer for Murchison Falls National Park (7-8 hours)
Day 7: Game drive and launch cruise
Day 8: Top of the falls – Ziwa rhino tracking
Day 9: Transfer to Kibale National Park – Bigodi wetland Visit
Day 10: Chimpanzee habituation experience
Day 11: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 12: Gorilla trekking experience
Day 13: Batwa Cultural tour – transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
Day 14: Full Day Lake Bunyonyi – Boat trip
Day 15: Another day in Lake Bunyonyi
Day 16: Transfer to Entebbe
Day 17: Transfer to Ssesse Islands
Day 18: Full day Ssesse islands
Day 19: Another day in Ssesse Islands
Day 20: Departure
Detailed Safari
Day 1: Arrival – Hotel
Upon arrival at Entebbe airport, you will be picked up and transfer to your booked hotel for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Via Via Guesthouse for budget/Best western Garden Hotel for mid-range/Protea Entebbe Hotel for luxury
Day 2: Transfer to Kitgum/Gulu
Considering the journey requires about 12-13 hours; pick up will be at 7:00 am and make an early start on your journey to Gulu town. Kidepo national park is far placed in the northeastern part of Uganda, bordering Kenya to the east and South Sudan to the North. The journey can be very exhausting to drive direct to the park thus making it necessary to break the journey in Gulu and proceed the next day! Enjoy en-route lunch then proceed to Gulu town arriving late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at Boma Gulu Hotel/Church Hill Gulu Hotel
Day 3: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park – Evening game drive
On the second day of your safari, you shall make our final trip to Kidepo Valley National Park. Wake up to a hot cup of coffee / tea and embark on a 3-4 hours’ drive to Kidepo national park where you will embark 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 and you can have stops at any moment you please.
Return to the lodge and spend the evening at leisure admiring the wilderness. Dinner and overnight at Kidepo Savannah lodge for tents (Non-self-contained) budget/Apoka Safari Lodge for luxury
Day 4: Full day game drive – Narus valley and Kidepo valley
On the 4th day of 20 Days Discover Uganda, wake up early and connect for a morning game drive in Narus valley. As you enjoy your game drive, bush breakfast will be served and return for more adventure in the savannah plains of Kidepo national park on your morning game drive in Narus valley. This area is famous for finding the big 4 game including the lions, elephants, leopards and buffaloes. If you are lucky, you will spot the Cheetahs and hyenas as well. Other animals to be found include the Kobs, Oribi, Zebras, the giraffes to mention a few. Return to the lodge for lunch.
Later afternoon, connect for yet another game drive in the Kidepo valley. This area is further and it is where you will find the Ostrich birds and other animals. This area is closer to South Sudan border to Uganda. You will also visit the hot springs of Kanangorok before you return to your lodge. Spend the rest the rest of the evening at leisure. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 5: Climb Mount Morungole to visit the IK tribe (4hrs up, 2hrs down)
After breakfast, drive to the starting point of Mount Morungole located in the absolute northern hills of Karamoja. Here is where we find the smallest tribe of Uganda called the IK. The IK people lived in now days Kidepo national park but were misplaced when the area was gazetted as a national park. The IK now live on Mount Morungole ridges as a community. Visiting the IK people gives visitors a rare insight into the unique tribe/culture in Africa. You will also enjoy the beautiful scenery, the higher the climb takes you, the more breath-taking the scenes in the valleys below and into the Eastern rift valley of Kenya and over to southern Sudan. After the hike, drive to check-in at Kaabong Resort hotel for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6: Transfer for Murchison Falls National Park (7-8 hours)
After early morning breakfast, embark on your journey to Murchison falls park with lunch en route in Gulu town. Proceed to enter the park and connect to your lodge with en route game drive. Dinner and overnight stay at Heritage safari lodge for budget/Twiga Safari Lodge for mid-ranga/Nile Safari Lodge for luxury
Day 7: Game drive and launch cruise
After an early breakfast at the lodge, you will go for a morning game drive. The activity takes about 3-5 hours depending on animals available, and you will find animals including elephants, Rothschild giraffes, buffaloes, lions, Hartebeest, Uganda Kobs, Oribis and waterbucks.
After the game drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch. Later afternoon at 2 pm, go for a launch cruise on the along the Nile which will give you an exciting panoramic view at the bottom of the mighty Murchison falls. Along the cruise, you will encounter crocodiles, hippos, and birds on the river banks like kingfisher, cormorants and bee-eater. You will spend take viewing the falls at the bottom while taking pictures. Return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 8: Top of the falls – Ziwa rhino sanctuary
After breakfast at the lodge, drive to explore the top of mighty Murchison falls for about enjoying the views of the falls at different viewing point, thereafter, connect for lunch then proceed to Ziwa rhino sanctuary for Rhino trekking which lasts about 2 hours. Continue to check-in at your booked lodge, dinner and overnight stay at Amuka Safari Lodge/Ziwa Guesthouse
Day 9: Transfer to Kibale National Park – Bigodi wetland Visit
Have breakfast and embark on your whole day drive to Kibale national park- the best safari destinations in Africa for chimpanzee tracking. Upon arrival and after lunch, take a nature walk tour to Bigodi swamp. Later evening return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at chimpanzee Guesthouse for mid-range/Isunga Lodge for luxury/Chumpundu Safari lodge for luxury on full board basis.
Day 10: Chimpanzee habituation experience
On the 10th day of your 20 Days Discover Uganda, have breakfast very early and later transfer to the park head office for a briefing about the endangered chimpanzees and later enter the forest with the guidance of a park ranger along with your tracking gears, packed water and snacks. This trekking is a whole day experience. On finding the primates, you will spend 4 hour viewing them while studying their behavior and taking pictures. After tracking, return to the lodge for relaxation. Dinner and overnight at as above
Day 11: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Depart the Lodge very early and start your journey to Bwindi forest. Its 7-8 hours with en-route lunch driving via Queen Elizabeth national park Ishasha sector. Dinner and overnight stay at Buhoma community Rest Camp for budget/Buhoma Haven Lodge for mid-range/Mahongany Springs Lodge for Luxury
Day 12: Gorilla trekking experience
After enjoying an early breakfast and transfer to park headquarters for briefing before you set of gorilla trekking. Trekking through the steep, densely forested hills and then finally coming across the gorillas camouflaged in the vegetation is an inspiring and privileged moment. Tracking of Gorillas in the Bwindi forest requires stamina and can often take most of the day and spend an hour in the presence of the gorillas before you return at your meeting point with the driver-guide. Return to the lodge for relaxation and also
Day 13: Batwa Cultural tour – transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
After breakfast, connect for the Batwa cultural experience where you will learn more about the Batwa people of Uganda and also be entertained by their songs and dance. Have lunch and later afternoon, transfer to Lake Bunyonyi with views of the rolling hills of Kabale. The lake is located between Kisoro and Kabale in the southwestern Uganda close to the border with Rwanda and it’s believed to be the second deepest lake in Africa with the depth between 44m and 900m deep and width of about 7 to 25kms. The driver will drive slowly so you can enjoy pictures of the rolling hills of the region. Dinner and overnight stay at Lake Bunyonyi Overland lodge for budget/Bunyonyi Eco-Lodge for mid-range/Bunyonyi BirdNest Lodge for luxury
Day 14: Full Day Lake Bunyonyi – Boat trip
After enjoying breakfast, connect to explore Lake Bunyonyi on a boat trip and visit several islands on the lake with great scenic views of surrounding hills, connect for a boat ride/ canoe paddle and visit the main islands including the community. The islands at the lake have great history that you will love to listen. Optional activities include Zip lining on Lake Bunyonyi, nature walk. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 15: Transfer to Entebbe
On the 15th day of your 20 Days Discover Uganda, you will enjoy breakfast and transfer back to Kampala with a stopover in Mbarara town for lunch. Proceed to Entebbe arriving in the afternoon. Drop off at your hotel in Entebbe, dinner and overnight stay at Via Via Guesthouse for budget/Best western Garden Hotel for mid-range/Protea Entebbe Hotel for luxury
Day 16: Transfer to Ssesse Islands
After breakfast at the hotel, early afternoon your guide will be at the hotel to transfer you to Ssesse Islands. Check-out of the hotel with your packed lunch to connect for your 2 pm via Nakiwogo where the ferry to the Ssese islands dock. The ferry has a specific time of departure which is 2 pm and takes 3- 4 hours to reach Lutoboka bay in Bugala Island. The Ssesse Islands are one of the most interesting places for relaxation.
On the ferry, you will be able to take pictures of the lake, fishing activities, you get to see many islands as you get closer to Kalangala, you will also enjoy the breeze of the lake, see different bird species and so many other experiences. On landing, you will connect to your hotel and relax, spend your afternoon relaxing at the water shores of Lake Victoria. Return for dinner and overnight stay at Ssese Island Beach Hotel for budget/Brovod Sand Hotel for mid-range/Victoria Nile Resort for luxury
Day 17: Full day Ssesse islands
After a delicious breakfast, take a nature walk in the forest and later a boat trip and see some of the islands including the Bukasa, Buggala, Buvuma, and Banda which are popularly known for interesting excursions. Return to your hotel for a lunch and spend your afternoon at leisure while relaxing at the beach on a sunbath, or swimming, or mountain biking, to mention a few. Return to your hotel before nightfall for dinner and overnight stay at hotel as above
Day 18: Another day in Ssesse Islands
Wake to a cup of tea and spend your day at leisure to some of the interesting places on the islands. Meals and overnight stay at Hotel as above
Day 19: Return to Entebbe – Entebbe excursions
Depart Ssesse island with the scheduled 6 am ferry and arriving in 3-4 hours’ time, proceed to your lodge for late breakfast, and lunch then spend your day at leisure in Entebbe visiting optional places of your choice such as the Uganda zoo and the botanical gardens, take a self-guided visit of the Entebbe beach. Dinner and overnight stay at Via Via Guesthouse for budget/Best western Garden hotel for budget
Day 20: Departure
On the last day of your 20 Days Discover Uganda, have breakfast, check-out of the hotel and be dropped off at Entebbe airport for your onward flight back home. End of safari
