The 17 days Uganda gorilla Safari offers you great experience the true African wildness. This Safari will take you to unspoiled corners of Uganda including the Kidepo Valley National Park. Expect to have big game drive as you spot for some of the Big Five; African lion, Elephant, Buffalo, and Leopard. Take Boat trips to explore more of the prolific birdlife and animals, primates trekking, Gorilla tracking, Cultural walks, Forest walks, excellent bird watching, Mountain hikes, and photography among others. This tours starts and ends at Entebbe Airport in Uganda.
Day 2: Kampala – Jinja Source of River Nile
Day 3: Jinja – Mt. Elgon National Park
Day 4: Mt. Elgon – Kidepo Valley National Park
Day 5: Kidepo Valley wildlife Exploration
Day 6: Connect to Murchison Falls National Park
Day 7: Full Day in Murchison Falls National Park
Day 8: Murchison Falls – Albertine Rift Valley – Kibale Forest
Day 9: Primates tracking and Bird watching
Day 10: Depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 11: Wildlife Exploration in Queen Elizabeth
Day 12: Chambura Gorge – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Day 13: Day for Life changing event; Gorilla Tracking
Day 14: Bwindi Forest – Lake Bunyonyi
Day 15: Lake Bunyonyi – Lake Mburo National Park
Day 16: Boat ride on lake Mburo – Kampala
Day 17: Departure
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe Airport
On your arrival, you will receive warm greetings from your driver guide and transfer to Kampala Holiday Express Hotel or Grand Imperial or Kampala Forest Cottages. If you arrive in morning hours, you can take a city tour in Kampala, visit Kasubi Tombs, Bahai Tempo and Nakasero Fruits market where you can interact with Kampala’s friendly people. All meals at the Hotel.
Day 2: Kampala – Jinja Source of River Nile
Have breakfast at the Hotel and then drive eastwards to Jinja, town on the shores of Lake Victoria and the source of the Nile. The activities in here include white water rafting along the river Nile, one of the most exciting and safest in the world, quad biking, boat trips on the Nile, mountain bike cycling and horse riding. Have lunch and visit.
Visit Bujagali Falls, the rapids on the river Nile few kilometers from the source. Dinner and overnight at The Haven / Junja Nile Resort.
Day 3: Jinja – Mt. Elgon National Park
Have breakfast and continue to Mbale via Tirinyi Road. Proceed to Mt. Elgon National Park and trek through the Sipi Falls, characterized by 4 spectacular falls along river Sipi, flowing down the Mount Elgon. The area is particularly panoramic with view of the Karamoja valley. Ensure you carry packed lunch with you from the hotel. The activity will take you through the daily life of a typical African village. Dinner and overnight at Sipi Lacam Lodge /Sipi falls rest camp at the foothills of mountain Elgon, overlooking the romantic Sipi falls, surrounded by several other waterfalls and huge caves
Day 4: Mt. Elgon – Kidepo Valley National Park
Have early breakfast and proceed Northwards with packed lunch via Kitgum to one of the most un-spoilt, pure wild places remaining in Africa – Kidepo valley National Park. This is a very long journey and takes you through dirt roads of Karamoja. Dinner and overnight at Apoka Safari Lodge or UWA Bandas.
Day 5: Full day game drive – Kidepo Valley Park
Wake up early for a cup of tea /coffee and embark on a photographic game drive along the trails of the National Park to catch up with early raisers and predators returning to their hideouts. Expect to explore the region of the river Narus valley and localized carnivores like the bat-eared fox, striped hyena, aardwolf, caracal and cheetah. Other carnivores found here are lion, leopard, and spotted hyena, black-backed and side-striped jackals. Less common ungulates include the greater and lesser kudu, Chandlers Mountain reedbuck, klipspringer and Guenther’s dikdik. Other large ungulates include elephant, Burchell’s zebra, bush pig, warthog, Rothschild’s giraffe, Cape buffalo, eland, bushbuck, bush duiker, Defassa waterbuck, Bohor reedbuck, Jackson’s hartebeest and Oribi, with over 465 bird species. All meals at the Lodge.
Day 6: Connect to Murchison Falls National Park
Morning breakfast will be followed by connection to Murchison falls National Park (7-8hrs drive), arrive by lunch time. Murchison Falls is the largest park in the country with a large population of animals, birds and beautiful landscapes of savannah and forests, relax in the evening as you wait for dinner and overnight at Paraa Safari Lodge / Sambiya River Lodge.
Day 7: Full Day in Murchison Falls National Park
Set out after some tea or coffee and embark on an exciting 3-4 hour early morning game drive to explore the savannah in the Northern bank of the Nile. Expect to see herds of buffaloes, elephants, lions, giraffes, waterbucks, Oribis, bushbucks, spotted hyenas and leopards. Return to the lodge for late breakfast and relax as we wait for lunch.
Gather your strength after lunch for an unforgettable, spectacular, fascinating safari by boat along the magnificent River Nile to the bottom of the Murchison Falls. Expect to find many Hippos, Huge Nile crocodiles and Buffalos basking along the shores. Return for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 8: Murchison Falls – Albertine Rift Valley – Kibale Forest
Have breakfast and drive for 6-8 hours through Lake Albert and the Rift Valley escarpment, with breathtaking panoramic sceneries en-route to Fort Portal; the capital town of Tooro kingdom which lies on the shadow of Rwenzori Mountains. Relax in the evening at Ndali lodge/Primates lodge as you wait for dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Primates tracking and Bird watching
Assemble at Kanyanchu tourists center for a briefing on Chimpanzee tracking. Expect to encounter other primates like black and white colobus, vervet and red tailed monkey with over 350 bird species including the rare shoebill.
After lunch, gather your strength for a nature walk to Bigodi ecotourism project near Kibale forest. Expect to typical / traditional homestead, to hear storytellers, the local healer and get an idea of the traditional culture of the Batoro and Bakiga.
Retrun for dinner and overnight at Ndali lodge / Primates lodge.
Day 10: Depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park
We shall have breakfast and start a 2-3hrs drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, with lots of game viewing en-route. Expect to find early raisers and predators returning to the hideouts; relax as we wait for lunch at Mweya Safari Lodge.
Embark on a launch cruise after lunch from Mweya peninsula along Kazinga channel, famous for the highest concentration of Hippos in Africa, with huge Nile crocodiles, Buffalos and Elephants along the shores and about 611 bird species. The boat provides a clear platform for photographing. Relax in the evening as we wait for dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge / Simba Safari Camp.
Day 11: Wildlife Exploration in Queen Elizabeth
Another extraordinary wildlife experience awaits you this morning! After a cup of coffee. Go for a game drive along the tracks of Queen Elizabeth, in the Northern side towards Lake George and Kasenyi village. Expect to see lions, herds of elephant, buffaloes, spotted hyenas, waterbucks, Ugandan kobs, and shy/rare leopard.
Gather your strength in afternoon for more exploration of the park to the Southern Ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth. The game drive here rewards your with tree climbing lions which are seen during the hot hours of the day, as they lie resting on top of Figs trees. Also expect herds of buffaloes, elephants, topi antelopes and more. Return for dinner and overnight.
Day 12: Chambura Gorge – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
After breakfast, drive to Kyambura / Chambura gorge for wild chimpanzee tracking. Expect other primates like Vervets, Colobus and red-tailed monkeys, Giant forest hog, Galago and Mangabeys with many bird species. Later proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest; Home to half of the remaining world population of the endangered Mountain Gorillas. Arrive by evening, dinner and overnight at Gorilla Resort / Buhoma Community Bandas.
Day 13: Day for Life changing event; Gorilla Tracking
After early breakfast, proceed to park headquarters with packed lunch for a briefing about the Dos and Don’ts while with gorillas. Tracking can take 2-9 hours depending on their movements. Tracking involves walking up through steep and densely forested hills before finally coming across the gorillas camouflaged in the vegetation. You will stay with these Giant apes for 1 hour for observation and photography.
In the evening, you can relax at the lodge or take a cultural walk to nearby Batwa communities and learn about their cultures. Dinner and overnight stay in Gorilla Forest or Buhoma Homestead.
Day 14: Bwindi Forest – Lake Bunyonyi
Breakfast will be followed by transfer to Lake Bunyonyi with wonderful sceneries en-route. Enjoy one of the most extraordinary wildlife and birding experience by boat as you cross the Lake Bunyonyi. The forested green islands on the lake are home to different species of endemic birds which the guide will help you to spot. All meals at Arcadia Cottages.
Day 15: Lake Bunyonyi – Lake Mburo National Park
Have breakfast and drive through Kabale in the Kigezi region, known as the ‘Switzerland of Africa’ characterized by terraced cultivated hills. Visit the Bakiga cultural museum and later connect to Lake Mburo National Park, the smallest of Ugandan National Parks. Expect big game drive enroute as you head to Lake Mburo National Park. Take an evening game drive before sunset in search for the beautiful impalas, elands, topi and many antelopes, buffaloes, and zebras among others.
Dinner and overnight at Arcadia Cottages / Rwonyo Camps
Day 16: Boat ride on lake Mburo – Kampala
After breakfast, embark on a morning boat trip on Mburo Lake, an excellent place for birding including the rare shoebill. Other animals include Hippos, Huge crocodiles. Later proceed to Kampala with a stop at the equator for photographs, reach by afternoon. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel.
Day 17: Departure
Depending on your flight schedule, relax at your hotel, or transfer to Ngamba Island (Chimpanzee sanctuary) and later transfer to the airport.
END OF THE TOUR
Guide price
USD 4,900 per person based on a group of 6 people traveling, prices are subjected to change.
Price includes:
|
Price does not include:
|
Why do we use guide prices?
The price for every safari depends on the number of people travelling, their ages, the time of year, whether or not international flights are included, the type of transport and accommodation used and the activities undertaken.
We calculate according to the specific dates of your booking because after we publish our itineraries some things may change. For example, hotels may increase their prices, the government may introduce new taxes or some discounts may become available. Unfortunately, we also have to pass on surcharges imposed on us by, for example, airlines when fuel prices or airport taxes are unexpectedly increased.
We would be happy to prepare a quotation, based on your requirements. We normally include most costs in the price so all you need to bring with you is ‘pocket money’ for items like drinks, tips and personal shopping e.g. souvenirs.
Insurance
AMREF flying doctors provide a medevac service in case of illness or injury during your safari. This costs $25pp for 31 days. We recommend this service and can include it in your package price.
Booking
Once you have selected one of our safari packages you need to send us a booking form. When we receive this we will check availability and inform you if any changes are necessary and issue an invoice for a 50% deposit plus the full cost of any tracking permits (in case of cancellation permit fees are non-refundable). Only once this payment is received can we guarantee availability and issue a booking confirmation. Full payment is required 70 days before travel.
Payments and cancellation
We charge in US dollars. Payment is by bank transfer into our Standard Chartered USD bank account in Uganda. You can also pay by credit card although there is a 5% administration charge. For those booking from within Uganda, cash payments are possible at our office.
When we book your safari, we have to pay non-refundable deposits on your behalf, for example to hotels. Therefore, we charge cancellation fees as follows:
30% of reservation costs if you cancel more than 50 days before your arrival date
100% of reservation costs if you cancel less than 50 days before your arrival date
We strongly recommend that you include cancellation cover in your travel insurance.
Disclaimer: We enter into an agreement with you in good faith but we sometimes encounter unexpected changes in local conditions which can affect your itinerary or price. These changes are beyond our control and we are not liable for them. While we endeavour to protect you against the effects of these changes, we reserve the right to amend the agreed itinerary and price in response to them. Such changes include but are not limited to weather conditions, road conditions, supplier price increases, fuel increases, government tax increases, supplier service changes e.g. cancellation of ferry services for river crossings or national park operations (track maintenance, animal translocations). We assure you that, we will always give you as much notice as possible of changes, suggest alternative plans and keep additional charges to a minimum.
Accommodation
To help us select the right accommodation for your safari (and in the absence of a complete national hotel classification system e.g. 1*–5*) we use four levels: high-end, mid-range, budget and backpackers. These terms can mean different things to different people but are helpful to an extent.
Air-conditioned rooms are not available in all hotels. Where AC is available, there is usually an extra charge.
Some locations have a limited choice of accommodation and so, to stay there, you must accept what is available. Where possible we prefer to work with responsible accommodation providers. This means hotels and lodges which are locally owned, employ local staff, support their community and protect the local environment.
Transport
As standard, we use a spacious 7-seater, 4×4 safari Land Cruiser, with pop-up roof, fridge and phone/camera charging facilities. This is the perfect safari vehicle.
Alternatively, we offer a slightly cheaper 7-seater, 4×4 safari van with a pop-up roof.
5-seater versions of both Land Cruisers and vans are also available.
For large group tours we use small buses called Coasters. These usually seat around 28 people, including 5 jump (fold-down) seats in the aisle. They do not have a boot/trunk so luggage is carried on the back seats which reduces the seating capacity. The overhead luggage shelves are small and can only accommodate small bags. Therefore, we recommend you do not over pack.
All vehicles include a driver/guide and fuel for your itinerary. Additional activities, not included in your itinerary, may incur an additional fuel charge. Our vehicles are comprehensively insured, in good mechanical condition and have seat belts fitted.
Please let us know if you have any special travel requirements. For example, if your group has disabled members we will do our best to accommodate your needs.