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info@gorilla-trekking-safari.com
Kampala, Uganda

Best of Uganda Safari National Parks with the Big Five

12-Day Best of Uganda Safari National Parks with the Big Five

What you should expect

Highlights

Start Entebbe (Day 1)
Day 1 Ziwa Rhino Ranch
Day 2 Kidepo Valley National Park
Day 3-4 Murchison Falls National Park
Day 5-6 Kibale National Park (Chimps)
Day 7 Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 8 Ishasha Sector (Queen Elizabeth National Park)
Day 9 Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)
Day 10 Lake Bunyonyi
Day 11 Lake Mburo National Park
End Entebbe (Entebbe) (Day 12)

Itinerary Details

Day-by-Day


Day 1 Rhino Trekking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Our trip starts as our guide-driver picks you up to transfer you to Northern Uganda. Your destination for today is Kidepo Valley National Park. On the way, we will make several stopovers like restroom stops, a gas station stop, and a lunch stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

At Ziwa, we will track rhinos accompanied by an armed ranger. We will be briefed before the trek and given guidelines on how to behave around the rhinos. We will also have lunch here before we proceed to Kidepo Valley National Park. Dinner and overnight are at Kidepo Savannah Lodge.

Meal Plans

Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Plans

Lodge in Kidepo Valley National Park
Day 2 Game Drive in Kidepo Valley National Park

After an early breakfast, we will go for a morning game drive. There is a lot to see, especially the cheetahs and ostriches that will hopefully cross our path. We return for lunch at the lodge and do the Karamojong experience later in the evening. Here, we get to know how this group of people live in their community and learn about their social, economic, and cultural practices. We even get a chance to try out the cultural dance of the Karamojong, their dress code, and, if interested, buy some souvenirs to take back home.


The Karamojong are very unique in their way of living with a primitive character which has kept their culture preserved and norms followed by its people for this long. Dinner and overnight are at a Lodge.

Meal Plans

Breakfast Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Plans

Lodge in Kidepo Valley National Park
Day 3 Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park

We have breakfast at leisure before driving to Murchison Falls National Park. The park obtained its name from the mighty Murchison Falls (formerly known as Kabalega Falls). It accommodates a lot of wildlife and is known as Uganda's largest national park. We relax for the evening and have dinner, and overnight at the lodge

Meal Plans

Breakfast Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Plans

Lodge in Murchison Falls National Park
Day 4 Game Drive in Murchison Falls National Park

We leave very early with a packed breakfast as we rush try to find the big cats in open space before they seek shelter from the sun. If we're lucky, we'll spot everything on our checklist in this beautiful national park. We will return for lunch and do an afternoon boat cruise. The boat cruise takes us to the bottom of the mighty Murchison Falls. We'll spot animals at the banks of the river like Nile crocodiles, hippos and many more. You can hike from the bottom of the falls to the top where your driver will be waiting for you (optional). Otherwise, the boat returns to Paraa and you can visit the top of the falls by vehicle.

Meal Plans

Breakfast Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Plans

Lodge in Murchison Falls National Park
Day 5 Transfer to Kibale National Park

Today we drive to Fort Portal town, Uganda's tourist town. We will have lunch at the Gardens in Fort Portal before we transfer to Kibale Forest. Upon arrival, we will check in at the accommodation and relax for the rest of the day. There are also some optional activities on offer, like walks and hikes. In the evening, enjoy dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal Plans

Breakfast Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Plans

Lodge Near Kibale National Park
Day 6 Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale National Park and Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

After an early breakfast, our driver will transfer you to the UWA briefing point, where you will be taken through the guidelines for chimpanzee trekking. You will be grouped with other tourists. An armed ranger will escort you into the tropical rainforest to trek with the chimpanzees in their natural habitats.

Chimpanzees are referred to as our closest relatives among primates as they share 98.8% of human DNA. The trek will take about 3 hours. On our return, we can relax for a while. Later, we will do a swamp walk for some bird watching, which will conclude with a community walk for a coffee, beer brew, and local herbalist experience. We have lunch in the afternoon and then drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. We will check in at Lodge, have dinner, and spend the night.

Meal Plans

Breakfast Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Plans

Lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 7 Game Drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park

We do a morning game drive, have lunch at Mweya, and do a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. On our return, we will pay a visit to the crater fields of the park before we return to the lodge to relax and refresh. Dinner and overnight are at Lodge.

Meal Plans

Breakfast Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Plans

Lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 8 Tree-Climbing Lions at Ishasha

Today we drive to Ishasha to see the tree-climbing lions. Later, we will check in at Enjojo Lodge. Ishasha is a section of Queen Elizabeth National Park where lions climb trees because of the high temperatures on the ground that force them into the trees where it is cooler. We will have lunch here and relax. Later, we will do an evening game drive in search of the lions before we return for dinner and overnight at Lodge.

Meal Plans

Breakfast Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Plans

Lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 9 Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

We will enjoy breakfast before we proceed on the drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Our accommodation depends on where there are permits available for the gorilla tracking. We will choose the closest, most comfortable accommodation from where we can start our activity.

Meal Plans

Breakfast Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Plans

Lodge Near Bwindi Forest
Day 10 Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

We head to the briefing point for the gorilla trekking. After our activity, we drive to Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale and will have dinner and overnight at our booked accommodation. We can relax for the day and partake in optional activities like hiking, canoeing and fishing (extra cost).

Meal Plans

Breakfast Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Plans

Lodge Near Lake Bunyonyi
Day 11 Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

We drive to Lake Mburo National Park and do an evening game drive. Dinner and overnight are at the Eagle's Nest. In this national park, you will spot many zebra and eland. Lake Mburo is also home to impala, from which Uganda's capital city obtains its name.

Meal Plans

Breakfast lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Plans

Lodge Near Lake Mburo National Park
Day 12 Return to Kampala

We will do a boat cruise on Lake Mburo and then drive back to Kampala. Lunch will be on the way with a stopover at the Equator and then a transfer to the airport.

This marks the end of our trip.

Meal Plans

Breakfast and Lunch

Accommodation Plans

No Accommodation

Booking Form

Payment Methods

mtn-mobile airtel

Inclusions

Park fees (For non-residents)
Gorilla permits (One per person non-resident)
Chimp permits (One per person non-resident)
All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
A professional driver/guide
All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
All Taxes/VAT
Roundtrip airport transfer
Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
Drinks (As specified in the day-by-day section)

Exclusions

International flights (From/to home)
Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
Personal items (Souvenirs travel insurance visa fees etc.)
Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
Some meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)

Sustainability Commitment

This tour is 100% sustainable. We encourage our travelers to minimize their carbon footprint by choosing eco-friendly practices.

Cancellation Policy

Please note our cancellation policy to ensure clarity in case of changes to your travel plans. 30 days or more before departure Full refund minus a 10% service fee. 15–29 days before departure 50% of the total booking cost will be refunded. 14 days or less before departure No refund will be provided. We recommend travel insurance to cover unforeseen circumstances.

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