8 Days Uganda wildlife safari
This 8 days Uganda wildlife safari is an amazing adventure that will take you to Murchison falls national park in north western Uganda where you will engage in an exciting game drive and boat cruise to the bottom of the falls which offer you great views of animals like elephants, giraffes, Uganda kobs, lions, leopards, waterbucks, warthogs, buffaloes, hippos, crocodiles, bird species like open billed stork, secretary bird, marabou stork, black bellied bustard, yellow billed stork, Goliath heron among others. The safari will also take you to the primate capital Kibale national park where you will take part in chimpanzee trekking which gives you an opportunity to spend one hour with the chimpanzees in their natural habitat. From Kibale national park you will connect to Queen Elizabeth national park where you will engage in a game drive in Kasenyi plains and a boat cruise on Kazinga channel where you will view large concentrations of hippos. You will wrap up your safari with a tour to Lake Mburo national park where you will view various animals including giraffes, zebras, defassa waterbucks, impala, elands, oribi, buffaloes, reedbucks, topi, hippos, bird species, tree species during the game drive and boat cruise on Lake Mburo.
Highlights of the 8 days Uganda wildlife safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Murchison falls national park
Day 2: Game drive and boat cruise
Day 3: Transfer to Kibale national park
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 6: Game drive and boat cruise
Day 7: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park and boat cruise
Day 8: Game drive and departure
Detailed itinerary
Day 1 of the 8 days Uganda wildlife safari
Transfer to Murchison falls national park, depending on the time of arrival on day 1 of the 8 days Uganda wildlife safari you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then start the journey to Murchison falls national park. On your way you will have en-route lunch and great views of roadside markets, traditional homesteads, local people, beautiful scenery, landscapes among others. Upon arrival in the park you will drive directly to the top of the falls where you will have views of the waterfall, scenery among others. After the top of the fall drive you will proceed to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Game drive and boat cruise
Game drive, after an early breakfast on day 2 of the 8 days Uganda wildlife safari you will meet up with your driver guide and go for a morning game drive which starts at around 6:30 or 7:00am. During the game drive there are different tracks to follow such as Buligi, Victoria and Albert tracks which offer great views of animals like lions, buffaloes, giraffes, elephants, Uganda kobs, bushbucks, Jackson’s hartebeests, bird species like Egyptian plover, bee-eaters, blue napped mouse bird, silver bird, secretary birds, marabou stork, open billed stork among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.
Boat cruise, after lunch you will drive to Parra jetty for a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls. The boat ride takes about 2 hours and gives you an opportunity to take clear pictures, view wildlife species such as elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, Uganda kobs among others drinking water along the shores, water animals like hippos and crocodiles, bird species such as giant kingfisher, long tailed nightjar, martial eagle, pied kingfisher, standard winged nightjar, swamp flycatcher, red throated bee-eater among others. When the boat reaches the bottom you will get off the boat and go for an optional top of the falls hike which takes about 45 minutes and requires you to be physically fit because it’s steep and slippery. During hiking you will be able to view vegetation types, bird species, beautiful scenery, rolling hills, hear roars of the falls among others and when you reach on top you will meet your driver guide and transfer to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Transfer to Kibale national park
On day 3 of the 8 days Uganda wildlife safari you will have breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver to transfer to Kibale national park. It’s a full day journey but filled with great views of the homestead, Rwenzori Mountains, beautiful scenery, landscapes, farmlands, tea plantations among others. You will have en-route lunch on the way and a stop over to take photos and stretch your legs. Upon arrival in the park you will continue to the lodge, check in, have dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi nature walk
Chimpanzee trekking, after an early breakfast on day 4 of the 8 days Uganda wildlife safari you will meet up with your driver guide t transfer to Kanyachu Information Centre for a briefing about the rules and regulations of chimpanzee trekking. Chimpanzee trekking is done in groups of 6 people where each group is allocated a chimpanzee family to trek and a park guide who is well conversant with the trails in the forest. Trekking of the chimpanzees in Kibale national park takes 30 minutes to 3 hours depending on their location because the chimpanzees are mobile and move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will have views of other primates like baboons, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, animals like bush pigs, elephants, bird species, tree species among others. Once the chimpanzees are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural environment which gives you an opportunity to watch female’s breastfeeding, playing, take photos, record videos, learn about their habits, behaviors among others which gives you lifetime experiences. After the one hour encounter with the chimpanzees you will trek back to the park headquarters and meet up with your driver guide to transfer back to the lodge for lunch.
Bigodi swamp walk, after lunch you will prepare for a guided swamp walk in Bigodi wetland sanctuary. Bigodi swamp is one of the best places for nature walk due to the fact that the sanctuary harbors various primates like grey checked mangabey, baboons, l’hoest monkeys, vervet monkeys, red tailed monkeys, bird species like great blue turaco. Yellow billed egret, hornbills, weaver birds, animals like bush pigs, antelopes among others. After the swamp walk you will walk around the communities where you will interact with the local people, visit their farmlands, taste their traditional dishes, learn about their lifestyle, culture among others. After the nature walk you will meet up with your driver guide and transfer back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
On day 5 of the 8 days Uganda wildlife safari you will have a relaxed breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park. On your way you will have a stopover at the crater lakes where you will have views of the beautiful scenery, Rwenzori mountain ranges among others. You will have en-route lunch on the way and then continue the journey to the park where you will have views of animals, birds, trees as you continue to the lodge. Upon arrival you will check in, have an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Game drive/ lion tracking experience and boat cruise
Game drive, after an early morning breakfast on day 6 of the 8 days Uganda wildlife safari your driver guide will pick you up and go for a morning game drive/ lion tracking experience in Kasenyi plains. During the game drive you will view animals like lions, Uganda kobs, elephants, waterbucks, leopards, bushbucks, bird species among others…. after the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.
Boat cruise, after lunch you will go for an exciting boat cruise on Kazinga channel a water body that joins Lake George and Lake Edward. During the boat cruise which takes about 2 to 3 hours ride you will be able to take great pictures, view large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, animals like buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs, Uganda kobs, elephants, lions, leopards among others drinking water along the shores of the lake, view fisher men preparing their fishing nets, water birds like bee- eaters, African skimmer, African shoebill, yellow billed stork, pink backed pelican, saddle billed stork among others. After the boat cruise you will meet up with your guide and transfer to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Transfer to Lake Mburo
After a relaxed breakfast on day 7 of the 8 days Uganda wildlife safari you will check out of the lodge and your driver guide will pick you up to start the journey to Lake Mburo national park which is the smallest protected area in Uganda but rich in biodiversity. On your way you will have spectacular views of tea and banana plantations, landscapes, Rwenzori mountain ranges, crater lakes, beautiful scenery among others. The journey takes about 5 hours and upon arrival you will continue to the lodge for lunch.
Boat cruise, after lunch you will go for an afternoon boat cruise on Lake Mburo. During the boat cruise you will have an opportunity to view hippo and Nile crocodiles in water, other animals like buffaloes, warthogs along the shores of the lake, bird species like fish eagles, cormorants, kingfishers among others. After the boat ride you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Game drive and departure to Kampala
On day 8 of the 8 days Uganda wildlife safari you will have an early breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive in the park. During the game drive you will view animals like zebras, buffaloes, giraffes, topi, elands, impalas, water bucks, various bird species among others. After the game drive you will drive out of the park and start the journey to Kampala. On your way you will have a stopover at the equator where you will have lunch, take photos, buy souvenirs like art pieces, craft items among others. After lunch you will proceed with the journey to Kampala and upon arrival your driver guide will drop you off at Entebbe international airport in case you have a flight to catch or at any place of convenience.
End of 8 days Uganda wildlife safari
Tour includes
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Nature walk in Bigodi swamp
- Boat cruise fees
- Top of the fall hike (optional)
- An English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Park entrance fees
- Pick up and drop off
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled water
Tour excludes
- Air flight tickets
- Visas
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.
