
12 Days Uganda Adventure
Murchison Falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth & Bwindi Impenetrable
Overview
12 Days Uganda Adventure
This 12 Days Uganda Adveture tour will take you to Uganda's most fascinating sites including Murchison Falls, Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for the exciting and out-of-this-world gorilla trekking experience, and of course the beautiful Lake Mburo.
Travel logistics
Start / Finish
Start
- Entebbe
- EBBEntebbe International Airport
Finish
- Entebbe
- EBBEntebbe International Airport
Highlights
What Makes This Safari Special
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi
Murchison Falls boat cruise
Queen Elizabeth tree-climbing lions
Day by Day
Your Itinerary
Meet and greet at Entebbe airport. Time to be advised. Transfer to Kampala: 1 hr
This morning, transfer to Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary, a two-hour drive from Kampala, along the road on the way to Murchison Falls National Park. While you track the rhinos, visit the information centre and craft shop, look out for bush buck, leopard, Uganda kob, oribi, crocodiles, hippo and other wildlife present on the ranch. The bird life is abundant, with even the rare shoebill stork present in the Lugogo Swamps. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary offers peace and tranquility in beautiful surroundings.
In the afternoon we will visit the "top of the falls" for your chance to view the magnificence of the Nile. The park is cut into half by the famous River Nile where it has to squeeze itself through the legendary Murchison Falls, an impossibly narrow 7 m gap in a cleft rock creating a powerful explosion of white water. The Falls are believed to be the most powerful natural flow of water anywhere on earth. Superlatives like “awesome” “stupendous” “fantastic” and “wow” have been used to describe this amazing spectacle.
After an early breakfast, proceed for a game drive. Elephant, Cape buffalo, Rothschild's giraffe, Uganda kob, hartebeest and waterbuck are commonly seen. You may also spot oribi, bushbuck, Bohor reedbuck, bush duiker, warthog and bushpig. Large carnivores include lion, leopard and spotted hyena.
After lunch, go for a boat safari upstream the calm Victoria Nile. En-route, marvel at the toothsome hippos, crocodiles and over this 17 km stretch you may see elephant, waterbuck and Uganda Kob. This is also a zone of many bird species like Goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelican bee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant and the rare shoebill stork. The boat will stop just tens of metres from the sinister, frothing and bubbling base of the falls.
All day drive south via Hoima to Fort Portal through verdant countryside and past traditional homesteads and farms. Fort-Portal rests in the shadow of the fabled Mountains of the Moon.
All day search of chimpanzees and 10 other primate including l' hoestes, red colobus, blues, red tailed and gray - cheeked mangabey. The guide will provide detailed explanations, not only on primates, but on all the forest fauna and flora and will ensure that your walk is both informative and enjoyable. This walk is excellent for viewing bird life and seeing primates at close quarters.
Morning visit to Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary to search for smaller mammals and primates. Look out for the rare red colobus monkey and the sitatunga. The guided 4.5km circular trail through the swamp is also one of the best guided bird trails in East Africa as well as offering a realistic opportunity to see up to six different primate species in a space of a few hours.
Proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park following the mystical Ruwenzori Mountain range for much of the journey. A game drive en route may be rewarded with views of lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo, hyena and a variety of antelope species.
Two game drives today. Queen Elizabeth National Park's diverse eco-system of grassy plains, tropical forest, rivers, swamps, lakes and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife. Game drives in this park, with the massive Rwenzoris as a backdrop provides excellent opportunities to see lion, leopard, giant forest hog, Cape buffalo, elephants, defassa waterbuck, Uganda Kob, Topi and bush buck. These two game drives and the boat tripare a memorable method of discovering a vast array of Ugandan wildlife
In the afternoon, enjoy the unique 2 hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel and into Lake Edward. This trip passes through possibly the highest concentration of hippos and many animals may be seen drinking at the water's edge. This launch cruise offers an excellent platform for photography, bird watching and game viewing. The prolific bird life is colourful and stupendous with well over 550 resident species.
Drive through the "Switzerland of Africa" area known as the Kigezi Highlands with its terraced hillside and winding roads to Bwindi.
Early morning entry into Gorilla sanctuary. This rainforest is spectacular.
It offers a dramatic steeply forested landscape and is incredibly dense, but criss-crossed by numerous animal trails allowing access to tourists. Mammals recorded include the endangered mountain gorilla, rare golden monkey, buffalo, elephant, black-fronted duiker, bushbuck, leopard, giant forest log and others. This park is best known for the fascinating gorillas. The time taken and the terrain varies according to the movements of this marvelous primates. The thrill of spending time and observing the gorillas is a rare, moving, awesome and exciting adventure. The gorilla is a shy and peaceful animal and it is unforgettable experience to watch and photograph them as they interact.
After an early breakfast, you will and drive to Lake Mburo National Park. Enjoy the boat ride on Lake Mburo and get quite close to crocs and hippos.
Birdwatchers will enjoy the more than 250 species of birds found in Lake Mburo including Papyrus Gonolek, Brown faced Lapwing. Carruther's Cisticola, the extraordinary White winged Warbler and Bare-Faced-Go- Away bird.
Evening game drive along the Lakeshore track. With its own system of game trails and cleared walkways the "Kigambara Loop" offers interesting guided lakeside walks. Find here herds of zebra, Cape buffalo and eland. Oribi and topi are easily approached.
After breakfast, proceed for a game drive or a safari walk under the escort of an armed ranger. The Kopjes are particularly interesting and camouflage kilpspringers and topis. Due to cattle herding in the area it is amusing to see zebra grazing alongside the long horned Ankore Cattle peaceably. Return for lunch which should be taken leisurely enjoying the view of the lakes in this park.
After lunch, drive back to Entebbe via Kampala stopping at the Mpigi Royal Drum Makers en route where you will able to watch the ceremonial drums being crafted using methods passed down through generations. There will also be time to stop at the equator for photographs. You arrive Entebbe in the early evening.
After breakfast, transfer to Entebbe airport for your onward flight.
Gallery
Photographs
Where You Stay
Handpicked
Retreats
Every lodge and camp is chosen for its location, character and comfort, so the place you rest is as memorable as the adventure itself.

Lodge
Day 1Forest Cottages Kampala

Lodge
Day 2Pakuba Safari Lodge

Lodge
Day 4Chimp Nest Guesthouse

Lodge
Day 6Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge

Tented Camp
Day 8Buhoma Community Rest Camp

Lodge
Day 10Lake Mburo Safari Lodge

Lodge
Day 11Airport Guesthouse Entebbe

Tented Camp
Kibale Forest Camp

Lodge
Primate Lodge Kibale

Lodge
Enganzi Lodge

Lodge
Mweya Safari Lodge

Hotel
Golf Course Hotel

Hotel
Kampala Serena Hotel

Lodge
Mahogany Springs Lodge

Lodge
Buhoma Lodge

Hotel
The Boma Hotel

Hotel
Laico Lake Victoria Hotel

Lodge
Eagles Nest

Lodge
Mihingo Safari Lodge

Lodge
Fort Murchison

Lodge
Paraa Safari Lodge
What's Included
Inclusions & Exclusions
Included
- Park fees
- Gorilla Permit
- All activities (unless labeled as optional)
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation (unless labeled as optional)
- All Meals (as specified in the day-by-day section)
- Drinking water on all days
Not Included
- Drinking water on all days
- International flights (from/to home)
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Tips (tipping guideline US$20.00 pp per day)
- Personal items (souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Alcoholic drinks
- Services not mentioned in the program
- Items of a personal nature
Questions
Frequently Asked
The price covers park fees; gorilla Permit; all activities (unless labeled as optional); a professional driver/guide; all transportation (unless labeled as optional). Budget separately for drinking water on all days; international flights (from/to home); additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour. Your personalized quote confirms the full breakdown line by line.
The prime months for this itinerary are January, February, June, July, August and December. That said, Uganda rewards visitors in every season. Tell us your travel dates and we'll advise exactly what to expect.
This is a private, tailor-made safari for your own party of 2 to 12 guests. You won't be grouped with strangers. The itinerary, vehicle and guide are yours alone.
You'll stay at Forest Cottages Kampala / Golf Course Hotel / Kampala Serena Hotel, Fort Murchison / Pakuba Safari Lodge / Paraa Safari Lodge, Chimp Nest Guesthouse / Kibale Forest Camp / Primate Lodge Kibale, Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge / Enganzi Lodge / Mweya Safari Lodge, Buhoma Community Rest Camp / Mahogany Springs Lodge / Buhoma Lodge, Eagles Nest / Lake Mburo Safari Lodge / Mihingo Safari Lodge and Airport Guesthouse Entebbe / The Boma Hotel / Laico Lake Victoria Hotel, as laid out in the day-by-day itinerary. If availability requires it, we substitute properties of a similar or better standard and always confirm before you travel.
Send an inquiry through the form on this page and our safari experts will come back with a personalized quote within 24 hours, free and with no obligation. Once the plan feels right, we lock in your dates and lodges.
Absolutely. Treat the 12-day program as a starting point. We can adjust the pace, upgrade or change lodges, add days, or combine it with other destinations. Tell us what your ideal trip looks like and we'll shape it around you.
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