21 Day Uganda all-round safari

Welcome

Early in the morning you will drive from Kampala to Jinja and assemble at the water rafting point for an initial briefing. You will be fitted out with life jackets and helmets before heading off downriver to the start point.

Once down at the river’s edge, you will receive a detailed safety briefing, before launching into the river for some practical instruction. The rafting carries through meanders of the Nile through beautiful scenery and challenge points selected for an enthralling but safe adventure.

You have the opportunity to choose the intensity of your adventure and the level of rapids to raft.

After lunch, you will drive to Jinja town for a city tour and boat ride to the source of the Nile. Jinja town is best known for the source of the Nile where the river starts its 4000-mile journey to the Mediterranean from Lake Victoria.

After an early breakfast, depart for Kapchorwa town to visit Sipi waterfalls. You shall have a nature walk to the Sipi falls. These are a series of 3 magnificent waterfalls.

You shall walk to the base of the falls and relax while taking a dip in the cool water of the falls, located at the base of Mt Elgon. 

The Sipi Falls area, found at the base of Mount Elgon is particularly famous for Bugisu Arabica Coffee produced and grown by the local farmers. Arabica coffee is the main cash crop in the area and is genuinely one of the finest coffees in the world.

You will be led by local guides to tour coffee farms owned by the locals. You will also learn about post-harvest handling and local methods of roasting coffee.

Via Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve for a game drive

Explore Moroto

Moroto to Kidepo

After breakfast, you will embark on an extensive all-day game drive in Kidepo Valley National Park. You will carry a packed lunch and with the company of a ranger guide, start your search for the animals and birds of Kidepo.

The park ranger will help you spot the lions that may be sitting on the valley’s various rocks. Other wildlife includes elephants, leopards, bush duiker, jackals, bushbucks, bush pigs, ostrich, buffalo and much more, in the wild Narus Valley.

The game drive will traverse open plains that extend past Kanangorok Hot Springs towards mountains across the Sudanese border. This is the part of the park where ostriches are most commonly seen. At the hot springs, you will take a brief walk to observe and photograph.

Kidepo Valley National Park offers a range of nature walks depending on your strength or preference. Shorter guided walks of around two hours can be taken through the Narus Valley extending over a 5-kilometre radius from Apoka Tourism Centre. The walk to Lomej Mountains can last four hours, the hike starts at 7 am.

Guests can also wander along the splendid Kidepo River Valley between banks of attractive Borassus palm forest. Namamkweny Valley can be reached in one hour from Apoka. In the afternoon you will take a visit to a willing community of Karimojong.

Discover the unique culture of this remote tribe with the Lorukul Cultural Group, located just outside Kidepo Valley National Park.

You will depart from Kidepo Valley National Park in the morning and drive to Murchison falls national park via Kitgum and Gulu.

Along the way, you may have a brief stop at Aruu waterfalls. Explore this pristine site and enjoy numerous photography opportunities. You will also stop in Gulu town for lunch.

Upon entry into Murchison Falls National Park, you will head to your accommodation and relax after the long drive.

We'll start the day early with breakfast before going to a morning game drive in the park. On this game drive, expect to see many wild animals such as lions, elephants, leopards, giraffes, buffaloes and much more.

You will return to the lodge for lunch and then go for the afternoon boat cruise on the river Nile leading you to the bottom of Murchison Falls. On the cruise, you will see many animals along the river bank including hippos, crocodiles and many more.

Your boat will come close to the bottom of the falls and experience the power of the Nile as the river squeezes through a 7-metre gap in the rock and plummets down 40 metres.

This is the world’s most powerful waterfall and is said to be the greatest thing to ever happen to the Nile. You then drive to your lodge to retreat from the day’s activities.

After breakfast, you will depart Murchison falls national park and drive southwards to Fort Portal town. This long drive will last 5 – 6.5 hours. It will lead you through the green countryside with some rough road surfaces.

Along the way, you will enjoy spectacular views of tea plantations. You may stop at any of them for photo moments and also interact with the tea pickers.

You will stop in Fort Portal town for lunch. Later you will proceed to your accommodation near Kibale Forest National Park.

This morning, wake up with the quest for adventure, listen to the briefing by the ranger and enter chimp sanctuary for chimpanzee tracking activity.

Kibale Forest is the largest hardwood forest south of the Sahara and is a haven for more than 12 monkey species and forest elephants among others. The guide provides detailed information regarding the different plant/tree species and the diversity of animals that roam the dense forest.

After an exciting adventure, return to the lodge for lunch and then take an evening walk in the Bigodi swamp. The walk creates an avenue for wildlife that lives in and around the swamp especially birds that are endemic to the area.

Spend the rest of the evening at your hotel Ndali or Kibale Bandas

In the morning, proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park following the mystical Ruwenzori Mountain range for much of the journey.

Along the way, you will have a stop at Rubona Trading centre where you will visit a group of women who make and sell colourful baskets. This association of women was started to support families affected by HIV in the area.

The women will demonstrate how they use local herbs to dye materials that they use in different colours. You may also purchase some baskets as souvenirs to support them.

Upon arrival into the park, you may choose to do an evening game drive which might be rewarded with the spotting of antelopes, elephants, buffaloes and sometimes lions.

After your early breakfast, we'll go for an early morning game drive where you will get to experience the wilderness as it 'fully wakes up'. On the game drive, you will see many animals both big and small as well as some birds and primates.

Among the animals present in Queen are elephants, hippos, leopards, lions, buffalos, warthogs, topi, hippos, Uganda kob, Crocodiles, monitor lizards and more.

In the afternoon, you will go on a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel where you can enjoy seeing more animals and birds as they crowd the water banks. You will see lots more birds, hippos, crocodiles, sitatungas and elephants.

Dinner and overnight at Mweya safari lodge or Mweya Hostel.

This morning we head south to the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, famous for its tree-climbing lions that like to perch in the branches of huge fig trees (the only other place they are found is in Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania).

On our game drive to the lodge, we’re virtually assured of seeing buffalo, antelope, and elephants, as well as smaller creatures like warthog and baboon, and there are good possibilities of seeing lions and leopards here.

Morning game drive and proceed to Bwindi

In the afternoon we head for the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (2 hours driving). Bwindi Impenetrable Forest became a national park and World Heritage Site in 1992 to protect the 350 resident mountain gorillas.

B,L,D…Bwindi Lodge

Endure an early rise and join the rest of the group for a briefing by the ranger guide. With your packed lunch, a walking stick and a porter if you have the equipment, enter the impenetrable forest and begin your trekking activity. Expect trekking duration of 3-8hrs.

Follow instructions by the guide and keep maximum silence in the presence of the great apes. The maximum time allowed with gorillas is only 1 hour. Sadly you will have to leave the gorillas after one hour, but you will carry all the fond memories along.

Remember to leave nothing but a footprint and take nothing but memories and photographs. The activity is rewarding though strenuous hence return to the Buhoma lodge and spend the rest of the evening relaxing.

After an early breakfast, you will drive to Lake Mburo National Park. You will have lunch along the way and also enjoy more photography stops.

Lake Mburo national park neighbours prominent cattle keeping communities locally referred to as “Bahima” who rare the famous long-horned Ankole cows.

Traditionally, these communities depended mainly on their animals though this has changed of late. You will visit one of the neighbouring homes and take part in some management practices like milking.

You will also learn about the traditional ways of fermenting and preserving milk. You will then proceed to your accommodation to relax.

Walking safari / game drive / boat ride

Early in the morning, you will proceed for a morning nature walk under the escort of an armed ranger. Enjoy the sights of animals including close encounters with herds of Zebra and antelopes.

You will return to the lodge for breakfast and later depart for Entebbe where you will take your flight to your next destination. There will also be time to stop at the equator for photographs.