12 Days Uganda Safari With Gorilla Tracking – Rubani Uganda tours and travel

12 Days Uganda Safari With Gorilla Tracking

The 12 Days Uganda safari with gorilla tracking explores Uganda’s western circuit, from Murchison Falls cruising south wards to Bwindi and Ending with Lake Mburo National Park before your exit at Entebbe. It is a chance to encounter the big 5, see gorillas at two different sectors, meet the local Batwa (Pygmies), and scenery of Uganda. 5 of 10 parks, 12 days, but with the major highlights of Destination Uganda.

Day 1, Arrive and be picked Up at Entebbe International Airport

Today you arrive in Uganda (Entebbe International Airport) and your guide will welcome you and drive to your lodge for an overnight before the start of your safari adventure the next day.

Transfer time (15 minutes)

Overnight at Papyrus Guesthouse (Entebbe)

Day 2, The Adventure begins (To Murchison Falls National Park Vai Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary)

Today we have breakfast and drive towards Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary on our way to Murchison Falls National Park. A 70sqkm tract of tangled woodland situated after River Kafu, Ziwa is the only place in Uganda where you can see Rhinos in a more-or-less wild setting. Check-in, walk on foot with a ranger to the rhinos and return. Have Lunch at a dinner and continue. Arrive at Murchison Falls in the evening and visit the top of the fall, where the Nile River fixes its self in a 7m gap (Its greatest obstacle).

Transfer time (3 hour to Ziwa Rhino sanctuary and 3 hours to Murchison Falls NP) Overnight at Twiga Safari Lodge

Day 3, Morning Game drive and Boat Safari

You will set off at 6:30 am cross to the northern bank of river Nile head for a sunrise game drive to see the Cape buffaloes, Rothschild’s giraffes, Uganda kob, hartebeest and waterbucks. You may also spot oribi, bushbuck, Bohor reedbuck, warthog and bush pig plus large carnivores including lions, leopards and spotted hyenas. Chimpanzees and olive baboons head the list of six species of primates found in the park. Crocodiles and hippos will be seen along the banks of the Nile. You will return to your lodge for a late breakfast and some relaxation before setting off in the afternoon for a Boat cruise on the placid Victoria Nile, upstream, to the base of the falls. En route you will see hippos, crocodiles, water buck and a wide variety of birds. The boat stops just tens of meters from the “Devil’s Cauldron” for pictures to be taken of the photogenic and majestic Murchison Falls. Later get back to the lodge for a relaxed evening plus dinner and overnight.

Overnight at Twiga Safari Lodge

Day 4, To Kibale Forest

To Kibale Forest, an early rise for breakfast and our transfer to the “Primate Capital”. The scenic drive on a smooth road and exciting sceneries of Uganda’s west side bring us to one of Uganda’s most kept tract of Forest that keeps 13 primate species that include chimpanzees. We shall have various stops for lunch, landscape viewing arriving late afternoon. Check-in and you can opt for a village walk.

Transfer time (6-7 hours including stops)

Overnight at Isunga Lodge

Day 5, Chimpanzee Tracking and a drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park (Night Game drive)

Chimpanzee day. After breakfast head to Kibale Forest. The activity begins at 8.00 am with a briefing of the rule for trekking the chimpanzees after which you set off to search for them in the forest. Kibale Forest National Park, it boasts the highest number of primate species in the world, including the chimpanzees. Approximately 5,000 chimpanzees live in the wild in Uganda, which makes it a perfect place to spot them! An experienced ranger will take you chimp tracking in the morning. Once you locate the chimpanzees, you will spend an hour with them and then head back to the accommodation for Lunch. Post Lunch you will drive to Queen Elizabeth national Park. Uganda’s most famous park. After check-in, prepare for a night drive through the park. Search for nocturnals and other animals that are active at night.

Transfer time (2 hours to Queen Elizabeth National Park)

Overnight at Elephant Plains Lodge

Day 6, Game drive, Boat Safari

Time to explore Queen Elizabeth’s Kasenyi plains. We shall have a drive through the network of tracks as we search for Big game (Lions, leopards, elephants, serval cats, kobs, buffaloes, hippos, etc.) before an afternoon boat safari on the Kazinga Channel. The channel is 40km long and a converging place for wildlife (that come to drink) during the dry season. It has the highest number of hippos, has crocodiles, and several water birds. A 2-3 hour cruise will get you magic. After the cruise, we explore the crater lakes on a Crater Lake drive.

Overnight at Elephant Plains Lodge

Day 7, Lion tracking and To Buhoma sector via Ishasha (Tree climbing lion search)

The tracking of lions is done by researchers using radio collars and radiation locators to find where the lions are hiding. Today after our breakfast, we shall head to Kasenyi plains in the morning for the lion tracking experience before we drive to Buhoma.

A drive to Buhoma but through the park most famous region-Ishasha. Ishasha is remote and runs south from Lake Edward flanked by Ishasha river. It is an alluring game viewing area famous for tree climbing lions but the areas also supports large herds of buffaloes, topis, waterbucks, kobs, elephants, and kobs. It retails a relatively untrammeled wilderness character. After here we shall have Lunch at Topi Lodge, and continue to Buhoma for an overnight.

Transfer time (1 Hour to Ishasha and 1.5 hours to Buhoma)

Overnight at Mahogany Springs.

Day 8, Gorilla Trekking day

After breakfast at the lodge, you will head to the park headquarters for briefing by park ranger guides, depart with picnic lunch boxes to start Gorilla trekking – the activity can last up to 4 hours trek or more to find the Mountain Gorillas as you hike up and down the slopes with dense mist covered vegetation. Hence you will have packed lunch for this activity. This active quest will eventually bring you to the face of one of the most sought after creatures-the mountain Gorillas. Upon reaching them, you will have a full hour with them while observing and learning their behavior as you take photos. After return to the lodge and refresh.

Overnight Mahogany Springs.

Day 9, To Lake Bunyonyi

Today, have breakfast at the lodge, and visit the community of former forest dwellers, the Batwa before we head for Ruhija. The Batwa were forest people who survived on hunting and gathering but when the conservation of gorillas was started on 1991, they were evicted. Now they live with the rest of the community. After we have a slow drive to Lake Bunyonyi.

Transfer time (2-3hours on an African brownmatt road)

Overnight at Bird Nest Resort

5 Day 10, Half day at Lake Bunyonyi and to Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Bunyonyi is one of Uganda’s fast growing water front chillout places. It is Africa’s second deepest lake and the landscape here is amazing. The lake is dotted with 29 islands and some are historical. We shall do an Island tour on a dug-out canoe before we head to Lake Mburo National Park. We arrive and check in at our lodge and relax at the lodge (Swim at pool and wait for the sunset) before our dinner and overnight.

Transfer time (3hours)

Overnight at Mihingo Lodge

6 Day 11, Game walk and evening game drive

Lake Mburo NP, is Uganda’s smallest national park and it’s a gem. If there is a place where magic happens in Uganda’s national parks, it is here. It is a gem of its own kind and has alluring golden moments and unique ways to be explored. You shall have a walk in guidance of a ranger, permitted to walk anywhere in the park. Get close to wildlife and learn what you could have missed while on drive. In the evening you can decide to do an evening game drive or relax at the lodge.

Overnight at Mihingo Lodge

Day 12, Cultural walk and to Entebbe for exit.

Last day of the 12, have breakfast at the lodge, and check out for a tour to a family of Cattle Keepers before we head to Entebbe. The visit to the family is an educative one about the culture of the Bahima who are famous for the Ankole Cattle, we shall learn how to milk, make ghee, among others. We shall the drive to Entebbe via the local towns of Masaka, Lyantonde, cross the equator at Kayabwe, and arrive late afternoon. You can tour around Entebbe, visit the craft shops or the Botanical gardens as you await check in for your Flight.

Transfer time (5-6hours)

End of Safari.

Included

✔ 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 (Tripple Room)

✔ A professional driver/guide

✔ All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)

✔ All Taxes/VAT

✔ Roundtrip airport transfer