Our 12 days Uganda Utimate Safari
Price
Max People
Min Age
Overview
DURATION: 12 days / 11 nights on a trip
TYPE: Budget or Comfortable Safari
Looking for joining a group trip? Visit the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary visit the reintroduced White Rhino game drive and boat trip in Murchison Falls National Park, half a day Chimp walk in Kibale Forest National Park (Optional – all day Chimp Habituation Experience) and a Swamp Walk in Bigodi Swamps, Game drives and boat trips in Queen Elizabeth National Park , Meet a small group of chimpanzees in the untouched Kyambura Gorge and look for tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha Sector, GorillaTracking in Buhoma North of Bwindi or Nkuringo South of Bwindi or Parc National Des Volcans in Rwanda and morning game walk special for tracking Elands at close range, a boat trip ending with a game drive in Lake Mburo National Park. (Village Walks or Bicycle Tours are optional)
What has this trip to offer?
- Spend the night in simple but good accommodation (standard tour) or stay in the best accommodation available (luxury tour).
- Stay in the famous Travellers Rest Hotel in Kisoro.
- Transport in our own 4WD Toyota Land Cruisers with pop up roof, adapted for optimal visibility during game drives.
- Travel in small groups (6-12 people) with a window seat for everyone in the Land Cruiser.
- Guaranteed to visit the mountain gorillas in Uganda and / or Rwanda (gorilla permit not included).
- Chimp tracking in Kibale National Park and Kyambura Gorge.
- Looking for white rhinos in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
- Visit the savannah parks Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth
- National Park and Lake Mburo National Park.
- Game drives in the aforementioned parks and a memorable cruise on the Nile and the Kazinga Channel.
- Chance of 13 primate species in the tropical rainforests of Kibale National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
- Optional climbing of the famous Virunga volcanoes.
- Hundreds of species of birds, a true bird paradise.
- Transfer to and from the airport.
ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:
- 3 Boat rides (2 in Murchison and 1 in Queen)
- Game drives (2 game drive in Murchison and 2 game drives in Queen, 1 in Lake Mburo)
- Chimp Walk (1 chimp walk in Kibale)
- Swamp Walk (1 swamp walk in Kibale)
- Game walk (1 in Lake Mburo)
- Gorilla tracking
Included/Excluded
- Park fees(For non-residents)
- 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)
- Drinking water(On all days)
- 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
Itinerary
Day 1
Early morning after breakfast we will leave for Murchison Falls. ""We will stop at Ziwa Rhinos Sanctuary for tracking the Rhinos and also have Lunch here before continuing via Karuma Bridge to reach later in the afternoon at Fort Murchison just outside the park boundaries."" Here we will stay and with a cool drink and a fabulous view over the river Nile the evening will come with all the noise of an African night.
Driving time: ± 7,5 hours
Comfortable accommodation: Fort Murchison (self-contained rooms)
Budget accommodation: Fort Murchison (non self-contained tents)
Day 2
In the morning we will go for the game drive, special are here the lions, giraffes, Elephants, Leopards, Uganda Kobs and many more animals… In the afternoon we have the impressive launch trip on the Nile to the Falls. Hippos, crocodiles, buffalo, elephants and many birds will be seen.
Comfortable accommodation: Fort Murchison (self-contained rooms)
Budget accommodation: Fort Murchison (non self-contained tents)
Day 3
Early morning the boat will take us downstream to the delta. The place where the Nile enters Lake Albert! This trip of 5-6 hours will show us all the beauty of this national park especially the delta with all the different birds. Here is a good chance to see the elusive Shoebill stork! In the afternoon is a visit to the top of the Falls, a wonderful view.
Day 4
Early morning departure for the journey to Kibale Forest! We will pass close to Lake Albert, on a clear day the view from the top of the Albert rift is spectacular. In the afternoon we will arrive at Kibale Forest, sleeping with the noises of the tropical rainforest.
Driving time: ± 8 hours
Day 5
At 08.00 we will start with the 4 hours chimp walk. Also 10 other primates can be seen!! The park is also known for all the butterflies and birds. In the afternoon a walk through Bigodi Swamp (community based project)
Day 6
Early morning departure for Queen Elizabeth! Via Fort Portal we reach at midday Mweya in Queen Elizabeth NP with a stunningly beautiful view over Kazinga Channel. In the late afternoon we will make a game drive.
Day 7
This day is for a game drive on the plains of Queen Elizabeth with thousands of Ugandan kobs, lions, elephants etc. Also on the program is a two hours launch trip on the Kazinga channel where we will see all the animals from the waterside.
Day 8
Early in the morning we will leave for Kisoro. We will travel via Kabale and continue through a beautiful landscape also defined as the “Switzerland of Africa”: mountains, lakes, hills with cultivated terraces, tropical rainforest and bamboo forest. On the last hill the landscape unfolds beneath us, taking in the vast planes between Uganda, Rwanda and Congo, with the Virunga volcanoes dominating the view. At the bottom of the valley is Kisoro, where we will stay at the famous Travellers Rest Hotel. In the sixties the famous American ‘gorilla-woman’ Dian Fossey visited the Travellers Rest Hotel many, many times to do paperwork, relax or meet people. Fossey said about the hotel: “It was my second home”. Travellers Rest Hotel is just outside Kisoro and offers a cozy stay for the tourists coming to see the endangered mountain gorilla. The hotel, built in a somewhat colonial style, and entirely renovated in 1999, has a comfortable ambiance.
Driving time: ± 6,5 hours
Day 9
The day of Gorilla tracking! (NB: this can also be on Day 10 depending on the availability of the permits). You will travel by car from Travellers Rest Hotel in Kisoro to southern part of Bwindi Impenetrable NP (1hr), or to Mgahinga Gorilla NP (40min). Once there you will first receive a briefing (7.45am) and at 8.30am you will start the tracking. Once you have found the gorillas, you will be able to spend up to one hour with them! You will be expected back to the starting point by 7.00pm at the latest. Being physically fit is recommended.
Day 10
With local organizations and the National Park we have developed a number of very interesting activities:
- 2nd Gorilla tracking
- Gorilla tracking in Rwanda (1 day) If tracking the second time client has to sleep in Rwanda the before the tracking date
- Climbing Muhavura Volcano (± 8 hrs; distance 12km; height 4127m; elevation gain 1700m)
- Climbing Gahinga Volcano (± 6 hrs; distance 8km; height 3474m; elevation gain 1100m)
- Sabinyo Gorge (± 4 hrs; distance 6km, no elevation gain)
- Climbing the Sabinyo volcano (Sabinyo has three peaks, you can climb all three in the same walk, you need to be fit!! ± 8 hrs; distance 14 km; height 3669m, elevation gain 1300 m)
- In Magahinga to the viewpoint and Garama Cave (pygmy cave) (± 4 hrs; distance 1 and 4 km)
- Bird walk in Magahinga (start at 10 AM, it can take up to 4-5 PM)
- Several bicycle rides on mountain bikes. From 25km to 50km. The hills can be steep and tough!
- Cultural village walk (with a local guide walking through the land of the Bufumbira tribe)
- Walk to Lake Mutanda and go canoeing on this beautiful lake.
- Or just sit and relax or read a book in the garden of Travellers Rest!!
Day 11
Early in the morning we will leave for Lake Mburo National Park. You will have lunch in Mbarara before you continue to Lake Mburo, a smaller but unique park, and the only one in the Western part of Uganda with impalas and zebras. In the park we will go on an afternoon game- viewing/drive.This little park hosts a variety of animals, that is to say 68 mammal species, including a large number of impalas (the antelope from which “Kampala” is named after), zebras Uganda kobs, duikers bushbucks, Ankole cattle topis, buffaloes, leopards, spotted hyenas, waterbucks, warthogs, oribi. There are 315 bird species including; shoebill stork, red- faced barbet, crested crane, papyrus yellow warbler. The vegetation is a mainly open Savannah of Acacia tree, Olea and Boscia.Lake Mburo is a natural haven for fauna and flora. The bank teems with animals and birds. Crocodiles and hippopotami are permanent residents, and buffalos come to drink during the dry season. Others include; impalas (the antelope from which “Kampala” is named after), zebras Uganda kobs, duikers bushbucks, Ankole cattle topis, buffaloes, leopards, spotted hyenas, waterbucks, warthogs, oribi. The wide variety of resident birds includes Malachite Kingfishers, Pied Kingfishers, African Fish Eagles, Rufous Long-tailed Starlings, Blue-headed Weavers, Green-necked Doves, Hammerkops, Pelicans, Herons, Cormorants and even rare Shoebills.
Driving time: ± 5,5 hours
Day 12
Early morning we will go for a game walk. After late breakfast, the last part of the journey will bring us back to Kampala or Entebbe We will stop in Masaka for Lunch and then continue the journey with a stop at the Equator for Tea/Coffee break and buying souvenirs. We will bring you back to Hotel of your choice in Kampala for overnight. If you are continuing your journey somewhere else or back home, we will bring you to the airport for check in after refreshing from our guesthouse.