12 Days Gorillas, Birding and Wildlife Safari in Uganda

12 Days Gorillas, Birding and Wildlife Safari in Uganda

Duration

12 Days

Tour Type

Private Tour

Group Size

1 - 10 People

Languages

English, French, Chinese, German,

Experience the ultimate Ugandan adventure on this comprehensive 12-day safari, meticulously crafted to showcase the country’s unparalleled biodiversity and breathtaking landscapes. From tracking endangered mountain gorillas in the misty Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to trekking alongside habituated chimpanzees in Kibale’s primate haven, this journey offers intimate encounters with Africa’s most captivating wildlife. Witness the raw power of Murchison Falls, explore the savannahs of Queen Elizabeth National Park on game drives and the iconic Kazinga Channel boat cruise, and search for the prehistoric shoebill stork in the Mabamba Swamp. Complemented by cultural interactions, scenic drives across the equator, and serene moments on the deep waters of Lake Bunyonyi, this itinerary delivers a perfect balance of adventure, nature, and relaxation in the Pearl of Africa.

12 Days /11 Night

Arrive at Entebbe International Airport (EBB) and then transfer to hotel for overnight. Uganda, uniquely known as “the Pearl of Africa” is a nation of stunning greenery, deep lakes, soaring mountains and rich biodiversity.

Overnight at Boma Entebbe or similar. Meal plan: Bed and Breakfast

After breakfast, your adventure in Uganda begins by driving northwest towards Masindi and Murchison Falls National Park, which offers beautiful sceneries of grassland acacia savannah in the north and tropical forests in the south. You will stopover for a nature walk at the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary, the breeding project which saw the rebirth of the endangered white rhinos in Uganda. You can see them closely while walking freely in the reserve which is their natural habitat. Other animals to watch out for include; the warthogs, water backs, bushbacks and kobs. Birds to watch out for include the rollers, buzzards, folks, vultures, weavers, hornbills, herons, tchagras, francolins, guineafowls, sandpipers, plovers, wagtails, shrikes, fiscal's, and many others.
Lunch at a local restaurant and then Proceed to the Park. Upon reaching you will get to visit the top of the Falls, this will give you a chance to view and see how water forces it's self into a narrow gap of 8 meters and drops to a 45 meters that provides a magnificent views of the longest river in the world. Check in to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Overnight at: Pakuba Safari Lodge or similar. Meal plan: Lunch, Dinner and Breakfast

After an early breakfast, you will start your day with a morning game drive, expecting to see animals like the Giraffes, Buffaloes , Elephants, Kobs, Oribis, Bushbacks, water backs, warthogs, Jacksons heart beests, heyners, leopards,lions, jackals, and many others animals. See birds like the slender billed weavers, yellow weavers, absynian ground hornbills, African crowned hornbill, spar winged lapwing, kitliz's plover, Kori bustardd, violet backed weaver, red necked spur fowl, helmeted guinea fowls, grey herons, little bea eaters, African plantain eater, little egrets, cattle egrets, pia piac, and many other birds. You will have lunch then later, embark on a boat cruise to the base of the falls, watching for hippos, crocodiles, elephants and birds on the river's banks like the African fish eagles, African datas, little and great comorants, peid Kingfishers, papyrus gonolek, different plovers, gulls, ducks and many others.
Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Overnight at: Pakuba Safari Lodge or similar. Meal plan: Lunch, Dinner and Breakfast

After your breakfast at the Lodge, you will embark on a scenic drive to Kibale Forest Park, which is home to some 13 species of primates including the red colobus monkeys, chimpanzees and L'Hoest's monkeys as well as 70 mammal species. Not forgetting the bird species found in there which are over 300.

Overnight at: Turaco Treetops or similar. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, dinner

After breakfast at the lodge, you will go for Chimpanzee tracking along the network of forest trails. Seeing habituated chimps squabbling and swinging from the trees is an exhilarating experience. Return to the lodge for lunch then later you will go for bird watching in the Craters.
Relaxation, dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Overnight at: Turaco Treetops or similar. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, dinner

This day, wake up early and have start your biding from the hotel to the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, which is rich in bird species, vegetation, and wildlife. This is also a great opportunity to support local tourism initiatives which benefit social and economic development in the area. Here we expect to see birds including the most sought after Green –Breasted Pitta, Malimbe, herons, great blue turraco, white thighed hornbill,black and white casqued hornbill, scarlet chest sunbird, weavers, yellow bishops, red Bishop, African thrush, white eye, canary, whyders, pied wagtails, pyprus gonolek, different species of cockoos, red eyed Daves, Namaqua Dave. We also expect to see primates like the l'ehost monkeys, red tailed monkeys, red colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, baboons, black and white colobus monkeys and many others.

Overnight at: Turaco TreeTops or similar. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After your breakfast, you will drive to Queen Elizabeth national Park home to elephants, lions, hippos, buffalo and baboons. Reaching the Park, you will stop at the Equator monument where you will take photos, and have an Equator experience. You will take a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel, 32 Kms long followed by a game drive. This water system has a very high concentration of Hippos and you will get quite close to them. See also crocodiles, buffalos and other game that drink from the channel, also marvel at the abundant ornitho-life that is supported here. Birds to look out for include the African fish eagles, yellow billed storks, African knobed ducks, gulls, Egyptian goose, pied Kingfishers, woodland Kingfishers, malachite kingfisher, water thickness, palm vultures, weavers, lapwings,firfinch, bronze mankins, white necked vultures, sooty chats. Relaxation, dinner and overnight at the lodge

Overnight at: Twin lakes Safari Lodge or similar. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today you will have breakfast then continue into the western mountains, before reaching Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and our gorilla-trekking base in the rain forest. The park, whose name references the dense forests it encompasses, is home to roughly half the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. Though best known for its outstanding gorilla trekking, it also provides refuge to chimpanzees, monkeys, elephants and various small antelope. Bwindi is also a top Uganda birding destination, with 23 of Uganda’s 24 Albertine Rift endemics, including threatened species such as African green broadbill and Shelley's crimson wing.
Later, you will go for a batwa (pygmies) cultural experience. You will learn of their ways of living. Return to the lodge for dinner, relaxation and overnight

Overnight at: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge or similar. Meal plan: Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast

In the morning you enter the rain tropical forest of Bwindi for the gorilla safari. The activity starts at 8 am and you will follow the ranger guides in a group of maximum 8 people as you search for the habituated family of mountain gorillas, which was allocated according to the permits. Bwindi forest in Uganda has a population of about 420 gorillas, which is half the world population. It is not predictable the time you will spend to encounter the gorillas. You have one hour for observing the primates and their behaviours, while taking photographs. Ensure you take the packed lunch and water with you in the bag and for this, you might need the support of available porters.
Later, you will head to Lake bunyonyi for overnight. Lake Bunyonyi (“Place of many little birds”) is the perfect place to stop for a break. The serene lake is rumored to be the deepest in Africa, reaching depths of 900 meters. The lake stretches around 25 km in length and 7 meters wide, with 29 islands scattered throughout. Although it can be very tempting to just sit by the water and soak up the sun, there are many different optional activities available for one to engage in. These include; zip lining, quad biking to mention but a few.

Overnight at: Arcadia Lodge or similar. Meal plan: Lunch, Dinner, Breakfast

After a heartily breakfast, you will go for a canoe boat ride on the Lake. You will get to visit some of the different islands including one where pregnant girls /women were taken as an isolating place for having gotten pregnant before marriage.
The adventure continues as you spend one night at Lake Mburo National Park.
The 371 sq km park is an extension of the Tanzanian Plains and has distinctly different fauna compared to other Ugandan parks. It is the best place in the country to see Eland Antelope, Zebra, Topi, Impala, and Acacia. The five lakes within the park attract hippos, crocodiles, and a variety of water birds, while fringing swamps hide black and yellow papyrus gonalek.
Have a game drive then return to the lodge.

Overnight at: Kigambira Safari lodge or similar. Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

This morning you will have breakfast and then go for a walking safari in the Park. You will see birds like the batluers, osprey, vultures, woodland Kingfishers, weavers, hornbills, herons, tchagras, francolins, guineafowls, sandpipers, plovers, starling, hornbills, herons,and other bird species. Later, proceed to Entebbe having lunch enroute. You will stop at the Equator-where you will be able to stand in both hemispheres simultaneously arriving in Entebbe for overnight. Enroute, you will stop at Mpambire Royal drum makers, where drums are made.

Overnight at: Karibu Entebbe or similar. Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

This day, you will head out to the Mabamba swamp, found on the northern shores of Lake Victoria. It is famed for the shoebill which is the most sought after bird by both the birding and non-birding tourists who are intrigued by its peculiar look and massive size. The wetland is also home to over 300 bird species. These include the Long-tailed Cormorant, Squacco Heron, Yellow-billed Duck, Malachite Kingfisher, Long-toed Plover, Blue-headed Coucal and Blue-breasted Bee-eater. Later, head to the airport for your outbound flight home.

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