BIG 5 & GORILLA SAFARI UGANDA

After your breakfast, pick up by your tour guide from the hotel or place of residence and then drive to Murchison Falls National Park. Your journey will cover approximately 6 hours and you will make a stopover at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary which is 7kms off Gulu highway. The second stopover will be made in Masindi Town for lunch in a hotel. Get to the park early and drive to the top of Murchison Falls to witness it as it squeezes itself in a narrow gorge of about 7 meters prior breaking down about 43 meters.

Rise up early in the morning to have breakfast and after, set off through the Northern trail of Murchison Falls National Park for game drive. On a game drive, you have higher chances of spotting out diversity of wildlife including buffaloes, lions, leopards, elephants, Rothschild giraffes, antelopes such as the Uganda kobs, Jackson hartebeest, oribis and diverse bird species. Game viewing along the Northern circuit of Murchison Falls National Park can last for you 3-4 hours and after, you drive back to have lunch in the lodge. 

The afternoon will involve you exploring the Victoria Nile on a launch cruise to the bottom of Murchison Falls. The amazing part about this water sport is that you have possibility of spotting out the Nile crocodiles, hippos, aquatic bird species and many others. Once you get to Baker’s rock, you can disembark and hike to the top of the falls or get back by the same boat after photography and magical view of the scenic Murchison Falls. 

After breakfast and preparation, check out of the lodge then drive to Kibale Forest National Park about 7 hours or more via the scenic country side of Hoima. Lunch will be served to you in Hoima and then proceed to Kibale National Park a home to 13 primate species. 

Wake up early to enjoy breakfast and after, gather at Kanyanchu Visitor Center for briefing on the set guidelines for chimpanzee tracking. Trekking with chimpanzees in Kibale National Park can cover about 2-4 hours which also includes an hour of face to face encounter. While on search for chimpanzees, higher chances are you will also come across other primates like the black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, red tailed monkeys, olive baboons as well as bird species. Return to have lunch then connect to Queen Elizabeth National Park about 3 hours’ drive. 

Game drives along Kasenyi Plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park start with an early morning breakfast. This exceptional experience involves catching a glimpse at African bush elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes, birds, warthogs, antelopes and the breathtaking landscape of the park. Game drives via Kasenyi Plains can take you about 3-4 hours but these hours are worth your visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Later, drive back to the lodge to enjoy your lunch as you wait for the afternoon boat cruise.

A boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park takes you through Kazinga Channel. This allows you spot out hippos, the Nile crocodiles, aquatic birds and many other savanna wildlife species as the roam around water source. 

After breakfast, check out of the lodge and drive through Ishasha area for you strike your eyes with the rare tree climbing lions as well as elephants, buffaloes, birds among others. Later, proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with a stopover at Savanna Resort for lunch. Arrive early to check in at the lodge of your choice.

On your 7th day, you will begin your day with breakfast and later, you gather at Bwindi park headquarters for briefing on the set safety measures for gorilla trekking. You will be given a gorilla family to track in a group of 8 visitors and at 8:00am, you start the search for these massive creatures. Note, trekking mountain gorillas can be strenuous and therefore don’t forget to come with some packed lunch and drinking water. Your adventure can last for 2-6 hours including an hour of magical encounter, however this depends on your speed of hiking, where gorillas and nature of the habitat. Return to check out of the lodge and drive to Lake Bunyonyi to spend the rest of your evening. You will have a boat cruise where you will pay a visit to one of the islands that make up a total of 29 islands in Lake Bunyonyi.

Check out of the lodge after your breakfast and drive back to Kampala or Entebbe. You will have a stopover in Mbarara for lunch and at Uganda Equator crossing for photography and relaxation.

End of your 8 days Uganda safari