10-Day Uganda Wildlife Safari with Gorilla and Chimp Tracking

• You will be picked up from the airport by your tour representative and transferred to your hotel.

Accommodation: Via Via Guest House

Meal plan: all meals and drinking water

• The journey today goes from Kampala to Murchison Falls National Park. Covering an area of over 3,840 km2, Murchison Falls National Park is the largest conservation area in Uganda. The park's name derives from its famous waterfall: the mighty Murchison Falls.
• Your accommodation for the coming two nights is at Pakuba Safari Lodge. The lodge has been carefully and sensitively built on the edge of the mighty River Nile.
• You will stay in a comfortably furnished safari tent. The furnished safari tent has been placed on level ground overlooking the River Nile.

You can relax in the late afternoon and enjoy the swimming pool.

Main destination: Murchison Falls National Park

Accommodation: Pakuba Safari Lodge

Meal plan: all meals and drinking water

• Get ready for an early wake-up today. In the morning hours, animals are most active, the sun is not yet so bright, and temperatures are cooler. It offers the best time to spot wild animals.
• After an early breakfast, you will go out on a game drive to explore the northern part of the park. Come eye-to-eye with the African animal kingdom: elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, lions, leopards, different species of antelopes, and many tropical birds may all be spotted during the game drive.
• In the afternoon, you will take a boat safari up the Nile River to Murchison Falls, carefully watched by crocodiles, hundreds of hippos, buffaloes, water birds, monkeys, and all the other thirsty wildlife that the Nile attracts.
• After the boat safari, you will hike to the top of the falls.
• From here, you have a wonderful view and fantastic photo opportunities.

Optional activities: Chimpanzee tracking in Budongo Forest US$ 85 pp; hot air balloon US$ 380 pp.

• Today, you will begin your journey to Kibale Forest National Park. The long drive is incredibly scenic, passing through tea plantations and the lush green countryside that characterizes so much of Uganda. A packed lunch is included, which you can enjoy on the way.
• Spend the late afternoon relaxing and enjoy a lovely view of the forest and its wildlife.

Main destination: Kibale Forest National Park

Accommodation: Kibale Forest Camp (Safari Tent)

Meal plan: all meals and drinking water

• Today, you will experience some serious monkey business! Kibale Forest National Park boasts the highest number of primate species in the world, including 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 or afternoon.
• Once you locate the chimpanzees, you will have a full hour with them. Your swamp walk will take you through grassland, small communities, and some beautiful scenery, where the locals are likely to greet you with enthusiastic waves. It is usual to spot three to four different primate species during this walk, though the highlight is catching a glimpse of the great blue turaco.

Optional activity: At an additional fee of only US$ 70 p.p., you can do the chimpanzee habituation tracking instead of the regular chimpanzee tracking. This will take all day, and you will be 100% sure to have a very close encounter with your closest relatives.

Accommodation: Kibale Forest Camp

Meal plan: all meals and drinking water

• In the morning, transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda's second-largest park, located at the base of the majestic Rwenzori Mountain range, adjacent to Lake Edward and Lake George. The park has prolific game, including gazelle, Uganda kob, warthog, and waterbuck. Lions are often sighted both in and at the entrance to the park. Be prepared for large numbers of hippos and elephants, and keep your eyes peeled for a leopard lazing in the sunshine.
• In the late afternoon, you will go for a game drive into the park.

Accommodation: Twin Lakes Safari Lodge

Meal plan: all meals and drinking water

• Today, you wake up early, a little before sunrise, and have coffee, tea, and donuts in the lodge before you head out for a long game drive in time to see the first rays of light.
• You will search for all the wildlife in the park and are likely to come across elephants, buffaloes, lions, waterbucks, leopards, Ugandan kobs, and many warthogs.
• In the afternoon, you will take a boat safari along the Kazinga Channel, which joins Lake George and Lake Albert. Here, you will see a lot of hippos - more than you can possibly imagine - as well as a variety of other animals that come to the waterhole to drink or bathe. You can expect to see buffaloes, crocodiles, bathing elephants, and a wide range of beautiful birds. This will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of your tour.
• After the boat safari, you drive back to the lodge through the park.

Optional activities

* Hot air balloon safari US$ 380 pp

* Chimp tracking in Kyambura Gorge US$ 50 pp

* Lion predator tracking US$ 85 pp

Accommodation: Twin Lakes Lodge

• Today, you will drive to Lake Mutanda in the southwestern part of Uganda, close to the borders of Rwanda and Congo. You will cross a beautiful part of the country often referred to as 'the Switzerland of Africa'.
• Pass through the countryside and bamboo forest, and enjoy great views over the Virunga Mountains.
• For lunch, you will stop at a local restaurant on the road (lunch is not inclusive). Perched on a peninsula in Lake Mutanda in the shadow of the Virunga Mountain Range, Mutanda Lake Resort offers comfortable accommodation combined with some of the most beautiful views on planet earth. Situated between Kisoro town, Mgahinga and Bwindi National Parks, the resort serves as a perfect base for gorilla trackers, volcano hikers, bird lovers, as well as for those looking for a secluded place in nature.

Accommodation: Mutanda Lake Resort

Meal plan: all meals and drinking water

• Today is the big day, so prepare yourself for an encounter with one of Bwindi's gentle giants: the endangered mountain gorilla. For most people, this is the absolute highlight of their tour in Uganda. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest boasts both mountain gorillas and other primates - the only forest in Africa that can make this claim. It also hosts five other species of primates, 113 species of mammals, over 200 species of butterflies, and 360 species of birds. The gorillas you track belong to one of nine habituated family groups that can tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period every day. The time taken to track the gorillas can be as few as two hours to as many as seven hours.
• Once the gorillas have been located, your group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. Coming face-to-face with a mountain gorilla is a truly humbling and emotional experience. This is a fantastic and privileged opportunity to get up close and personal with Uganda's very own 'Gorillas in the Mist'.

Accommodation: Mutanda Lake Resort

Meal plan: all meals and drinking water

• After breakfast at the lodge, you will be driven back to Kampala or Entebbe Airport.
• As you pass through the Equator, there will be a stop for the requisite snapshot and a bit of souvenir shopping.

Note: Accommodation for tonight is not included in the program. If you wish to depart tonight from Entebbe Airport, or if you want us to book one or more nights in Kampala and/or Entebbe, please let us know.