This 18 Days Uganda Classic Safari takes you on a remarkable journey through Uganda’s top tourist destinations and gives you a chance to experience the country’s beautiful landscapes, wildlife and cultural heritage. Grab this opportunity to view a variety wildlife in the parks like rhinos at Ziwa Rhino sanctuary and also get up close with mountain gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable forest. Another highlight to look forward to on this trip is experiencing Uganda’s unique cultures in Kidepo Valley National Park, Bwindi and Lake Bunyonyi.
Highlights for 18 Days Uganda Classic Safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Hotel
Day 2: Birding in Mabamba Swamp
Day 3: Ziwa Rhino trekking and Transfer to Gulu
Day 4: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park, Game Drive
Day 5: Morning game drive and Hot springs visit in Kidepo Valley
Day 6: Morning game drive and cultural tour
Day 7: Drive to Murchison Falls national park (Full day drive)
Day 8: Morning game drive and boat cruise
Day 9: Transfer to Kibale National Park
Day 10: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi Swamp Walk
Day 11: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 12: Lion tracking/Game drive and Launch cruise
Day 13: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 14: Gorilla trek in Bwindi forest Park
Day 15: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for canoeing and community tour
Day 16: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
Day 17: Walking safari and Boat ride on Lake Mburo
Day 18: Departure to Kampala/Entebbe
Detailed Itinerary for 18 Days Uganda Classic Safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Hotel
Following your arrival at Entebbe airport, our company representative together with the guide will be waiting to welcome you and transfer you to your lodge where you will spend a night. Dinner and overnight stay at your selected hotel.
Day 2: Birding in Mabamba Swamp
Breakfast will be served at your lodge in the morning. You will then meet up with your driver guide and head out to Mabamba swamp for bird watching. You will get to see a variety of bird species including the prehistoric shoebill stork. Head back to your hotel for lunch and spend the rest of your evening at leisure. Dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.
Day 3: Ziwa Rhino trekking and Transfer to Gulu
Considering the journey requires about 11 hours; pick up will be at 7:00 am and make an early start on your journey to Gulu. En route to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Rhino trekking for 2 -3 hours’ Kidepo national park is far placed – northeast of Uganda, bordering Kenya to the east and South Sudan to the North. The journey can be very exhausting to drive directly to the park thus making it necessary to break the journey in Gulu and proceed the next day!
You will have stopovers along the way to enjoy fruit or snack and stretch out. Lunch and arrive at Gulu late afternoon. Dinner and overnight at your selected hotel.
Day 4: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park, Game Drive
On the fourth day of the safari, we shall make our final trip to Kidepo Valley National Park. Wake up to a hot cup of coffee/tea and embark on a 3 hours’ drive to Kidepo national park where you will embark on a game drive in Kidepo valley in anticipation of seeing herds of buffalos, zebras, elephants, giraffes, hyenas, and cheetahs. You will enjoy a slow drive and you can be sure to seize picture moments while on your game drive and you can have stops at any moment you please.
Return to the lodge and spend the evening at leisure admiring the wilderness. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 5: Morning game drive and Hot springs visit in Kidepo Valley
Have breakfast and brace yourself for another thrilling game drive in the vast savannah of Kidepo Valley intercepted by patches of Borassus palm and the rising scenic hills. Enjoy the stunning views of the morning sun shining over the hills of Lomej, the Lotukei Mountains to the north close to the Sudan border, the Morungole range to the southern boundary of Kidepo before the rays strike down to the endless valleys of Kidepo and Narus valley.
Return to the lodge for lunch and unwind a bit before embarking on a drive to Kidepo valley close to the South Sudan border to visit the hot springs and you can encounter Ostriches within the region although their numbers are highly threatened by poaching by south Sudanese. Dinner and overnight at lodge as above.
Day 6: Morning game drive and cultural tour
On the sixth day of the safari, you will have breakfast and meet up with your driver guide to go for another morning game drive which gives you an opportunity to view animals that you will have missed during the previous game drive. During the game drive you will visit Kanagorok hot spring which is situated between hard rock with boiling water which heats beyond 50 degrees Celsius and flows at 1 litre per second. While at the hot spring you will have great views of the mountains, animals, interact with different people who come to pay homage, offer sacrifices and seek blessings among others. After the game drive you will drive to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch you will go for cultural tour around the park where you will visit the Karamojong people in their community. The Karamojong are fierce warrior pastoralists living at the borders of southern Sudan and Kenya. During the cultural tour you will view the Karamojong instruments like spears, knives, beads, bows, the Manyatta homesteads, learn about their culture where men marry as many wives as they can as long as they can pay dowry for them, view half naked people decorated in tribal markings, listen to old stories, be entertained through cultural songs, dances, music among others. After the cultural tour you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay as above.
Day 7: Drive to Murchison Falls national park (Full day drive)
Very early after breakfast, depart Kidepo via Gulu district for lunch then proceed to Murchison falls national park. This is a full-day drive entering the park through one of the gates. Drive directly to the top of the falls where you will enjoy great views of the waterfall and later connect to your lodge for a night rest at your selected lodge.
Day 8: Morning game drive and boat cruise
After breakfast, connect for a morning game drive where you will be able to view different animals like elephants, buffaloes, Jackson’s hartebeest, waterbucks, oribi, giraffes, warthogs, view predators like lions and leopards if you are lucky among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch, you will connect for an afternoon boat cruise along the Nile which will give you an exciting panoramic view at the bottom of the mighty Murchison falls. Along the cruise, you will encounter crocodiles, hippos, and birds on the river banks like kingfishers, cormorants, and bee-eater. Return to the lodge with an en-route evening game drive to find some animals. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 9: Transfer to Kibale National Park
Early morning after breakfast, depart the lodge Proceed for your long journey to Kibale Forest National Park. This Park is home to almost 13 primate species. These include red colobus and L’Hoest’s monkey and many more. You will have lunch in Kagadi. Proceed with the journey to the Kibale forest. Dinner and overnight stay at your Lodge.
Day 10: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi Swamp Walk
After breakfast, you will set out for chimp tracking within the Kibale Forest. During your search, expect to see a lot of primate species like chimpanzees, monkeys, and other animals like the forest elephants, bush pig and duiker, warthogs, reptiles, and amphibians as well as a colorful variety of butterflies. Return to the Lodge for lunch.
After lunch, go for a nature walk in the Bigodi swamp area and look out for most of the water-loving bird species. The forest /Park has almost 335 species of birds and therefore a good place for birders. Return to the Lodge for dinner and overnight stay as above.
Day 11: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
After enjoying your cup of coffee in the morning, depart the park and embark on your journey to Queen Elizabeth national park home to the tree-climbing lions. Depending on your time, have a stopover for lunch and at the Equator to take some pictures before entering the park. Connect to exploration crater lakes in the park before you proceed to rest at your lodge. Dinner and overnight stay at your selected lodge.
Day 12: Lion tracking/Game drive and Launch cruise
Early in the morning after breakfast, you will set out for the lion tracking experience and game drive in search of early risers in the Kasenyi area. The park has a diverse eco-system of grassy plains, rivers, crater lakes, forests, swamps, and lakes. These are home to various types of wildlife and a game drive in Queen Elizabeth will reward you with views of animals such as lions, antelopes, buffalos, elephants, waterbuck, Uganda Kob, and other types of antelopes.
Return to your Lodge for lunch and after, go for a 3 hours’ launch cruise along the Kazinga Channel and into Lake Edward. This cruise will let you pass through a place of the highest concentration of hippos and you may also see many animals drinking at the water’s edge. The cruise also offers a good platform for photography, bird watching, and game viewing. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight as above.
Day 13: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and start the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park with en-route lunch on the way. Upon arrival you will check into the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Day 14: Gorilla trek in Bwindi forest Park
Early in the morning after breakfast and a briefing from the UWA officials, set off for the gorilla tracking. This is a once lifetime experience and unforgettable adventure. The ranger guides will lead you into the thick forest and start your search for the endangered Mountain Gorillas. You will move up and down the rugged terrain until you finally meet these harmonious creatures that will entertain you with performances for about 1 hour.
The activity can take 2 -7 hours since the gorillas move up and down. This is an awesome and exciting moment. En-route, there are other types of the primates such as monkeys, birds, and more. Return for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight stay as above.
Day 15: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for canoeing and community tour
You will have breakfast, check out of the lodge and then meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale which is the deepest lake in Uganda and second largest lake in Africa after Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania. Upon arrival you will go for an amazing canoe ride where you will paddle along the shores with spectacular views of beautiful scenery, explore some of the 29 islands such as the punishment island where girls who got pregnant were left to die as a punishment, view terraced farmlands, bird species among others. After canoeing you will drive to the lodge for lunch.
Community tour,
After lunch you will go for a community tour which gives you an opportunity to interact with the Bakiga and Batwa people, know more about their culture, tradition, visit their terraced farmlands, local markets, buy craft souvenirs among others. After the community tour you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 16: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
Start your day with an early morning breakfast and after you will transfer to Lake Mburo National Park. On the way you will enjoy great views and upon arrival in the park you will have lunch where after you will go for an afternoon game drive where you will be able to view different animals such as Zebras, Buffaloes, giraffes, waterbucks, warthogs, topi, elands among others. After the game drive you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 17: Walking safari and Boat ride on Lake Mburo
Early morning, after your breakfast, meet your ranger guides for your walking safari, this tour is no different from a game drive except that here you will walk on foot to find the animals. Return to the Lodge for refreshments, Lunch and in the afternoon go for a boat ride on Lake Mburo which will get you quite close to Crocodiles and Hippos. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight as above.
Day 18: Departure to Kampala/Entebbe
Early morning, you will have breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to go for a short game drive where you will be able to view animals that you might have missed during the previous game drive. After the game drive, you will drive out of the park and start the journey back to Kampala with en-route lunch at the Equator, take photographs, view the Royal Drum Village at Mpambire for souvenirs. Proceed to Kampala and drop-off at Entebbe airport for your flight back home.
End of 18 Days Uganda Classic Safari
