26 Days Safari Adventure in Uganda to all National Parks

26 Days Safari Adventure in Uganda to all National Parks

Safari Overview.

Uganda is a country with rich biodiversity, cultural heritage and a myriad of wildlife. While on this 26 Days Safari Adventure in Uganda to all National Parks, you will be able to explore all the 10 National Parks of this beautiful country where you will see a number of wildlife species composed of mammals like herbivores, carnivores and primates; birds and vegetation types like savannah and forests.

Apart from the National Parks, you will be able to have an urban experience in Kampala, and visit other attractions including lakes, rivers, islands, wetlands, mountains which support a number of activities.

Summary

Day1- 5: Arrival and tour in Mountain Elgon National Park.

Day 6-7: Tour in Kidepo Valley National Park.

Day 8-9: Tour to Murchison falls National Park.

Day 10-11: Tour to Kibale National Park

Day 12-13: Tour to Semliki National Park

Day 14-15: Tour to Rwenzori National Park

Day 16-17: Tour Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 18-19: Tour to Lake Mburo National Park

Day 20-21: Tour in Mgahinga National Park.

Day 22: Lake Bunyonyi.

Day 23-24: Tour in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Day 25: Travel back to Kampala.

Day 26: Departure back to Entebbe International Airport.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe and Mabamba Wetland.

You will be picked up by our professional tour guide who will take you to Mabamba wetland for a morning tour where you will sail on the wooden canoe and see the shoebill stork and other birds that live in the wetland.

After a tour around Mabamba swamp you will be driven to the hotel for lunch and then have an afternoon tour at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre where you will be able to view a number of animals in captivity. You will be driven to the hotel in Entebbe where dinner will be served and spend a night.

Accommodation options in Entebbe.

  • Luxury: Hotel NO.5
  • Midrange: Papyrus Guest House
  • Budget: Via Via Hotel.

Day 2: Kampala Cultural Tour.

After an early morning breakfast at the hotel, you will be driven by our tour guide to Kampala via the Entebbe-Kampala Expressway to Kasubi Royal Tombs for Buganda cultural heritage experience. After a tour at Kasubi royal tombs, you will have lunch and proceed to Mengo Palace where you will tour around the King’s palace and see Amin’s torture chambers.

After a tour around the Palace, you will have a visit to Buganda Heritage crafts centre to see and buy some crafts for Buganda culture and you will be driven to the hotel in Kampala where dinner will be served and spend a night.

Accommodation options in Kampala.

  • Luxury: Serena Hotel Kampala.
  • Midrange: Cassia Lodge.
  • Budget: Dolphin Suites.

Day 3: Jinja Source of the Nile.

After having a morning breakfast, you will be driven by our guide to Jinja at the source of River Nile about 4- 5 hours where you will participate in activities like boat cruising, bungee jumping, tubing, ziplining and also tour the Speke and Mahatma Gandhi monuments. Lunch will be served at Jinja Source of the Nile and in the evening, you will be driven to the resort in Jinja city where dinner will be served and spend a night.

Accommodation options in Jinja.

  • Luxury: Lemala Wild Waters Lodge.
  • Midrange: 2 Friends Beach Hotel.
  • Budget: Source Garden Hotel.

Day 4: Mbale and Sipi falls hike.

On this day you will have breakfast in the morning and then travel to Sipi where you will have lunch at the lodge in town and continue to Sipi falls in Kapchorwa where you will hike to the top of the falls and have a photo moment. The activity will take about 4 hours and after the hike, you will pay a visit to the regional Satellite Zoo. On this day dinner will be served at the lodge where you will spend a night.

Accommodation options for Elgon.

  • Luxury: Rafiki Lodge.
  • Midrange: Rafiki Lodge.
  • Budget: Sipi Valley Resort.

Day 5: Mount Elgon National Park.

After having breakfast in the morning, you will be driven to Elgon National Park visitor centre where you will be registered and granted access into the park for a hiking experience where you will be able to spot a number of forest mammals like the forest elephants, birds. On this day you will carry packed lunch since it’s a full day experience. Our tour guide will drive you back to the hotel in the evening where dinner will be served and spend a night.

Accommodation options for Elgon.

  • Luxury: Rafiki Lodge.
  • Midrange: Rafiki Lodge.
  • Budget: Sipi Valley Resort.

Day 6: Travel to Kidepo National Park.

After having a breakfast at the hotel in Mbale, you will checkout and then continue with the journey to Kidepo National Park taking about 7 hours. You will have an en-route lunch and when you reach Kidepo you will check in at the pre-booked lodge where dinner will be served and spend a night.

Accommodation options for Kidepo Valley.

  • Luxury: Apoka Safari Lodge.
  • Midrange: Kidepo Savannah Lodge.
  • Budget: Kidepo Savannah Lodge.

Day 7: Kidepo game drive and Karamojong experience.

After having breakfast in the morning, you will be picked by the driver guide who will take you for a morning game drive in the park starting at 6:30am where you will be able to spot a number of game animals like antelopes, elephants, buffaloes grazing; spot a number of bird species and also see carnivores like the leopards and lions taking about 3-4 hours. After the game drive, you will be driven back to the lodge for relaxation and lunch.

You will have a community cultural tour around the Karamojong people where you will have cultural performances comprising music, dance and also see the Manyatta housing. The cultural tour will take about 4 hours and our driver guide will take you back to the lodge where dinner will be served and spend a night.

Accommodation options for Kidepo Valley.

  • Luxury: Apoka Safari Lodge.
  • Midrange: Kidepo Savannah Lodge.
  • Budget: Kidepo Savannah Lodge.

Day 8: Drive to Murchison Falls National Park.

The day will start with a morning breakfast at the lodge in Kidepo Valley National Park and then drive off to Murchison falls National Park where you will check in have lunch at the lodge. After lunch you will hike to the top of the falls in the afternoon where you will have a photo moment and observe the strongest Waterfall in Uganda. You will be driven to the lodge where dinner will be served and spend a night.

Accommodation options in Murchison Falls National Park.

  • Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge.
  • Midrange: Pakuba Safari Lodge.
  • Budget: Savannah Murchison Lodge.

Day 9: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise.

After having breakfast in the morning, you will be driven by our guide to for a morning game drive starting at 6:30am where you will be able to spot a number of game animals including herbivores like giraffes, Ugandan Kobs, buffaloes; the carnivores like lions. After the game drive, you will be taken back to the lodge where lunch will be served.

After lunch you will be taken for an afternoon boat cruise to the bottom of Murchison falls starting 2:00pm and the activity will take about 3 hours. After the boat cruise you will be driven back to the lodge for dinner and spend a night there.

Accommodation options in Murchison Falls National Park.

  • Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge.
  • Midrange: Pakuba Safari Lodge.
  • Budget: Savannah Murchison Lodge.

Day10: Travel to Kibale National Park.

The day will start with a morning breakfast at the Lodge in Murchison Falls National Park and then will be driven by our driver guide to Kibale National Park where you will have a tour around Bigodi wetland and lunch will be served at the lodge in Bigodi. While in Bigodi, you will be able to see a number of primates including monkeys and bird species. After a tour in Bigodi, you will be driven to the lodge where you will have dinner and spend a night.

Accommodation options for Kibale National Park.

  • Luxury: Primate Lodge.
  • Midrange: Guereza Canopy Lodge.
  • Budget: Kibale Forest Lodge.

Day 11: Chimpanzee tracking and night nature walk.

After the morning breakfast served at the lodge, you will be taken by our professional tour guide to Kibale Visitor headquarters where you will be oriented and start chimpanzee trekking activity at 8:00am. The activity will take about 4-6 hours where you will be able to see the chimpanzees in their natural habitats and given one hour to observe and study them. After the activity, our guide will drive you back to the lodge for lunch.

At the lodge you will rest and go back for a night nature walk in Kibale Forest where you will be able to see the nocturnal animals such as the bushbabies in the forest and many others. After the night nature walk you will be driven back to the lodge where dinner will be served and spend a night.

Accommodation options for Kibale National Park.

  • Luxury: Primate Lodge.
  • Midrange: Guereza Canopy Lodge.
  • Budget: Kibale Forest Lodge.

Day 12: Tour in Toro Semliki wildlife reserve.

The day will start with a heavy breakfast served at the lodge in Kibale National Park and you will be driven by our driver guide to Semliki Toro wildlife reserve via the Fort Portal route taking about 1.5 hours. Lunch will be served at a hotel in Fort Portal town at 1:00pm. You will have an afternoon game drive starting at 3:00pm taking about 3-4 hours where you will be able to see a number of game animals including the herbivores like the antelopes, warthogs among others. After the game drive, you will be driven to the lodge where dinner will be served and spend a night.

Accommodation options for Semliki National Park.

  • Luxury: Semliki Safari Lodge.
  • Midrange: Hotel Homebliss.
  • Budget: Hotel Homebliss.

Day 13: Tour to Sempaya hot springs

After having breakfast in the morning, you will be driven by our driver guide to the park headquarters in Bundibugyo where you will be cleared and registered to be granted permission into the National Park. After clearance at the park headquarters, you will start a nature walk to the Sempaya hot springs where you will be able to see primates like baboons in the tree branches, birds, tree species and also see the male and female hot springs. At the hot springs you will have an experience of boiling the eggs using the hot water.

After the tour to the hot springs, you will have lunch and then set off to Mountain Rwenzori National Park. Dinner will be served at the lodge near Mountain Rwenzori National Park and spend a night.

Accommodation options for Rwenzori National Park

  • Luxury: Elephant Plains Lodge.
  • Midrange: Snow Heights Lodge.
  • Budget: Snow Heights Lodge.

Day 14: First day at Mountain Rwenzori National Park

After having morning breakfast at the lodge, you will be driven to the National Park headquarters where you will be cleared and granted access to the park. On this day you will start your mountain hiking experience in Mountain Rwenzori ranges and you will have packed lunch enough for the time you will spend there. This activity will take two days and when you come back to the base, you will be driven back to the lodge by our driver guide on the next day.

Accommodation: Mountain huts

Day 15: Second day at Mountain Rwenzori National Park.

You will be picked by our driver guide upon return from the mountain and will drive you to the lodge where you will refresh from and have dinner. You will spend a night at the lodge near Mount Rwenzori National Park.

Accommodation options for Rwenzori National Park

  • Luxury: Elephant Plains Lodge.
  • Midrange: Snow Heights Lodge.
  • Budget: Snow Heights Lodge.

Day 16: Travel to Queen Elizabeth and afternoon Boat cruise.

After having breakfast in the morning, you will check out of the lodge and be driven by our tour guide to Queen Elizabeth National Park where lunch will be served and go for an afternoon boat cruise at Kazinga Channel starting at 2:00pm taking about 2- 3 hours where you will spot animals like hippos, buffaloes, crocodiles, elephants, birds. After the cruise you will be driven back to the lodge where dinner will be served and spend a night.

Accommodation options in Queen Elizabeth National Park

  • Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge.
  • Midrange: Engazi Lodge.
  • Budget: Pumba Safari cottages.

Day 17: Lion tracking experience and Kyambura gorge chimpanzee tracking.

The day will start with an early morning breakfast and will then go for lion tracking experience in Queen Elizabeth National Park where you will drive off track and there is guarantee that you will be able to spot lions in their natural habitats. This activity will start at 7:30am taking about 3 hours.

In the afternoon, you will go for chimpanzee tracking at Kyambura gorge starting at 2:00pm starting with a briefing session. The activity will take about 2- 4 hours and you will be given one hour of observing the chimpanzees in their natural habitats. After this activity you will be driven back to the lodge where dinner will be served and spend a night.

Accommodation options in Queen Elizabeth National Park

  • Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge.
  • Midrange: Engazi Lodge.
  • Budget: Pumba Safari cottages.

Day 18: Travel to Lake Mburo and afternoon boat cruise.

After having breakfast at the lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, you will check out and be driven to Lake Mburo National Park taking about 3 hours’ drive where you will check in at the lodge and lunch. You will have an afternoon boat cruise at 2:00pm along lake Mburo taking about 2 hours and will be driven back to the lodge where dinner will be served and spend a night.

Accommodation options in Lake Mburo National Park

  • Luxury: Mihingo Safari Lodge.
  • Midrange: Rwakobo Rock.
  • Budget: Mpogo Lodge.

Day 19: Morning game drive and Ankole cultural tour.

After having breakfast served at the lodge, you will be driven by our professional tour guide for an early morning game drive around the park and you will be able to see a number of game animals including the zebras, impalas, Rothschild’s giraffes. The game drive will take about 3-4 hours and will be driven to Igongo cultural centre where lunch will be served.

After lunch you will have a tour around Igongo cultural museum to explore the Ankole traditions and will also have a look at the eclipse monument at Biharwe hill. You will be driven back to the lodge where you will have dinner and spend a night.

Accommodation options in Lake Mburo National Park

  • Luxury: Mihingo Safari Lodge.
  • Midrange: Rwakobo Rock.
  • Budget: Mpogo Lodge.

Day 20: Travel to Mgahinga National Park

The day will start with breakfast served at the lodge and will set off to Mgahinga National Park in Kisoro taking about 5 hours where you will check in at the lodge and have lunch. There will be no other activity on this day but only resting and dinner will be served at the end of the day.

Accommodation options for Mgahinga National Park

  • Luxury: Mount Gahinga Lodge.
  • Midrange: Lake Mutanda Resort.
  • Budget: Ichumbi Kisoro.

Day 21: Golden monkey tracking in Mgahinga and Batwa village tour.

After having breakfast at the lodge, you will carry packed lunch and the guide will drive you to the visitor centre where you will be oriented about the golden monkey tracking experience and will start the trek to the forests at 8:00am. The activity can take about 2- 5 hours and will be given one hour of observing the golden monkeys in their natural habitats.

After golden monkey tracking, you will have a lunch break and then go for Batwa community tour in the nearby villages to see the homesteads where these people stay. This activity will take about 2-3 hours and you will be taken back to the lodge where dinner will be served and spend a night.

Accommodation options for Mgahinga National Park

  • Luxury: Mount Gahinga Lodge.
  • Midrange: Lake Mutanda Resort.
  • Budget: Ichumbi Kisoro.

Day 22: Lake Bunyonyi tour.

After breakfast, you will check out of the lodge in the morning and travel to Lake Bunyonyi where you will have an experience of hopping to the islands on the Lake which harbour a lot of cultural significance and history of the local people. After a visit to Lake Bunyonyi, you will be driven back to the lodge where lunch will be served. You will relax for the rest of the day and dinner will be served at the lodge in the evening.

Accommodation options around Lake Bunyonyi.

  • Luxury: Bird Nest Lodge.
  • Midrange: Lake Bunyonyi rock resort.
  • Budget: Paradise Eco Hub.

Day 23: Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

After having breakfast at the lodge in the morning, you will check out of the lodge and then be transferred to by our guide to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park where you will check in at a pre-booked lodge situated near the sector where you will trek the gorillas from. Lunch will be served at the lodge at 1:00pm and then relax for the rest of the day as you prepare for gorilla trekking on the next day.

Accommodation options for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

  • Luxury: Four Gorillas.
  • Midrange: Ichumbi Lodge.
  • Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Havens.

Day 24: Gorilla trekking and Batwa community tour.

After having an early morning breakfast served at the lodge and pack lunch and other eatables for the day. You will be driven by our driver guide to the visitor centre for the sector where you will trek gorillas from. At the visitor centre you will be oriented by the ranger guides who will brief you at 7:00am and then start the trekking at exactly 8:00am. The trekking activity will take between 4-8 hours and after locating the Gorillas, you will be given one hour of observing them.

After gorilla trekking, you will have a lunch break and then go for a community tour in the Batwa society where you will have an experience of the traditional performances in form of music, dance and storytelling. You will get to know about the history and origin of the Batwa people who used to live in Bwindi Forest before it was gazetted as a National Park. This community tour will take about 4 hours and you will be driven back to the lodge where dinner will be served and spend a night.

Accommodation options for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

  • Luxury: Four Gorillas.
  • Midrange: Ichumbi Lodge.
  • Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Havens.

Day 25: Travel back to Kampala.

After having breakfast, you will check out of the lodge in Bwindi Impenetrable National park, you will be driven by our driver guide back to Kampala taking about 9 hours and you will have an en-route lunch in Mbarara and a stopover at Kayabwe Equator then proceed to the hotel where you will spend a night. Dinner will be served at the hotel in Kampala.

Accommodation options in Kampala.

  • Luxury: Serena Hotel Kampala.
  • Midrange: Cassia Lodge.
  • Budget: Dolphin Suites.

Day 26: Departure.

After having breakfast served at the hotel in Kampala, you will check out of the lodge and will be driven by our driver guide to Entebbe International Airport where you will board a flight back home and this will mark the end of our 26 days trip around all the National Parks in Uganda.

End of 26 days Uganda safari.