Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park with an optional stopover at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary at an extra fee of $60 per person

Start your Uganda gorilla and wildlife tour with an early morning breakfast and later drive northwest to Murchison Falls National Park, you may stopover at the Rhino Sanctuary for an optional opportunity to trek Rhinos at an extra fee of $50 per person. Currently, the sanctuary has a total of 32 Rhinos which were reintroduced after their extinction in the 1970s through poaching. A local ranger guide will lead you on foot to an up-close encounter with the rhinos and it may take about one and half hours. Proceed to Masindi Town for lunch at your expense and later continue to Murchison Falls National Park arriving at your lodge late afternoon.

Day 3: Morning Game Drive & Afternoon Boat Cruise – Hike to the Top of the Falls

Arise very early in the morning for your game drive on the northern bank of the River Nile in your open-roof vehicle which will give you an excellent opportunity to view and photograph the diverse wildlife. Your guide will help you spot elephant, lion, cape buffalo, Roth child’s giraffe, hartebeest, waterbuck, oribi, bushbuck, bohor reed buck, hyena and if you are lucky, the leopard. After lunch, go for a boat cruise upstream the calm Victoria Nile to the base of the falls stopping just few of meters from the ‘Devil’s Cauldron’, marvel at the schools of hippos, crocodiles and over the 17km stretch you may see elephant, waterbuck and Uganda Kob. This is also the zone of many birds, species like goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelican bee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant and the rare shoebill stork. After taking shorts of the photogenic Murchison Falls, you may continue to the top of the falls at an extra fee of $15 per person where you will have the amazing view of the falls! See where the Nile -world’s longest river explodes violently through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge into a frothing pool 43m below. Later, return to your lodge and relax in the evening.

Day 4: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park- Bigodi Swamp walk

After your morning breakfast, begin your journey to Kibale Forest National Park. Drive south via Hoima through Fort Portal and through verdant countryside passing through traditional homesteads, farms and Tea Estates viewing the mystical Rwenzori Back drops. You will arrive at your lodge in the late afternoon. Check in at your lodge, relax and go for Bigodi swamp walk to explore more of the bird species and the local community. Come back to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 5: Chimpanzee tracking- Afternoon Boat Cruise & Evening Game Drive

This is one of the highlights of your Uganda gorilla and wildlife tour. After breakfast, Head to Kibale forest headquarters for chimpanzee trekking experiences. After this magical tour, return to the lodge for early lunch, check out and head to Queen Elizabeth National Park to take a unique 2-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel into Lake Edward. This trip passes through possibly the highest concentration of hippos and this launch/cruise offers an excellent platform for photography, bird watching and game viewing. The prolific bird life is colorful and stupendous, with well over 550 resident species. Later go for an evening game drive to spot lion, leopard, giant forest hog, Cape buffalo, elephant, defassa waterbuck, Uganda Kob, topi and bushbuck. Be sure to have your camera ready for these amazing sightings!

Day 6: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via Ishasha Sector for Tree Climbing Lion Game Drive.

After your early morning breakfast, pack-up your bags and drive through Ishasha plains for the visit with the tree climbing lions and other wildlife before heading out of the Queen Elizabeth National Park and on to Bwindi. The drive takes you through the Switzerland of Africa area known as the Kigezi Highlands with its terraced hillside and winding roads to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, arriving in the evening. Check into the lodge for dinner and your overnight stay.

Day 7: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi

This day is the major highlight of Uganda gorilla and wildlife tour! After an early breakfast depart to the starting point for briefing about your gorilla trekking adventure after which you will be led by experienced gorilla trackers on the slopes of the volcanoes. You will start from the site where the gorillas were encountered the day before and from here the gorilla tracking begins. Although the hike can be physically demanding, the anticipation of the exciting experience ahead is amazing, and the beauty of the gorilla forest and its inhabitants are fascinating. One of Africa’s major highlights is when you encounter these gentle apes. It is a humbling experience to stand just meters from man’s distant cousins as they eat rest, play and bond with their young ones. Follow the mountain gorillas as they range freely in the impenetrable forest, and discover their gorgeous natural habitual and the many species they share it with. You are allowed an hour with the gorillas before finally sloping down back to your lodge. If your trek was relatively short, you may have a guided nature walk around the lodge and the surrounding communities in the evening. Return to the lodge where you will enjoy dinner with your fellow travelers before getting a good night’s rest for tomorrow’s safari adventure.

Don’t forget to carry your rain gear, packed lunch, plenty of water, gloves, hat, and water proof bag for protection of your camera in case of rain.

Day 8: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi- Canoeing

After breakfast drive to Lake Bunyonyi which has breathtaking scenery. Spend the night overlooking Uganda deepest lake, where you may try your hand at paddling at dugout canoe, or eating fresh water crayfish.

Day 9: Enjoy full Day Relaxation at Bunyonyi

You will spend your day Relaxing or speak to the lodge manager about activities you would like to engage in- You will pay this on an extra cost.

Day 10: Transfer to the Airport for Outbound Flight Back Home

After Breakfast, drive to the Airport with a stopover at the Equator for water experience, here you will too have an opportunity to stand in 2 hemispheres at the same time. Take some photos, then another stopover at the Mpigi Royal Drum Makers where you will be able to watch the ceremonial drums being crafted using methods passed down through the generations arriving in the afternoon at Entebbe airport to end your Uganda gorilla and wildlife tour and catch up with your out bound flight back home

Transport

We will use Toyota Land cruisers for this tour. Each vehicle has sufficient window seats for the whole group to have one, although we would ask that you rotate around the vehicle to give everyone the opportunity to have a seat towards the front of the vehicle. A good amount of our time will be spent away from the vehicles on bird walks.

There is a good amount of luggage space in the vehicles, however, it is preferable if you can bring soft-sided luggage as this is easier to pack in, and keep your packing to a sensible, practical minimum.

At Mabamba Swamp and Queen Elizabeth National Park, we will also use boats or canoes to view birds from the water. Life jackets are available and it is recommended that these are worn throughout the boat trips.

Weather

A typically equatorial climate ensures that the weather will be varied, and you are likely to encounter some rain on tour. Showers should not last too long and will not hamper the birdwatching. Days will generally be warm or hot and sunny; however, overcast conditions are frequent, particularly in the forest and mountain areas. Nights will be mild to warm, cooler at higher altitudes.

Group Size

This tour can be accompanied by an International tour leader together with a local field ornithologist, and a driver. The minimum group size is 1 pax and the maximum group size will be 14 pax. Group size determines the number of field guides leading a tour. For example, if the group size is 14 pax we 2 field guides with 2 vehicles participate in the trip. If a big group opts to travel in one vehicle, we use a mini coaster. All the two transport options are perfect for your tour.

Food & accommodation included in the package

All accommodation and meals are included in the cost of this holiday trip, drinking water will be available in the tour vehicles during the day throughout the trip. Please bring a water bottle, so that you can refill it from the larger containers.

We use a combination of comfortable lodges, tented camps, and guesthouses on this tour. Whilst standards are improving in Uganda, some of the accommodations can be quite simple in nature. All rooms are clean, however, with private facilities and should be perfectly adequate for the group's needs. If you experience any problem with your room, please let your local guide know and they will always endeavor to rectify the problem with the lodge. A number of lodges operate generators for electricity, which are only run during the day so keeping a torch by your bedside is useful in case you need to get up at the night.

The Package Price Includes

Meals for whole safari, Luxury Accommodation for whole safari, Gorilla tracking permits, Chimpanzee tracking permits, Launch cruise at L. Mburo NP, Ground transport in 4x4D Land-cruiser, Vehicle Fuel, Driver/guide, Visitors’ Park entry fees, Vehicle entry fees, Park Rangers, Night game drive, Drinking mineral water on road, And applicable government taxes

The Package Excludes

Items of a personal nature, Visas, International air-tickets, Personal Insurance, Bar bills, Local flights, and any other service not included on the itinerary