19 Days Big Five Safari In Uganda

This 19 Days Big Five Safari In Uganda starts and ends in Entebbe International Airport.  You will explore major travel destinations in Uganda right from Kidepo Vallley national park to the Bwindi impenetrable foret national park to meet eye to eye with the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat! You will get a close encounter with a diversity of African wildlife, beautiful landscapes, and amazing culture. An exciting drive to Kidepo Valley National park, white water experience on the Nile and visit to Sipi falls is another fascinating story to tell!

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport to start your Big Five Safari In Uganda

Day 2: Canoe to the shoe bill – Jinja

Day 3: Full Day White water Rafting

Day 4: Boat Cruise at source of the Nile – Nyero Rock Hike

Day 5: Hike Sipi Falls  – Afternoon Abseiling & Coffee Experience

Day 6: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park for your Big Five Safari In Uganda

Day 7: Game Drives and Karamojong Cultural Experiences

Day 8: Kidepo Valley National Park – Murchison Falls National Park

Day 9: Game Drives and Boat Cruise

Day 10: Murchison Falls National Park – Kibale National Park

Day 11: Chimps Trekking & Optional Bigodi Swamp Walk

Day 12: Kibale National Park – Queen Elizabeth National Park – Afternoon Boat Cruise

Day 13: Game Drives and afternoon Optional Nature Walks

Day 14: Mweya Penisular to Ishasha

Day 15: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Day 16: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi

Day 17: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to Margical Bunyonyi

Day 18: Bunyonyi To Mburo

Day 19: Departure to end your Big Five Safari In Uganda

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport

Meet and greet at Entebbe International Airport where your 19 Days Big Five Safari In Uganda starts by our representative who will warmly welcome you and facilitate seamless arrival formalities.  You will then be transferred to your hotel where you will be briefed about your adventure safari.

Depending on the time of arrival you are advised to have money Changed on this day and time allowing you may go for city tour with the help of our driver/guide.

Accommodation: Fair Way hotel and Spa
Meal Plan:     Bed and Breakfast

Day 2: Canoe To The Shoe Bill In Mabamba Swamp – Jinja

After morning Breakfast at your Guest House, drive west of Entebbe to Mabamba Swamp which is one of the best and most convenient places to see the elusive Shoebill. You will meet with the Local guides who will take you through the briefing and later you will enjoy a few minutes in a small canoe to the papyrus reeds that opens up into a flat grassy wetlands where a number of Shoebills can regularly be seen.

This bird is easily spotted in the morning hence you may have a chance a make a great photo while it stalks its prey of mudfish or frogs, enjoy their hunting tricks as they stand absolutely still for long periods awaiting the movements of their prey and then suddenly strike with a marvelous speed. Finally enjoy a boat tour across Lake Victoria which will give you more opportunities to view more birds.

Return for lunch in a selected restaurant at your own expense. Afternoon Transfer to Jinja reaching in for Dinner.

Accommodation: Nile Resort Hotel
Meal Plan:     Bed and Breakfast 

Day 3: Whole Day  White Water Rafting On The Nile Rapids

Jinja is known as the adventure Capital of Uganda with a variety of different adrenaline filled activities to choose from. One of the most amazing experiences you can have is rafting grade 5 rapids on the Mighty white River Nile! – after your breakfast, we’ll transfer to our departure point for briefing on white water rafting on the Nile! After, you will tussel on serial rapids of different grades. Your Screems, anxiety, competition, Marval – you may try diving to swim if you can swim, this will sum up a thrilling day! As you adventure the Nile Valley.

After a tense day congratulate yourself with a Glass of Wine or Whisky! after we’ll transfer to your hotel for dinner.

Accommodation: Nile Resort Hotel
Meal Plan:     Bed and Breakfast

Day 4: Boat Cruise At Source Of The Nile – Hike Nyero Rock Paintings

Arise early morning to enjoy rays of sunlight spreading on the green canopy and grasses that fringe the source of the Nile, have your breakfast and lead to the source of the Nile for a Morning memorable Boat Cruise that will lead you to the Napoleon Gulf where the Nile River starts to travel Miles through Sudan – Egypt leading finally to the Mediterranean sea. While at The source of the Nile, View the Mahatima Ghadi Monument as well John Hanning speke Monument where he stood to point at The point where the Nile starts to spread to Miles – You May Try out To sample some fish at your expense while at the source of the Nile.

Immediately transfer further to the eastern part of Uganda Near the town of Kumi in Kumi District with a stopover in Mbale for Lunch in a selected restaurant at your own expense-  proceed just by the little village of Nyero you will discover 3 Rock Cave Shelters where you will view some of the oldest rock paintings in Uganda dating back to the Iron Age – If you have an interest in archeology! Nyero Ancient Rock Paintings Caves are a best site to be visited for the History. Meet the Natives of the Place who are the Present day Iteso though they are not believed to have been the people who drew the pictures that make up the Nyero Rock Paintings as well there are no written records as to who did.  However, some tales reveal that Batwa like people lived in the area before the Iteso People and therefore they are the one’s responsible for the paintings though there are no record of them hence remains a Mystery!. Later Transfer to Sipi Falls reaching in for dinner at the Lodge

Accommodation: Sipi River Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 5: Hike Sipi Falls – Afternoon Abseiling And Coffee Experience

Arise early morning and enjoy the sun rise on the plains- Have breakfast and a morning unforgeable hike and  nature walk, we shall tackle three falls that make up Sipi. The visit of the three falls involves hiking a trail network that is characterized by a steep and slippery path, mud on rainy days, climbing ladders and going through farms as well as checking on caves.

After a Hot Lunch enjoy Abseiling at the Falls – It is this adventurous already – this will lead you to great views of the surrounding vegetation-clad valleys, caves  and mountains with a view of the Karamoja plains, view several birds. Later proceed to have coffee farms experience that characterize of this region. Here you will learn the process of coffee making as well you can sample a Drink!

After a successful visit of all the magnificent sites  and adventure, return for Dinner at the Hotel.

Accommodation: Sipi River Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board 

Day 6: Transfer To Kidepo Valley National Park

After breakfast, have an early start for Kidepo via Soroti – Kitigum arriving late afternoon. You will arrive late evening  at the Lodge

Accommodation: Kidepo Savannah Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 7: Kidepo Valley National Park – Game Drives & Karamojong Cultural Experience

On this day of your Big Five Safari In Uganda; arise early Morning and take a game drive in the morning along the Palm tree lined Kidepo river to see the lions, cheetah, always surrounded by Zebra, Waterbuck, Jackson’s Hartebeest, Warthogs, Patas monkeys and big herds of Buffalo. Afterwards, relax in your outdoor bathtub under the warm sunshine or take a dip in the big rock swimming pool overlooking the savannah and a waterhole frequently visited by animals before having dinner at the main building.

In the afternoon go to visit one of the communities, a Karamojong manyatta. Get an insight of their daily lives, the way their homes are constructed and much more. Return to the lodge.

Accommodation:  Kidepo Savannah Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 8: Transfer From Kidepo – Murchison Falls National Park

After your early morning breakfast drive northwest to Murchison Falls National Park driving via Gulu. Later continue to Murchison Falls National Park arriving at your lodge late afternoon.

Accommodation: Pakuba Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Boar

Day 9: Murchison Falls National Park – Game Drives And Boat Trip

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 choose to continue to the top of the falls at an extra fee of $15 per person, here 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.

Alternatively, you may choose to pay a supplement of $500 per group below 10 PAX to join a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls where you will mix with the high concentration of mammals  as well you will get a chance of coming close to the endemic Albertine rift Shoe bill stork in the wilderness

Accommodation: Pakuba Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 10: Murchison Falls National Park – Kibale Forest National Park

After your morning breakfast, begin your journey to Kibale Forest National Park. Drive south via Hoima to Fort Portal through verdant countryside passing through traditional homesteads, farms and Tea Estates. You will have a stopover for lunch en-route. You will arrive at your lodge in the late afternoon.

Accommodation: Isunga Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board 

Day 11: Chimp Trek Kibale Forest National Park

After breakfast at your lodge, transfer to the starting point of your Chimpanzee tracking experience in Kibale Forest National Park which is reputed to have the greatest variety and highest concentration of primates in East Africa. The most famous of its 13 species is the Chimpanzee, man’s closest relative. Kibale’s 1450 Chimpanzee represent Uganda’s largest population of this endangered primate. Kibale is also a home to the rare I’Hoest’s monkey. Other primates include the black and white Colobus, Blue monkey, Grey cheeked mangabey, Red tailed monkey, Olive baboon to mention but a few. So you will enjoy a guided nature walk in the tropical rainforest in search of the wild chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys and many others.  Although chimp sightings are not guaranteed, visitors stand a good chance of hearing and seeing our distant cousins as they gloom and bond with one another.

Alternatively, on you Big Five Safari In Uganda package; you may opt to do chimpanzee habituation experience by paying a supplement of $100, this exercise takes the whole entire day.  Only 6 people are allowed per day and you will be sure to come face to face with these closest cousins of man. Advance booking is necessary for this option.

After lunch, you may head to Bigodi for an afternoon swamp walk at an extra fee of $45 per person. Bigodi was established by a local development organization to protect the 4sq-km Magombe Swamp that’s home to around 200 species of birds (highlights include papyrus gonolek, white-winged warbler and great blue turaco). The highlight of this tour is catching a glimpse of the great blue turaco. The swamp is also good for spotting butterflies and primates, with 8 different species here, including grey-cheeked mangabey. The 2-3 hour guided walk is led by experienced local guides who interact with the guests and make the trip both enjoyable and exciting.

Accommodation: Isunga Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 12:  Kibale Forest National Park -­ Queen Elizabeth National park

After breakfast at your lodge before you proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park following the mystical Rwenzori Mountain Range. Your expert driver guide will take you through the game park where you might spot some animals.

Upon arriving at your lodge, you will enjoy a hot lunch and later in the afternoon 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.

Accommodation: Elephant Hab Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 13: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Game Drives & Nature Walks

Queen Elizabeth National Park’s diverse eco-system of grassy plains, tropical forest, rivers, swamps, lakes and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife.  Have an early morning game drive where you have an opportunity to view the massive Rwenzori as backdrop, which provides excellent opportunities to spot lion, leopard, giant forest hog, Cape buffalo, elephant, defassa waterbuck, Uganda Kob, topi and bushbuck. The game drives and the boat trip (taken prior) are memorable methods of discovering a vast array of Ugandan wildlife. Be sure to have your camera ready for these amazing sightings!

Afternoon Optional visit to the bat and hunters cave at an extra fee of $30 per person. This is where we take a close look at the bats, rock python and forest cobras. The same walk will provide a chance of seeing birds, primates, tree species etc. Return to the lodge for dinner and your last overnight stay.

Accommodation: Elephant Hab Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 14: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Ishasha Sector

After breakfast have second optional chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura gorge at an extra fee of $50 per person. Kyambura Gorge is also a perfect place to enjoy chimpanzee tracking with the habituated Chimpanzees. The scenery within this gorge is very spectacular and there are several other mammals plus birds to be seen as you start out in the morning on your chimpanzee trekking voyage.

Alternatively, have morning breakfast and a morning game drive as you leave to Ishasha sector plains in Queen Elizabeth National Park.  In the afternoon go for another game drive in search for tree climbing lions – a Major highlight of Queen Elizabeth national park.

Accommodation: Topi Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 15: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Bwindi Impenetrable National park

After your breakfast, take a morning game drive in Ishasha plains for your final visit with the lions and other wildlife, then continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.  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.

Accommodation: Bakiga Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 16: Gorilla Tracking In Bwindi Forest

After an early breakfast depart to the starting point for briefing about your gorilla trekking adventure on your 19 Days Big Five Safari In Uganda, 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

Here you may pay an extra of $900 per person to enjoy Gorilla Habituation in the Forest – This exercise gives you enough time with the Gorillas, Learning More about their Behavior and social Life along Side the Researchers.

 Accommodation: Bakiga Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 17: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Lake Bunyonyi

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

Accommodation:  Bunyonyi Arcadia Resort
Meal Plan:     Full Board

Day 18: Lake Bunyonyi – Lake Mburo National Park

After breakfast, at 08.00 hours you will travel to L. Mburo National Park, the smallest National Park of Uganda. Though being small, it has a lot offer!!  Centered on a series of swamp-fringed lakes its birdlife is very rich.  The green acacia woodland harbors wildlife like Zebra, warthog, Eland, Impala, not to mention the lake itself, which is home to schools of hippos and crocodiles! Furthermore, Uganda Wildlife Authority recently brought 15 giraffes from Murchison falls to Lake Mburo.

You will arrive at the lodge in time for lunch.  Later in the afternoon at 16:00 enjoy the boat ride on Lake   Mburo and get quite close to the croc and hippos. As you return to your Lodge, you may have an evening game drive as you return to your lodge.

Accommodation: Rwakobo Rock Lodge
Meal Plan:     Full Board

Day 19: Lake Mburo National Park – Kampala

After breakfast have a safari walk under the escort of an armed ranger. The Kopjes are particularly interesting with the camouflage kilspringers and topis. Due to cattle herding in the area it is amusing to see zebra grazing alongside the long horned Ankole cattle peaceably.  It is exciting to approach wildlife at such close range.

Later drive back to Entebbe with a stopover at the Equator where you will have an opportunity to stand in 2 hemispheres at the same time.  Take some photos, then another stop over 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 the airport to end your 19 Days Big Five Safari In Uganda with a lot of memories!

Tour inclusions:

• All ground transportation in A 4×4 safari vehicle with all fuel
• Full time driver/guide with all his associated expenses
• Full board accommodation as per above itinerary a part from in cities where it is Bed and breakfast only.
• Canoe to the shoe Bill
• Whole Day White water Rafting
• Nyero Rock Hike
• Abseiling at Sipi Falls
• Coffee Experience
• Tree Climbing Lion Search
• Karamojong Cultural Experience
• Safari Walk in Lake Mburo NP
• Boat cruises
• Game drives on you Big Five Safari In Uganda
• 1 Chimpanzee permit per person
• Ferry crossing
• Top of the Falls
• 1 Gorilla permit per person
• Any other items included in Big Five Safari In Uganda itinerary

Exclusive:

• International Air tickets
• Visas
• Personal insurance
• Personal expenses such as drinks, tips, telephone calls, etc
• Any other items which are not included in your Big Five Safari In Uganda  itinerary above
• All Optional Items