9 Days Uganda Primate and Savannah Explorer

Safari Overview

A well-rounded private safari linking Murchison Falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi for varied wildlife and primate experiences. This is a private safari proposal, with your accommodation choices and activity arrangements agreed before booking. Travel times are indicative and depend on roads, weather, park arrangements and border formalities where applicable.

Suggested route: Entebbe – Murchison Falls – Kibale – Queen Elizabeth – Bwindi – Entebbe.

Detailed Day-by-Day Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Entebbe via Ziwa to Murchison Falls

Depart early toward northwestern Uganda and stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for a ranger-led rhino tracking experience if available and booked. Continue to the Murchison Falls region after lunch, arriving at the lodge later in the day. This is a long transfer, so the programme will be paced around road conditions and the group's comfort.

Overnight: A suitable lodge or hotel in the overnight destination, chosen after your preferred comfort level and availability are confirmed.

Day 2: Wildlife drive and Nile boat safari

Take an early morning game drive in Murchison Falls National Park, searching the open plains for giraffes, elephants, buffaloes and antelope. In the afternoon, join a scheduled boat excursion upstream toward the base of the falls, where river wildlife can often be seen. Return to the lodge after a rewarding day of varied scenery.

Overnight: A suitable lodge or hotel in the overnight destination, chosen after your preferred comfort level and availability are confirmed.

Day 3: Visit the falls and travel toward Kibale

Enjoy a guided visit to an accessible viewpoint near Murchison Falls, subject to park routing and current access. Then begin a lengthy southwest transfer toward Fort Portal and the Kibale area. Drive past farms and villages, with meal and rest stops along the way. Arrive at your lodge in time to prepare for chimpanzee tracking.

Overnight: A suitable lodge or hotel in the overnight destination, chosen after your preferred comfort level and availability are confirmed.

Day 4: Chimpanzees in Kibale Forest

After breakfast, head to Kibale National Park for the official chimpanzee tracking briefing. Walk with professional park guides through tropical forest to search for the habituated chimpanzee group. The experience is dynamic, with variable walking time and vocal calls from the trees. Enjoy an optional guided Bigodi wetland visit later if time permits.

Overnight: A suitable lodge or hotel in the overnight destination, chosen after your preferred comfort level and availability are confirmed.

Day 5: Kibale to Queen Elizabeth

Leave the Kibale region after breakfast and continue south through the attractive crater-lake country. Enter Queen Elizabeth National Park and settle at your lodge. An afternoon game drive may be possible depending on the journey and your arrival time. Discuss the following morning's game drive and boat departure with your guide.

Overnight: A suitable lodge or hotel in the overnight destination, chosen after your preferred comfort level and availability are confirmed.

Day 6: Game drive and Kazinga Channel

Set out early for wildlife viewing in an appropriate sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Look for elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kob and a variety of birds. Later enjoy a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, where hippos and waterbirds commonly gather. This relaxed afternoon outing offers a different perspective from the morning's road-based safari.

Overnight: A suitable lodge or hotel in the overnight destination, chosen after your preferred comfort level and availability are confirmed.

Day 7: Ishasha to Bwindi highlands

Travel south via the Ishasha sector, pausing to look for the famous tree-climbing lions without assuming a sighting. Continue through the winding highland roads toward Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Check in at a lodge within practical reach of the sector named on your gorilla permit, ready for the next day.

Overnight: A suitable lodge or hotel in the overnight destination, chosen after your preferred comfort level and availability are confirmed.

Day 8: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi

After an early breakfast, attend the park briefing and set out with a ranger team to locate a habituated mountain gorilla family. Trekking times and difficulty vary, so allow the day for the experience. Enjoy the strictly controlled encounter once the gorillas are reached, then return to your lodge to rest and celebrate the journey.

Overnight: A suitable lodge or hotel in the overnight destination, chosen after your preferred comfort level and availability are confirmed.

Day 9: Transfer to Entebbe

Begin the long drive back to Entebbe after breakfast, allowing regular comfort breaks and a suitable lunch stop. Arrive for a hotel or airport drop-off subject to traffic. A late-night international departure is preferable, or an extra night can be added to make the final day more relaxed.

Overnight: Safari ends after the agreed drop-off; additional accommodation can be arranged if required.

What Your Safari Quotation Can Include

• Private vehicle and professional driver-guide for the agreed route
• Accommodation in the agreed category for the confirmed nights
• Meals as specified in your final written quotation
• Park entries and pre-booked activities explicitly listed as included
• Airport, hotel or border transfers listed in the itinerary

Normally Excluded Unless Quoted Otherwise

• International flights, visa costs and personal travel insurance
• Gratuities, extra drinks and personal purchases
• Optional experiences not specified in the confirmed programme
• Gorilla, chimpanzee and golden monkey permits unless clearly included in the final quotation
• Any costs arising from independent programme changes

Important Safari Planning Notes

Gorilla trekking participants must be at least 15 years old. Permit availability is limited and every trek follows the relevant park authority rules. Wild animals move freely, so sightings and trekking durations cannot be guaranteed. Accommodation and activities are proposed options until we confirm space and receive your approval. Please share your travel dates and group size for a current quotation.

Ready to enquire? Use the safari enquiry form below and mention this itinerary. We can discuss preferred lodges, routing and a realistic travel pace before finalising your booking.