16 Days Uganda Safari

You’ll land in Entebbe and transfer to Kampala, where Uganda’s capital hums with contrasts—colonial architecture beside boda-boda traffic, modern art galleries tucked into dusty alleys.

If time allows, a short city tour brings depth: the regal Kabaka’s Palace, the sobering Namugongo Martyrs Shrine, and the rhythmic performances at Ndere Centre.

Settle into your hotel, breathe in the equatorial dusk, and prepare for the journey ahead.

Leaving Kampala, the route north winds through acacia-dotted plains to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary—Uganda’s only wild rhino habitat.

On foot, you’ll track these prehistoric giants through the bush. Continue to Murchison Falls National Park, where the Nile is forced through a 7-meter cleft in the rock—ferocious, unforgettable.

Your lodge awaits by the river.

A sunrise game drive reveals the drama of the delta: giraffes silhouetted in the mist, lions hunting at the edge of tall grass.

Later, stand above Murchison Falls itself—raw water crashing below. Then a boat safari up the Nile, gliding past crocodiles and bathing elephants.

Light fades, the river reflects fire-orange sky, and the air hums with crickets.

A long drive southwest, but one that earns its weight. You’ll skirt the edge of the Albertine Rift, glimpsing Lake Albert’s expanse before winding into Fort Portal, with its tea plantations and red clay roads.

Optional stop at the Mabeere ga Nyina Mwiru caves—where myth and geology entwine—before continuing to Kibale.

After an early briefing, you’ll enter Kibale’s tangled forest. Track the calls of chimpanzees, rustling branches, distant hoots. When you find them, it’s electric—watching their social complexity unfold just meters away.

That afternoon, the Bigodi Wetlands reveal another rhythm: quiet boardwalks, birdsong, and encounters with local communities who live in sync with this rich ecosystem.

You’ll journey south to Queen Elizabeth National Park, where the savannah meets volcanic crater lakes.

After settling in, head out for an evening game drive—hyenas begin to stir, and elephants cross the golden light. Listen for lions. Watch the park change mood as night closes in.

Morning game drives sweep across Kasenyi Plains, where big cats prowl and antelope herds scatter.

After lunch, cruise the Kazinga Channel. The banks teem with wildlife—buffaloes, crocodiles, hippos, and a kaleidoscope of birdlife. Water pulls everything together here: predators, prey, and travelers alike.

You’ll descend into Kyambura Gorge, a sunken forest known as the “Valley of Apes.” It’s a stark contrast to the open plains—humid, intimate, and echoing with primate calls.

Later, head to Ishasha, where lions lounge in fig trees above unsuspecting antelopes.

The scene feels unreal until you see it with your own eyes.

Cross into the highlands and descend to Lake Bunyonyi, its island-dotted waters surrounded by terraced hills.

In the afternoon, a quiet paddle reveals stories—punishment islands, love legends, sacred birds. The lake’s beauty is more than surface deep.

Drive deeper into Uganda’s southwest until the forest thickens and the air cools. Bwindi Impenetrable is aptly named: a dense tangle of green that hides some of the last remaining mountain gorillas.

That evening, you’ll visit a local Batwa community—one of the oldest surviving forest cultures—and hear their stories, on their terms.

No fanfare needed. After your briefing, you’ll trek through mist, mud, and roots until you find them. A gorilla family in their natural habitat is unnervingly human and entirely wild.

You’ll spend a silent hour in their world—watching, not intruding. A certificate marks the end, but the memory lasts far longer.

Drive to Kisoro beneath the looming Virunga volcanoes. That afternoon, take a canoe on Lake Mutanda, where dugout boats glide past fishermen and papyrus-lined shores.

The quiet is profound, broken only by birdcalls and paddle strokes.

Hike into the forest with Batwa guides who once called these slopes home. They’ll show you how they lived—fire-making, hunting techniques, medicinal herbs—and share what was lost when conservation pushed them out. It’s not a performance. It’s a reckoning.

Travel northeast across changing landscapes. A stop in Mbarara offers a chance to stretch and eat before arriving in Lake Mburo National Park—one of Uganda’s smaller parks but alive with detail.

You’ll spot zebras on your evening drive, maybe eland, and hear nightjars calling as dusk settles.

Lake Mburo is one of the few places where you can safari on horseback. It’s a quiet, unobtrusive way to get close to plains wildlife—zebra, impala, and warthogs often graze nearby.

In the afternoon, you’ll take to the water once more, this time by boat on Lake Mburo, watching hippos and kingfishers from eye level.

Your journey ends where it began. A morning game drive offers a last look—then back through the cattle corridor to the capital.

En route, stop at Igongo Cultural Centre to reflect, eat, and maybe pick up something crafted by local hands. Your guide will take you to Entebbe Airport in time for your flight home.