Explore the Wondrous Wilderness of Uganda

Begin your Ugandan adventure by taking a flight from London to Entebbe, Uganda via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

(Flight Included | Airport Transfer | N)

Check- in at Best Western Hotel (or similar) for an overnight stay in the city of Entebbe. Situated on a peninsula of Lake Victoria, the Ugandan capital of Kampala is located approximately 36 km to the northeast of the city and it hosts the only international airport in Uganda.

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On the morning of the third day, drive to Uganda’s oldest and largest safari park, the Murchison Falls National Park situated at the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley. Check-in at the Paraa Lodge (or similar) for a 2-night stay. Home to the world’s most powerful waterfall, Murchison Falls National Park ground trembles around the fall from the magnitude of its pressure. This is because every second, the equivalent of 200 bathtubs full of water is forced through a gorge less than seven paces wide, resulting in a thunderous plunge into the “Devil’s Cauldron” and the creation of a trademark rainbow.

Spend two days exploring Murchison Falls National Park. Take a Nile boat cruise and observe the permanent residents of the water, including hippos, crocodiles, and aquatic birds, as well as frequent visitors like buffaloes, elephants, and giraffes. Go on nature walks or birdwatching expeditions and keep an eye out for the rare shoebill stork among the 450 other recorded bird species. Embark on a game drive and witness baboons and other monkey species playing high up in the trees.

(B, L, D)

This morning, catch a short flight to Kasese airstrip and go to the western part of Uganda where the evergreen Kibale National Park is located. Check-in at the Ndali Lodge (or similar) for a 2-night stay. Kibale National Park boasts the largest number of primates in Africa. Explore the different flora and fauna of the Kibale forest with guided nature walks and hikes. Along the way, you can get up close with wildlife species such as bushbucks, duikers, forest elephants and a variety of primates including blue monkeys, colobus monkeys and red-tailed monkeys. Go birdwatching and spot the white-tailed Ant-thrush, the yellow-billed Barbet, and the Sunbird among others residing in this vast bird sanctuary.

This moist evergreen rainforest is home to a dense population of chimpanzees making it the best place on earth to track wild chimps – the highlight of the park-. When you find the chimpanzees, you will be able to spend time with them in their natural habitat and watch them go about their daily routines from hunting and feeding to playing and resting. You’ll also have the opportunity to learn how to identify the chimpanzees by their personalities, markings and scars.

(B, L, D)

Spend the next two days discovering Uganda’s most popular reserve, Queen Elizabeth National Park. Check-in at Mweya Safari Lodge (or similar) for 2 nights. Famous for its big cats including lions and leopards, Queen Elizabeth National Park is the best place in Uganda to see tree-climbing lions. Safari drives will take you across a variety of habitats including sprawling savannah grasslands, sparkling lakes, shady forests and fertile wetlands making it home to a diverse wildlife of more than 95 species of mammals and over 600 bird species.

The park’s stunning panoramas, framed by the jagged Rwenzori Mountains, feature dozens of massive craters dramatically carved into rolling green hills. Go on a cruise and take in the panoramic views of the Kazinga Channel, where the banks are lined with hippos, buffalos, and elephants, and marvel at the endless plains.

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In the morning, take a final safari drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Afterwards, drive further south to Bwindi National Park with en route stops at local towns, where you can mingle with the natives, and experience the Ugandan cuisine, culture, and traditions.

Check-in at Mahogany Springs (or similar) for two nights. Your accommodation overlooks the ancient and biologically varied rainforests of Bwindi, which contain about 400 plant species and date back to more than 25,000 years ago. This mist-covered impenetrable forest is home to about half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas.

Upon your entrance to the forest, you will see first-hand why the forest is called Bwindi, which translates to “a Place of darkness”, and how the extensive stands of bamboo and thick ground cover of vines, ferns and other plant growth make it “impenetrable”.

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The day has come to challenge yourself and conquer the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Make sure you have a good breakfast and that you are physically fit to undertake the challenge of mountain gorilla tracking, as it will involve climbing steep terrain to reach a high altitude.

After acquiring your gorilla-tracking permit, your guide will lead your group of trackers into the forest. On your journey, you will pass by a myriad of creatures as the Bwindi Forest is home to approximately 200 butterfly species, 120 mammal species, and 350 bird species, not to mention the hundreds of tree and fern species. After hours of gorilla tracking, once you finally succeed in your quest and find a family of habituated mountain gorillas, you will get the rare opportunity of spending time being rather close to them, observing their habits and behaviour. You should note that mountain gorilla sightings are not guaranteed, however, the success rate is over 95%.

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On the 11th day of your trip, go to the Kihihi airstrip and catch a flight to Entebbe. Transfer to Best Western Hotel and check-in for a day use and enjoy the hospitality of the Ugandans for a few more hours. Later in the day, take your return flight to London.

(Flight Included | Airport Transfer | B)