This 12-day Uganda safari takes you through the country’s most famous parks and wildlife areas. It begins with shoebill tracking at Mabamba wetland, continues to Murchison Falls National Park for game drives and a boat cruise, then heads to Kibale for chimpanzee trekking.
You will also visit Queen Elizabeth National Park for wildlife viewing, Bwindi for gorilla trekking and a Batwa cultural tour, Lake Bunyonyi, Mgahinga for golden monkey trekking, and Lake Mburo for walking safaris and a boat cruise.
The safari offers both Savannah and rain-forest experiences, with cultural encounters and scenic landscapes along the way.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival – Shoebill Tracking at Mabamba Wetland
Arrive at Entebbe International Airport and meet your driver guide. Drive to Lake Victoria and take a 45-minute boat ride from Nakiwogo landing site to Mabamba wetland. Track the shoebill, often seen standing still for long hours as it hunts. You may also spot other birds such as jacanas. Return to the landing site and transfer to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2: Entebbe to Murchison Falls National Park via Ziwa
After breakfast, check out and drive toward Murchison Falls National Park. Stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino trekking on foot, guided by rangers. This is the only place to see rhinos in Uganda. Have lunch en route and continue to the park. Arrive at your lodge by evening, have dinner, and rest.
Day 3: Game Drive and Boat Cruise – Optional Top of the Falls Visit
After an early breakfast, go for a morning game drive. Look out for lions, leopards, elephants, buffalos, giraffes, hyenas, warthogs, antelopes, and oribis. Visit the top of the falls to see the Nile force through a narrow gorge.
In the afternoon, take a boat cruise on the Victoria Nile. See hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and buffalos along the banks. Enjoy views of the falls from a distance before returning to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Drive to Kibale National Park – Crater Lakes
After breakfast, drive to Kibale National Park, a 6–7-hour journey. Stop for lunch on the way and enjoy views of the countryside as the landscape changes from savannah to forest. Arrive at your lodge, check in, and later take a guided walk to the crater lakes near Isunga. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Chimpanzee Trekking and Bigodi Wetland
After breakfast, go to Kanyanchu Visitor Center for a briefing, then start chimpanzee trekking. Along the way, you may also see baboons, vervet monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and colobus monkeys. Spend one hour watching the chimpanzees in their natural habitat. Return to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, visit Bigodi Wetland with a local guide. Walk through the swamp, spotting birds and primates, and learn about its importance to local communities. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park – Boat Trip
After breakfast, drive for 3–4 hours to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Pass through crater lakes and enjoy views of the Rwenzori Mountains. Arrive at your lodge for lunch, then take a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. Spot hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and buffalos along the shores, as well as many bird species. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Game Drive in Ishasha – Transfer to Bwindi
After breakfast, take a game drive in the Ishasha sector, known for tree-climbing lions. You may also see elephants, buffaloes, topis, and antelopes. Return to your lodge for lunch, then transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Arrive in the evening, check in, have dinner, and rest overnight.
Day 8: Gorilla Trekking – Batwa Cultural Tour
After breakfast, go to the park office for a briefing. Rangers will assign gorilla families and guide you into the forest. Trekking can take 3–6 hours, depending on where the gorillas are. Spend one hour with them, watching as they feed, play, and interact. Return to your lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, visit the Batwa community. Learn about their traditional life in the forest, take part in music and dances, and hear their stories. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Lake Bunyonyi Canoe Ride – Transfer to Mgahinga
After breakfast, check out and drive to Lake Bunyonyi. Take a canoe ride to explore the islands and hear local stories from fishermen. Have lunch in town before continuing to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Check in at your lodge in the evening, have dinner, and rest.
Day 10: Golden Monkey Trekking – Transfer to Lake Mburo
After breakfast, attend a briefing at the park office before starting golden monkey trekking. Follow ranger guides through bamboo forests to find the monkeys and spend one hour observing them. Return to the lodge for lunch, then drive to Lake Mburo National Park. Arrive in the evening, check in, have dinner, and rest overnight.
Day 11: Walking Safari and Boat Cruise
After breakfast, join a ranger guide for a walking safari in Lake Mburo. The park has no lions, so walking is safe. Look for impalas, zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, and antelopes. Return to your lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, take a boat cruise on Lake Mburo. Spot hippos, crocodiles, and waterbirds, as well as animals like waterbucks and topis along the shore. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 12: Departure
After breakfast, check out and drive back to Kampala or Entebbe. Stop at the equator for photos, souvenirs, and lunch before continuing to the airport for your departure flight. This marks the end of your 12-day Uganda safari.
