Take part in a 7-day safari in Uganda that covers some of the country’s most famous destinations, including Queen Elizabeth National Park at the heart of the trip. The safari includes chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest, game drives, lion tracking, and a boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth. It also features gorilla trekking and a Batwa community tour in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
There are stopovers at the Uganda equator, local restaurants, and viewing points. You will also explore tea and coffee plantations and the crater lakes in Isunga near Kibale. This safari gives you the best of Uganda in just one week.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Kampala to Kibale National Park
After breakfast, start the journey from Kampala to Kibale National Park, known for having the highest number of primates in Africa, with 13 different species including chimpanzees.
The drive takes 5 to 6 hours through rainforests, villages, tea plantations, and local markets. You will stop at restaurants, markets, and viewing points for photos along the way. Arrive at your lodge, check in, and relax for the evening.
Day 2: Chimpanzee Tracking and Isunga Crater Lakes
After breakfast, go to the park offices for a briefing. Rangers will check permits, explain the rules, and assign chimpanzee groups to track. During the trek, you may also see birds, butterflies, reptiles, and other primates such as olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, and black-and-white colobus monkeys. You will spend one hour watching the chimpanzees before returning to your lodge for lunch.
In the evening, hike to the Isunga crater lakes. The walk leads to the “Top of the World” viewpoint at 1,645 meters above sea level. Along the trail, see vanilla plants, coffee, tea plantations, and banana gardens. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park – Boat Cruise
After a leisurely breakfast, you may choose an optional activity before heading to Queen Elizabeth National Park through the Ndali-Kasenda crater belt. The journey takes about 2 hours.
Arrive at Mweya Peninsula for lunch, then go for an afternoon boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. This 2-hour trip offers views of hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffalos, antelopes, and many bird species. In the evening, check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4: Game Drive – Ishasha Sector
Start the day with a game drive in the Kasenyi Plains to see lions, leopards, Uganda kobs, elephants, buffalos, hyenas, bushbucks, topis, waterbucks, vervet monkeys, and baboons. You may also see birds such as kites, eagles, and marabou storks.
After the drive, continue to the Ishasha sector to look for tree-climbing lions, as well as elephants, antelopes, and other wildlife. Overnight at a lodge in Ishasha.
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi – Batwa Community Tour
After breakfast, drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to nearly half of the world’s gorilla population and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On arrival, check in and have lunch.
In the afternoon, visit the Batwa community. Learn about their culture and traditions, take part in dances, storytelling, and taste some of their traditional foods. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6: Gorilla Trekking
After breakfast, attend a briefing at the park offices before starting the trek. The walk can be challenging, but the reward is an hour spent with mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Watch them feed, play, and interact, while taking photos and videos to capture the moment.
After trekking, return to your lodge for lunch and spend the rest of the day at leisure.
Day 7: Return to Kampala
After an early breakfast, start the journey back to Kampala. Stop at the equator for photos, souvenirs, and lunch. Continue to Kampala or Entebbe International Airport, marking the end of your 7-day Uganda safari.
