18 Days Uganda Wildlife and Primates Safari Adventure

18 Days Uganda Safari Adventure takes you to the most adventurous parks in Uganda that is Murchison falls national park, Kibale national park, Semiliki national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Bwindi Impenetrable national park and Mgahinga national park. This trip features wildlife experience in Murchison falls national park, Semuliki national park and Queen Elizabeth national park which is home to the tree-climbing lions and a variety of different animals and Lake Mburo national park. Also features the primates’ destination that is Kibale national park for chimpanzee trekking, Bwindi for mountain gorilla trekking, and Mgahinga national park for Golden monkeys trekking. Other destinations such as Jinja for a Nile water experience, Lake Bunyonyi which is the deepest lake in Africa

This trip starts and ends in Kampala with adventurous sights to view. If you do not want to take the long drives, you may choose to fly to Kisoro airstrip in Kisoro town which is the closest to the park. Flying to Kisoro airstrip takes 2 hours and from Kisoro to Mgahinga national park, is about 40 minutes’ drive. Alternatively, you can choose to start and end in Kigali – Rwanda because the park is closer from Kigali as compared to Kampala. This is about taking about 4-5 hours driving through the rolling hills of Rwanda and Uganda. Booking the 4 days Mgahinga national park tour now and have a lifetime primates’ experience.

Highlights of the 18 Days Uganda Wildlife and Primates Safari Adventure

Day 1: Arrival – Kampala city
Day 2: Kampala City tour – transfer to Jinja City
Day 3: Explore Jinja town
Day 4: Transfer to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Day 5: Transfer to Murchison falls national park – Top of the falls visit
Day 6: Morning game drive and boat cruise on the Nile
Day 7: Transfer to Kibale National Park
Day 8: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp
Day 9: Drive to Semiliki national park and night game drive
Day 10: Visit Sempaya hot springs and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 11: Lion tracking/Game drive and Boat cruise
Day 12: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park
Day 13: Gorilla Trekking experience
Day 14: Batwa community tour and Lake Mutanda boat trip
Day 15: Golden Monkey tracking
Day 16: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
Day 17: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park – evening game drive
Day 18: Transfer back to Kampala/Entebbe

Detailed itinerary

Day 1: Arrival – Kampala city tour

Upon arrival at Entebbe airport, you will meet our company representative/guide who will be waiting to receive you and transfer you Kampala city which is 37km away. You will be transferred to your hotel to check-in and rest from the long flight. Depending on your time of arrival, you will explore Kampala city on a city tour. Some of the places to visit may include; Gadaffi mosque, Bahai temple, King’s palace in Mengo and drive through the interesting places of Kampala city with the guidance of your driver. Before nightfall, drive to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight stay at

Luxury option: Kampala Sheraton Hotel
Mid-range option: Fairway Hotel and Spa
Budget option: Forest Cottages

Day 2: Kampala City tour – transfer to Jinja City

After breakfast on day 2 of the 18 Days Uganda Wildlife and Primates Safari Adventure, enjoy a morning city tour of Kampala city exploring Kampala’s main tourist attractions like the Bahai Temple, Gadaffi mosque, The Uganda Museum, Nakasero market and Buganda craft shops, have your lunch then transfer to Jinja city which is about 3 hours’ drive from Kampala. Upon arrival in Jinja, visit the source of River Nile before you connect to check-in your booked accommodation where you will refresh, have dinner and overnight stay

Luxury option: Jinja Nile Resort
Mid-range option: 2 Friends Guesthouse Jinja
Budget option: Gately on the Nile hotel

Day 3: Explore Jinja town (White water rafting and mountain biking)

After breakfast, drive to Nalubale for your white water rafting experience. You will meet your instructors who will brief you about rafting and also provide you with rafting equipment like the life jackets, helmets, rafting boat, Carbon Paddles, and rescue throw bags. Rafting takes almost the whole day exploring the different rapids. After lunch, later afternoon, connect for mountain biking around the areas in Jinja. In the evening return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay

Day 4: Transfer to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary – Rhino tracking

Wake up early, enjoy your delicious breakfast and set off to connect to Ziwa rhino sanctuary where we find the rhinos in Uganda. The rhino fund is a Non- Government Organisation that is responsible for reviving the existence of the rhinos in Uganda after they were all killed in national parks during Amin reign. It takes about 4-5 hours’ from Jinja town. You will enjoy your lunch then connect for your rhino tracking experience. It will take 2-3 hours depending on the location of the rhinos. Proceed to check-in your lodge for dinner and overnight stay

Luxury/Mid-range option: Amuka Safari lodge
Budget option: Ziwa Guesthouse

Day 5: Transfer to Murchison falls national park – Top of the falls visit

After breakfast, transfer to Murchison falls national park – Uganda’s largest savannah national park and home to the most powerful falls in Africa. It is a 3 hours’ drive from Nakasongola entering the park via Kichwabanyobo gate. Proceed through Budongo forest and connect to the top of the Murchison falls. It a refreshing moment to explore the Murchison falls as they are incredible to view as the water escapes via a narrow gorge creating a white form and strong sound. Sometimes a rainbow is seen deep inside the gorge. Proceed to check-in your booked accommodation for lunch, check-in and relax for some time. Later evening connect for an evening game drive to find some of the famous animals found in the park such as the lions, elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, antelopes to mention a few. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Luxury accommodation option: Paraa Safari lodge/Nile Safari lodge
Mid-range option: Pakuba Safari lodge/Murchison River lodge
Budget option: Heritage Safari lodge/Red Chilly Rest Camp

Day 6: Morning game drive and boat cruise on the Nile

After breakfast, connect to the delta area for your early morning game drive for chances of seeing the early risers and other animals. This will take 2-3 hours depending on the availability of the animals. Return for lunch at your lodge then connect for your afternoon boat cruise on the Nile. This is yet another exciting activity to enjoy while in Murchison falls national park. There are both land and water animals to encounter on this boat cruise that ends with view of the falls at the bottom. Encounter animals like the hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes and also different bird species. This boat trip takes about 2-3 hours. Return to relax at your lodge as above

Day 7: Transfer to Kibale National Park

After early morning breakfast, you will be picked up by your safari guide to start your safari with a transfer to Kibale national park– the best safari destinations in Africa for chimpanzee tracking. Arrive in Fort portal late afternoon, have your lunch before you proceed to your booked accommodation where you will refresh, relax, have dinner and overnight stay.

Budget option: Isunga Lodge
Mid-range option: Chimpanzee Guest house main house
Luxury option: Kyaninga lodge for luxury

Day 8: Chimpanzee trekking – Bigodi nature walk

After your breakfast, connect to the park headquarters with your trekking gears and water. Meet with other trekkers and gather for a briefing from the park officials where you will be guided on the expectations of Chimpanzee trekking. Thereafter, in only a group of 12 people and ranger guides/researchers, set off for Chimpanzee trekking. The search may take 2-5 hours depending on their location. The chimpanzees in Kibale are quite easier to find and you will be allowed to spend 1 hour with them on finding them.

After lunch, drive to Bigodi wetland for a nature walk experience of primates and birds. It takes about 2-3 hours walking in a wetland full of different bird species and if you are a birder, this is the best place to be. Encounter other primates like the Colobus monkeys, Red vervet monkeys, and many more. Return to your booked lodge for a relaxation dinner and overnight stay.

Day 9: Transfer to Semiliki national park – Night game drive

After breakfast, meet your safari guide and visit Amabere Ganyamwiru caves and water falls and enjoy the walking through the caves filled with breast-like rocks with dripping milk like liquid. The falls at the caves are refreshing. Thereafter, transfer to Semiliki national park. It’s a 2-3 hours’ drive from Fort portal town. Upon arrival at your booked lodge, check-in , have lunch and relax as you wait for dinner and a night game drive. Semiliki national park is one of the best places for night game drive and is said to have about 53 animal species including; Bush babies, Elephants, Buffaloes, the pygmy scaly-tailed flying squirrel, African Civet o mention a few. Return to your lodge for overnight stay at

- Luxury option: Semiliki Safari Lodge
- Mid-range option: Ntoroko Game Lodge

Budget option: Bugama Cottages

Day 10: Visit Sempaya hot springs and Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park

After your breakfast, drive to visit Sempaya hot springs which are the main attractions of Semiliki national park. These hot springs are the largest in Uganda, divided into female and male however they both have a geyser that shoots up from 8 meters holes with a high temperature of up to 100 degrees Celsius. The strength and hotness of the springs are amazing as one can boil eggs and in few minutes, it is ready to eat. The community around the park also visit the springs to perform rituals basin on their beliefs.

Check-out of the lodge and set off to Queen Elizabeth national park with en-route lunch in Fort portal town. This is a 3 hours’ drive from Fort portal with en route visit of the crater lakes. Dinner and overnight

Budget option: Pumba Safari Cottages
Mid-range option: Parkview Safari lodge
Luxury option: Kyambura Gorge lodge

Day 11: Lion tracking/Game drive and Boat cruise

Very early morning, meet your guide for the lion tracking experience where you are guaranteed seeing the lions; you will also spot a good number of wildlife including Elephants, Giraffes, Buffaloes and all species of antelopes. You will enjoy a bush breakfast. Return to the lodge and have lunch.

After enjoying your lunch at the lodge, go for your boat trip along the Kazinga channel for yet another wildlife including the hippos and crocodiles/bird watching experience as you cruise on lake Edward/George. Dinner and overnight stay at booked lodge as above

Day 12: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park

After breakfast on day 16 of the 12 Days Uganda Wildlife and Primates Safari Adventure, you drive to Bwindi via the Ishasha sector for chances of spotting the tree climbing lions with en route lunch. It’s a 5-7 hours’ drive to Bwindi impenetrable national park. Upon arrival at the your trekking sector, connect to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay at

Luxury option: Chamleon Hill Lodge/Clouds Mountain Gorilla lodge
Mid-range option: Ichumbi Gorilla lodge/Lake Mulehe Safari lodge
Budget option: Rushaga Gorilla Camp

Day 13: Gorilla Trekking experience

Have an early morning breakfast and head to the park headquarters for briefing by the ranger guides before embarking on your gorilla trek. Head into the forest and trek until you find the gorillas. Gorilla trekking can take 2 to 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas. After finding the gorillas in Bwindi, you will be allowed only 1 hour and then return. Your driver / guide will drive you back to your lodge, check-out and connect to Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable national park. It’s about 3 hours’ drive from Buhoma. Check-in for dinner and overnight stay at booked lodge as above

Day 14: Lake Mutanda boat trip and Batwa community tour

After breakfast on day 14 of the 18 Days Uganda Wildlife and Primates Safari Adventure, visit Lake Mutanda situated at the foothills of the Virunga mountain ranges. The lake offers exciting of some of the Virunga mountains such as Mount Muhavura, and Sabinyo. Take canoe ride on the lake and visit some of the islands on the lake on a wooden dugout canoe. Have your lunch then connect to visit Batwa people. These are people who lived in now Bwindi and Mgahinga national parks before they were gazetted as protected areas. These people survived on hurting and gathering of fruits while living on canopies and caves in the forest. You will learn more about their way of life and also be entertained by their interesting songs and dance. Dinner and overnight stay at

Luxury option: Gahinga lodge/Lake Mutanda Safari Resort
Mid-range option: Lake Mulehe Safari lodge
Budget option: Travellers’ Rest Hotel/Muchi lodge

Day 15: Golden Monkey tracking

After breakfast, you will transfer to Mgahinga National Park for briefing about the Golden monkeys with your packed food and water. Later enter the forest to search for the monkeys. On finding them, spend an hour viewing them while taking pictures and videos. After trekking return to your lodge and spend your afternoon at leisure. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above

Day 16: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi – Explore the islands

After breakfast on day 16 of the 18 Days Uganda Wildlife and Primates Safari Adventure, drive to lake Bunyonyi which is the second deepest lake in Africa with over 20 islands on this lake and it is one of the most beautiful and relaxation site in the south western part of Uganda. It is also considered safe to swim since it is Bilharzia free. It takes about 2-3 hours’ drive from Kisoro town to Lake Bunyonyi with beautiful sites of the Kigezi hilly region. Connect to your booked accommodation for lunch and spend your afternoon a canoe ride to visit some of the islands on the lake and also sight different bird species. Alternatively, hike to the view point on the hills, go swimming or return to relax at the lodge. You will connect back to your booked accommodation for dinner and overnight stay.

Luxury lodge option: Bunyonyi BirdNest lodge
Mid-range lodge option: Bunyonyi Eco-Resort/Bunyonyi Rock Resort
Budget lodge option: Bunyonyi Overland Resort

Day 17: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park – evening game drive

After breakfast, meet with your guide and embark on your journey on Lake Mburo national park. It is a 4-5 hours’ drive and have lunch at your booked lodge after check-in. After lunch, meet your ranger guides for your walking safari, this tour is no different from a game drive except that here you will walk on foot to find the animals, or go for a horseback ride. Later evening, enjoy an evening game drive before you return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay at

Luxury option: Mihingo lodge
Mid-range option: Arcadia Safari Cottages
Budget option: Eagles Nest Lodge

Day 18: Transfer back to Kampala/Departure

Wake up early and enjoy your breakfast. Later meet with the guide/driver for your long day transfer back to Kampala. This journey takes 8-9 hours on road including en routes for lunch. Arrive in Entebbe and proceed to the airport for your return flight back home.

End of 18 Days Uganda Wildlife and Primates Safari Adventure