18 Days Uganda Safari Holiday

18 Days Uganda Safari Holiday

18 Days Uganda Safari Tours, This 18 Days Uganda Safari Holiday , meticulously designed for those seeking to deeply explore and uncover the treasures of ‘The Pearl of Africa.’ This immersive adventure invites you to traverse Uganda’s diverse landscapes, from the northeastern Kidepo Valley National Park to the southwestern beauty of Lake Bunyonyi. Indulge in the splendors of Uganda’s four Savannah parks: Kidepo Valley National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Lake Mburo National Park. Immerse yourself in thrilling game drives and serene boat cruises, each revealing a unique facet of the country’s abundant wildlife..

Yet the true highlight lies in encountering the Great Apes. Traverse the verdant landscapes of Budongo Forest, delve into the depths of Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and explore the lush haven of Kibale Forest National Park, where you will have the opportunity to trek the chimpanzees thrice. The pinnacle of this journey is undoubtedly gorilla trekking in the mystical Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. To deepen your connection with the land and its people, our safari offers immersive village and community walks, allowing you to engage with the local cultures and traditions.

Day 1: Arrive and Transfer from Entebbe Airport 

Upon your arrival, a warm welcome awaits you as we meet and greet you. You will then be transferred to the charming town of Entebbe, where your overnight stay awaits, offering a comfortable and restful night’s sleep along with a hearty breakfast the next morning.

For those who arrive early and wish to make the most of their time, optional activities beckon. Stroll through the inviting streets of Entebbe on a leisurely walking tour, immersing yourself in the local atmosphere. Alternatively, explore the lush Botanic Gardens, a haven of diverse plant species that showcases Uganda’s rich biodiversity, a boat excursion to Ngamba Island or Uganda Wildlife Education Center, where you can learn about the country’s unique animal inhabitants and their conservation.

Location: Entebbe

Accommodation Option

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 2: Exploring Jinja – The Source of the Nile

As the sun rises on your adventure, get ready for an exhilarating journey to Jinja town, fondly known as the ‘adventure capital of Uganda.’ Your route will take you via Kampala, through a tapestry of small towns, and the enchanting Mabira Forest, a haven of tropical rainforests. Along the way, you’ll pass vibrant roadside markets, tea plantations, and sugar farms, immersing you in Uganda’s diverse landscapes.

Arriving in Jinja, the adventure hub, you’ll be treated to a well-deserved lunch break before diving into your next experience. A boat ride to the Source of the River Nile awaits an experience that must not be missed during your Uganda journey.

Location: Jinja

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 3: Jinja to Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary – A Journey of Conservation

Today, your journey continues as you depart from Jinja and head towards Nakasongola, a path that leads you through Kampala and further north. Your destination is the remarkable Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary, a place of hope, conservation, and the chance to witness the incredible white rhinos in their natural habitat.

Location:Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 4: Budongo Chimp trekking

After breakfast, you will walk to the forest headquarters for briefing about Chimpanzee trekking Dos and Don’ts. Thereafter, start your primate walk in the Budongo Forest guided by well-trained and experienced ranger guides. Your walk will expose you to other primates, birds and different plant species in the forest. Once you get into close proximity with the Chimps or one community/party of habituated chimpanzees, you will be allowed one hour of observations and photography before you return back to the Lodge.

You may carry packed lunch or order for hot lunch which you can have when you return to the lodge. In the afternoon, you will drive to Murchison Falls National Park for a brief game drive via the top of the falls to see how the Nile waters squeeze through a narrow gorge only later to explode into what has been referred to as one of the strongest and most powerful waterfalls on planet Earth.

Location:Murchison Falls National Park

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 5: Game Drive and boat cruise to the bottom of the Falls

After breakfast, you will set off with your guide to catch some of the nocturnal animals before they return to their hide-outs. Make your way down to the Nile Delta where you may spot giraffe, elephant, different varieties of antelope, buffalo, a wide range of birds and if you are lucky, you may spot lions and leopards. You will return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch, you will go for a boat cruise to the bottom of the magnificent Murchison Falls.

From the jetty point, as you head towards the bottom of the Falls, you will spot several herds of buffaloes, crocodiles, hippos, different species of water birds and many other animals as they flock the banks of the River Nile to drink water. You will continue upstream to the bottom of the falls to observe how water squeezes through a narrow gorge only later to explode in what has been referred to as the strongest and most powerful falls on planet earth. Return to the Lodge for overnight.

Location:Murchison Falls National Park

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

 Day 6: Morning game drive and late afternoon Boat cruise

After an early breakfast you will return to the northern bank of the River Nile for yet another game drive in search of some of the wild animals that you could have missed seeing during your previous game drives. Return to the lodge for lunch and thereafter go for a late afternoon boat cruise to the Albert delta. Depending on how lucky you are, there are chances that you may find elephants, buffaloes and hippos crossing the delta while crocodiles are also taking opportunity of this crossing to catch the vulnerable animals. There are also high chances that you will spot the rare Shoebill stock. Return back to the lodge for overnight:

Location: Murchison Falls National Park

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 7: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park.

As part of your 18 Days Safari, you will drive to Kibale Forest National Park via Fort Portal town. You will have a stop in Fort portal town for Lunch before proceeding to check-in at Chimpanzee Forest Guest House. No major activity on this day but if time allows, you may drive around Fort Portal town for sightseeing.

Location: Kibale Forest National Park

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 8: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi Wetland Walk

After breakfast, you will be transferred to Kibale National Park headquarters located at Kanyanchu. Here, you will join other trekkers for briefing before you proceed into the forest for chimpanzee trekking. You will be led by a well-trained and experienced ranger/guide who will take you for a guided primate walk inside Kibale Forest National Park. This forest provides an opportunity to visit one of the habituated communities of chimpanzees. You are allowed to spend an hour with these Great Apes while observing their behaviour. You are allowed to take photographs. So make sure your cameras are nearby. Kibale National Park is also home to other 13 primate species which can also be spotted while trekking the Chimpanzees. Of course there are also numerous species of forest birds. In fact, this is another haven for bird lovers

Location: Kibale Forest National Park

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 9: To Queen Elizabeth National Park – 18 Days Uganda Safari Tours

After breakfast, your will drive for 3-4 hours from Kibale National Park to Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will have an opportunity of passing through small towns while seeing several foothills of the magnificent Rwenzori Mountain. As well as cross the Equator at Kikorongo.Of course you will also see several small rivers that originate from the Rwennzori mountain ranges. You may head to the lodge for lunch or drive directly to Mweya jetty for an afternoon boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. This two hour boat cruise is one of the highlights of Queen Elizabeth National Park. It provides you with an opportunity to view over 300 out of the about 600 water bird species recorded here. There are also antelopes, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes and hippos which can be sighted while on the boat.

Location: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 10: Game drive and Boat Cruise – 18 Days Uganda Safari Tours

After an early morning cup of coffee, you will drive back to the Kasenyi plains for a game drive to catch up with what you could have missed out on your earlier game drive. It is at this time of the morning that big cats are out hunting for their prey and as such chances of spotting lions and or leopards are slightly high. Never the less, you will be guaranteed to see buffaloes, hippos, several species of antelopes, and many others. You may return to the lodge for lunch or drive directly to Mweya jetty for an afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga Channel. This two hour boat cruise is one of the highlights in Queen Elizabeth National Park. It provides you an opportunity to view over 300 out of the 600 water bird species recorded here, antelopes, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes and hippos. Return to the lodge for overnight.

Location: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 11: Kyambura Chimp trekking and Katwe salt mines.

After breakfast, you will be driven to Kyambura to join other trekkers for briefing and their after start you chimpanzee walk in the gorge. Your experienced ranger guide will help you identify several flora and fauna species resident in this gorge. Once you find a community of chimpanzees, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them for photography. Return from the trek for lunch and short relaxation at the lodge before moving out for a visit to Lake Katwe salt mines.

Lake Katwe is an explosive crater which is gifted with salt. The local community have been mining/extracting salt from this lake for decades. You will meet a local guide (from the community) who will take you for a tour around the salt mines while explaining how salt extraction is done, the challenges faced as well as the opportunities available. Lake Katwe salt extraction project is one of the living examples of man and biosphere reserves or conservation areas in the whole world where man is harmoniously co-existing with wildlife. Return to the Lodge for overnight.

Location: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 12: To Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – 18 Days Uganda Safari Tours

After breakfast, you will drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, located in southwestern Uganda and shared between three districts of Kabale, Kanungu and Kisoro. Your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park will take you through the rolling hills with terraced gardens of Irish potatoes and sometimes tea. You will arrive late afternoon for overnight at the Lodge. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to almost half of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas and the only National Park where wild chimpanzees co-exist with mountain gorillas.

Location: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 13: Gorilla tracking and Village walk

After breakfast, you will transfer to the park headquarters to join other trekkers to be allocated a Gorilla family that you will trek. Of course the park staff will first give you a full briefing concerning the Dos and Don’ts while with the gorillas. After that, you will be driven to the starting point of your allocated gorilla family to start your trek into the beautiful Impenetrable Bwindi Forest. This trek may take between 30 minutes to three quarters of the day, depending on where the Mountain Gorillas will be found. Please noted that gorilla trekking can be strenuous and as such a certain level of fitness is required. Once you find the gorillas, you will be allowed to spend one hour to observe them and take photographs.

Although this time may seem too short a time, the experience you get will be worth it. Thereafter, you will return to the park headquarters where you will be awarded a certificate in recognition of your effort in contributing to the conservation of these endangered mountain gorillas. Return to the lodge for relaxation followed by a village walk in the evening to learn more about the local people living around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This walk will enable you appreciate the effort of these people in conserving the forest and the gorillas. You can choose to support them through donation in kind. Please note that this is a voluntary act.

Location: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 14: To Lake Bunyonyi – 18 Days Uganda Safari Tours

Drive from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale District. Lake Bunyonyi is one of the three Lava damned Lakes in Uganda. The Lake was formed when lava flowing from one of the volcanoes blocked a river channel and water was forced to flow back hence filling the space to create the Lake Bunyonyi. Bunyonyi locally means small birds. So the Lake got its name because of the abundance of small birds in this area in filled the area. Lake Bunyonyi is said to be the deepest lake in Uganda and the second deepest in East Africa. The beauty of this Lake Bunyonyi will surely not disappoint you. It is one of the best places in Uganda to relax after your gorilla trek on your 18 Days Uganda Safari Tours and Holidays .

Location: Lake Bunyonyi

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 15: Canoeing or Hiking – 18 Days Uganda Safari Tours

After breakfast, you are free to admire the beauty of the lake and its surrounding hills. You will have a choice of either taking a canoe ride on the lake to explore the different Islands with exciting histories behind them. For example, you will visit the Punishment Island. The story about this Island, it is the place where girls who were known to have conceived babies out of legitimate traditional marriage would be dumped and left to die. This is a whole day activity and you will surely enjoy it.

Location: Lake Bunyonyi

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 16: To Lake Mburo National Park – 18 Days Uganda Safari Tours

After breakfast, drive to Lake Mburo National Park via the Great Lakes Museum or Igongo Cultural center to learn more about the cultures of the ethnic groups in western Uganda. Lunch will be served en route. You will arrive at Lake Mburo National Park just in time for an evening game drive. Lake Mburo National Park is popular for animals such as Impalas, Giraffes, Zebras and so much more. Return to the Lodge for overnight.

Location: Lake Mburo

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 17: Walks and Game Drives

After breakfast, you will head out for a morning walk in the park, it’s a nature friendly park and hence allows walking, later return for lunch and then head out in the evening for a game drive in search of wildlife that is further and cannot be reached on foot hence look for wildlife and enhance your chances as well.

Location: Lake Mburo

Accommodation Option:

Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner

Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey

Day 18: Drive to Entebbe International Airport – 18 Days Uganda Safari Tours

Today marks the end of your 18 Days Safari Tours and Holidays. But, depending on your flight time, you can have an optional morning walking Safari or just embark on your journey to Entebbe International Airport. Of course you will have a stop at the Equator crossing in Kayabwe for photography and stretching.

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