The Ultimate Uganda Safari
MOUNTAIN GORILLAS, CHIMPS, BIG GAME SAFARI, AND MURCHISON FALLS
The Ultimate Uganda Safari
MOUNTAIN GORILLAS, CHIMPS, BIG GAME SAFARI, AND MURCHISON FALLS
Join us on the ultimate experience of Uganda! Our newest safari explores this exquisite country, renowned as the most
beautiful in Africa. We’ll bring you to legendary Murchison Falls, the country’s first national park, where we will have
thrilling wildlife encounters in this uncrowded, yet spectacular park. The great Nile River funnels through a 20-footwide rocky gorge here, creating a thundering cascade. On a private excursion, we’ll boat up the Nile right to the base of
the falls, and enjoy fabulous game viewing in the delta area downstream (fantastic birding—more than 450 species!). The
park is also only one of the few places in the world that you can see endangered Nubian (Rothschild) giraffe, and our visit
supports their protection. One of the most incredible wildlife experiences on the planet is tracking mountain gorillas in
the wild, and we’ll give you two full days in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, so that you have the greatest chances of
close encounters with these extraordinary creatures. We’ll also hike in Kibale National Park, following wild chimpanzees
as they move through the treetop canopy, and our big game safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park is utterly exhilarating.
Our Trip Leaders open up the world of wildlife and community for us, and we’ll have lunch with a community leader, a
fascinating example of community support for a unique ecosystem. Throughout our adventure, wonderful lodges give us
great access to the wildlife.
TRIP DETAILS AT-A-GLANCE
Length: 12 days
Arrive: Entebbe, Uganda
Depart: Entebbe, Uganda
Lodging: 11 nights hotels and safari lodges
Meals: All meals included (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
Activity: Hiking / Trekking, Safaris, Wildlife and Natural History
Trip Level: 2 days of gorilla tracking (3-7 hours on steep and sometimes muddy trails), 1 day chimpanzee tracking on forested trails (3-4 hours), 4WD game viewing, private riverboat excursions
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS
• Explore spectacular Murchison Falls, where the Nile forces its way through a 20-foot gorge
• Private boat excursion to the base of the falls
• Track mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and chimpanzees in Kibale Forest National Park
• Phenomenal game viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park in the Great Rift Valley
• Enjoy lunch with a local community leader and help support local environmental projects
Tour Itinerary
DAY 1ENTEBBE, UGANDA
Arrive in Entebbe, where you will be met for the transfer to the Protea
Marriott Hotel, set on the shores of Lake Victoria. This afternoon is free at
your leisure. In the evening, we gather for our Welcome Dinner. Overnight at
Protea Marriott Hotel.D
DAY 2 MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK
We head north through lush countryside to Murchison Falls, Uganda’s largest
and first national park (established in 1926). Along the way, we’ll stop for a
short visit at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to learn about its efforts to combat
poaching. In addition to rhinos, approximately 20 other species of wildlife and
300 different bird species reside in this sanctuary. Murchison Falls is home
to 76 species of mammals and an astounding 451 bird species, including the
300 different bird species reside in this sanctuary. Murchison Falls is home
to 76 species of mammals and an astounding 451 bird species, including the
rare and bizarre-looking shoebill (a “must-see” for birdwatchers). Murchison
Falls National Park is the best place in Uganda (and maybe in Africa) to
see this huge, prehistoric-looking bird, which stands over four feet tall with
a seven-foot wingspan. Four of the Big Five can be found in Murchison
Falls—lion, leopard, buffalo, and elephant (no rhino). There are huge herds of
buffalo and elephant and a healthy population of leopard and lion. The recent
Great Elephant Census noted that Uganda is one of the few bright spots for
elephants on the continent. Elephant populations in Uganda have increased
600% to more than 5,000 individuals from fewer than 800 that survived the
poaching crisis of the 1970s. Jackson’s hartebeest, bushbuck, Uganda kob,
waterbuck, and warthog are among the other residents. Murchison Falls is
also one of only three parks in Uganda with giraffe. Nearly half of the wild
endangered Nubian giraffe (formerly known as the Rothschild’s giraffe), a
subspecies of the northern giraffe, live in the park, with only 5,200 individuals
remaining. The acclaimed Giraffe Conservation Foundation is active here, and
has successfully translocated nearly 40 giraffe across the Nile River to the south
side of the park over the last two years to help support this endangered species.
Overnight at Twiga Safari Lodge, set on the banks of the Nile River on the
outskirts of the park. Tonight we’ll savor our first dining experience in the bush,
preceded by a welcoming drink...BLD
Driving Details: Approximately 7 hours total
DAY 3 GAME DRIVES / MURCHISON FALLS
The mighty Nile River, one of the longest in the world at 4,000-plus miles,
flows through the heart of the park for a distance of some 70 miles as it
journeys from Lake Victoria to Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea. This
morning we board 4WD vehicles for game viewing, searching for antelope,
including bushbuck, waterbuck, and dik-dik; giraffe and elephant are also
here in great numbers (they may cross the road right in front of us!). Herds of
buffalo are common, as well as primates including baboon and patas monkey,
and the birds, of course, are incredible!
I
The park’s centerpiece is Murchison Falls, the famous falls where
the thunderous White Nile squeezes its entire volume with
explosive force through a narrow, 20-foot-wide rocky gorge to
crash in a cascade of foaming white water onto the rocks 150 feet
below. A short drive on a twisting road takes us to the top of the
falls, where we can stand close to this churning mass of white
water (90,000 gallons of water per second cascades over the falls).
The view from the top is also spectacular, the narrow canyon and
frothing falls framed by misty rainbows and the late afternoon
sun glistening off the tranquil Nile downstream. And unlike other
renowned waterfalls, Murchison Falls is refreshingly uncrowded.
A 3-hour private boat ride on the Nile brings us to the base of the
falls (this is along the same stretch of river where The African Queen, starring
Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn, was filmed in 1951). Cruising
down the Nile provides great wildlife viewing as the animals come down to the
water’s edge to drink. The Nile supports the largest concentration of hippos
and crocodiles in Africa—we may see hippos soaking in the deeper channels
and the alpha predators lounging on the riverbank—and a dazzling variety of
water birds. The views of the falls as we approach by boat are breathtaking. An
interesting historical and literary monument is just downstream from the falls.
On January 22, 1954, a private airplane carrying Ernest Hemingway and his
wife crashed into the riverine forest after clipping a telegraph wire. Hemingway
and his wife survived and were rescued the following day, only to have their
evacuation flight also crash! After bivouacking on the riverbank, surrounded by
hippos according to Hemingway, he and his wife caught a ride with a boatful
of safari-goers. They had had their fill of planes! Overnight at Twiga Safari
Lodge...BLD
DAY 4 MURCHISON FALLS
A private boat brings us to a wonderfully calm stretch of water of the Nile
Delta, where the tranquil White Nile flows into Lake Albert. This is a key area
for birds—its papyrus-lined banks burst with birdlife, including Goliath herons,
great egrets, African fish eagles, and the sought-after shoebill, with its massive
shoe-shaped bill. We return to our lodge for lunch and a siesta, then head out
again in the late afternoon on game drives. Overnight at Twiga Safari Lodge...
BLD
DAY 5 KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK
We travel through lovely countryside where every type of fruit
and vegetable imaginable is grown, and farmland where we pass
traditional villages with their shambas, or planted lots. Upon
reaching Kyenjojo, in the lower foothills of the Ruwenzoris,
the renowned “Mountains of the Moon,” we drive through tea
plantations and into the tropical rainforest of 296-square-mile
Kibale Forest National Park. Kibale is contiguous with Queen
Elizabeth National Park at the same pleasant altitudes of 3,000 to
5,000 feet. Overnight at Ndali Lodge, perched on the rim of an
extinct volcano above Lake Nyinambuga...BLD
Driving Details: Approximately 6-7 hours total
DAY 6 KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK / CHIMPANZEE TRACKING
Kibale, home to 13 primate species, is said to have the highest density and
variety of primates in Africa. With our local tracking guide, we follow good
pathways hiking for about two to four hours through a network of beautiful
shady trails. Our park guides have studied the patterns of the chimpanzee clans
for years and know the daily locations of many groups. Once we find a clan of
chimpanzees, we’ll hike at a good clip, often off trail through thick vegetation,
following these acrobats as they leap from tree to tree on their daily rounds of
foraging. The chimpanzee groups are habituated to seeing people
and take little notice of us as they play, squabble, and scamper
across the treetop canopy. This is an extraordinary opportunity
to observe these fascinating and intelligent creatures in the wild.
In addition to chimpanzees, we may see other primates such as
vervet, colobus, grey-cheeked mangabey, and red-tailed monkey.
Many species of beautiful subtropical birds and butterflies
abound in Kibale’s rich habitat, along with duiker, bushpig,
and bushbuck, making for a morning of absolutely world-class
wildlife viewing. Overnight at Ndali Lodge...BLD
DAY 7 CULTURAL WALK / QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK
We begin our day on a cultural walk through Bigodi to visit seven “stations” in
the village. A local guide will discuss the “village of two tribes” and how it has
come to be, and later, an elderly woman will give a briefing on life as a female
including her chores and responsibilities. We’ll also learn from a traditional
healer who demonstrates herbal and spiritual treatments and a family who
discusses economic activities—everything from handicrafts to beer brewing to
agriculture. Other stops include a blacksmith who shows off his skills repairing
plastic containers with herbs, a coffee farmer who demonstrates harvesting and
processing without sophisticated machinery, and a school visit (only possible
on school days). Expect 3-4 hours to complete the entire tour.
In the afternoon, a scenic drive through green farmlands and tiny villages
brings us to Queen Elizabeth National Park. This beautiful park, protecting
770 square miles of the western Great Rift Valley, has as its stunning backdrop
the Ruwenzoris, Africa’s highest mountain range. Queen Elizabeth National
Park is one of the best-managed parks in Africa and supports a wonderful
diversity of wildlife in habitats ranging from lowland rainforest to wetlands to
grassy savannas. Due to the park’s beauty and immense variety of species, it has
been designated as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Birders will be interested
to know that QENP has recorded 547 avian species. Overnight at Elephant
Plains Lodge. With a hilltop setting, it offers panoramic views of the western
arm of the Great Rift Valley (and gorgeous sunsets too!)...BLD
Driving Details: Approximately 3 hours total
DAY 8 LION TRACKING / KAZINGA CHANNEL
Today we’ll have the opportunity to don our researcher hats while using
telemetry to track lion prides. The lion is one of the most sought-after safari
species, and one of the most impressive to observe. Living in prides of around
15 individuals, lions adhere to strict social structures. Groups consist of related
females and their cubs that are often born around the same time and raised
communally. This afternoon, we board a boat for a 2-hour trip on the Kazinga
Channel, which runs through the park and links Lake Edward
and Lake George. On this meandering waterway, we view large
concentrations of hippo, elephant and other wildlife often come to
the water’s edge to drink, and the birding is excellent. Overnight
at Elephant Plains Lodge...BLD
DAY 9 BWINDI
Before our drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, passing
through the Ishasha section of Queen Elizabeth National Park,
we’ll enjoy a walk through the wetlands. Set on Uganda’s western
border, Bwindi is one of the most biologically diverse areas on
Earth, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The
park protects a remnant of a once-vast primeval forest that
stretched from the Virunga Volcanoes to the Ruwenzori Mountains. There
are 113 species of mammals in the park, including rare forest elephant, 200
species of butterfly, over 360 species of birds, and an enormous variety of trees,
including 10 endemic species. Among the 11 resident primate species are 310
magnificent mountain gorillas, half of the world’s population of this elusive and
highly endangered mammal. Bwindi is dense with both montane and lowland
forest vegetation, making it one of Africa’s most superb wildlife environments,
but mountain gorillas are the main attraction. Overnight at Mahogany Springs
Lodge...BLD
Driving Details: Approximately 6 hours total
DAYS 10-11 BWINDI / GORILLA TRACKING
Our incomparable safari includes two full days for the unforgettable experience
of tracking the mountain gorilla clans that reside in Bwindi’s montane
forests. We start with an orientation talk with the local trackers at the park
headquarters on the etiquette of gorilla tracking, then break into small groups
to search for the Mubare, Habinyanja, or Rushegura clans with a ranger
guide. The tracking can be physically challenging. Each day we leave early in
the morning and hike through dense, sometimes steep and muddy forests at
altitudes of up to 7,500 feet for two to eight hours, depending on where we
find the gorillas. But the rewards are tremendous and the rigors soon forgotten
when we spot a gorilla family and have the opportunity to observe these gentle
creatures. We bring picnic lunches and eat in the forest. When we’re not
watching mountain gorillas, we have time to see some of the amazing varieties
of bird, butterfly, and animal species that make their home in this unusual
park. With two full days here, we’re ensured of encounters with these elusive
creatures. After our first day of tracking, we’ll enjoy an
afternoon visit with a private, behind-the-scenes tour at
Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH), learning
about this award-winning NGO’s work spanning the fields
of conservation and local community health. CTPH has
three integrated strategic programs: Wildlife Conservation,
Community Health, and Alternative Livelihoods. A doctor
from CTPH will be our guest at dinner on one of the nights
at Bwindi. Enjoy a festive Farewell Dinner on Day 11.
Overnights at Mahogany Springs Lodge...BLD each day
DAY 12 ENTEBBE / DEPART
We bid farewell to our trip leader this morning and board
our regularly scheduled flight back to Entebbe. Day rooms
are included at the Protea Marriott Hotel, with checkout time at 6:00 pm. In
the evening, transfer to the airport and depart on homeward-bound flights...
BLD
Tour Pricing
Prices are per person, valid through 2026
$10,195 (6-7 members)
$10,795 (4-5 members)
Single supplement: $1,645
Internal airfare: $500 (subject to change)
Chimp permits (2 treks): $500
Gorilla permits (2 treks): $1,600
Please call for future years’ pricing
To offer the lowest possible cost, our trips are priced
according to the number of participants on the trip. All
costs are per person, based on double occupancy. If you wish
to have a single room, you must pay the single supplement
fee. Please note that Wilderness Travel staff, or guests of
Wilderness Travel such as travel writers, photographers,
or leaders-in-training, are not included in the tier pricing
count.
CURRENCY EXCHANGE RATE
Because the prices published for our program are set so far
in advance of the trip dates, we are occasionally faced with
exceptional cost increases and/or currency fluctuations that
affect the actual cost of running the trip. In most years, no
price changes are necessary. However, we do reserve the
right to raise or lower the trip price if there is a significant
change in costs or exchange rates. If this is the case, your
final invoice will reflect the difference in trip cost.
TRIP COST INCLUDES
• Expert leadership of a Wilderness Travel Trip Leader
and local guides
• Accommodations, based on double occupancy
• All meals included as indicated in the Detailed
Itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
• Guaranteed window seating in Land Cruisers
• Safari camp staff
• Land transportation, airport transfers for passengers as
noted, baggage handling
TRIP COST DOES NOT INCLUDE
International airfare, internal airfare, any meals not
specified after each itinerary day, optional excursions,
airport departure taxes, park fees, optional tipping or
gratuities to leaders or staff (tipping the camp crew is
normal but entirely at your discretion), additional hotel
nights that may be necessary due to airline schedule
changes or other factors, pre-trip expenses of medical
immunizations, emergency medical evacuation insurance
(required), or passports and visas, and other expenses of a
personal nature (alcoholic beverages, laundry, etc.).
