7 Days Uganda Safari: Explore Uganda – the pearl of Africa, on this safari you will visit Kibale National Park – Africa’s Primate Capital for chimpanzee trekking, Queen Elizabeth National Park for game viewing and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for an encounter with mountain gorillas.
Highlights of 7 Days Uganda Safari
Day 1: Transfer to Kibale National Park – Tour Fort Portal
Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi Swamp walk
Day 3: Head for Queen Elizabeth National Park – Game drive in Ishasha – Visit Kyambura Gorge
Day 4: Second Game drive and boat trip at the Kazinga Channel
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi national park
Day 6: Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest – Visit to the Batwa Pygmies
Day 7: Transfer back to Kampala for departure
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Kibale National Park – Tour Fort Portal
First day of 7 Days Uganda Safari, on arrival at Entebbe International Airport or after breakfast at your hotel in Kampala, you will start the journey to Kibale National Park. The journey to Kibale National Park is long but you will be rewarded with amazing sights of the countryside and the local people going on with their daily life.
On arrival in Fort Portal City, you will have lunch and then go for a tour of this small but very beautiful town. Fort Portal is a tourism district of Uganda housing the headquarters of the Toro Kingdom and boasts scenic scenery. Proceed to Kibale National Park, check in at your lodge and rest for the evening as you wait for dinner and stay overnight.
Dinner and overnight stay at Kyaninga Lodge (Luxury), Primates Lodge (Mid-range) and Chimpanzee Guest House (Budget).
Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi Swamp walk
After early morning breakfast, you will be transferred to Kibale National Park headquarters for the briefing on chimpanzee trekking, the briefing is led by the Park Guides who will take you through the rules of tracking chimpanzees and what to expect in the park.
Chimpanzee trekking takes about 2 to 7 hours depending on the movement of the chimpanzees, the amazing primates live in groups that are more vocal and dramatic, it is possible to hear their cries from a mile away even before getting close to them. You are only allowed to spend an hour to observe them, use this time to take as many photos as you can.
After spending one hour with the chimpanzees, you will be led back to the park’s offices where you will find your guide waiting for you. Head back to your lodge for lunch and rest. In the afternoon, you will head to the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary for a nature walk and birding, the Bigodi Swamp is one of the best spots of birding in Uganda, expect to see small monkeys, butterflies and much more.
Dinner and overnight stay at Kyaninga Lodge (Luxury), Primates Lodge (Mid-range) and Chimpanzee Guest House (Budget).
Day 3: Head for Queen Elizabeth National Park – Game drive in Ishasha – Visit Kyambura Gorge
Wake up early to take a heavy breakfast and head to Queen Elizabeth National Park on a journey of 2 hours through the Ishasha Sector of the park.
The Ishasha Sector is famous for hosting the rare tree climbing lions, this sector is one of the few places in Africa to see these lions. Other places to see them include Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania and Kruger National Park in South Africa, these lions are believed to have adapted to climbing trees to escape bites from bug. They also use their position on top of trees to observe movements of their prey.
With a short game drive through the Ishasha Sector, you will head to your lodge for lunch and in the afternoon you will go for a nature walk in the Kyambura Gorge.
The Kyambura Gorge is one of the most amazing natural wonders of Uganda, the gorge contains an underground forest which hosts several primates including chimpanzees, Baboons, monkeys, birds and hippos which you will spot during the walk. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay
Dinner and Overnight stay at Mweya Safari Lodge (luxury), Ihamba Lodge / Park view lodge (Mid-range) and Simba safari camp (Budget).
Day 4: Second Game drive and boat trip at the Kazinga Channel
You will wake up very early to take breakfast at your lodge and head to the park for a second game drive in the Kasenyi plains, the morning game drive will allow you to catch up with nocturnal animals and predators retreating back to their dens after hunting in the night. You will also spot the early risers and birds, other animals to look out for include hippos, hartebeests, leopard and buffaloes among many other birds. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
In the afternoon, you will head to the Kazinga Channel for a boat cruise, Kazinga Channel is one Africa’s greatest birding sites and you can spot both resident and migratory birds in large numbers. During boat cruise, you will also spot water dwelling mammals such as hippos and Nile crocodiles and other animals like elephants, cape buffaloes drinking water along the shores of the channel. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Dinner and Overnight stay at Mweya Safari Lodge (luxury), Ihamba Lodge / Park view lodge (Mid-range) and Simba safari camp (Budget).
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi National Park
After breakfast at your lodge, you will checkout of your lodge with packed lunch and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with en-route lunch. Arrive in Bwindi in afternoon, check in at your lodge and spent the rest of the day at the lodge.
Dinner and overnight at Chameleon Hill Lodge (luxury), Bakiga Lodge (Midrange) and Tarvan Trekkers Bwindi (Budget)
Day 6: Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest – Visit to the Batwa Pygmies
You will wake up early for breakfast, meet your guide and head to the park’s headquarters for briefing by 7:00 am, the briefing takes you through rules and regulations to follow while in the forests of Bwindi and in the presence of the gorillas. In groups of 8 people, you will be assigned a gorilla family to trek and head into the forests searching for the gorillas. The trek takes approximately 2 hours to 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas and where they spent a previous night.
Once you spot them, you will be allowed to spend one hour with these incredible fur creatures, observing their behavior, see them groom, play, eat or take a nap and take pictures for memory purposes. Trek back to the park’s headquarters to receive your Gorilla Trekking Certificate, meet your guide and head back to your lodge for lunch and short rest. In the afternoon you will go for a visit to the Batwa Pygmy Community living along the borders of the park, you will learn a lot about their culture, visit the medicine man, be entertained by their local dances and drama among others.
Dinner and overnight at Chameleon Hill Lodge (luxury), Bakiga Lodge (Midrange) and Tarvan Trekkers Bwindi (Budget)
Day 7: Transfer back to Kampala for departure
This is the last day of the safari, you will have a leisurely breakfast and embark on a journey back to Kampala with a stopover in Mbarara for lunch and the Equator Crossing in Kayabwe for photos. Proceed to Kampala, be dropped off at the airport for your flight back home.
End of 7 Days Uganda Safari