26 days Magical Uganda Road trip safari
Road trip overview
This 26 day Days best of Uganda Safari takes you to discover the charms and beauty of Eastern , Northern, western and southwestern Uganda for landscapes, wildlife, gorillas, chimps and culture.
This Road trip safari starts by exploring Kampala city, and then continue to Jinja for white water rafting on your way to hike in Sipi Falls. From the east, you will go to pain-upe game reserve for wildlife and then go to Kidepo valley national park, continue to Murchison Falls National Park for wildlife safaris and then go to Kibale for chimpanzees and volcanic crater lakes.
After chimpanzee trekking, you will head to Queen Elizabeth NP for wildlife, and then pass through ishasha sector for tree climbing lions as you proceed to Bwindi for gorilla trekking and cultural encounters. Proceed to Mgahinga to hike Sabinyo and stand in 3 countries at once, and then go to lake Bunyonyi for some relaxation. You will end the trip by visiting Lake Mburo where you will see so many zebras, and then coming back to Kampala for departure.
Destinations: Kampala, Mabira, Jinja, Sipi, pain-upe game reserve, Kidepo valley national park, Murchison Falls N.P, Kibale N.P, Queen Elizabeth NP, Ishasha, Bwindi Impenetrable N.P, Mgahinga Gorilla N.P, Lake Bunyonyi, Lake Mburo N.P
Activities: City Tours, Chimpanzee Trekking, Game drives, Hiking, Nature Walks, Batwa Cultural Experience, Gorilla tracking, Nile adventure sports, Boat cruise, Mt. Sabinyo Hike, tracking tree-climbing lions, chimp tracking, bird watching,, visit craters.
Day 1: Kampala city tour
Take this opportunity to visit cultural sites around the city center and these include the Uganda museum, kasubi tombs, kabaka’s lake, bulange mengo, kabaka’s palace, the Uganda national cultural center, various religious centers like bahai temple, kibuli & gadaffi mosques, namirembe cathedral, rubaga catholic cathedral, you can visit the parliament of Uganda and those for shopping, Kampala offers many options inform of shopping malls and cultural and art galleries.
Day 2: Transfer to jinja town.
After breakfast, you will drive to jinja. on your way to jinja, you find the asian quarters, the colorful gardens as well as the brewery industries. you will also visit the source of the Nile where the Nile emerges from lake Victoria making the starting point of its 6400 miles journey which ends within the mediterranean sea as well as the gandhi’s monument. upon arrival at jinja, you will check-in at your hotel where you will have late lunch relaxation, dinner and overnight as contemplate on the adventure that lies ahead of you.
accommodation options: jinja nile resort/ wild waters lodge
Day 3: White water rafting and quad biking at the Nile
After an early morning breakfast, you will go for white water rafting on the high rapids of the mighty Nile which is the second largest river. after lunch, you will prepare for quad biking experience. to do quad biking you don’t need any experience. in Uganda, this sport is mainly done in jinja in the villages along river Nile. when you go for it, you will get free training or practice before the safari begins. while quad biking, you will go into the deep heart of the countryside, visiting scenic and isolated places that many tourists rarely see. during this safari, the rainier the better as muddy ground offers a real life experience. this is an exceptional African experience for age categories. quad routes and tracks cater for all levels of people like children, beginners, adults, experienced plus expert riders.
Accommodation options: Gately on the Nile, Haven Lodge, jinja Nile resort/ wild waters lodge
Day 4: Transfer to sipi falls
Have breakfast and drive to sipi falls that are found in kapchorwa. As you move towards the kenyan border, there lays mountain elgon national park and it is at its edge that you will embrace the sipi falls. a series of three of these waterfalls makeup the sipi falls. upon arrival, you will check-in at the lodge where you will have dinner and an overnight stay as you wait for the adventure and fun that awaits you the following day. Accommodation options: Lacam Lodge, Mbale Resort Hotel, Sipi River Lodge, sipi valley resort/ rafiki lodge
Day 5: Hiking to visit all the three waterfalls at sipi
After breakfast, you will meet your local guide and start off the hike to visit all the three waterfalls. you will follow a trail 7to 8km along that goes through the local communities and their farmlands of tea and banana plantations which are the main cash crops grown in the area. between visiting the waterfalls, you are treated to breath taking landscape scenery from the green slopes of mountain elgon to the distant flat plain plains of karamoja in the distance. each waterfall offers an experience from another, from the plunge, beautiful views, cakes, to rainbows. the entire hike will 3 to 4 hours, visiting the first waterfalls from to descending down the second and finally to the third at the end of the trail which is the biggest and the main one. at the end of the fun, you will return to the lodge for lunch and afterwards proceed to visit the caves. Accommodation options: Lacam Lodge, Mbale Resort Hotel, Sipi River Lodge, sipi valley resort/ rafiki lodge
Day 6: Transfer to pain-upe game reserve for an evening game drive.
Today you will drive to the stunning pain-upe game reserve in north-eastern uganda. the reserve is mostly unexplored and with virgin pristine habitat known to harbor unique wildlife including cheetahs, the greater kudu, roan antelope, eland and a vast array of unique bird species including ostriches and other wildlife. you will have stops on the way and en-route lunch and then proceed for overnight.
Day 7: Morning and afternoon game drives in pain-upe reserve.
Today game drives in the reserve will give you an opportunity to see cheetah, making it the best place in the country to see earth’s fastest mammal but popular among the other predators in the reserve include the jackals, wildcats, spotted hyenas, several cats, civets, the elusive leopards and a healthy pride of lions is reported to periodically travel between the nearby amudat wildlife conservation area and pian upe wildlife reserve. The reserve is also home to large herds of ungulates including the common eland, a small population of zebra, hartebeests, günther’s dik dik, the popular oribis, and the impalas and giraffes which were recently relocated here from lake mburo national park and Murchison falls respectively. cape buffalo, the Uganda kob, waterbuck, blue and common duiker, klipspringers and the bohor and mountain reed buck also enjoy the homely pian-upe game reserve.
Day 8: Drive to kidepo valley national park
Start the drive to kidepo valley national park in the morning, you will have en-route lunch and arrive in the late afternoon for relaxation and overnight. on your way, you will enjoy some scenic views of the few hills that separate acholi land and karamoja, you will not miss the great manyatas on the way, cross some few seasonal rivers .
accommodation options: Apoka safari lodge, Adere safari lodge, Kidepo savannah lodge
Day 9: Full day game drives in narus valley.
After an early breakfast you will drive to narus valley for your morning game drive. narus valley is popular for mammals such as elephants, giraffes, buffalo’s antelopes, zebras and birds. being the only permanent water point, many animals come to narus valley to drink water and feed. it’s where you will find the largest buffalo herds. chances of spotting big cats hunting are very high as well. if lucky, you may spot the rare cheetahs too. Return to the lodge for lunch, short relaxation and then drive to kidepo valley to visit the hot springs, the uganda-sudan boarder and if lucky spot the giant ostriches which are found in this place but have been seriously poached by sudanese. there seasonal rivers on this side so if it is a rainy season, get ready to be interrupted for few hours. Accommodation options: Apoka safari lodge, Adere safari lodge, Kidepo savannah lodge
Day 10: community experience with the ik and karamojongs.
Visiting the community will complete your experience in kidepo valley national park, the dance and their unique culture in the ranges is worth a visit while in kidepo valley national park. the ik communities gather in villages which are fenced to avoid intruders and wild animals. they will dance, and take you through their culture and you will have an opportunity to get crafts as well.
In the afternoon, you will visit the karamojong homesteads, known as the manyatta. here you will have the opportunity to interact with the elders and get to know more about their culture and lifestyle. this is the perfect opportunity for those who like to immerse themselves in the cultures of the communities they visit. Accommodation options: Apoka safari lodge, Adere safari lodge, Kidepo savannah lodge
Day 10: Transfer to murchison falls national park
Today take all day drive to Murchison falls, through verdant country side past traditional homesteads and farms. you will gaze at the nile which is the longest in the world. The park has a variety of animal species like leopards, lions, hyenas, buffaloes, giraffes, crocodiles and many bird species including blue throated roller, the shoebill, turi ibatis, uganda woodland warbler, yellow billed and grey throated. Accommodation options; chobe safari lodge/ baker’s lodge (luxury), pakuba lodge/ murchison river lodge (moderate), red chili rest camp (budget)
Day 11: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Head for a morning game drive with a ranger who will help you spot the a big number of wildlife found in the park, expect to see animals animal like elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, lions, leopards, different species of antelope and many tropical birds. after the game drive, you will drive back to the hotel for lunch as you prepare for afternoon boat cruise on river nile. This boat cruise will allow you get close to the water animals like hippos and the nile crocodiles. Nile has got bird species which can be enjoyed while on your boat cruise and they include bee eaters, colored king fishers, shoebill stork, grey throated and the yellow billed birds. after the boat cruise, you will go for a rest at the lodge in the evening as you wait for dinner and an overnight stay. Accommodation options; chobe safari lodge/ baker’s lodge (luxury), pakuba lodge/ murchison river lodge (moderate), red chili rest camp (budget)
Day 12: Visit the top of the falls and drive to hoima for cultural experience.
After breakfast, you will drive to the top of murchison falls for photography and then drive to hoima town, on your way you will have stops for sightseeing and community visits, upon arrival in hoima you will check in at your lodge and have lunch, afternoon you will go for a cultural experience tour with major cultural activities including the traditional banyoro cultural dance, community walks where you will walk down to katasiha fort where omukama kabalega’s cave is found and later you will retire back to the lodge for overnight. drive time: 3-4 hours.
Day 13: Transfer to kibale forest national park
Today you will drive to kibale forest national park. you will pass through many traditional villages as you enjoy local people carrying out agriculture. After enjoying this platform of green tea, you will continue to kibale forest national park which is one of the great rain forests in africa. this forest is mainly famous for around 13 primate species with chimpanzees being the main tracked chimpanzees. the park is also next to bigodi wetland which is managed and own by the local people in the area, this place is famous for primate watching as well as birding. upon arrival at the park, you will check into your lodge and after proceed to visit the scenic crater lakes plus the terraced tea plantations around the hill of fort portal. this crater lake sits on lake nyinambuga where tourists can take a walk as they enjoy the cool breeze of this lake. after, return to the lodge to enjoy lunch as you relax and wait for your dinner and overnight. Accommodation options; ndali lodge (luxury), kibale forest camp/ kibale guest cottages (moderate)
Day 14: chimpanzee trekking and bigodi wetland visit
wake up so early and head to kanyanchu by 8:00 am to start your chimpanzee trek in kibale forest. as you proceed with the search of these beautiful chimps, you will view many other primate and animal species including the lhoests monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkey, grey cheeked mangabeys, bush babies and many bird species including yellow spotted nictor, ramped tinker, crowed eagle, as well as the elephants which are mammals. these primates are located by listening to their pant hooting calls, and then hurry to the place where they are calling from. you get a chance to observe them as they play, feed; socialize as well as jumping around the trees, you will return to the lodge for lunch as you prepare to visit bigodi wetland sanctuary where you will view more primates like the blue monkeys, baboon, otters, bush bucks, mangoose, bush pigs and many more. this place is also known for many species like the great blue turaco and the green breasted pitta.
accommodation options; ndali lodge (luxury), kibale forest camp/ kibale guest cottages (moderate)
Day 15: Transfer to queen elizabeth national park
Today you will drive to queen elizabeth national park which is famous for wildlife and chimpanzee species. The park has a variety of animal species like the impalas, kobs, forest hogs, elephants, buffaloes, tree climbing lions, and the cape buffaloes. this national park is also filled with many volcanic calderas which harbor many flamingos on several seasons. upon arrival, you will have lunch and then do the afternoon boat cruise on kazinga channel where you will see various of animals like crocodiles, hippos, water bucks, buffaloes as well as birds like the storks, king fishers among others.
accommodation options; katara lodge/mweya safari lodge (luxury), kasenyi safari camp/ihamba safari lodge (moderate), simba safari camp (budget)
Day 16: Game drive and boat cruise on kazinga channel
Enjoy a morning game drive where you will see various animals like elephants, elands, antelopes, buffaloes, lions among others. after having your lunch at the lodge, you will transfer mweya for boat cruise. 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 600 water bird species recorded here. there are also antelopes, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes and hippos which can be sighted while on the boat.
accommodation options; katara lodge/mweya safari lodge (luxury), kasenyi safari camp/ihamba safari lodge (moderate), simba safari camp (budget)
Day 17: Transfer to bwindi impenetrable national park
Embark on your journey to bwindi forest a home to mountain gorillas covering an area of 331.sq.km. pass through the ishasha sector where you will get a chance of watching tree climbing lions, also enjoy various spectacular landscapes on your way. arrive in the park and have a guided nature walk, have dinner and an overnight stay at any lodge of your choice.
accommodation options; chameleon hill lodge (luxury), four gorillas lodge (moderate)
Day 18: Gorilla trekking- bwindi impenetrable
On this day, you will have a great time meeting with the mountain gorillas in bwindi impenetrable forest! after a tasty breakfast you will drive to starting point for briefing and enjoy the fullness of the mist forest as you see the gentle giants and other wild life species like buffaloes, forest elephants, monkeys, butterflies, and different bird species. only one hour is given to you with the gorillas. locating gorillas can take a few hours or the whole day depending on how far they moved from the place they spent the previous night. after the trek, in the evening you could go for a guided nature walk or a community visit.
accommodation options; chameleon hill lodge (luxury), four gorillas lodge (moderate)
Day 19: Transfer to mgahinga gorilla national park.
Today you will drive to mgahinga gorilla national park, the park is boasted by one resident gorilla family (nyakagezi) and the other visitor from the volcanoes (hirwa) and golden monkeys this makes the park interesting to visit. the park offers many activities that one can involve in while here. late in the afternoon you will head out for a boat ride on lake chahafi and visit the local community.
accommodation options; Mout Gahinga lodge, Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge, Mgahinga Gorilla Triangle Lodge
Day 20: Golden monkey trekking
Today you will go to mgahinga national park headquarters for either full day golden monkey habituation experience or half day golden monkey trekking. you will be briefed about the dos and don’ts while with golden monkeys and then proceed to the mountain/forest for your trek. you will be allowed enough time with researchers if you choose to do golden monkey experience and only one hour if you choose to do golden monkey trekking. return to your lodge for relaxation,
accommodation options; Mout Gahinga lodge, Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge, Mgahinga Gorilla Triangle Lodge
Day 21: scenic drive to lake bunyonyi
Drive from mgahinga national park to lake bunyonyi in kabale district. lake bunyonyi is one of the three lava damned lakes in uganda. 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.
accommodation options; Lake Bunyonyi overland camp, Hawks eye, Acadia cottages, Birdnest Resort
Day 22: canoeing or hiking
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, you will visit the punishment island. the story about this island is the place where girls who got pregnant before marriage would be dumped and left to die, you can hike one of the hills around the lake bunyonyi.
accommodation options; Lake Bunyonyi overland camp, Hawks eye, Acadia cottages, Birdnest Resort
Day 23: Transfer to lake mburo national park
Today after breakfast, you will drive to lake mburo national park which is the among uganda’s smallest savannah national parks. it is a home to 332 bird species, animals like buffaloes, oribis, kobs, warthogs, zebras among others. upon arrival at the park, you will check in and have lunch Afternoon you will go for the boat cruise along the lake. still a lot of animals will be seen like crocodiles, hippos among others. the lake is also famous for its bird life, majestic fish eagles, and colorful kingfishers. if you are lucky, you might even catch a glimpse with the rare shoebill storks.
accommodation options; mihingo lodge (luxury), rwakobo rock (moderate), eagles nest/ leopard’s rest camp (budget)
Day 24: Morning game drive and afternoon boat excursion
after breakfast, you will drive you to the park for a game drive. a game drive in lake mburo national park will guarantee you herds of buffaloes, zebras, impalas, birds and so much more without driving so much. retire to the lodge for lunch, relaxation and then an evening boat cruise on the lake.
after lunch and short relaxation, you will be driven to the lake to meet your captain of the day who will take you for a two hour boat excursion. lake mburo boat cruise is an opportunity to see hippos, crocodiles, water bird such as the african fish eagle and the rare african fin foot. many animals such as buffaloes and antelopes gather here to drink some water so an opportunity to enjoy wildlife most especial marine animals. accommodation options; mihingo lodge (luxury), rwakobo rock (moderate), eagles nest/ leopard’s rest camp (budget
Day 25: Morning safari walk and departure
after breakfast, you will be met by a uganda wildlife authority ranger guide who will take you through briefing and then for a safari walk on foot. this activity is suitable for those who would like to stretch their legs and view wildlife on foot. at the moment, it’s only in lake mburo where you can do safari on foot. you will get an opportunity to see what you could have seen on any game drive except that this time around you will do it on foot. check out of the lodge and drive back to kampala with lunch served en route.
accommodation options; Protea Hotel Kampala, Kampala Serena Hotel,Golden Tulip Canaan Kampala
Day 26: Departure.
After breakfast you will bid farewell to the lodge then proceed to the airport to catch your onward international flight out ending you 26 day best of uganda. we truly hope that you had a memorable experience that you will remember for many years to come. Have a safe onward journey and we hope that uganda will always be close to your hearts!