Explore and experience uniquely what the Pearl of Africa has to offer the world only on our ultimate 21 days Uganda safari holiday. This long holiday trip offers a complete African wilderness experience in Uganda. Your safari package covers Central, Eastern, North-western circuit and western regions of Uganda ushering you into the country’s top safari destinations for you to enjoy the most thrilling experiences of lifetime.
On your 21 days Uganda safari holiday, expect to explore the Source of the Nile while on white water rafting, hiking to the Sipi Falls-series of 3 waterfalls on the lowlands of Mt. Elgon. It also includes game drives in Pian Upe Reserve & Kidepo Valley National Park-North-eastern circuit, Murchison Falls National Park in the North-western circuit and in Queen Elizabeth National Park – a medley of wonders.
It also covers primate adventures in Kibale Forest National Park (chimpanzee tracking) and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (mountain gorilla trekking). The 21 days, 20 nights Uganda safari holiday begins and ends in Entebbe/Kampala.
Detailed itinerary.
Day 1: Entebbe International Airport (on arrival) & drive to Jinja.
Pick up at Entebbe Airport (EBB) upon early arrival and be briefed by your safari leader in Uganda. After, expect to be transferred to Jinja (The adrenaline capital of East Africa) where you will check into your hotel or lodge.
You will drive along Kampala-Jinja highway that separates Mabira Forest into 2 parts. Lunch will be had in Jinja and later in the evening, expect a memorable sunset cruise on the Source of R. Nile.
Day 2: Rafting on the Source of R. Nile – Jinja.
Rise up early and have a tasty breakfast, after, vacate your hotel or lodge room for half-day rafting experience. The white-water rafting experience (starting at 9:00am and lasts for about 2-4 hours) will be done along the Source of the Nile taking you towards the most challenging rapids/grades. Retreat thereafter to check out of your hotel or lodge in Jinja-well prepared to set off to Sipi Falls about 195.4kms, approximately 3 and half hours’ drive.
Day 3: Sipi Falls (hiking experience).
Have breakfast early and after, vacate your hotel/lodge room for the Sipi Falls hiking adventure in Kapchorwa district-Eastern Uganda. Your trek leads you to the triple/series of 3 beautiful waterfalls that make up the Sipi Falls-the highest cascading falls at 100m, the second at 85m and the lower cascades at elevation of 75m. A complete trek to explore the Sipi Falls takes an estimate of 3-4 hours less or more depending on your level of physical wellness.
Retreat from your hike to top of triple Sipi Falls, have lunch and relaxation at your hotel or lodge. Later, you will end your Sipi Falls expedition with coffee tour. This ushers you into the nearby villages to explore more on how coffee is grown till it is ready for consumption. After, get back to retire for the night in your respective lodges or hotels.
Day 4: Mbale to Pian Upe Game Reserve; North-Eastern Uganda.
Check out of your hotel or lodge after breakfast. Next, Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve in North-eastern Uganda will be your destination that is included on your 21 days Uganda safari holiday. This nature reserve is set just along the North-East of the Triple Sipi Falls and upon early arrival, lunch be offered at your respective safari camps.
In the afternoon, expect to explore the nearby homesteads of the Karamojong in North-eastern Uganda. The Karamojong are the native occupants in Pian Upe Reserve-Karamoja region, North-eastern Uganda. Your visit will include interaction with the Karamojong, explore and experience in-depth more about their lifestyle, traditions, cultures.
Day 5: Pian Upe Reserve-Kidepo Valley National Park.
Breakfast early and after, be of the unforgettable game drive along the vast savannas of Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, Uganda’s second biggest protected area. In your comfortable safari vehicle, expect excellent view of roan antelopes, birds especially ostriches, Karamoja apalis; the Rothschild giraffes, big game-elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, cheetahs. After, drive to check into the lodge/camp at Kidepo Valley National Park (KVNP), North-eastern Uganda.
Day 6: Explore Kidepo N/Park (Game drive & cultural experience)
A cup of tea/coffee and after, go experience the best of extensive semi-arid savanna plains of Kidepo Valley National Park on a game drive tour. Expect a magical encounter of Africa’s amazing animal species such as lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, zebras, giraffes, antelopes, birds, cheetahs.
Your game drive safari along Kidepo savanna plains also lets you enjoy breathtaking landscape of the park characterized by rocky outcrops, hills. Drive back to your camp for lunch and later, expect to interact with the Karamojong in their communities while on cultural tour.
Day 7: Kidepo – Murchison Falls National Park (North-western circuit).
Have a tasty cup of tea/coffee then begin your journey to Murchison Falls National Park (North-Western Circuit), approximately 6-7 hours’ drive. Have lunch along the way before connecting to Murchison to check into your lodge for overnight stay.
Day 8: Murchison Falls N/Park (Game drive & boat tour).
Breakfast early and after, go experience savanna plains of Murchison Falls N/P in the Northern section while on a game drive. Starting early and lasting for 2-4 hours, expect to see big cats, buffaloes, Rothschild giraffes, elephants, birds, antelopes (including hartebeest, Uganda Kobs, Oribis), other mammals and then return for lunch.
Relaxation and lunch before setting off for the 2 to 5pm boat tour to the base of Murchison Falls. This watersport is full of interesting things especially views of basking the Nile crocodiles, hippos, water birds and when you disembark from your boat upon reaching the base of the falls, next you trek to the top of the falls.
Day 9: Murchison Falls National Park to Kibale National Park (for chimpanzee trekking).
After breakfast, leave Murchison Falls National Park in the North-western circuit for Kibale (The primate capital of the world). The 7-8 hours’ journey takes you via Hoima while being treated with breathtaking views of Albertine rift valley escarpments, homesteads. In Fort Portal, have lunch and connect to Kibale Forest National Park East Africa’s preferred primate destination.
Day 10: Kibale Forest N/Park (chimpanzee trekking & Bigodi guided walk).
Enjoy a hefty breakfast and after, go attend briefing on Kibale chimpanzee tracking rules & regulations starting from 6:30 to 8:00am. On a normal trek to see chimpanzees, a group of 6 visitors is accompanied by an experienced park guide. He or she is very knowledgeable about chimpanzees’ behaviors and also other faunal and floral species.
Retreat from your 4 hours’ chimp trek to have lunch at the lodge and next, be part of the memorable Bigodi guided walk. On a Bigodi guided walk, you will come across birds, interesting primates plus several other species of mammals. After interaction and photography, get back to have lunch at the lodge.
Day 11: Kibale – Queen Elizabeth National Park, Western Uganda.
Breakfast in your lodge in Kibale and after, 3-4 hours’ drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Fort Portal city. Lunch be enjoyed in a lodge upon arrival and you will set off for the afternoon game drive to look out for big game in the northern savanna plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Drive back while enjoying the sunset, more species of wildlife as they rush to their places to retire for the night and have adequate rest ready for the next day’s morning game drive experience.
Day 12: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Game drive & boat trip.
Morning breakfast and after, Kasenyi Plains game drive for 2-3 hours to see Uganda Kobs, elephants, buffaloes, hartebeest, lions, bushbucks, birds, warthogs. After photo taking and magical encounter of savanna dwellers, drive back to have a relaxed lunch at the lodge.
Launch/boat trip follows in the afternoon along Kazinga channel offering excellent sight of Crocodiles, huge profusion of hippos, plus some elephants, buffaloes, birds to mention but a few.
Day 13: Game drive to see Tree climbing lions (Ishasha sector) & drive to Bwindi N/P.
Vacate your lodge room in QNP for yet another thrilling game drive experience along Ishasha area where you will come across relaxed tree climbing lions. The morning game drive along this sector offers the best view of these unique creatures chilling on the fig trees. After, drive and have lunch in Savanna resort then next will be to connect to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for overnight stay at the lodge.
Day 14: Bwindi National Park (Gorilla trekking & Batwa pygmies community tour).
Early morning breakfast and after, attend briefing on Bwindi gorilla trekking guidelines starting at 6:30 to 8:00am. It will be the park official’s task to assign/allocate a gorilla group family to each group of 8 visitors before setting off on actual trek to see mountain gorillas at 8:00am with a guide.
Trekking with mountain gorillas lasts for 2-6 hours (please carry some snacks & bottled water being unpredictable adventure) although this can less or more depending on how gorilla move, your fitness level and nature of the habitat.
Later, you will spend an hour with gorillas upon locating them, take photos and learn about their behaviors. Return to the lodge and in the evening, you will be visiting the Batwa pygmy’s community to enjoy a cultural experience, learn the Batwa’s ancient hunting and gathering techniques.
Day 15: Bwindi to Lake Bunyonyi.
Breakfast before you leave for Lake Bunyonyi from Bwindi National Park. Enjoy the spectacular view of Southwestern Uganda’s rolling hills, terraces and you will have lunch upon arrival at the lodge around Lake Bunyonyi. Next, community tour experience at the nearby community and then retire for overnight stay.
Day 16: Lake Bunyonyi experience (A boat ride & zip lining).
Get early morning breakfast and after, go for a boat ride along Lake Bunyonyi. This incorporates sightseeing and bird sighting. Explore one of the Lake Bunyonyi’s 29 islands where you may also participate in zip lining experience. Touch and feel the water of this lake which is known to be one of the deepest fresh water lakes in the whole world.
Day 17: Bunyonyi to Lake Mburo N/park.
A cup of tea/coffee & leave Lake Bunyonyi in the popular Switzerland of Africa-Kabale for Lake Mburo N/Park. This is a compact savanna park with huge profusion of zebras, impalas, topis, elands, plus warthogs, giraffes, buffaloes, lions, leopards. Most of the park’s interesting wildlife species can be spotted en-route a game drive to your lodge.
Day 18: Explore Lake Mburo (Game drive & boat cruise experience).
Have enjoyable breakfast and after, catch up with early morning risers while on a game drive tour. The 2-3 game drive Lake Mburo comes with exciting sight of topis, zebras, warthogs, cape buffaloes, impalas, giraffes. Lunch be enjoyed in the relaxed way and then you join others for Lake Mburo boat tour to see crocodiles, waterbirds, hippos.
Day 19: From Lake Mburo back to Kampala.
A cup of tea/coffee be offered early and later, go enjoy Lake Mburo guided nature walk with an armed guide. After the nature walk get back to check out from the lodge. Drive to shoot incredible pictures at the Equator crossing and perform the experiment. Lunch be provided en-route to Kampala in a classic hotel and overnight in a hotel upon arrival in Kampala.
Day 20: Kampala city expedition.
A relaxed breakfast and after, leave the hotel room for Kampala city expedition to visit numerous cultural & historical centers. The areas of focus will be Kabaka’s palace of Buganda, Gadhafi National Mosque, Bahai Temple, Namugongo Martyrs shrine-these can be explored till lunch time. After lunch, go visit the Uganda national museum & then get to Ndere cultural centre for a remarkable cultural and traditional dances and music performance in the evening.
Day 21: Depart Kampala for Entebbe Airport (EBB).
Have a relaxed cup of tea or coffee and after, vacate your hotel in Kampala for Entebbe Airport (EBB) to fly back home-End of the safari holiday.
