Experience this Uganda Wildlife Adventure and travel around this extraordinary country a this 11-day safari.
Your adventure starts on a high with a visit to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, getting you up close with one of Africa’s Big 5 heavyweights. At Murchison Falls National Park, engage in thrilling wildlife encounters during game drives and boat cruises on River Nile. Proceed to Kibale Forest, where walks into the lush forest bring you into contact with a variety of birds and primates, including our delightful cousins, Chimpanzees!
In Queen Elizabeth National Park – an enchanting Savanah paradise, you will encounter a variety of animals and birds in a scenic wildlife experience including a boat ride on the Kazinga Channel. Your safari ends on a high as you visit Bwindi Impenetrable’s thick rain forests offering a wide variety of tree species – a habitat for man’s closest rare primates – the mountain gorillas. Bwindi is home to roughly 480 mountain gorillas, which is half of the world’s remaining population and your chance of encountering a group is approximately 99 percent. Staring into the deep brown pensive eyes of these gentle giants is a truly magical, yet humbling experience.
Destinations Visited; Entebbe, Murchison Falls, Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks plus Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
Contact us for custom tour details! Please note that this is a Sample Itinerary and can be altered to best suit your travel needs.
Highlights
STARTS AT
USD per Person
THIS IS A CUSTOMIZABLE ITINERARY FOR GROUPS OF ALL SIZES.
DATES ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
DAY 1: WELCOME TO ENTEBBE, UGANDA
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, our company representative will meet, greet and transfer you to your hotel for relaxation & overnight.
Overnight: Entebbe No. 5 Boutique Hotel (or similar)
Meals: -/-/-
DAY 2: RHINO TREKKING TO MURCHISON FALLS
Your safari begins on a high; you will head out North West of Uganda to Murchison Falls National Park. En-route, you will trek rhinos at the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary- this Rhino reserve is a true success story of the revival of rhinoceros after the extreme poaching that killed the last rhino in Uganda in 1982. Doing this guided trek gets you “up close and personal” to these special animals that are among Africa’s signature ‘Big Five’ animals.
After your rhino trekking excursion, you proceed to Murchison Falls National Park – the meandering Victoria Nile and the dramatic Murchison Falls neatly bisecting Uganda’s largest park, here you’d expect a wide range of animals and you’d be right. It’s a stunning habitat for wildlife and it’s where to go in Uganda for classic big game species.
Before checking into your lodge, you drive to the top of the Murchison falls with magnificent views below. See where the world’s longest river explodes violently through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge into a frothing pool 43m below.
Overnight: Murchison River Lodge (Standard Room)
Meals: B/L/D
DAY 3: GAME DRIVE & BOAT CRUISE – MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK
Early in the morning, you head out on a morning game drive when the animals are the most active since it’s not so bright and temperatures are cooler. This is a good time to spot wild animals. A drive through the park brings you eye-to-eye with the African animal kingdom: elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, lions, leopards, different species of antelope and many tropical birds.
After lunch, a 3hour Boat Cruise along the Victoria Nile will lead you to the base of the Murchison Falls. Along the way, you will be able to view a wide variety of birds and wildlife; numerous hippos, elephants and crocodiles, as well as breath-taking scenery.
Overnight: Murchison River Lodge (or similar)
Meals: B/L/D
DAY 4: DELTA CRUISE & GAME DRIVE
7:00AM, a morning trip to the Lake Albert Delta is a must do for any bird and wildlife enthusiast. The Victoria Nile delta, a 20km voyage downstream from Paraa, is home to rare wetland birds including shoebill and papyrus endemic species. This cruise is exclusive, intimate, charming and the perfect way to get fully immersed in Uganda’s gifts of nature.
In the evening head out for another game drive in search for more wildlife in Uganda’s largest conservation park endowed with beautiful scenery and abundant wildlife.
Overnight: Murchison River Lodge or Similar
Meals: B/L/D
DAY 5: KIBALE FOREST
After breakfast, you embark on a Safari route to Kibale forest- home of great apes! This tropical forest boasts of the highest number of primate species in the world, including our delightful cousins- the Chimpanzees. At the moment, in Uganda, there are approximately 4,950 Chimps left in the wild, which makes this forest a perfect and best place to spot chimpanzees in Africa!
You will drive through a scenic lush green countryside. On arrival at Kibale Forest; you will enter a completely different world… some serious monkey business. The forest is home to at least 12 Primate species including the Red-Tailed Monkey, Olive Baboon, Black and White Colobus plus Blue Monkeys. The bird life in the forest is also prolific and includes the beautiful Great Blue Turaco. If you are very lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of the meandering herd of Forest Elephant.
Overnight: Papaya Lake Lodge (or Similar)
Meals: B/L/D
DAY 6: SWAMP WALK & CHIMP TRACKING
After a leisurely breakfast, you head out for a nature excursion taking you through the Bigodi Community. Your walk (1- 2 hours) will take you through grassland and some beautiful scenery. It is usual to spot 3 or 4 different primate species during this walk though the highlight is catching a glimpse of the Great Blue Turaco bird!
02:00pm Your Chimpanzee tracking excursion will commence. Kibale Forest boasts of the highest number of primate species in the world, including our delightful cousins- the Chimpanzees. At this moment, in Uganda, there are approximately 4,950 Chimps left in the wild, which makes this forest a perfect and best place to spot chimpanzees in Africa! During the excursion, your ranger will point out the other species living in the forest, including birds, flora and fauna.
Of course, the stars of the show are chimpanzees and nine other species of primate. Smaller than their gorilla cousins but no less charming, intelligent or expressive, chimp families can cover vast distances and the trek in Kibale forest to find them will be filled all sorts of enchanting encounters.
Overnight: Papaya Lake Lodge (or similar)
Meals: B/L/D
DAY 7: QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK & BOAT CRUISE
You’ll proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park the oldest & second largest National Park in Uganda located at the base of the massive Rwenzori Mountains, adjacent to lakes Edward& George, covered by Savannah plains that provide an abundance of Game viewing like; Elephants that trumpet when you get too close, lazy Leopards laying in the sun, abundant Gazelle and buck, Lions, Buffaloes, Hippos and others.
After a sumptuous lunch, you will take a boat safari along the Kazinga Channel- a natural channel which connects Lake Edward to Lake George. View Buffaloes, Elephants, Waterbucks, Crocodiles and the highest concentration of Hippos plus a variety of colorful species of Water birds like Crested Eagles, Pelicans and Cormorants – an Amazing diverse collection of the African animal Kingdom which comes to the waterhole to drink or bathe. This will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of your tour.
Overnight: Mweya Safari Lodge (or similar)
Meals: B/L/D
DAY 8: GAME DRIVES & SALT LAKE VISIT
In the morning and evening, you will go in for a game drive in time to see the sun rise & set. You will search for all the wildlife in the park; Elephants, Buffaloes, Lions, Waterbucks, Leopards, Uganda Kob, Warthogs, etc.
After your morning game drive, you engage in a Salt Lake visit on Lake Katwe one of the lakes known for substantial salt production. During this visit you will learn about the skill of salt water mining and get a chance to interact directly with the salt miners regarding their experiences during the salt mining process.
Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge (or similar)
Meals: B/L/D
DAY 9: BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST
Transfer to Bwindi Forest, you will proceed through the breathtaking; ever-green mountain countryside – to the magnificent swathe of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, surrounded by great views of the landscapes.
Check into your lodge for relaxation, as you get ready for your big day tomorrow.
Accommodation: Mahogany Springs (or similar)
Meals: B/L/D
DAY 10: BWINDI GORILLA TRACKING
Today is the big day… Prepare yourself for an encounter with Bwindi’s gentle giants: the rare Mountain Gorilla. For most people this is the absolute highlight of their tour in Uganda. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest boasts both Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzees – the only forest in Africa which can make this claim in fact. It also hosts five other species of primate, 113 species of mammal, over 200 butterflies and 360 birds.
You will be required to wake up early in the morning then be led to the visitor’s reception center for a briefing about the park. You are allocated guides before heading into the forest in search of Mountain Gorillas.
The Gorillas you will track belong to one of the habituated family groups that can tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period every day. Your trek will be an exciting journey along forested slopes, entwined vines, bushes and bamboo before you eventually reach the Gorillas’ habitat.
En-route, your guide will point out signs of previous Gorilla activity, including dung, nests and chewed bamboo shoots.
The time taken to track the Gorillas can take as little as 2 hours or more! Once the Gorillas have been located, your group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. Coming face-to-face with a Mountain Gorilla is a truly humbling and emotional experience. This is a fantastic and privileged opportunity to get up close and personal with Uganda’s very own ‘Gorillas in the Mist’.
This biologically diverse region also provides shelter to a further 120 mammals, including several primate species such as baboons and chimpanzees, as well as elephants and antelopes. There are around 350 species of birds hosted in this forest, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics.
Accommodation: Mahogany Springs (or similar)
Meals: B/L/D
DAY 13: DEPARTURE DAY
Aboard a small air craft, you fly back to Entebbe your starting point.
Before winding down your adventures in the ‘Pearl of Africa’ – embark on a sundowner cruise on Lake Victoria accompanied by drinks & snacks on board. Treat yourself to a sunset cruise on one of the largest freshwater lakes in East Africa. View the sun over the horizon and watch the fishermen cast their nets as you enjoy the snacks and drinks provided on board. This is a perfect way to end a safari in Uganda.
After your cruise, you will transfer to the airport from where you’ll catch your departure flight back home.
This marks the end of what we hope will be an adventurous trip.
Thanks for travelling with Finisterra Travel!
Tour Exclusions
IMPORTANT NOTES
PLEASE NOTE: This itinerary is subject to change. Although we always do our best to stick to the itinerary, due to the ever-changing nature of Mother Nature, activities, hotels, and visits are subject to change due to forces beyond our control.
GORILLA PERMITS ($800 USD per person)
Gorilla permits and chimps permits are confirmed via payment of full amount to Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA), who confirm the permits on first come first served basis, subject to availability at the time of payment.
NB:
a) Gorilla Permits based on current Government Park Tariffs. Park fees are subject to change without prior notice.
b) Gorilla permits are non-refundable – must be paid in full at time of booking
FLIGHTS: Please do not purchase your flights until your trip is confirmed.
PASSPORTS: Must be valid for at least 6 months upon return date to your home country. Proper documentation is the responsibility of each traveller.
VISAS & VACCINATIONS: Responsibility of the traveller.
Date: Custom Departure available upon request
*Please note, the hotels and routing of this tour can be altered to best suit your needs. Pricing is based on 2 travellers and will be reduced with more travellers.
Travel Insurance
Cancellation, Travel, Flight, and Health insurance are required and are the responsibility of the participant to research and secure the appropriate coverage. Click HERE for a Travel Insurance Quote or please email nicola@finisterra.ca for a quote.
Check with your local travel agent /insurance provider/health plan for advice about traveling overseas.
Waiver Form
All participants will be required to sign a Waiver Form prior to departure.
Please note that these are just sample hotels and all accommodation is subject to change. We can upgrade hotels for an additional fee (or downgrade).
| Day | Itinerary | Accommodation | Meals |
| Day 1. | Arrival Uganda | No.5 Boutique Hotel | BB |
| Day 2. | Ziwa Rhino Trekking/ To Murchison Falls National Park/Visit the Top of the falls | Murchison River Lodge | FB |
| Day 3. | Game Drive/Afternoon Waterfall Cruise | Murchison River Lodge | FB |
| Day 4. | Delta Cruise/Evening Game drive | Murchison River Lodge | FB |
| Day 5. | To Kibale Forest | Papaya Lake Lodge | FB |
| Day 6. | Bigodi Swamp Walk/ Chimp Tracking | Papaya Lake Lodge | FB |
| Day 7. | To Queen Elizabeth National Park/Boat Cruise | Mweya Safari Lodge | FB |
| Day 8. | Morning Game Drive/ Salt Lake Visit/Evening Game drive | Mweya Safari Lodge | FB |
| Day 9. | To Bwindi Forest | Mahogany Springs Lodge | FB |
| Day 10. | Gorilla Trekking | Mahogany Springs Lodge | FB |
| Day 11. | Fly to Entebbe/ Lake Victoria Sunset Cruise/ Night Departure | Day use Room at Hotel No. 5 | FB |
TRAVEL INSURANCE
Even though we wish you a flawless trip, things can happen, especially nowadays. Make sure you are prepared with a Travel Insurance policy that is right for you. Finisterra recommends Manulife Insurance or John Hancock Please feel free to ask us about Trip Cancellation & Interruption Insurance, Cancel for Any Reason Policies, Travel Medical Insurance, or any other questions you may have.
TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR CANADIANS
Travel with confidence knowing that you’re covered with Manulife Insurance.
TRAVEL INSURANCE FOR AMERICANS – JOHN HANCOCK
Explore the world, stress-free, when you book travel insurance with John Hancock International.
WHY TRAVEL WITH US?
At Finisterra Travel we help you discover, push personal boundaries, and explore the unknown.
We are super passionate about sustainable, transformational, and adventure travel. Definitely not “armchair travellers”, we have firsthand experience of where you’ll be heading.No one wants to feel like a tourist which is why when we plan a custom travel experience for you, we strive to make your adventure as authentic as possible. We offer an array of Small Group Adventures & Custom Trips, and have something for every type of traveller.
Our unique itineraries are designed to best showcase some of our favourite destinations around Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, North America, and Europe. All itineraries are fully-customizable.Not your typical online travel agency, nor are we quite a tour operator, we are international travel designers with a flair for unique experiences. We’d love to hear from you!
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