7 Days Uganda Wildlife Tour

Ziwa rhino tracking — Murchison Falls approach

Drive north to Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch (approx. 3 hours). On foot with armed rangers, track southern white rhinos.

Safari activity | Ziwa rhino tracking on foot

Walk with armed rangers to within safe viewing distance of southern white rhinos — Uganda's only wild rhino experience.

Continue to Murchison Falls National Park. Overnight near the park southern gate or Masindi. Drive time: Approx. 5–6 hours total Meals: Lunch & dinner

Day 1 | Accommodation

Options based on your package

Mid-range: Masindi Hotel, Fort Murchison
Budget: Kabalega Resort Masindi

Murchison Falls — game drive & Nile boat cruise

Visit the top of the falls, then check in at Paraa. Pre-dawn or afternoon game drive on the Buligi circuit — elephant, buffalo, Rothschild's giraffe and Uganda kob.

Safari activity | Nile boat cruise to Murchison Falls

Launch on the Victoria Nile toward the base of the falls — hippos, crocodiles, elephant at the water's edge.

Afternoon Nile launch cruise. Murchison Nile cruise runs 14:00 and 16:30 departures from Paraa — afternoon slot follows morning game drive. Goliath heron and saddle-billed stork are common on the papyrus banks. Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 2 | Accommodation

Options based on your package

Luxury: Nile Safari Lodge, Bakers Lodge
Mid-range: Paraa Safari Lodge, Fort Murchison
Budget: Red Chilli Rest Camp

Murchison to Kibale — chimpanzee trekking

Drive southwest (approx. 7–8 hours) to Kibale National Park. Morning chimp trek if routing places Kibale arrival early enough, otherwise Day 4 morning.

Safari activity | Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale

Track a habituated chimp community through mature rainforest with UWA rangers — one hour with the group once located.

Overnight near Kibale. Kibale to Queen Elizabeth transfer passes through Kasese at the Rwenzori foothills. Chimp trek at Kanyanchu uses morning slot (08:00 briefing) on Day 3 or 4. Drive time: Approx. 7–8 hours Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 3 | Accommodation

Options based on your package

Luxury: Kyaninga Lodge, Ndali Lodge
Mid-range: Primate Lodge Kibale, Turaco Treetops
Budget: Kibale Forest Camp

Queen Elizabeth — Kazinga & Kasenyi

Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park (approx. 2–3 hours). Game drive on the Kasenyi Plains and Kazinga Channel boat safari.

Safari activity | Kazinga Channel boat safari

Two-hour cruise on the channel — dense hippo pods, elephant and buffalo on the banks, outstanding birding.

Lion, leopard, elephant and Uganda kob on the morning drive. Hippo pods and buffalo on the afternoon cruise. Kazinga Channel boat holds African skimmer (breeding season), malachite kingfisher and pink-backed pelican. Mammal focus: hippo (5,000+), buffalo and elephant at the banks. Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 4 | Accommodation

Options based on your package

Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge, Kyambura Gorge Lodge
Mid-range: Enganzi Lodge, Bush Lodge
Budget: Pumba Safari Cottages

Ishasha tree-climbing lions or Kyambura Gorge

Drive south to the Ishasha sector for tree-climbing lions (approx. 2 hours from Mweya), or optional Kyambura Gorge chimp tracking (separate permit) in the morning.

Safari activity | Ishasha tree-climbing lion search

Game drive scanning fig trees for Ishasha's famous tree-climbing lions — a behaviour seen in only two places in Africa.

Overnight in Ishasha or return to Mweya-area lodge depending on routing toward Mburo tomorrow. Ishasha's lions climb sycamore figs and acacia tortilis — researchers link the behaviour to tsetse-fly avoidance and thermoregulation. The sector gate opens at 07:00 for dawn drives. Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 5 | Accommodation

Options based on your package

Luxury: Ishasha Wilderness Camp
Mid-range: Ishasha Jungle Lodge, Enjojo Lodge
Budget: Topi Lodge

Lake Mburo National Park — zebra & boat

Drive to Lake Mburo National Park (approx. 4–5 hours from Ishasha). Afternoon game drive — Burchell's zebra, impala, eland and Rothschild's giraffe.

Safari activity | Lake Mburo boat cruise

Afternoon launch on the lake — hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds at close range along the papyrus fringe.

Check in at your Mburo lodge. Uganda's only park with impala. Lake Mburo is the smallest savannah park (370 km²) but holds the highest leopard density per km² in Uganda. Night game drives (separate permit) are available from Mihingo Lodge. Drive time: Approx. 4–5 hours Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 6 | Accommodation

Options based on your package

Luxury: Mihingo Lodge, Kigambira Safari Lodge
Mid-range: Rwakobo Rock, Mburo Safari Lodge
Budget: Eagles Nest Lodge

Lake Mburo — return to Kampala

Optional morning game drive or boat cruise, then return to Kampala/Entebbe (approx. 4–5 hours). Lunch en route; airport drop-off. Mburo to Kampala (4–5 hours) completes the circuit without gorilla permit cost. Shoebill extension at Mabamba Bay (1 day) is available from Entebbe before international departure. Mburo morning activities finish by 11:00 to allow 4–5 hours driving to Entebbe for evening international flights. Tarmac road throughout via Masaka. Drive time: Approx. 4–5 hours Meals: Breakfast & lunch

Tour overview

Places you visit

Day-by-day itinerary

Ziwa rhino tracking — Murchison Falls approach

Murchison Falls — game drive & Nile boat cruise