12 Days Uganda Gorilla and Wildlife Safari | Gorillas, Chimps & Big Five

Tour overview

12 Days Uganda Gorilla and Wildlife Safari combining Uganda’s northern savannah giants with southwestern primate forests. Murchison Falls delivers elephant, giraffe and the Nile launch; Queen Elizabeth adds lions and Kazinga hippos; Kibale supplies chimps; and Bwindi provides the gorilla climax — with Lake Mburo zebra country bookending the trip. Two full days in Murchison and two in Queen Elizabeth ensure wildlife viewing is not rushed between long transfers.

Places you visit

Key stops along this itinerary — customise dates and lodges when you enquire.

Entebbe (Start)

Murchison Falls National Park

Kibale National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Lake Mburo National Park

Entebbe (End)

Day-by-day itinerary

Entebbe arrival

Meet and greet at Entebbe International Airport or your Kampala hotel. Transfer to a lakeside hotel on Lake Victoria for a gentle start before the long driving days ahead. Depending on arrival time, stroll the Entebbe botanical gardens for colobus monkeys and hornbills, or unwind by the pool. Your guide confirms permit documents and tomorrow’s early departure north to Ziwa and Murchison Falls. Meals: Dinner Accommodation: Entebbe lakeside hotel

Day 1 | Accommodation

Options based on your package

Luxury: Protea Hotel by Marriott Entebbe, No.5 Boutique Hotel
Mid-range: Boma Guesthouse, Lake Victoria Serena
Budget: Airport Guesthouse, Entebbe Backpackers

Ziwa rhinos — Murchison Falls

Depart early north to Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch for on-foot rhino tracking with armed rangers (approx. 3 hours from Kampala). Continue into Murchison Falls National Park and visit the top of the falls viewpoint.

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 before Murchison’s savannah giants.

Check in at your Paraa-area lodge for dinner overlooking the Victoria Nile. Drive time: Approx. 5–6 hours total 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, Heritage Safari Lodge

Murchison game drive & Nile boat

Pre-dawn game drive on the northern bank Buligi circuit — Rothschild’s giraffe, elephant herds, buffalo and Uganda kob are common; lion and leopard are possible at first light. Return for breakfast at the lodge.

Safari activity | Nile boat cruise to Murchison Falls

Afternoon launch on the Victoria Nile toward the base of the falls — hippos, crocodiles, elephant at the water’s edge, and classic birdlife along the papyrus banks.

Afternoon launch cruise on the Victoria Nile toward the base of Murchison Falls. Two full days in Murchison ensure wildlife viewing is not rushed between long transfers. Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner Accommodation: Same lodge as Day 2

Murchison to Kibale Forest

After breakfast, begin the long drive southwest (approx. 6–7 hours) through Masindi, Hoima and Fort Portal. The landscape shifts from northern savannah to tea plantations and crater lakes. Stop for lunch en route in Fort Portal. Arrive at your Kibale National Park lodge by late afternoon. Drive time: Approx. 6–7 hours Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 4 | Accommodation

Options based on your package

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

Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale

Early briefing at Kanyanchu Visitor Centre, then join UWA rangers for a chimpanzee trek through Kibale’s mature rainforest. Tracking typically takes 2–4 hours with one hour on contact.

Safari activity | Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale

Track a habituated chimp community through mature rainforest with UWA rangers — one hour with the group once located, with excellent chances of close-up social behaviour.

Afternoon at leisure at the lodge or optional Bigodi wetland walk. Evening rest before tomorrow’s transfer to Queen Elizabeth. Trek duration: 2–4 hours typical Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Kibale to Queen Elizabeth

Morning drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park (approx. 2–3 hours) via Kasese. Check in near Mweya and lunch at the lodge. Afternoon game drive on the park tracks — elephant, buffalo, Uganda kob and warthog are common. Two full days in Queen Elizabeth follow, ensuring savannah viewing is not rushed. Drive time: Approx. 2–3 hours Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 6 | Accommodation

Options based on your package

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

Kasenyi & Kazinga — Queen Elizabeth

Dawn game drive on the Kasenyi Plains — lion prides stalk Uganda kob at first light; leopard, spotted hyena and elephant are regular. Return for breakfast at the lodge.

Safari activity | Kazinga Channel boat safari

Afternoon two-hour boat cruise on the channel linking Lakes George and Edward — dense hippo pods, elephant and buffalo on the banks.

Afternoon 2-hour Kazinga Channel boat safari — one of Africa’s densest hippo populations; buffalo and elephant herds drink at the banks. Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Queen Elizabeth to Bwindi

Check out after breakfast and drive south through the Ishasha sector, scanning fig trees for tree-climbing lions — a behaviour seen in only two places in Africa. Continue into the Kigezi highlands toward Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (approx. 5–6 hours total). The Ishasha stop breaks the long transfer and offers a last chance for tree-lion photos before the road climbs through terraced hillsides toward Bwindi’s montane forest. Arrive at your sector lodge by evening. Briefing on gorilla etiquette and tomorrow’s early start — sector (Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija or Nkuringo) follows your permit allocation. Porters are recommended on Bwindi’s steep, muddy trails; hire them at the trailhead on gorilla day. Drive time: Approx. 5–6 hours with Ishasha stop Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner Accommodation: Bwindi sector lodge

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi

Early breakfast and transfer to park headquarters for briefing. With UWA rangers and trackers, begin your mountain gorilla trek into Bwindi’s montane forest — trekking can take 2–8 hours.

Safari activity | Mountain gorilla trekking

Track a habituated gorilla family through Bwindi’s montane forest with UWA rangers — one hour with the group on contact, then your gorilla trekking certificate on return.

On contact, spend one hour with the habituated gorilla family. Afternoon rest at the lodge; porters are recommended on steep, muddy trails. Trek duration: 2–8 hours round trip Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch & dinner

Bwindi to Lake Mburo

After breakfast, transfer north to Lake Mburo National Park (approx. 5–6 hours) — Uganda’s compact zebra country. The drive descends from Bwindi’s highlands through Mbarara to the park’s acacia woodland. Lake Mburo bookends this twelve-day circuit with a gentler savannah experience after Bwindi’s forest climax — zebra, impala and eland replace montane gorilla habitat. Afternoon at leisure at Mihingo, Rwakobo or similar lodge. Optional sunset game drive if time allows. Drive time: Approx. 5–6 hours Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Day 10 | Accommodation

Options based on your package

Luxury: Mihingo Lodge
Mid-range: Rwakobo Rock, Arcadia Cottages Mburo
Budget: Eagle’s Nest, Lake Mburo Safari Lodge

Lake Mburo game drive & boat

Morning game drive on the park tracks — zebra, impala, eland, topi and bushbuck are common; leopard are occasionally spotted. Return for breakfast at the lodge.

Safari activity | Lake Mburo boat cruise

Afternoon launch on the park’s central lake — close-range hippo, crocodile and waterbird viewing among papyrus and acacia woodland.

Afternoon boat cruise on Lake Mburo — hippo, crocodile and African fish eagle along the papyrus-fringed shoreline. Mburo bookends the trip with a gentler savannah experience after Bwindi’s forest climax. Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Mburo — Entebbe departure

Breakfast at the lodge, then short drive to Entebbe (approx. 3–4 hours) for your departure flight. Optional morning game drive en route if your flight allows — zebra and impala are often seen from the park exit road. Northern savannah giants at Murchison, two full days in Queen Elizabeth for lions and hippos, Kibale chimps, Bwindi gorillas and Mburo zebra country bookending the trip — a comprehensive twelve-day circuit without rushing wildlife between long transfers. Airport drop-off for afternoon or evening flights, or overnight in Entebbe on request. Drive time: Approx. 3–4 hours Meals: Breakfast & lunch

12 Days Uganda Wildlife and Gorillas Safari

Tour overview

Places you visit

Route

Uganda