6 Days Uganda Wildlife & Gorillas Safari

Drive north via Masindi (approx. 5–6 hours) to Murchison Falls National Park. Visit the top of the falls viewpoint. Check in at Paraa-area lodge overlooking the Victoria Nile.

Evening at leisure. Rothschild's giraffe and warthogs are common around the lodge grounds.

Murchison's top of falls can be visited on arrival day if departing Kampala before 08:00. Paraa lodges require ferry crossing from the southern bank — last ferry is approx. 19:00.

Pre-dawn game drive on the Buligi circuit — elephant, buffalo, Jackson's hartebeest and Uganda kob; lion and leopard at first light.

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.

Afternoon Nile launch cruise toward the falls base. Return for dinner at the lodge.

The Buligi Peninsula game circuit loops through riverine forest and open savannah — Hartlaub's bustard and Abyssinian ground hornbill are common on the northern bank. Ferry crossing at Paraa links the southern and northern sectors.

Nile crocodiles exceeding 4 metres are regularly seen on the Murchison launch cruise. African fish eagle and Goliath heron are the standout raptors and waders on the river.

Long drive southwest (approx. 7–8 hours) to Kibale National Park. If routing allows, chimp trek is Day 4 morning — otherwise a shortened afternoon briefing at Kanyanchu.

Overnight near Kibale. Kibale holds 13 primate species including red colobus and L'Hoest's monkey.

Fort Portal crater lakes (Ndali-Kasenda) offer optional stops on the Murchison–Kibale transfer. Chimp trek at Kanyanchu is typically 08:00 briefing — arrive the night before.

Morning chimpanzee trekking at Kanyanchu — typically 2–4 hours with one hour on contact. Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park (approx. 2–3 hours).

Safari activity | Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale

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

Afternoon Kazinga Channel boat safari — hippo pods, elephant and buffalo at the banks.

Queen Elizabeth entry is via Katunguru or Mweya gate. Kazinga boat departs 15:00 and 17:00 — afternoon slot is standard after Kibale transfer days.

Queen Elizabeth to Bwindi is the itinerary's pivot day — chimps at Kanyanchu (if not done Day 3) followed by Kazinga boat or Kasenyi drive before the long southwest transfer.

Dawn game drive on the Kasenyi Plains, then drive south to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (approx. 5–6 hours). Gorilla trek may be this afternoon if permit timing allows, or early next morning with overnight approach.

Safari activity | Mountain gorilla trekking

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

Full mountain gorilla trek — 2–8 hours round trip, one hour on contact. Afternoon rest at Bwindi lodge.

Gorilla permit day — sector may be Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija or Nkuringo. Drive from Queen Elizabeth to Bwindi takes 5–6 hours; overnight at Bwindi is required the night before trekking.

Bwindi overnight is non-negotiable before gorilla day — lodges require check-in by 18:00. Rain gear, garden gloves and sturdy boots are essential kit for forest trekking.

After breakfast (or post-trek morning rest), return drive north via Mbarara and the Equator (approx. 8–9 hours). Lunch en route; airport drop-off.

Return from Bwindi to Kampala (8–9 hours) is the longest single drive of the itinerary. Exit via Kigali (3–4 hours) is an alternative if your flight departs Rwanda. The Kabale–Mbarara road is tarmac throughout — allow a lunch stop at the Equator.