Our 9 Days Uganda Tour is 8 nights/9 days tour in Uganda offering Gorilla trekking in Bwindi, Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest, wildlife viewing in Queen Elizabeth & Lake Mburo National Parks, Lake Bunyonyi community tours, and scenic views.
You will start your 9 days Uganda tour by exploring the legendary Amabere caves and go straight to our first highlight, Kibale National Park which is possibly the best place in the world to track wild chimpanzees. Over 1500 Chimpanzees live here along with 12 other primate species.
After a quick stopover at Ruboni Community on the foothills of Rwenzori Mountains (Africa’s highest Moutain range at 5109m), we will continue to our second top highlight of the trip- Queen Elizabeth National Park. This amazing park has a record of over 610 bird species and 96 mammal species including Hippos, Elephants, Buffalo, Leopards, elusive Chimpanzees, and the uncommon tree-climbing lion. Here we will undertake classic game drives on the scenic savannah plains and a wonderful boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel to view some of the largest concentrations of Hippos in the world.
Continuing on our journey, we reach Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a World Heritage site, that contains the top highlight of this entire trip; the endangered Moutain gorillas (our human cousins). Encountering these gentle giants of the forests is a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience and your gorilla trekking tour here is a great opportunity to be where nearly half of the world’s Moutain gorillas live, about 459 individuals at last count.
This 9 days Uganda tour starts and ends in Kampala via Lake Mburo National Park where we will enjoy a game walking safari among the wild mammals of this Uganda’s smallest but most beautiful savannah park.
Please contact us and enjoy a wildlife-focused, value-for-money trip tailored to your budget and interests.
Spend a magical hour with the gentle giants of the forests, Mountain gorillas
Tracking wild chimpanzees (our closest genetic relatives) on foot in a tropical rain forest
Undertake a wonderful boat trip on the spectacular hippo-filled Kazinga Channel
Enjoy game drives in the scenic savannah plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park
Encounter the uncommon tree-climbing lions in Ishasha
Walk among the wild mammals of Lake Mburo National Park
Visit cultural sites; learn about life in Uganda and the country’s history.
Day 1 & 2: Kibale National Park.
Day 3, 4 & 5: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 6: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Day 7: Lake Bunyonyi
Day 8: Lake Mburo National Park
Day 9: Transfer to Kampala
Day 1: Drive from Kampala to Kibale National Park.
Day 2: Do Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale & Bigodi Swamp Walk in the Afternoon.
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park & enjoy an evening game drive upon arrival.
Day 4: Morning game drive in Kasenyi, Kazinga Channel boat cruise & Evening game drive.
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking in Kalinzu Forest Reserve & transfer to Ishasha sector.
Day 6: Game Drive in Ishasha sector & transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi & transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for relaxation.
Day 8: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park, enjoy an evening game drive upon arrival.
Day 9: Enjoy a morning game walking safari in Mburo and transfer to Kampala.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section i_icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-bars” add_icon=”true” title=”Safari Details” tab_id=”1599902497018-5567fb3d-d184″][vc_column_text]
After an early breakfast at the hotel in Kampala at around 6.30 am, we will drive to Fort Portal Area to the west of Uganda. It is a drive of about 5 hours (300km). We will enjoy some wonderful scenery along the way: good views of rural landscapes, en route towns, inselbergs of Mubende, swamps, and forests both natural and plantation.
We will have lunch in Fort Portal town after which you undertake a heritage tour to Amabere cave which is named after the live stalactite formation, Amabeere ga Nyinamwiru (literally, Breast of Nyinamwiru) which resembles the twin breasts of a woman. The woman in question is Nyinamwiru, a legendary princess who is said to have been so beautiful that no man could leave her alone.
When Nyinamwiru’s father King Bukuku became weary of receiving marital requests from unsuitable suitors, he took the extreme measure of cutting off his daughter’s breasts in order to make her less attractive. But even this proved to be insufficient to deter Nyinamwiru’s many admirers, so the king hid her away in the cave now known as Amabere. Here, she was discovered by the Batembuzi King Isaza, who impregnated her with a son.
Because Nyinamwiru lacked breasts, she stayed in the cave with her baby, feeding him on the cloudy limestone ‘milk’ that drips from its stalactites. The child nurtured by the stalactite formation grew up and became king Ndahura, founder of the Bachwezi dynasty that ruled over the Bunyoro Kitara Empire centuries ago. From the caves, embark on a hike to the Fort Portal Crater Lake field for an amazing sightseeing experience.
After these exciting activities, we will transfer to Kibale National Park, about an hour to the south.
The highlight of the day: – A heritage tour to Amabeere Caves and Fort Portal crater lake field hike.
Accommodation:-
Exclusive/Top-notch:- Kyaninga Lodge/Ndali Lodge
Upmarket/Luxury: – Crater Safari Lodge/Primate Lodge Kibale
Moderate/Mid-range:- Chimpanzee Forest Guest House- Cottages
Basic/Budget: Kibale Forest Camp- Tents/Chimpanzee Forest Guest House-Main House
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive distance & time: – Approx. 350km or 7-8 hours
Activities & Services:-
Optional activities:-
After breakfast at around 7.00 am we will transfer to the Kanyanchu visitor center for the first highlight of this Uganda trip; chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park. This 795km2 park is a lush tropical rainforest, believed to have the highest density of primates in Africa. It is home to 13 primate species including a population of over 1500 chimpanzees, Uganda red colobus, and the rare L’Hoest’s monkeys.
There are also an incredible 375 plus bird species that live here including the highly prized Green-breasted pitta.
However, Kibale is most famous for being one of the best places in the world to track wild chimpanzees, our closest relatives which share 98.8% of our DNA. Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale starts at 8.00 am with a briefing, during which you’ll learn a little about the apes you’re about to see, as well as be given some dos and don’ts. Top of the list: avoid getting too close.
Not only for your own safety but also for theirs as our colds, viruses, and diseases can easily spread to them due to shared DNA. It’s also not wise to imitate their calls. While it might seem fun to mimic them if you’re not careful you might accidentally end up recreating a battle cry and bring 120 angry chimpanzees down upon you.
Once you’re briefed, you will embark on a jungle walk in search of these Africa’s great apes (accompanied by an expert park ranger). While following the designated trail, you enjoy incredible views of trees some of which are very tall and huge, flowering plants, birds, and a range of primates.
Upon reaching Chimps, you spend one full hour with them as they forage, roll themselves on tree branches, patrol, and make pant hooting calls, mate among other exciting behaviors. From the 2 – 5-hour activity, you explore the wetland and community experience in the adjacent Bigodi eco-community exploring the local traditions and way of life.
The highlight of the day: An encounter with the wild chimpanzees in Kibale National Park on foot.
Accommodation:-
Top-notch/Exclusive: – Ndali Lodge/Kyaninga Lodge
Luxury/Upmarket: – Primate Lodge Kibale/Crater Safari Lodge
Mid-range/Moderate: – Chimpanzee Forest Guest House- Cottages
Budget/Basic: – Kibale Forest Camp- Tents/Chimpanzee Forest Guest House-Main House
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Activities & Services of the day:-
Optional activities you can choose to do on this day include:-
We start our day with a relaxed breakfast and depart the lodge at 8.00 am for the transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is a 2 to 3-hour drive with incredibly scenic views en route. En route to Queen, we will branch off towards Kasese to connect to Ruboni Community on the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains, the third highest mountain in Africa to experience the cultural traditions of the Bakonjo and Bamba who have lived on these foothills for over 300 years past.
We will learn about their way of life; the crops that they grow, the livestock that they keep, their art and craft, not forgetting impressive music, dance, and drama. We will have lunch in Kasese and proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park for an afternoon game drive in the Kasenyi sector gaining incredible views of the scenic savannah plains filled with counts of fantastic mammals.
Extending over 1,978km², Queen Elizabeth is one of the most biologically diverse parks in the world, protecting over 612 species and over 96 mammal species in its fabulously diverse landscapes of tropical habitats: rolling grasslands, moist acacia woodland, tropical rain forest, and a variety of wetland habitats including the open waters and swampy shores of Lake Edward and George, the 40km-long Kazinga Channel that connects them, and several freshwater and saline crater lakes.
The highlight of the day: – The evening game drive through the magnificent landscapes of Kasenyi.
Accommodation:-
Luxury/ Upmarket: – Mweya Safari Lodge / Mazike Valley Lodge / Katara Safari Lodge
Mid-range/ Moderate: – Enganzi Game Lodge/ Marafiki Safari Lodge
Budget/ Basic: – Pumba Safari Lodge / Bush Lodge
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive distance & time: – Approx. 157km or 2-3 hours
Activities & Services of the day:-
After breakfast this morning, we will set off for a game drive at 7 am. Kasenyi sector is the main area of interest and offers good possibilities for spotting some of Africa’s impressive big games Lions, Elephants, buffalos, leopards, Topi, Uganda Kobs, and much more. The game drive lasts 3 – 4 hours after which you drive to Mweya peninsular for hot lunch.
During the game drive, we will also encounter several special bird species such as the Grey-crowned crane, Red-throated spurfowl, Yellow-throated longclaw, White-backed vulture, White-headed vulture, Palm-nut vulture, hooded vulture, and Long-crested eagle.
You will sign up for the 2 pm Kazinga Channel boat cruise for a 2-hour experience along this amazing natural channel. The wonderful boat cruise will give us a chance to cruise just meters from hundreds of hippos, buffalos, elephants, crocodiles, and waterbucks, along with numerous waterbirds such as Water thick-knee, Saddle bellied stork, Pink-backed pelicans, Black-headed gonolek, plovers, Yellow-billed stork, White-billed stork, African Spoonbill, African fish eagle, Marabou stork, African jacana, Weaver birds, White-faced Whistling ducks, and Knob-billed Ducks plus much more.
It is remarkable to experience being so close to all these fantastic creatures from the comfort of the boat, with the stunning park all around us adding to the memories we will have of this cruise. Upon return from the boat, you do a game drive along the channel track as you head back to the lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
The highlight of the day: The Afternoon boat cruise on the spectacular Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Accommodation:-
Luxury/ Upmarket: – Mweya Safari Lodge / Mazike Valley Lodge / Katara Safari Lodge
Mid-range/ Moderate: – Enganzi Game Lodge/ Marafiki Safari Lodge
Budget/ Basic: – Pumba Safari Lodge / Bush Lodge
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive distance & time: – Approx. 157km or 2-3 hours
Activities & Services of the day:-
Optional activities you can choose to do on this day:-
This day will start at around 6.30 am with a breakfast after which we drive to Kalinzu Forest Reserve on the outskirts of Queen Elizabeth National Park to engage in an exciting Chimpanzee trekking encounter. You trek through this lush tropical rain forest for 2 – 5 hours inclusive of one hour of actual Chimpanzee viewing as they forage, patrol, mate, jump from branch to branch and hunt among other behaviors.
From the activity, slope down to Ishasha sector 2.5 hours drive for an afternoon game viewing encounter in search of the rare tree-climbing lions and other wild game such as Elephants, Buffalos, and waterbucks among others.
The highlight of the day: – Encountering the uncommon tree-climbing in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth Park.
Accommodation:-
Luxury/ Upmarket: – Mweya Safari Lodge / Mazike Valley Lodge / Katara Safari Lodge
Mid-range/ Moderate: – Enganzi Game Lodge/ Marafiki Safari Lodge
Budget/ Basic: – Pumba Safari Lodge / Bush Lodge
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive distance & time: – Approx. 157km or 2-3 hours
Activities & Services of the day:-
Optional activities you can choose to do on this day include:
We will start with an early breakfast at around 6.30 am and then we will undertake a morning game drive in Ishasha Sector for more wild game viewing including more chances of seeing the park’s iconic tree-climbing lions. We will then depart Queen Elizabeth Park and head south further to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Home to around half (459) of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas (our human cousin), Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a Natural World Heritage Site that offers the best gorilla trekking in Uganda which is a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience.
Professional armed ranger guides will take you into the heart of this teeming ecosystem in search of habituated gorilla families, whereupon you’ll spend a magical hour with the gorillas. The success rate of finding gorillas on a daily basis is around 99% and such is the positive impact of these conservation-driven treks that the gorilla population is actually increasing.
But a jungle trek in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Park isn’t just about gorillas: there are 11 other species of primate including the rare L’Hoest’s Monkeys and numerous other mammals ranging from shy forest elephants to giant forest hogs. The bird watching is excellent – keep a lookout for any of the 23 endemics among the 351 recorded bird species – while even the most seasoned of nature-lovers will be amazed by the dazzling colors of Bwindi’s 200 butterfly species.
The highlight of the day: – Searching for the legendary tree-climbing lions of Ishasha Sector in Queen Elizabeth Park.
Accommodation:-
Top-Notch/Exclusive: – Gorilla Forest Camp/ Buhoma Lodge
Luxury/Upmarket: – Haven Lodge Buhoma
Mid-range/Moderate: – Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
Budget/Basic: – Trekkers Tavern Ruhija, Buhoma Community Rest Camp
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive Distance & time: – Approx. 130-220km or 4-7 hours
Activities & Services of the day:-
After an early breakfast and a briefing by a ranger guide, you will enter the gorilla sanctuary for your adventure. The beauty of this rainforest is spectacular! The area offers a dramatic steeply forested landscape and is incredibly dense, but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails allowing access to visit. The time taken to see the Gorillas (2-6 hours) depends on the movements of these great apes and you will be allowed one hour in their presence.
The thrill of spending time observing these gentle and endangered apes is an awesome, exciting experience. Under the ever-watchful eye of a dominant silverback, you’ll encounter between a dozen and thirty other gorillas, each with their own personalities, from cocky adolescents and wise mothers to young ones rolling through the bamboo. You are free to take as many photos as you wish; the use of flash is strictly prohibited.
From the activity, you slope down to Lake Bunyonyi via the fascinating Kigezi Highlands. Lake Bunyonyi is framed by lush, green-terraced hills that reach a height of (2,200 – 2,478m) but it’s the 29 islands of various shapes and sizes scattered across the water that make it most magical — you could admire them all day. The evening will be spent at leisure with a boat ride to explore the beauty of this lake.
The highlight of the day: – The one magical hour with the endangered mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
Accommodation:-
Luxury/ Upmarket: – Birds nest @ Bunyonyi
Mid-range/ Moderate: – Lake Bunyonyi Rock Resort
Budget/ Basic: – Lake Bunyonyi Rock Resort
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive distance & time: – Approx. 55-85 km or 1-3 hours
Activities & Services of the day:-
After an early morning breakfast at around 6.30am, we will leave Lake Bunyonyi and embark on 99km (4 hours) drive to Lake Mburo National Park. The enroute scenic sights are interesting and a lunch stop will be made at Igongo Cultural Centre restaurant for Uganda Cuisine. An optional to the cultural museum tour can be arranged.
We will then proceed to Lake Mburo Park for an exciting afternoon game drive. The 370km2 savannah park is the only place in southwestern Uganda to see Zebras and the only park in the country with impalas. You will also look for elands, topis, waterbucks, Rothschild’s giraffes, among others along the beautiful views of the savannah at the sunset.
Highlight of the day: – The rewarding evening game drive in Lake Mburo National Park.
Accommodation:-
Luxury/ Upmarket: – Mihingo Safari Lodge/ Matana Tented Camp
Mid-range/ Moderate: – Rwakobo Rock / Emburara Farm Lodge/ Arcadia Lodge Mburo
Budget/ Basic: – Eagles Nest Mburo
Meal Plan: – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Drive distance & time: – Approx. 199km or 3-4 hours
Activities & Services of the day:-
After breakfast at around 7.00 am, engage in a rewarding game walking safari on the moist savannah stretches of Lake Mburo National Park marked with sights of ancient Precambrian rocks dating far back to 500 million years past, the beautiful undulating hills and the range of wild game such as Impala, Burchell’s Zebra, Rothschild giraffes, Topis, Warthogs, waterbucks, bushbucks, Klipspringer, elands, Cape Buffaloes among others.
The Park is also home to a range of bird species (350) including the Red-faced Barbet, African finfoot, African scops owl, Blue-breasted kingfisher, Grey-crowned cranes, Saddle-billed Stork, Brown-chested lapwing, African-wattled lapwing, African Fish Eagle, Carruthers’s cisticola, Greater painted-snipe, Shoebill stork, Yellow-rumped tinkerbird, Narina Trogon, papyrus gonolek, blue-headed coucal, white-winged warbler, papyrus yellow warbler, Southern ground hornbill, Black-collared barbets, Back-throated barbets, Green-capped eremomela, and Bare-faced go-away bird.
From the activity, you drive back to Kampala.
Highlight of the day: – Walking amongst the wild mammals of Lake Mburo National Park.
Meal Plan: – Breakfast & Lunch
Drive distance & time: – Approx. 280km or 4-5 hours
Full time English professional safari driver guide
4×4 safari van/ 4×4 Safari land cruiser with poop up roof for game viewing with functional A/C
Full board accommodation
Gorilla & chimpanzee trekking permit fees
Boat cruise fees
Wi-Fi Internet on board the safari vehicle
Bottled water
International &domestic flight fees
Visa fees
Laundry services
Items of personal nature
Gratuities and tips
Other beverages/ drinks
Other extras not mentioned in the itinerary above
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Samuel
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