7 Days Uganda Discovery Safari

A delightful 7 Days Uganda Discovery Safari will lead you through five extraordinary National Parks, each offering its own unique wonders. Begin your adventure in Kibale Forest, where an exhilarating chimpanzee trek awaits, granting you the opportunity to encounter all 13 primate species inhabiting this lush realm. Journey onward to Queen Elizabeth NP, a realm of abundant wildlife and the elusive sight of tree-climbing lions. Your expedition then guides you to Bwindi, where a remarkable encounter with the majestic Mountain Gorillas awaits amidst the breathtaking landscape.

• 01

  Day 1: Entebbe International Airport to Kibale Forest National Park

  Your driver-guide meets you at Entebbe International Airport after you clear arrivals, then briefs you on the trip and helps you settle into the safari vehicle. You drive west through Kampala, Mubende and Fort Portal, a journey of about 5 to 6 hours with stops for photos and lunch. On the way you pass rolling hills, tea plantations and small trading centres. You reach the Kibale area by late afternoon and check in at your lodge.

  Meals: Lunch en route, dinner at the lodge

  Accommodation: Chimpanzee Forest Lodge (Budget) | Turaco Treetops (Mid-Range) | Chimpundu Lodge (Luxury)

• 02

  Day 2: Chimpanzee Trekking and Optional Afternoon Bigodi Nature Walk

  You start early and report to the Kanyanchu visitor centre for a briefing from the Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers. You then enter Kibale Forest in small groups to track a habituated chimpanzee community. Kibale has one of the highest primate densities in Africa, and you may also see red colobus, black-and-white colobus, red-tailed monkeys, forest birds and butterflies. Once you find the chimpanzees, you can spend up to one hour with them, watching them feed, groom, play and call to each other. The trek can take 2 to 5 hours depending on where the chimps are.

  In the afternoon, you can take an optional guided walk in the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, which is run by the local community. It is a good place to see monkeys, many bird species (including the great blue turaco) and sometimes sitatunga antelope. The walk is gentle, and your fees support local conservation and community projects.

  Meals: Full Board

  Accommodation: Chimpanzee Forest Lodge (Budget) | Turaco Treetops (Mid-Range) | Chimpundu Lodge (Luxury)

• 03

  Day 3: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park and Afternoon Game Drive

  After a morning departure, you drive south to Queen Elizabeth National Park, about 2 to 3 hours, passing the crater lakes region and the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains. You arrive in time for lunch and check in at your lodge. In the afternoon you go on a game drive across the savannah, usually in the Kasenyi plains or the Mweya Peninsula area. Look for Uganda kob, buffalo, elephants, warthogs, waterbucks, hyenas and, with luck, lions. You return to the lodge at dusk.

  Meals: Full Board

  Accommodation: Pumba Safari Lodge (Budget) | Buffalo Safari Lodge (Mid-Range) | Elephant Plains (Luxury)

• 04

  Day 4: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Cruise

  You leave at sunrise for a morning game drive, when predators are often still active and the light is best for photography. After lunch and a rest, you take a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, which links Lake George and Lake Edward. The cruise lasts about two hours, and you get close views of hippos, buffalo, elephants coming to drink, crocodiles and many waterbirds such as pelicans, kingfishers, fish eagles and storks.

  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and dinner

  Accommodation: Same as Day 3

• 05

  Day 5: Morning Game Drive in Ishasha Sector and Drive to Bwindi

  You set off early for the Ishasha sector in the southern part of the park, which is famous for its tree-climbing lions. They are often seen resting in fig trees during the day. You search for them on a game drive through open plains, which also hold topi, kob, elephants and baboons. After the drive and a lunch stop, you continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, about 2 to 3 hours on a scenic road through hills and terraced farmland. You arrive in the afternoon, check in at your lodge and prepare for the next day’s trek.

  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch en route, dinner at the lodge

  Accommodation: Gorilla Valley Lodge (Budget) | Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge (Mid-Range) | Gorilla Leisure Lodge (Luxury)

• 06

  Day 6: Gorilla Trekking and Optional Batwa Cultural Experience

  You go to the park headquarters for a briefing from the rangers and are assigned to a habituated gorilla family. Trekkers set off with guides and armed rangers into the dense forest. The trek may take anywhere from 1 to 8 hours depending on where the gorillas are, and the terrain can be steep and muddy. When you find the family, you spend one hour with the gorillas, watching the silverback, females and playful young, and taking photos. Porters are available to carry your bag and help on steep sections.

  In the afternoon, you can take the optional Batwa Cultural Experience. The Batwa are the forest’s original inhabitants, and they share their traditional hunting methods, medicinal plant knowledge, songs and dances, and stories of life in the forest before it became a protected area.

  Meals: Breakfast, Packed or lodge lunch, dinner at the lodge

  Accommodation: Same as day 5

• 07

  Day 7: Return to Entebbe or Kigali International Airport

  Option A: Drive to Entebbe via the Equator. After a morning departure, you drive back toward Entebbe, a journey of about 8 to 9 hours with lunch along the way. You stop at the Equator crossing near Kayabwe for photos with the line marking the northern and southern hemispheres. You reach Entebbe in the evening for your onward flight.

  Option B: Drive to Kigali for a city tour and departure. After a morning departure, you drive to Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, crossing the border at Cyanika or Katuna, about 4 to 5 hours including border formalities. In Kigali you take a city tour that usually includes the Kigali Genocide Memorial, local craft markets and a view of the city’s hills and neighbourhoods. You are then transferred to Kigali International Airport for your departure.

  Meals: Breakfast & Lunch only (no dinner, as the tour ends at departure)

  Accommodation: None (Available on request)