We provide a 15 Days Primate Tracking Uganda Safari Tour for individuals with ample time to explore and learn about Uganda, also referred to as the Pearl of Africa. The journey offers you the chance to walk with chimpanzees in Budongo Forest, Kibale Forest National Park, and Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park. It also gives you the opportunity to take boat excursions and game drives through three national parks on the savannah. Take part in a canoeing trip at Lake Bunyonyi, two boat cruises and a hot air balloon ride in Murchison Falls National Park, one boat tour on Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Lake Mburo National Park. In addition to offering the greatest game drives with opportunities to see thousands of antelopes, hippos, elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, and other wildlife, these three savannah national parks also offer a number of village and community walks that will take you to nearby villages where you can discover more about the locals and their cultures.
Detailed Itinerary.
Day 1: Transfer to Budongo Forest
After giving you a briefing at the beginning of the tour, you will drive to Murchison Falls National Park, stopping along the way at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to see endangered black and white rhinos that are being reintroduced. After having lunch in Masindi, continue on to Budongo Forest, which is situated in the conservation region of Murchison Falls National Park. Stay the night at Budongo Eco Lodge after dinner.
Day 2: Budongo Chimpanzee Trekking
After eating breakfast in the morning, proceed to the forest headquarters to receive instructions on the dos and don’ts of chimpanzee trekking. After that, begin your monkey walk in Budongo Forest with knowledgeable ranger guides. You will encounter other monkeys, birds, and several plant species during your walk. After you get up close to a group or community of habituated chimpanzees, you will have an hour to observe and take pictures before returning to your lodge for lunch. Following lunch, your driver will take you to the top of the Falls so you can see how the water explodes downwards as it squeezes itself into a tight gorge of seven metres. After that, you may relax at the lodge and get ready for the next day. Visit the Paraa Safari Lodge, Murchison River, Red Chilli, for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Morning Game Drive – Boat Cruise on The Nile
After starting your day with a cup of coffee, you will be picked up by your driver guide and a game ranger for an early game drive where you can hopefully see a number of antelopes, hippos, buffaloes, giraffes, and, with any luck, big cats like lions and leopards. You will then head back to the lodge for lunch. You will enjoy the boat ride to the falls’ base in the afternoon. You will see numerous herds of buffaloes, crocodiles, hippos, water bird species, and other exotic animals as they swarm the River Nile to drink water on your journey from the jetty point to the base of the falls. After driving back to the lodge, continue upstream to the base of the falls to see how the water squeezes into a 7-meter-tall cleft. Have dinner and overnight at Paraa Safari Lodge, Murchison River, Red Chili.
Day 4: Hot Air Balloon Safari – Afternoon Delta Cruise
Your drive guide will pick you up for your hot air balloon safari on the Para side of Murchison Falls National Park following an early breakfast. Everything will come together at Para Lodge to begin your travel to the balloon launch site if you are lodging on the southern bank of the River Nile. You will be driven to the hot air balloon safari’s starting site along with the pilots and the entire team. A cup of tea or coffee will be served to you while the balloon is being built. After completing this, the pilot will give you a brief safety instruction, climb aboard, and begin your hot air balloon expedition. Imagine being able to see all these creatures while admiring the lovely rivers, trees, and sun setting a few metres above. The entire experience of exploring Murchison Falls National Park could take up to one hour. Certificates will be awarded upon landing, and those who purchased a complete hot air balloon package will be treated to a sumptuous bush breakfast. Arrive at your lodge for some downtime, lunch, and a boat ride to the bustling Albert Delta in the afternoon. Elephants, buffaloes, hippos, crocodiles in every well, and the occasional shoebill stock might all be visible to you, depending on your luck. Return to the lodge for Dinner and overnight at Paraa Safari Lodge, Murchison River, Red Chili.
Day 5: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park.
In the morning after breakfast, you will embark on longer drive to Kibale National Park making some stopovers for lunch along the way and as well catching up some bird species. Arrival and overnight stay at Papaya Safari Lodge, Chimpanzee Guest House, Kibale Forest Camp.
Day 6: Chimpanzee Trekking – Bigodi Wetland Walk
You will be taken to the Kibale National Park headquarters in Kanyakyu after breakfast, where you will meet up with fellow trekkers for a briefing before engaging in chimpanzee trekking. You will go on a guided primate trek within Kibale Forest National Park with your game ranger guide. This forest offers the chance to go to one of the chimpanzees’ habituated communities and spend an hour watching and taking pictures of them. Along with forest birds, Kibale National Park is home to thirteen other kinds of primates. Following your chimpanzee hike, you will take a car to Bigodi Village to participate in a wetland walk that benefits the nearby community of Kibale Forest National Park. Have lunch and overnight at Papaya Safari Lodge, Chimpanzee Guest House, Kibale Forest Camp.
Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Following breakfast in the morning, you will travel for approximately three hours to reach Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will have the chance to travel through tiny communities, view the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains, come across little rivers that emerge from the Rwenzori mountain ranges, and cross the equator at Kikorongo. Arrive at Bush Lodge and unwind while getting ready for your late-afternoon game drive in Mweya. Antelopes, buffaloes, warthogs, elephants, and many other wild creatures, including as lions and leopards, can be seen in this area of Queen Elizabeth National Park. After dinner, guests can stay overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge, Simba Safari Lodge, or Bush Lodge.
Day 8: Morning Game Drive – Afternoon Boat Cruise
You will return to Kasenyi Plains for a game drive to make up for anything you might have missed on your previous game drive after having a cup of tea in the early morning. You may be fortunate enough to witness the big cats as they hunt, increasing your chances of seeing lions and/or leopards during this early game drive. Other mammals that may be seen include buffalo, hippos, various antelope species, and many others. Head back to the lodge to have lunch. One of the attractions of Queen Elizabeth National Park is the two-hour boat ride offered by Mweya Jetty, which you may reach immediately in the afternoon. Viewing antelopes, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes, hippos, and more than 300 of the 600 water bird species that have been documented here is possible. Go back to the Mweya Safari Lodge, Simba Safari Lodge, or Bush Lodge resort to spend the night.
Day 9: Kyambura Chimpanzee Trekking – Katwe Salt Mines
You will be taken to Kyambura George after breakfast, where you will meet up with fellow trekkers for a briefing before beginning your chimpanzee walk in the gorge. A game ranger guide will assist you in identifying the various plants and animals that call this canyon home. If you locate a group of chimpanzees, you will be granted an hour to take pictures of them. After the hike, head return to the lodge for lunch and leisure.
You will visit the Lake Katwe salt mines in the afternoon. The local people mines and harvests salt from Lake Katwe, an explosive container that is endowed with salt. Your tour guide will take you on a trip around salt mines, where they will explain the process of extracting salt, the difficulties encountered, and the opportunities that exist. One of the real-world instances of Queen Elizabeth’s status as one of the world’s conservation areas where people live in harmony with animals is the Lake Katwe salt extraction project. After supper, make your way back to Mweya Safari Lodge, Simba Safari Lodge, or Bush Lodge for the night.
Day 10: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
You will go to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, which is situated in the Kabale district of south-western Uganda, after breakfast. Nearly half of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas are found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which is also the only national park where mountain gorillas and wild chimpanzees coexist. You will travel through undulating hills with terraced gardens of Irish potatoes and Kayonza tea estate on your way to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You will check into Trackers Safari Lodge, Mahogany Springs, Buhoma Safari Lodge in the late afternoon for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 11: Gorilla Trekking Experience
You will go to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, which is situated in the Kabale district of south-western Uganda, after breakfast. Nearly half of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas are found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which is also the only national park where mountain gorillas and wild chimpanzees coexist. You will travel through undulating hills with terraced gardens of Irish potatoes and Kayonza tea estate on your way to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You will check into Trackers Safari Lodge, Mahogany Springs, Buhoma Safari Lodge in the late afternoon for dinner and an overnight stay. After that, you’ll drive back to the park headquarters, where your efforts to support the conservation of the critically endangered mountain gorillas will be acknowledged with a certificate. After unwinding at the lodge, take a stroll through the hamlet to discover more about the locals who call Bwindi Impenetrable National Park home. Have dinner and overnight at Trackers Safari Lodge, Mahogany Springs, Buhoma Safari Lodge.
Day 12: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
Drive to Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale District from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. One of the three lava-dammed lakes, Lake Bunyonyi was created when water was compelled to flow backward through a blocked river channel caused by lava streaming from one of the volcanoes, filling the empty area to form the lake. Because there are so many small birds in this area, the term “bunyonyi” has local meaning. According to reports, Lake Bunyonyi is the second-deepest lake in East Africa and the deepest lake in Uganda. Lake Bunyonyi is one of the greatest places to unwind after a gorilla walk and draws visitors due to its natural beauty.
Day 13: Canoeing or Hiking
Following breakfast in the morning, you are free to enjoy the stunning views of the lake and the hills surrounding it while canoeing around several islands with fascinating histories. You also have the opportunity to visit the Punishment Island, where girls who bear children through lawful traditional marriages are dumped and left to perish. You will have a great time doing this all day activity. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Eagle Nest or Bunyonyi Safari Lodge.
Day 14: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
After eating breakfast in the morning, drive to Lake Mburo National Park, arriving in time for lunch. Later in the afternoon, take a boat ride through the park, where you can see a variety of plants, animals, including crocodiles and bucks, and birds, such as the rare shoebill, crested crane, pelicans, fish eagles, herons, and many other water birds. You will go on an evening game drive later in the evening. Animals including zebras, giraffes, and impalas are common at Lake Mburo National Park. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight at Mihingo Safari Lodge, Lake Mburo Safari Lodge or Eagles Nest.
Day 15: Drive to Kampala/Entebbe International Airport
After a hearty breakfast, take a morning game drive through the park. The following creatures can be seen: Common Zebra, Hippopotamus, Common Warthog, Buffalo, Bushbuck, Oribi, Deffassa Waterbuck, Bohor Reedbuck, Yellow-winged Bat, Side-striped Jackal, Dwarf and Banded Mongooses, and many more mammals. After that, set out on your journey to Kampala/Entebbe International Airport, stopping along the way to explore the cultures of the ethnic groups in western Uganda at the Igongo Cultural Centre and to take pictures of the Equator crossing.
End of the 15 Days Primate Tracking Uganda Safari Tour
The 15 Days Primate Tracking Uganda Safari Tour includes;
- Airport transfers
- Gorilla and Chimpanzee permit
- Transport safari vehicle
- Services of an English speaking driver guide
- Fuel for the whole trip
- Accommodation and meal plan as per the itinerary
- All park entrance fees
- Nature walk
- Game drives
- Hot Air Balloon experience
- Boat cruise
- Canoeing
- Drinking water while in the vehicle
The package excludes expenses of personal nature like; Airfare, Visa, drinks, laundry, tips to local guides, telephone, porter fee while trekking, personal insurance, and personal shopping bills.