Our 15 Days Uganda Wildlife and Cultural Tour are designed for those who have enough time to explore and discover in Uganda known as the Pearl of Africa. It also provides you a chance to visit three savannahs National Parks for game drives and boat cruises. Enjoy two boat cruises and hot air balloon experience in Murchison Falls National Park, one boat cruise on Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo National Park and finally at canoeing ride in Lake Bunyonyi. These three savannah National parks included here offer the best of game drives with chances of spotting thousands of antelopes, hippos, elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards and so much more while on our 16 Days Uganda primate, wildlife adventure and cultural tour with several village and community walks that will take you to the nearby villages to learn more about people and their cultures.
Day 1: Transfer to Budongo Forest
Your tour guide will pick you up early morning, breaif you on the 15 day tour and then take you on your drive to Murchison Falls with en-route stopper over at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to track endangered white and black rhinos that are being restocked in sanctuary, then processed to Masindi for lunch and after drive to Budongo Forest which located in Murchison Falls National Park Conservation area. Have Dinner and overnight at Budongo Eco Lodge.
Day 2: Budongo Chimpanzee trekking and top of the falls visit
Being your day with morning breakfast, then walk to the forest headquarters for briefing about chimpanzee trekking Dos and Don’ts and thereafter start your primate walk in Budongo Forest guides by well-trained ranger guides. Your walk will expose you to other primates, birds and different plant species in the forest and once you get into close proximity of once community/party of habituated chimpanzees, you will be allowed one hour of observations and photography, then back for lunch at your lodge.
After lunch, your driver will drive you to the top of the Falls to observer how water squeezes itself in a narrow gorge of 7 meters as exploding it flows downstream, proceed to lodge relax and you prepare for next day. Have Dinner and over at Para safari lodge/Murchison River/Red Chili.
Day 3: Morning game drives and boat cruise on the Nile
Being your day with a cup of coffee, and your driver-guide with game ranger pick you up for morning game drive where you will have an opportunity to spot several antelopes, hippos, buffaloes, giraffes, buffaloes, and if luck, big cats such as leopards and lions and then return to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, you will enjoy the boat cruise to the base of the falls. On your way from the jetty point to the bottom of the falls, you will spot several herds of buffaloes, crocodiles, hippos, waterbird species and other wild animals as they flock River Nile to drink water. Continue upstream to the base of the falls to observe how water squeezes in a narrow gorge of 7 meters, later on, drive back to lodge. Have Dinner and Overnight at Para safari lodge/Murchison River/Red Chili.
Day 4: Hot Air Balloon safari and late afternoon Delta cruise
After an early breakfast, your driver guide will be picked you up to start your Hot Air Balloon safari on the Para side of Murchison Falls National Park. If you are staying on the southern bank of River Nile, It’s at Para Lodge that all will assemble to start your journey to the starting point of your balloon. You, the pilots and the whole crew will be transported to the starting point of your hot air balloon safari. As the Balloon is being assembled, you will be offered a cup of tea or coffee. Once this is done, the pilot will give you a short briefing, get on board and start your hot air balloon safari. Imagine the experience of observing all these animals the beautiful rivers, trees and the sun setting some meters above. This whole experience may take to one hour exploring Murchison Falls National Park. After landing, you will be given certificates and those that would have paid a full hot air balloon package to be treated to a full bush breakfast. Transfer to your Lodge for relaxation, lunch and an afternoon boat cruise to Albert delta where there is a lot of action and activity. Depending on your luck, you may find elephants, buffaloes and hippos crossing, crocodiles every well as well as chances of spotting the rare shoebill stork. Return back to the lodge for Dinner and overnight at Para safari lodge/Murchison River/Red Chili.
Day 5: Bird Watching Safari to Kibale National Park.
In the morning after breakfast, you will embark on a long drive to Kibale National Park making some stopovers for lunch along the way and as well catching up some bird species. Arrival and overnight at Papaya safari lodge/chimpanzee guest house/Kibale forest camp.
Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi Wetland Walk
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Kibale National Park headquarters at Kanyakyu to join other trekkers for briefing and eventual chimpanzee trekking. Your game ranger guide will take you for a guided primate walk inside Kibale Forest National Park. This forest provides an opportunity to visit one of the habituated communities/parts of chimpanzees and spend an hour with them observing and taking photographs. Kibale National Park is home to other 13 primate species coupled with forest birds. After your chimpanzee trek, you will drive to Bigodi Village for a wetland walk that was designed to benefit the local community living around 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
After morning breakfast, you will embark on the drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park about 3 hours drive. You will have an opportunity of passing through small towns, seeing several foothills of Mountain Rwenzori, small rivers that originate from Rwenzori mountain ranges as well as crossing the equator at Kikorongo. Check in at Bush Lodge, relax as you prepare for a late afternoon game drive in Mweya. This section of Queen Elizabeth National Park is endowed with Antelopes, Buffaloes, Warthogs, elephants and many other wild animals including lions and leopards and then return to the Lodge for Dinner and overnight at Mweya safari lodge/Simba safari lodge/Bush lodge.
Day 8: Game drive and Boat Cruise along Kazinga channel
After an early morning cup of tea, you will drive back to Kasenyi plains for a game drive to catch up with what you could have missed out on your earlier game drive. During this morning game drive, you will be lucky enough to observe the big cats are out hunting for their prey and as such chances of spotting lions and or leopards are slightly high, other mammals include buffaloes, hippos, several species of antelopes, and many others. Return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, drive directly to Mweya jetty for an afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga Channel. This two-hour boat cruise is one of the highlights in Queen Elizabeth National Park. It provides you an opportunity to view over 300 out of the 600 waterbird species recorded here, antelopes, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes, and hippos. Return to the lodge for overnight at Mweya safari lodge/Simba safari lodge/Bush lodge.
Day 9: Chimpanzee trekking at Kyambura George and Katwe salt mines
After breakfast, you will be driven to Kyambura George to join other trekkers for briefing and thereafter the start you chimpanzee walk in the gorge. Game ranger guide will help you identify several flora and fauna resident in this gorge and once you find a community of chimpanzees, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them for photography. Return back from the trek for lunch and relaxation at the lodge.
In the afternoon, you will visit Lake Katwe salt mines. Lake Katwe is an explosive crate which is gifted with salt and it’s the local community that mines/extracts salt from this lake. The local community guide will take you for a tour around salt mines explaining how salt extraction is done, challenges faced and opportunities available. Lake Katwe salt extraction project is one of the live examples supporting Queen Elizabeth as one of the conservation areas in the whole world where man is sustainably co-existing harmoniously with wildlife. Return to the Lodge for Dinner and overnight at Mweya safari lodge/Simba safari lodge/Bush lodge.
Day 10: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast, you will drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park located in southwestern Uganda in Kabale district. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to almost half of the world’s endangered mountain gorillas and the only National Park where wild chimpanzees co-exist with mountain gorillas. Your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park will take you through rolling hills with terraced gardens of Irish potatoes and Kayonza tea plantation. You will arrive late afternoon for Dinner and overnight at Trackers safari lodge/Mahogany springs/Buhoma safari lodge.
Day 11: Gorilla tracking and Village walk
After morning breakfast, you will transfer to the Park headquarters for briefing about the dos and don’ts while with the gorillas, then after you will be taken to the starting point of your allocated gorilla family to start your trek into the impenetrable Bwindi Forest. This trek may take from 30 minutes to three-quarters of the day depending on where mountain gorillas will be. Thus gorilla trekking can be strenuous and as such a certain level of fitness is required. Once you find the gorillas, the experience will be worth it and you will be allowed one hour of observation and photography. You will then return to the park headquarters where you will be awarded a certificate in recognition of your effort of helping to conserve the endangered mountain gorillas. Return to the lodge for relaxation and then back for a village walk to learn more about the local people living around Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Have Dinner and overnight at Trackers safari lodge/Mahogany springs/Buhoma safari lodge.
Day 12: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
Drive from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale District. Lake Bunyonyi is one of the three Lava damned Lake which was formed when lava flowing from one of the volcanoes blocked a river channel and water was forced to flow back hence covering the space to create lake Bunyonyi. Bunyonyi locally means small birds due to the abundance of small birds in this area. Lake Bunyonyi is said to be the deepest lake in Uganda and second deepest in East Africa. A person visits Lake Bunyonyi for its beauty and is one of the best places to relax after your gorilla trek. Eagle Nest/Bunyonyi safari lodge.
Day 13: Canoeing or Hiking
After morning breakfast, you are free to admire the beauty of the lake and its surrounding hills as you are taking a canoe ride on the lake to explore different island with exciting history and you have chance to visit the Punishment Island where girls who would produce babies out of legitimate tradition marriage would be dumped and left to die. This is a whole day activity and you will surely enjoy it. Return to the Lodge for Dinner and overnight at Eagle Nest/Bunyonyi safari lodge.
Day 14: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
Start your day with morning breakfast, and then later drive to Lake Mburo National Park, you will reach in Lunch hour and then in afternoon you will go for boat cruise where different species of plants, animals in water bucks crocodiles, birds including the rare shoebill, crested crane, pelicans, fish eagle, heron and many water birds and many more are seen clearly when on boat trips. Later in the evening, you will embark on evening game drive. Lake Mburo National Park is popular for animals such as impalas, Giraffes, Zebras and so much more. Return to the Lodge for Dinner and overnight at Mihingo Safari Lodge/Lake Mburo Safari Lodge/Eagles Nest.
Day 15: Drive to Kampala/Entebbe International Airport
Have morning breakfast and go for an early morning game drive through the Park. You will be able to see animals like Olive Baboon, Vervet Monkeys, Yellow-winged Bat, Side-striped jackal, Dwarf and Banded Mongooses, Common Zebra, Hippopotamus, Common Warthog, Buffalo, Bushbuck, Oribi, Deffassa Waterbuck and Bohor Reedbuck and many more mammals. Then after embarking to your journey to Kampala/Entebbe International Airport with en-route stop over at Igongo Cultural center to learn more about the cultures of ethnic groups in western Uganda and Equator crossing for photography.
End of the 15 Days Uganda Wildlife and Cultural Tour.
The 15 Days Uganda Wildlife and Cultural 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.
- Village walk.
- Hot Air Balloon experience.
- Boat cruise.
- Canoeing.
- Ferry crossing.
- Drinking water while in the vehicle.
However, the 15 Days Uganda Wildlife and Cultural Tour 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.