Safaris Uganda: Wildlife and Primate Discovery

Uganda 11 days From 6,500 € Enquire now

This eleven-day safari takes you through four national parks, each with its own character: From the wide plains of Murchison Falls and the waterways of Queen Elizabeth to the misty Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and the open grasslands of Lake Mburo.

Primates sit at the heart of the journey: You track habituated chimpanzee groups in both the Budongo Forest and the Kyambura Gorge, two forests with distinct characters. The highlight follows in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to almost half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas. Here, you track and observe a gorilla family in its natural habitat.

Alongside this, you'll spend time on boat safaris on the Victoria Nile and the Kazinga Channel. You will join game drives through grasslands full of Rothschild's giraffes and Uganda kob, and quiet hours in the Mabamba wetlands searching for the elusive shoebill. The trip leaves room for learning, for exploring and for standing still.

Please note: Minimum of 4, maximum of 6 participants. Smaller groups are available on request and may be subject to different rates.

Your trip at a glance

Highlights

Trek chimpanzees in Budongo and Kyambura Gorge
Observe mountain gorillas in Bwindi's misty forest
Take a boat right up to the foot of Murchison Falls
Search for the shoebill in the Mabamba wetlands
Experience four national parks and changing landscapes in eleven days
Learn from local guides about Uganda's wilderness and culture
Explore in a small group of no more than 6 people

Locations

Entebbe

Murchison Falls

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Lake Mburo National Park

Plan your trip

Included in the programme fee
- Assistance with travel arrangements
- Assistance with booking flights
- Travel Insolvency Insurance
- Airport pick up and drop off
- Accommodation during the programme
- Activities as per itinerary
- Meals and drinks as per itinerary
- Gorilla trekking permit (Bwindi)
- Park and conservation fees
- 2 chimpanzee trekking permits
- Programme-related transfers
- Assistance with selecting travel insurance
- 24/7 support throughout the programme
- English-speaking support by long-term experienced staff

- International flights
- Additional activities
- Porter for the gorilla trek (optional)
- Laundry service
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses and optional excursions
- Tips
- Further beverages (e.g. liquors, soft drinks, bottled water)

Credits: Murchison River Lodge, Aardvark Safari Lodge, Mihingo Lodge, Buhoma Lodge

Wildlife and Primate Safari

11 days: Chimpanzee trekking, mountain gorillas in Bwindi, and exploring Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Arrival in Uganda

Your flight lands in Entebbe, right on the shore of Lake Victoria. Your guide will already be waiting to take you to your first accommodation, the Boma Entebbe.

After the long journey, there's time to settle into the tropical gardens before the safari begins the next morning. If you like, round off the day with a walk through the gardens or some time by the pool.

Accommodation during the safari

Five properties accompany you through Uganda, each suited to its national park. In Entebbe, you stay at the Boma Entebbe, a former guest house set in lush tropical gardens. In Murchison Falls, thatched cottages await with views over the Nile, and in Queen Elizabeth you stay at Aardvark Safari Lodge, close to the Kazinga Channel.

In Bwindi, Buhoma Lodge sits right at the forest edge, looking out over the misty forest, a short walk from the start of the gorilla treks. The journey closes at Mihingo Lodge's tented camp in Lake Mburo, with terraces overlooking the savannah. All accommodation is arranged in double or twin rooms with breakfast, lunch and dinner included.

Activities during the Uganda safari

Activities change from day to day, following the rhythm of the landscape: An afternoon game drive in Murchison Falls and an early-morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth, alongside boat safaris on the Nile and the Kazinga Channel, which bring you closer to the raw power of the Victoria Nile.

You track chimpanzees on foot in the Budongo Forest and the Kyambura Gorge, accompanied by experienced guides.

In Bwindi, gorilla trekking takes centre stage: a hike of varying duration through dense mountain rainforest in search of a habituated gorilla family.

In Lake Mburo, for an additional fee, you have the option to swap the vehicle for a bicycle or a horse. A visit to the Mabamba wetlands and the Ride 4 Women women's project adds quieter, cultural moments to the programme. You'll find the detailed day-by-day schedule below.

Wildlife in Uganda

Uganda ranks among Africa's most species-rich countries. You may encounter mountain gorillas and chimpanzees, elephants, lions and Rothschild's giraffes, a highly endangered subspecies.

The wetlands around Mabamba are home to the rare shoebill, while the Kazinga Channel holds one of East Africa's densest populations of hippos and crocodiles. Birdwatchers will find plenty to see across all four national parks visited.

Meals and downtime in Uganda

Throughout the safari, most meals are included at each respective lodge, sometimes with a packed lunch for the road. Between activities, there's time to rest: by the pool in Entebbe, on the terrace overlooking the Nile in Murchison Falls, or birdwatching from your lodge veranda in Bwindi.

Speciality drinks and additional activities are available at an extra cost.

Our safari perspective

Our Natucate team travelled to Uganda to meet our local partner in person and explore the regions together. It matters to us to create journeys with positive impact, immersing and connecting with nature and the people dedicated to protecting it.

The spirit of this safari lies in Uganda's diversity: four national parks, four very different landscapes, without rush or crowds. Instead, there's attentiveness, time and space to learn and explore.

Day 1

Arrival in Entebbe

After landing in Entebbe, your guide will already be waiting at the airport to take you to the Boma Entebbe, a former guest house that has grown into a small boutique hotel without losing its personal character.

The property sits in lush tropical gardens near Lake Victoria. You spend the rest of the day at ease, a gentle start after the long journey, with time to arrive in Uganda (dinner not included on arrival day).

Accommodation: Boma Entebbe
Day 2

Shoebill excursion and market in Entebbe

In the morning, you head out to the Mabamba wetlands, one of Uganda's richest birding areas. Between papyrus channels, you search for the elusive shoebill, along with kingfishers, ducks and swamp hens.

In the afternoon, you visit a local market in Entebbe, with colourful stalls, fresh vegetables, crafts and a glimpse of everyday life beyond the national parks. You spend a second night at the Boma Entebbe.

Accommodation: Boma Entebbe
Day 3

Drive to Murchison Falls

The journey takes you north into Murchison Falls National Park, which at 3,840 km² is Uganda's largest protected area. Along the way, you stop for lunch in the town of Masindi. The landscape shifts from Entebbe's outskirts to the savannahs of the north.

In the afternoon, you set out on your first game drive in the park: elephants, lions, buffalo and Rothschild's giraffes, a highly endangered subspecies for which the park is one of the most important strongholds, are all possible here. You stay in the thatched cottages of Murchison River Lodge, overlooking the Nile.

Accommodation: Thatched cottages, Murchison River Lodge
Day 4

Chimpanzees in Budongo and boat safari

In the morning, you head into the Budongo Forest to track habituated chimpanzees with experienced guides. The forest is also home to a wealth of other primates and bird species. Depending on timing, there's also the option of a side trip to the "Top of the Falls", where the Nile forces its way through a narrow gorge before plunging down.

In the afternoon, a private boat safari takes you right up to the foot of Murchison Falls, with possible sightings of hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffalo and a wide range of waterbirds along the banks.

Accommodation: Thatched cottages, Murchison River Lodge
Day 5

Onward to Queen Elizabeth

An early start takes you south into Queen Elizabeth National Park. It's the longest driving day of the safari, but it carries you across some of Uganda's agricultural lands.

Queen Elizabeth is one of the country's best-known safari areas, known among other things for its tree-climbing lions and the Kazinga Channel. The evening is free, giving you time to let the first days settle in.

Accommodation: Aardvark Safari Lodge
Day 6

Kyambura Gorge and Kazinga Channel

In the morning, you drive to the Kyambura Gorge, which cuts dramatically into the surrounding landscape, for a second round of chimpanzee trekking, a noticeably different setting to Budongo. In the afternoon, a private boat safari on the Kazinga Channel follows, the natural link between Lake Edward and Lake George.

The channel is one of East Africa's most wildlife-rich waterways, with large concentrations of hippos and crocodiles, plus elephants and buffalo along the shore. You spend a second night at Aardvark Safari Lodge.

Accommodation: Aardvark Safari Lodge
Day 7

Onward to Bwindi

An early game drive through Queen Elizabeth makes the most of the cool morning hours, when wildlife is at its most active. The landscape gradually changes, from open savannah to the green, terraced hills around Bwindi.

In the afternoon, you visit Ride 4 Women, a local community project that offers insight into everyday life around Bwindi. You stay at Buhoma Lodge, right at the forest edge, overlooking the mountain rainforest, the starting point for the gorilla trek the following morning.

Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge
Day 8

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi

After an early breakfast, you make your way to the park headquarters, where experienced trackers and guides give a briefing. Before departing, you have the opportunity to hire a porter: an experienced member from the community to help you navigate the hike and help carry your backpack.

You set off into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to almost half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas. How long the trek takes depends on where the gorilla family happens to be, sometimes a short walk, sometimes a longer hike through dense mountain rainforest. Once you've found the group, you spend an hour in their presence, watching them feed, move and interact.

Accommodation: A further night at Buhoma Lodge in the evening.
Day 9

Onward to Lake Mburo
Day 10

Return to Entebbe

After an early breakfast, the journey back to Entebbe begins, with a stop at the Equator along the way (lunch not included on this stop).

The drive takes you back towards Lake Victoria and marks the end of the national park stages of this safari. In the evening, a farewell dinner awaits at the Boma Entebbe, a quiet moment to mark the end of the trip.

Accommodation: Boma Entebbe
Day 11

Farewell and Goodbye

Your last morning in Uganda is open for relaxation, before your guide takes you to Entebbe Airport for your international flight home. You take with you the impressions of eleven days: the Mabamba wetlands and their shoebills, the mighty Nile at the Murchison Falls, chimpanzee trekking in two forests, the savannahs of Queen Elizabeth and the mountain gorillas of Bwindi.

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1. Entebbe

Entebbe, a vibrant lakeside city on the shores of Lake Victoria and the gateway to Uganda’s wildlife adventures.
2. Murchison Falls

Discover the spectacular Murchison Falls, where the Nile forces its way through a narrow gorge, surrounded by Uganda’s diverse wildlife.
3. Queen Elizabeth National Park

The Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to diverse wildlife, scenic savannahs and the famous tree-climbing lions of Ishasha.
4. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

The famous Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to mountain gorillas and one of Africa’s oldest and most diverse rainforests.

Its steep, densely forested slopes provide a habitat for a remarkable range of wildlife, including numerous primate and bird species.

Gorilla trekking here offers the chance to experience this unique forest on foot while learning more about the conservation efforts protecting its wildlife.
5. Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park offers diverse landscapes, a rich variety of wildlife and large herds of zebra and impala.

Its open savannahs provide a different perspective on Uganda’s wildlife and plenty of opportunities to explore the park’s quieter corners.

The famous Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to mountain gorillas and one of Africa’s oldest and most diverse rainforests.

Its steep, densely forested slopes provide a habitat for a remarkable range of wildlife, including numerous primate and bird species.

Gorilla trekking here offers the chance to experience this unique forest on foot while learning more about the conservation efforts protecting its wildlife.
Lake Mburo National Park offers diverse landscapes, a rich variety of wildlife and large herds of zebra and impala.

Its open savannahs provide a different perspective on Uganda’s wildlife and plenty of opportunities to explore the park’s quieter corners.

Background to the safari in Uganda

Primates sit at the heart of this journey, and with them, conservation and the nature that surrounds them. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest earns its name: "Bwindi" means "impenetrable" in the local Rukiga language. Spread across 1,160 to 2,607 metres of altitude, it's one of the world's most important protected areas for mountain gorillas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to almost half of all remaining animals of this species. The gorilla trekking is complemented by two chimpanzee encounters, each with its own character: one in the dense Budongo Forest, the other in the narrow Kyambura Gorge.

The other National Parks hold their own sense of wonder: Murchison Falls, at 3,840 km² Uganda's largest national park, is home to one of the strongest remaining populations of Rothschild's giraffe, a highly endangered subspecies, alongside 76 mammal species and more than 450 bird species. Queen Elizabeth National Park is known for tree-climbing lions and counts over 600 bird species, many of them along the Kazinga Channel, the natural link between Lake Edward and Lake George. Lake Mburo brings the journey to a quiet close: one of the few protected areas in Uganda with Böhm's zebra, with around a fifth of it covered by wetlands.