5 days Uganda budget safari will start from the city taking you to have an extraordinary wildlife experience as you make visits to the country’s best National Parks endowed with unaltered flora and fauna. The National Parks include Kibale National Park where you will go trekking the endangered chimpanzees while having your eyes on other various primates, Queen Elizabeth National Park that is famous for its rewarding wildlife viewing while on game drives and a boat cruise on Kazinga channel and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park that is a home to the biggest gorilla population in the entire world.
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Kibale N/P – crater lakes exploration
Today you will be picked up from the airport or a hotel in Kampala by a driver guide from Glory summit tours and travel who will then brief you through this itinerary and transfer you to Kibale National Park that is located faraway in the west at the foots of the Rwenzori Mountain with your lunch en-route in Fort Portal which is regarded as Uganda’s Tourism capital due to its beautiful nature based destinations. Arrival will be in the afternoon to check-in at your reserved lodge after which you will head off for a guided walk as you explore the Park’s crater lakes while you have a glimpse into the African culture and traditions as you interact and engage with the local communities. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight.
Day 2: Chimpanzee trek – transfer to Queen Elizabeth N/P
Have your breakfast and be driven to the Park headquarters for a briefing about chimpanzee trekking. You will then head off on foot into the Park’s dense forests led by game rangers to locate one of the habituated chimpanzee groups. Chimpanzees are usually found feeding on fig tree fruits where you will spend an hour in their presence. Return to the lodge for lunch before checking out to embark on your drive southwards to Queen Elizabeth National Park where you will arrive to check-in at a lodge before you proceed for a boat cruise along the Kazinga channel. You will get up-close to hippopotamuses, crocodiles and other wildlife while having great views of various bird types. Return to the lodge for dinner and a night stay.
Day 3: Morning game drive – transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable N/P
Unlock your day with a cup of coffee and set off to Kasenyi plains for wildlife viewing where you will have sightings of numerous animals such as the lions, elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, waterbucks, antelopes, topis, spotted hyena and numerous bird species. Return to the lodge for lunch after which you will checkout to be driven southwards through the Ishasha sector where you will lookout for tree climbing lions hanging in tree branches. Arrival at your lodge in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park will be in the evening to check-in and have dinner as you wait to have the best wildlife encounter in the next morning as you get closer the gentle giants in their natural habitat.
Day 4: Gorilla trek – Batwa cultural experience
Wake up to an early breakfast and set off to the park headquarters for a briefing about gorilla trekking before you head off into the jungle to have a once in a life time experience as you encounter the gorillas in the wild. Trekking the gorillas may last for 1 to 6 hours depending on their movements. Having located a group, an hour is allowed as you watch them feed and interact amongst themselves which is regarded as a thrilling encounter. Return to have lunch at the lodge as you wait to meet the former forest dwellers and keepers of Bwindi known as the Batwa pygmies. This is an exciting primitive cultural group that will expose you to its traditions such as dress code, hunting, honey collections and how they lived in harmony with gorillas and other animals in the wild. Return to the lodge for lunch and an overnight.
Day 5: Transfer to Kampala and departure
Enjoy your morning breakfast and checkout to hit the road for Kampala with a stop-over at Igongo cultural center and country hotel in Mbarara for lunch. If time allows, you will visit the cultural village and museum to learn about the Ankole culture while tapping the history and traditions from an experienced and informed local Ankole guide. You will have another stop-over at the equator in Kayabwe where you will take photos and purchase souvenirs from craft shops to take with you back home. Arrival in the city center will be in the evening to be dropped off at a hotel of your choice or at the airport depending on the time of your flight.