8 days Uganda wildlife, gorillas and birding safari is one and only best safari that will take you to the Pearl of Africa as you make visits to the country’s unique and best tour destinations bordered by welcoming and enchanting cultural groups that you will mingle and interact with. This safari will take you to Murchison Falls National Park a home to the world’s most powerful waterfalls, Kibale National Park the world’s primate capital due to its large population of primates, Queen Elizabeth National Park known for its abundant wildlife and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park known for harboring almost half of the world’s majestic mountain gorillas. Enjoy activities like game drives, chimpanzee and mountain gorilla treks, boat cruises as well as engaging with the indigenous tribal group known as the Batwa who are the former inhabitants of the current Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Day 1: Pickup and transit to Murchison falls N/P
You will be picked up from the airport by a driver guide from Glory summit tours and travel upon your arrival. He will take you through a briefing of your travel itinerary after which you will set off to Murchison falls National Park with a stopover at Ziwa Rhino sanctuary in Nakasongola. It is only at this sanctuary that one is able to see rhinos in the entire country by tracking them on foot with the guidance of an experienced ranger guide as you closely observe their habits and behaviors. You will proceed to Masindi for your sumptuous lunch before you arrive in the Park to check-in at your reserved lodge. You can opt for an evening game drive as you lookout for animals like the lions, giraffes, Jackson’s hartebeests, leopards, Uganda kobs and many more. Get back to your lodge for dinner and an overnight.
Day 2: Morning game drive & boat cruise to the bottom of the falls
Grab your morning breakfast and return to the Park’s savannah plains for a morning game drive where you will have the opportunity to see several early risers as well as nocturnal animals as they rush back to their hideouts. Expect to encounter the African elephants, lions, giraffes, cape buffaloes, waterbucks, Jackson’s hartebeests, oribis and many more. Vast bird species will be spotted as well more so the Abyssinian ground hornbills, cattle egrets, grey crowned cranes and many more. Return to the lodge for lunch after which you will head off for a boat cruise upstream to the bottom of the falls as you enjoy the Nile’s birdlife while you cruise past schools of hippopotamuses and crocodiles sunbathing along the river bank. After your 3hours’ boat cruise, return to your lodge to have dinner and an overnight.
Day 3: Depart for Kibale National Park & Ndali Kasenda crater lakes
Today morning, have your breakfast served and checkout of the lodge to be driven further to Kibale National Park with a stopover for lunch in Fort Portal which is Uganda’s tourism. After your lunch, you will proceed for a crater lakes visit around the Ndali Kasenda craters just adjacent to the Park. You will have a walk around these crater lakes such as Lake Nyabikere while you spot several bird species and engage with the local people that live around and depend on these gorgeous craters for survival. After your crater lakes tour, you will be driven to your reserved accommodation facility to check-in for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 4: Chimpanzee trek & Bigodi wetland sanctuary
Have your morning breakfast to be driven to Kanyanchu visitors’ center where you will conduct a briefing about chimpanzee trekking. Ranger guides will lead you into the dense forests to locate a habituated troop of chimpanzees which may last for about 1 to 4 hours while your eyes are taken away by vast bird species and other primates like L’Hoest’s monkey, black and white colobus, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons to mention but a few. A maximum of an hour is allowed with the chimpanzees after which you will return to your lodge to have lunch. After lunch you will head off for a visit to Bigodi wetland sanctuary also regarded as a home to the great blue turaco. This jungle swamp is also a haven to primates, other mammals and vast bird species like the papyrus Gonolek, herons, swamp fly-catcher and many more. Return to your lodge to have dinner and an overnight.
Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park & boat cruise
Enjoy your scrumptious breakfast and checkout to be driven to Queen Elizabeth National Park with a stopover at Kikorongo to have an experience of where the earth is divided into two equal parts. You will have a photo session at the equator monument as well as enjoy a cultural performance from the Kikorongo cultural dancers. Embark on your drive to your lodge where you will check-in and have lunch after which you will head off for a boat cruise along the Kazinga channel a linkup of Lake George to Lake Edward. This water channel is a habitat to vast wildlife such as hippopotamuses, crocodiles, bird species like the shoebill stork, hamerkops, herons, weavers to mention but a few. Plenty of animals like elephants, buffaloes, bushbucks, antelopes and many more will be spotted quenching their thirst while others wallow along the Kazinga channel shores. Retire off the boat to be driven back to your lodge to have dinner and an overnight.
Day 6: Game drive & transit to Bwindi Impenetrable N/P
Have your breakfast and hit the Park’s savannah plains for game viewing while you spot vast early risers of the jungle as well as nocturnal animals rush back to their hide outs. During your game drive, you will lookout for animals like the lions, African elephants, cape buffaloes, hyenas, hartebeests, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, oribis, bushbucks, warthogs to mention but a few. Return back to your lodge for an early lunch after which you will check out to embark on your drive to Bwindi impenetrable National Park where you will arrive in the late afternoon to check-in at your reserved lodge for relaxation as you wait to have dinner and an overnight.
Day 7: Gorilla trekking & Batwa cultural experience
Enjoy your breakfast and transfer to the Park headquarters for briefing about mountain gorilla trekking. Your gorilla family will be allocated after which ranger guides will lead you into the misty forests to commence on the search of the gorillas in their natural habitat. Trekking these endangered primates may last for about 1 to 6 hours depending on their movements. You will have a once in a life time experience as you closely watch the gorillas for an hour as they go by their routine activities. Return to your lodge for lunch before you head off to meet the former forest keepers of Bwindi. You will be led by the Batwa guide though the forest as he narrates how they survived in these forests while living in harmony with the gorillas. You will proceed to their communities where you will meet the elderly and medicinal men who will demonstrate how they hunted down small animals, collected honey, gathered wild fruits and many more. Enjoy their cultural performances before you get back to your lodge for dinner and an overnight.
Day 8: Transfer back to Kampala & departure
Wake up to enjoy your last safari breakfast and checkout of the lodge to be transferred back to Kampala with a stopover in Mbarara for your lunch. After lunch, you will procced with your drive as you gaze at the long horned Ankole cattle grazing by the roadside arriving at Kayabwe for anther stopover to capture photos of yourselves enjoy the equator line experience while having your legs standing in both hemispheres at the equator monument. You will as well visit the craft shops around to buy some souvenirs to take with you home. Arrival in the city center will be in the evening to either be dropped off at the airport in Entebbe or at the hotel of your choice in Kampala to relax as you wait to catch your flight.
