14 nights wildlife and cultural safari 

Duration: 
14 nights/15 days

Tour reference: 
SP106

A perfect balance of wildlife highlights and cultural experiences.

Trek through Uganda’s rain forests and spend time with the iconic mountain gorillas and the crazy chimpanzees. Visit some of Uganda’s most successful conservation projects including Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to track the southern white rhinos. Search for tree-climbing lions hanging in huge fig trees in Ishasha and enjoy relaxed game viewing during boat rides on some of the country’s most beautiful stretches of water. All fabulous ways to watch wildlife.

This safari also includes journeys through some of Uganda’s most scenic countryside and community activities that provide an insight into daily life and cultural traditions. There is a lot of ground to cover but it is done at a pleasant pace ensuring you get some downtime too.

Tour Highlights

Gorilla tracking

Gorilla tracking

You will trek into the forest after your briefing, with your small group, in search of your gorilla family. Once found, you can watch the gorillas for one magical hour as they eat, play, groom and sleep.
Fabulous game viewing

Fabulous game viewing

Encounter fabulous game on this safari on game drives, boat cruises and nature walks. Look out for zebra, lion, giraffe, elephant, buffalo, eland among others in different national parks.
Salt lake visit

Salt lake visit

Learn about the fascinating ancient art of salt extraction at Katwe salt lake. This salt lake has been used to extract salt for the past 600 years and is also the largest salt distributor in Uganda.
Rhino tracking

Rhino tracking

A guided nature walk in this sanctuary is a really nice way to track the rhino. You can get pretty close too. Learn about the sanctuary’s conservation efforts. You may also see bush buck, monkeys and birds.
Batwa tribal experience

Batwa tribal experience

Meet the community from one of the oldest tribes in the world – the Batwa pygmy people. They will take you through their former home – the forest where they lived in harmony with nature.

Itinerary at a glance

Day 1: Evening arrival at Entebbe International Airport

Day 2: Transfer to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Continue to Murchison Falls. Visit top of falls

Day 3: Game drive. Nile river boat cruise

Day 4: Transfer to Kibale. Cultural visit – banana gin making

Day 5: Chimpanzee tracking. Amabeere caves cultural visit and scenic walk

Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Salt lake visit. Night game drive

Day 7: Game drive. Boat cruise on Kazinga Channel.

Day 8: Transfer to Ishasha sector in search of the famous tree-climbing lions and other game

Day 9: Transfer to Lake Mutanda. Canoe ride on the lake to the islands within

Day 10: Batwa tribal experience. Free afternoon at your lodge

Day 11: Gorilla tracking

Day 12: Full-day relaxation by the lake

Day 13:. Travel to Lake Mburo National Park. Game drive

Day 14: Safari walk in the park. Transfer to Kampala via Equator. Cultural dance performance

Day 15: Visit the historic Kibuli mosque. Craft shopping. Visit botanical gardens or swim at hotel.

Click on the boxes below to see the day by day itinerary

Day 1 - Evening arrival

On arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be met by your guide who will transfer you to your hotel. He will be with you throughout your stay. Get ready to explore the Pearl of Africa.

Accommodation: The Boma – Entebbe. 

Meal Plan: Depending on time of arrival

 

Day 2 - Transfer to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Continue to Murchison Falls. Visit top of falls

07:00 transfer north to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and go on a guided walk (2-3 hrs), tracking the rhinos and learning about the sanctuary’s conservation activities. Ziwa Rhino sanctuary is also home to other elusive wildlife including bush buck, aardvark, pangolin. After lunch, continue to Murchison Falls national park – 3 hours away. Visit the top of the falls for beautiful views over the falls and the park. Later, you will continue to your lodge, spotting more game along the way.

Accommodation: Pakuba Safari Lodge – Murchison Falls national park. 

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 3 - Game drive. Nile River boat cruise

06:00 after an early breakfast, enjoy a morning game drive in the park when animals are most active. Our guests regularly spot elephant, giraffe, kob and buffalo among others. This park is also home to leopard and lion. After lunch, enjoy a relaxing 3-hour boat cruise on the Nile to the bottom of the falls. Look out for hippo, crocodile and many different birds along the riverbanks.

Accommodation: Pakuba Safari Lodge – Murchison Falls national park. 

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 4 - Transfer to Kibale. Cultural visit – gin making

Drive approximately 6 hours through scenic countryside past vast tea plantations to Fort Portal. Enjoy a local lunch and continue to Kibale, home of the Chimpanzees and 13 other primate species. Later, visit a community that makes gin out of bananas using traditional methods. For about 2 hours, you will be taken through the process of its preparation before tasting this local gin.

Accommodation: Turaco Treetops – Kibale national park.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 5 - Chimpanzee tracking. Amabeere caves visit and walk through crater lakes region.

What better way to start the day than with chimp tracking? After your 07:30 briefing with a group of trackers, your guide will lead you into the tropical rainforest in search of the chimps. Once you have found them, you will spend an hour with them as they go about their daily activities, in their beautiful, natural habitat. After lunch, enjoy a guided walk through Amabere ga Nyina Mwiru, a small cultural site featuring caves and waterfalls which is of historical importance to the people of Toro Kingdom. Follow this visit with a short walk to get spectacular views over the crater lakes and across the countryside to the Rwenzori Mountains beyond.

Accommodation: Turaco Treetops – Kibale national park.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6 - Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park. Salt Lake visit. Night game drive

This morning, at 08:00, drive (approx. 2.5 hours) via the scenic crater lakes region to Queen Elizabeth national park. After lunch at your lodge, visit a Salt Lake to witness the fascinating ancient art of salt extraction from this natural volcanic lake. In the evening, you’ll take a night game drive, accompanied by a ranger guide from 19:00 – 21:00, to see nightlife in the wilderness.

Accommodation Buffalo safari lodge– Queen Elizabeth national park.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 7 - Game drive in Queen Elizabeth national park. Boat cruise on Kazinga Channel.

Enjoy a dawn game drive in search of lions, elephants, buffaloes and leopards. After lunch, take a relaxing 2-hour boat cruise on the majestic Kazinga Channel, known for its high concentration of hippos. Look out for other animals on the banks and many colourful birds like Red-capped Lark. The boat cruise is undoubtedly one of the highlights of this park.

Accommodation: Buffalo safari lodge– Queen Elizabeth national park.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 8 - Transfer to Ishasha in search of the rare tree climbing lions. Game drive

Transfer to Ishasha, the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth national park, approximately 2 hours away. Go for a game drive (2-hour) in search of the famous tree-climbing lions. The sector has also got a rich biodiversity and is home to a host of wildlife such as elephant, buffalo, different species of antelope and birds. After lunch, enjoy another game drive in search of more resident species in this part of the park.

Accommodation: Ishasha Jungle Lodge – Ishasha

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 9 - Transfer to Lake Mutanda. Canoe ride to the islands

07:00 transfer to Lake Mutanda (5 hours away) through the lush green countryside. On arrival, have lunch at your lodge. In the afternoon, enjoy a relaxed canoe/boat ride on the lake with a local guide. Explore the shores, islands and remote wetland waterways.

Accommodation: Chameleon Hill Lodge – Lake Mutanda 

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 10 - Batwa tribal experience. Relaxed afternoon

Drive approx. 1 hour to Mgahinga Gorilla national park and walk the Batwa Trail. Members of the Batwa community, one of the oldest tribes in the world, will take you through the forest – where they lived in harmony with nature (5 – 6 hours). Hear their fascinating stories of traditional life and see how they built shelters, carried, water, lit fires, used medicinal plants and more. Afterwards, relax at your lodge.

Accommodation: Chameleon Hill Lodge – Lake Mutanda 

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 11 - Gorilla tracking

The big day is here! Join your group for a briefing at 07:30. Then, with your ranger guide and small group (max 8 people), set out into the jungle to locate your gorilla family (taking on average, 2 to 7 hours in total). Once with them, you are allowed to watch the gorillas for one hour as they eat, play, groom and sleep – one of the highlights of this safari.

Accommodation: Chameleon Hill Lodge – Lake Mutanda 

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 12 - Full day relaxation by the lake

You will spend this day relaxing by the lake. After your breakfast, you may choose to take a walk along the shores and embrace the peaceful surroundings. Have lunch and spend the afternoon lounging by the lake or reading a book, soaking up the sun and admiring the views to the Virunga Volcanoe. Spa treatments are also available at your lodge on pay-as-you-go basis. Then, prepare to watch the sunset before enjoying your dinner.

Accommodation: Chameleon Hill Lodge – Lake Mutanda 

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 13 - Travel to Lake Mburo national park. Game drive

A scenic 4 to 5-hour drive will take you through this beautiful, agricultural part of Uganda to Lake Mburo national park – Uganda’s smallest savannah park. This park presents the only opportunity to see Zebra, Impala and Eland on this safari. Look out for these and much more including giraffe on a game drive

Accommodation: Rwakobo Rock – Lake Mburo national park. 

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

 

Day 14 - Safari walk in the park. Transfer to Kampala via Equator. Ndere cultural dance.

07:00 start your day with a 2-hour guided nature walk among animals and learn more about this beautiful park and its inhabitants from your ranger guide. 10:00 transfer to Kampala with a stop at the Equator for lunch and photo moments. In the evening, at 18:00, enjoy a traditional dance performance from the Ndere troupe (on Wed, Fri and Sunday only). Ndere Cultural Centre is a wonderful way to discover some of Africa’s rich culture and traditions.

Accommodation: Cassia Lodge – Kampala 

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 15 - Kibuli mosque. Craft shopping. Nature walk at botanical gardens or swim at a hotel.

This morning, visit Kibuli mosque located on one of the famous seven hills of Kampala. Learn about its history and the introduction of Islam into Uganda. Later, visit a craft market for souvenir shopping and have lunch before transferring to Entebbe. Choose to swim at a local hotel or take a nature walk at botanical gardens which is home to a number of bird and primate species. Either way, you can relax before your guide takes you to the airport for your evening flight home.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch

Extend or customise this itinerary

If you have specific interests or target species we will be happy to suggest alternative and additional activities that fit this itinerary. Simply get in touch.

Relax in comfort

We recommend mid-range properties suitable for this itinerary. We are looking for a good location; somewhere clean, safe and comfortable. We want good service, good food and, where possible, strong responsible travel practices. We are happy to suggest alternative properties and properties in different price brackets.

Responsible travel highlights

We offer fabulous holidays that have a positive impact. We consider people and planet as much as profit and try to ensure, that overall, your visit to Uganda is a force for good. We don’t claim to be perfect but we actively try.

Locally-owned suppliers

Locally-owned suppliers

We are a Ugandan company and we want Ugandan tourism to benefit Ugandans. We also want our clients to meet the locals.
Authentic experiences

Authentic experiences

We work with community partners to develop tourist experiences, in real settings, to give you an insight into different aspects of life in Uganda.
Expert local knowledge

Expert local knowledge

Together, our team has extensive local knowledge which we use to design your holiday. And our guides enrich your experience by sharing their local knowledge – from wildlife to culture.
Responsible accommodation

Responsible accommodation

We prefer to work with responsible properties. That could mean anything from using solar power to being a good employer to sourcing food directly from local community members.

Our guests regularly spot…

Gorilla

Chimpanzees

Giraffe

Zebra

Elephant

Lion

Oribi

Rhino

Hippo

Various antelope

Buffalo

Crocodile

Wart hog

Mongoose

Various primates

Insects and butterflies

Various reptiles

Numerous bird species

Where the tour goes

Tour Gallery

Tour information

Duration:  15 days

Tour Type: Private

Price: please contact us for options and detailed price information

Included in this price

1 gorilla & 1 chimp tracking permit each

A double room in mid-range, non-air-conditioned accommodation

Full board meal plan

Private safari vehicle with driver and fuel for this itinerary

All entrance and other fees for the activities included in the itinerary

Mineral water in transit

All government taxes

Not included in this price

International flights

Visas

Travel insurance

Personal expenses: alcohol, laundry services and souvenirs

Tips (normally 5–10% and around $10 per day for your guide)

Read our Important Booking Information Page for insurance, payments and booking terms

What Michael says about this safari…

Byaruhanga Michael, Logistics Director at Venture Uganda

This itinerary offers a perfect blend of adventure and relaxation. It covers a lot of ground, so enjoy the diversity of landscapes and wildlife experiences

Michael, Venture Uganda Director

Extend & Customise

If you have specific interests or target species we will be happy to suggest alternative and additional activities that fit this itinerary.

 

Got any questions? 

Philo, Travel Consultant at Venture UgandaIf there’s anything you’re not sure about or you would just like to chat about this itinerary, email: philo@ventureuganda.org. Tell me when you’re free, leave a contact email/whatsapp No. and I’ll be in touch.

 

Ready to book?

Please complete our Enquiry form and we’ll be in touch. Remember to mention the optional activities you would like to book and what kind of room you’d like. You may also find it really useful to look over our important information page where you can find out our terms and insurance policies. 

 

Travel with Confidence

Sustainability

Responsible travel is something we care deeply about. We try our best to ensure your holiday has a positive impact on wildlife, people and places.

Here to Support

We are available 24/7. Our trained, professional staff are by your side in case of any emergencies, big or small. We’ve got your back.

We’re Recommended

We offer a great experience, tailored to you, but don’t take our word for it, read our reviews.

We’re Local

Uganda is our home so we’ll show you the highlights and take you off-the-beaten track to experience the real Uganda.

Personal Service

Our dedicated travel consultants are experts at preparing tailor-made holidays for solos, couples, group and family travellers.

Expert Local Guides

Our guides are instrumental to ensuring our travellers have an unforgettable experience. We only use the best and our clients love them.