12-Day Uganda Wildlife and Nature Tour

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be met by a Tubale Safaris guide/driver who will welcome you to Uganda – the Pearl of Africa. Thereafter, you will be transferred to your booked accommodation. In case you have had an early landing in Uganda, you may opt to go out and tour Kampala City.

Your driver-guide will pick you up from the accommodation. You will head out for Murchison Falls National Park. The highlights of this park include the roaring rapids of the Murchison Falls, and the rolling plains of Uganda’s largest National Park where you will have the chance of viewing lions, giraffes, hartebeest, buffalo, and elephants.

Then, you will be fascinated by the concentration of hippos and Nile crocodiles here. En route, you'll visit Zziwa Rhino sanctuary. You will have at least one hour of rhino tracking while here. Another stop will be in Masindi to enjoy your lunch. You'll continue to the park and check into your accommodation to relax for the evening.

You'll have your breakfast and depart for an early morning game drive across the rolling plains of Uganda’s largest National Park where you will have the opportunity to view lions, giraffes, hartebeest, buffalos, and elephants among others. For any birder, this area supports the secretary bird and black-chested snake eagle to name a few. You'll return to your accommodation for some rest time and lunch.

After lunch, you will head out for the boat trip to the base of Murchison Falls where you will also be able to catch sight of more animals including hippos, crocodiles, and several water birds. You'll continue with a hike (if you like) to the top of the falls. The hike may be a strenuous one but the thrill of reaching the top is unforgettable. Miss it only if you must. You'll return to your accommodation and have a relaxed evening.

After breakfast at your accommodation, you will depart right away for Kibale Forest National Park. The drive is incredibly scenic, passing through villages, lush green countryside, and hills dotted with tea plantations which characterize this part of Uganda. Kibale National Park is popular for its primates like the chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and red-tailed monkeys. On your chimpanzee trails, these are regularly seen swinging in the forest trees and others feeding on the wild fruits. You will reach and do little but check into your accommodation where you will have dinner and the overnight rest.

You'll have breakfast at the accommodation and proceed out for a lifetime experience of chimp habituation in Kibale Forest. The activity allows you to accompany Kibale’s research and habituation team on their daily activities. You will spend a greater part of the day in the presence of these amazing humans closest relation with the wild and witness them nesting, de-nesting, feeding, playing, etc. while getting a first-hand explanation from the experts on the ground. Later, you'll return to the accommodation for relaxation with a spectacular view of Kibale features right in front of you.

After breakfast, you will exit Kibale Forest National Park and continue your journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Queen is one of the country’s most frequented tourist destinations. The park features a diverse ecosystem called home to a variety of wildlife species —ten primate species (including chimpanzees), more than 600 bird species, and classic big games. You will reach Queen early enough to rest and have lunch. Later, you'll go for an afternoon (evening) wildlife viewing where you will expect to see games like the bushbucks, Cape buffalos, waterbucks, giant forest hogs, and Uganda kobs among others. You'll return to the accommodation for some relaxation, dinner, and an overnight stay.

You'll be up early and have your breakfast. You'll proceed for a morning game drive to the Kasenyi plains during which you will expect to see lions, elephants, bushbucks, Cape buffaloes, Defassa waterbucks, giant forest hogs, and Uganda kob, among others. You'll return to your accommodation, and have your lunch. After lunch, you will go for a 2-hour boat trip on the Kazinga Channel which connects Lakes George and Edward and you will surely be fascinated by the concentrations of giant hippos, elephants, and crocodiles among others. You will also see many varieties of birds on the water shores. You will have dinner and an overnight stay at your accommodation.

You'll have breakfast then set off for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park —famously known for its resident tree-climbing lions. The chance of spotting these lions is about 70% though sometimes they are hard to spot (most especially when they’re down in the grassland looking for prey). Hoping you get the chance to spot them, the sight will be spectacular.

You'll continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi is a big habitat for mountain gorillas in Uganda (harboring an estimated 400 mountain gorillas —roughly half of the world’s population) including several habituated groups, which can be tracked. With a strenuous day ahead, you will do less on arrival but just check in your accommodation, and relax as you prepare for the Bwindi gorilla trekking experience the following day.

After an early breakfast and a briefing by a ranger guide, you will enter the gorilla sanctuary for your adventure. The beauty of this rainforest is spectacular! The area offers a dramatic steeply forested landscape and is incredibly dense, but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails allowing access to tourists. The time taken and the terrain vary with the movements of these great primates. Once you locate a gorilla group, you will be allowed an hour in their presence.

The thrill of spending time observing these gentle and endangered giants is an awesome, exciting experience to be long-savored. You'll return to your lodge for some rest time and lunch. Thereafter, you'll embark on a transfer to Mutanda Lake Resort for an overnight stay. Perched on a Lake Mutanda peninsula in the shadow of the Virunga Mountains, the resort offers comfortable accommodation combined with the most spectacular views on planet Earth.

After your breakfast and a brief visit to Kabale town, you will start your journey to Lake Mburo. Lake Mburo is a small national Park but should certainly not be underestimated. This is the only place in southern Uganda to see zebras and the only park in the country with impalas, slender mongoose, and giant bush rats. You can also look for hyenas, leopards, topis, elands, and the beautiful Rothschild’s giraffes, not to mention the lake itself which is teeming with hippos and crocodiles.

There are a lot of wonderful activities on offer, such as horse riding, bush walks, a boat safari on the lake, and a mountain bike safari. It is exciting to approach the wildlife at such close range, especially combining the fresh air with the beautiful scenery of Lake Mburo National Park. En route, lunch in Mbarara town and visit the Igongo cultural center.

What sets Lake Mburo National Park apart from others is that nature walks can be taken anywhere within the park with an armed Uganda Wildlife Authority Guide at your side. On an early morning guided walk, you often encounter hyenas that are returning to their dens. After a night of being on the prowl at the same time, you can often see hippos returning from grazing during the night and returning to Lake Mburo to keep cool during the day and protect their sensitive skin from the sun.

On a nature walk, you will often see zebras, giraffes, elands, topi, other antelopes, buffalos, birds, and butterflies. You'll take the trail to the top of the hills and see Lake Mburo and beyond, from this vantage point you have a great view of 9 of the regional lakes found in the area. In the afternoon, a boat ride on Lake Mburo gets you in touch with the flora and fauna of the lake. Along the bank, you will see lots of animals coming to the water, especially during the dry season.

Early in the morning, you'll have a guided nature walk again, and return to the camp for a healthy breakfast. After, you will start your journey back to Entebbe. You will go cross the equator and experience being in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere at the same time and also have time to take photos. You'll buy a few souvenirs in the craft shops and have a quick picnic lunch.