This amazing 15-Day Uganda Safari will take you to various national parks to participate in activities such as visiting gorillas, chimpanzees, golden monkeys, and local communities near the parks.
Learn about the traditions and cultures of unique people like the Batooro, Bakiga, Banyankole, and Batwa pygmies. Highlights include game drives, boat cruises, horseback riding, and primate trekking.
Enjoy a relaxing time at Lake Bunyonyi, and capture memorable photos at the Uganda Equator. The national parks visited on this tour include Kibale, Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Semliki, Bwindi, Mgahinga, and Lake Mburo.
Additionally, this 15-Day Uganda Safari tour includes spotting the Big Five animals, with a visit to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
15-Day Uganda Safari Highlights
- Day 1: Leave Kampala and Transfer to Murchison Falls
- Day 2: Full Day in Murchison Falls (Game Drive and Boat Cruise)
- Day 3: Transfer to Kibale NP and Visit Isunga Cultural Community
- Day 4: Chimpanzee Tracking and Swamp Walk in Bigodi
- Day 5: Visit Sempaya Hot Springs and Amabere Ga’Nyinamwiru Caves
- Day 6: Head to Queen Elizabeth National Park and Game Drive
- Day 7: Game Drive and Boat Safari Day
- Day 8: Head to Bwindi NP with a Game Drive in the Ishasha Sector
- Day 9: Gorilla Trekking and Batwa Community Experience
- Day 10: Head to Mgahinga NP and Batwa Cultural Trail
- Day 11: Golden Monkey Trekking and Leisure
- Day 12: Head to Lake Bunyonyi and Boat Cruise
- Day 13: Head to Lake Mburo NP with a Stopover at Igongo Cultural Centre
- Day 14: Horseback Riding and Boat Safari
- Day 15: Transfer Back to Kampala and Drop-off at the Airport
Detailed 15-Day Uganda Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Leave Kampala and Transfer to Murchison Falls
Depart Kampala after pickup and head to Murchison Falls National Park, renowned for hosting four of the Big Five animals. As Uganda’s largest protected area, it is bisected by the Nile River. The park is named after Murchison Falls, the world’s strongest waterfall. Stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino trekking (depending on arrival time). Arrive in Murchison Falls for an overnight stay.
Day 2: Full Day in Murchison Falls (Game Drive and Boat Cruise)
Start the day with breakfast, then go on a game drive in Murchison Falls’ plains, spotting buffaloes, elephants, giraffes, Uganda kobs, bushbucks, Jackson’s hartebeests, lions, leopards, and more. Enjoy a fruit breakfast at the hippo pool. After lunch, take a boat safari to view Murchison Falls from below, spot crocodiles, antelopes, elephants, and other wildlife on the riverbanks.
Day 3: Transfer to Kibale NP and Visit Isunga Cultural Community
Leave Murchison Falls and transfer to Kibale National Park, home to 13 primate species, including chimpanzees. Enjoy scenic views of forests, tea plantations, banana farms, and gardens. Upon arrival, visit the Isunga Cultural Community to learn about tea and coffee farming, and the local way of processing coffee using traditional tools. Support the local economy by purchasing handmade souvenirs. Check into your accommodation, with an optional cultural entertainment session from the Batooro and Bakiga communities.
Day 4: Chimpanzee Tracking and Swamp Walk in Bigodi
Spend an hour with the chimpanzees after trekking through the forest, spotting red colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and black-and-white colobus monkeys along the way. After lunch, take a walk in the Bigodi Swamp, spotting primates, bird species, reptiles, and more.
Day 5: Visit Sempaya Hot Springs and Amabere Ga’Nyinamwiru Caves
Visit Sempaya Hot Springs in Semliki National Park, where the water bubbles at 100 degrees Celsius, allowing food like eggs and matooke to be boiled. Walk through the forest to spot black-and-white colobus monkeys, baboons, and red-tailed monkeys. Continue to Fort Portal to see Amabere Ga’Nyinamwiru Caves and Nyakasura Falls. Optional hike to Mweganywa Hill offers views of three crater lakes.
Day 6: Head to Queen Elizabeth National Park and Game Drive
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, the most visited park in Uganda, known for its diverse wildlife, including elephants, buffaloes, leopards, warthogs, hippos, crocodiles, and migratory birds.
Upon arrival, go on a game drive with a park ranger, then check into your accommodation for dinner.
Day 7: Game Drive and Boat Safari Day
Go on a morning game drive to spot early risers like leopards, cheetahs, lions, and hyenas, along with elephants, buffaloes, and baboons.
In the afternoon, enjoy a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, encountering hippos, crocodiles, and migratory birds from the Far East and Africa.
Day 8: Head to Bwindi NP with a Game Drive in the Ishasha Sector
Transfer from Queen Elizabeth NP to Bwindi NP through the Ishasha sector, known for its rare tree-climbing lions.
Spot elephants, antelopes, and other wildlife. Pass through tea plantations and dense forest before arriving at your lodge.
Day 9: Gorilla Trekking and Batwa Community Experience
After breakfast, attend a briefing at the park offices covering dress code, trekking guidelines, and essentials. Start your trek with a guide and porters. Spend an hour with the gorillas, capturing photos and creating lasting memories.
After lunch, enjoy a cultural experience with the Batwa community, learning about their traditions, music, dances, and food.
Day 10: Head to Mgahinga NP and Batwa Cultural Trail
Transfer from Bwindi to Mgahinga National Park, Uganda’s smallest national park, covering 33 square kilometers and home to colobus monkeys and mountain gorillas.
After lunch, join the Batwa Cultural Trail, guided by Mutwa guides who share insights into the Batwa’s forest lifestyle, traditional hunting methods, and use of medicinal plants.
Day 11: Golden Monkey Trekking and Leisure
After a briefing on forest trekking guidelines, set out to see golden monkeys. Spend an hour observing and photographing these primates, with the overall experience lasting around five hours.
Enjoy a relaxing evening at the lodge.
Day 12: Head to Lake Bunyonyi and Boat Cruise
Travel to Lake Bunyonyi, known for its small bird species. The lake is dotted with 29 islands, each with unique history, including Punishment Island and Leprosy Island. Enjoy a boat cruise to explore these islands.
Day 13: Head to Lake Mburo NP with a Stopover at Igongo Cultural Centre
After breakfast, transfer to Lake Mburo National Park. Stop at Igongo Cultural Centre to sample traditional Banyankole dishes and visit the museum with art from the Banyankole and Bakiga cultures.
Arrive at the park, known for its wildlife, including impalas and zebras.
Day 14: Horseback Riding and Boat Safari
Take a horseback ride to explore the Savannahs, encountering impalas, elands, buffaloes, oribis, and more. In the afternoon, enjoy a boat safari on Lake Mburo, spotting crocodiles, hippos, and bird species like the fish eagle and kingfishers.
Day 15: Transfer Back to Kampala and Drop-off at the Airport
After a leisurely breakfast, drive back to Kampala, stopping at the Uganda Equator for snacks, stretching, photos, experiments, and souvenirs.
After lunch, proceed to the airport, marking the end of your 15-day Uganda safari.