The 35-Day Uganda Safari is an unforgettable long holiday that takes you through eight national parks, several reserves, and Uganda’s top birding areas.
On this Uganda safari, you will enjoy primate tracking, bird watching, nature walks, cultural encounters, and classic big game safaris.
35-Day Uganda Safari Highlights
- Visit 8 national parks and top reserves in Uganda
- Enjoy gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Go chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park
- Experience game drives in Kidepo, Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, and Lake Mburo
- Take relaxing boat cruises on the Nile, Kazinga Channel, and Lake Mburo
- Go birding in Mabira, Budongo, Semuliki, and Mabamba Swamp
- Track golden monkeys in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
- Visit the Batwa community for a cultural experience
- Enjoy scenic hikes to Sipi Falls and nature walks in Pian-Upe
- Combine primate tracking, wildlife viewing, birding, and cultural tours in one long holiday
35-Day Uganda Safari Highlights
- Day 1: Arrival and transfer to hotel
- Day 2: Entebbe to Mabira Forest (birding)
- Day 3: Mabira to Sipi Falls
- Day 4: Sipi to Pian-Upe Wildlife Reserve
- Day 5: Explore Pian-Upe
- Day 6: Pian-Upe to Amudat
- Days 7–8: Birding in Amudat
- Day 9: Amudat to Kidepo Valley National Park
- Days 10–12: Explore Kidepo (birding, game drives, hot springs)
- Day 13: Kidepo to Murchison Falls National Park
- Days 14–15: Game drives and boat cruises
- Days 16–17: Budongo Forest birding
- Day 18: Transfer to Kibale National Park
- Days 19–20: Chimpanzee trekking and birding
- Days 21–22: Birding in Semuliki National Park
- Days 23–25: Queen Elizabeth National Park (game drives, boat cruise, birding)
- Days 26–28: Kyambura Gorge, Bwindi, gorilla trekking, and Ruhija birding
- Days 29–30: Mgahinga and golden monkey tracking
- Days 31–32: Lake Mburo National Park (game drives and boat cruise)
- Day 33: Horse riding or cycling, return to Kampala
- Day 34: Mabamba Swamp birding
- Day 35: Departure
Detailed 35-Day Ugandan Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Uganda
On arrival, you will be welcomed and transferred to your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala for dinner and overnight rest.
Day 2: Birding in Mabira Forest
After breakfast, drive to Mabira Forest, located between Kampala and Jinja.
This tropical forest has over 300 bird species, butterflies, and tree species.
Birds you may see include the yellow-billed barbet, Narina trogon, red-capped robin chat, grey-green bush-shrike, and buff-spotted woodpecker.
Day 3: Transfer to Sipi Falls
After breakfast, travel to Sipi Falls near Mount Elgon.
Enjoy views of sugarcane and tea plantations and hike to the three waterfalls measuring 85, 65, and 100 meters high.
Day 4: Drive to Pian-Upe Wildlife Reserve
Depart Sipi for Pian-Upe, Uganda’s largest wildlife reserve, covering 2,043 km².
You will enjoy a short game drive upon arrival.
Day 5: Explore Pian-Upe
Spend the day on a wildlife and birding tour.
Look out for giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, ostriches, secretary birds, and Abyssinian ground hornbills.
Day 6: Pian-Upe to Amudat
After breakfast, drive to Amudat, near the border with Moroto District.
Here you will find birds of the Somali-Masai and Sudan-Guinea savanna biomes.
Days 7–8: Birding in Amudat
Spend two days exploring Amudat.
You may spot purple grenadiers, red-billed hornbills, Karamoja apalis, sunbirds, grey-headed silverbills, and dark chanting goshawks.
Day 9: Amudat to Kidepo Valley National Park
Travel to Kidepo Valley National Park, home to over 475 bird species and 77 mammal species.
Day 10: Bird Watching in Kidepo
Enjoy a full day of birding.
Look for pygmy falcons, yellow-necked spur fowls, violet-tipped coursers, secretary birds, and white-bellied go-away birds.
Day 11: Game Drive in Kidepo
Take a full-day game drive in Narus Valley to see lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, cheetahs, buffaloes, and many birds.
Day 12: Visit Kanangorok Hot Springs
Enjoy another game drive and visit Kanangorok Hot Springs before returning to the lodge for dinner.
Day 13: Kidepo to Murchison Falls National Park
Drive to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest park.
The park hosts 76 mammal species and 451 bird species. Check in and relax.
Day 14: Game Drive & Boat Cruise
Take an early morning game drive to see giraffes, lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, and Uganda kobs.
In the afternoon, enjoy a boat cruise along the Victoria Nile to view hippos, crocodiles, and water birds.
Day 15: Delta Cruise & Evening Game Drive
Take a morning boat ride to the Nile Delta to look for the shoebill stork.
Later, enjoy an evening game drive to see nocturnal animals.
Day 16: Top of the Falls & Transfer to Budongo Forest
Visit the Top of Murchison Falls to watch the Nile squeeze through an 8-meter gap before falling 43 meters.
Later, drive to Budongo Forest for birding.
Day 17: Birding in Budongo Forest
Explore the Royal Mile and look for Cassin’s spine-tail, crowned eagle, yellow-footed flycatcher, and Puvel’s illadopsis.
Day 18: Transfer to Kibale National Park
Drive to Kibale National Park, home to 13 primate species, including chimpanzees, and 375 bird species.
Day 19: Chimpanzee Trekking & Bigodi Swamp Walk
After breakfast, join a briefing at Kanyanchu and start your chimpanzee trek.
In the afternoon, visit Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary for more birds and primates.
Day 20: Birding or Chimpanzee Habituation
You can go birding to look for the green-breasted pitta or spend the day following chimpanzees during a habituation experience.
Day 21: Kibale to Semuliki
Travel to Semuliki National Park, known for Congo-biome species and the Ituri Forest ecosystem.
Day 22: Birding in Semuliki
Watch for shoebill storks, African dwarf kingfishers, hornbills, and malimbes among more than 440 bird species.
Day 23: Semuliki to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After a short birding session, drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, famous for wildlife and crater lakes.
Day 24: Game Drive & Kazinga Channel Cruise
Enjoy a game drive in Kasenyi Plains to see lions, elephants, and antelopes.
Later, take a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel to watch hippos and crocodiles.
Day 25: Birding in Maramagambo Forest
Go birding in Maramagambo Forest and look for kingfishers, turacos, and papyrus canaries.
Day 26: Kyambura Gorge & Drive to Bwindi
After breakfast, visit Kyambura Gorge for birding or chimp tracking.
Then drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, passing through the Ishasha sector to see tree-climbing lions.
Day 27: Gorilla Trekking & Batwa Visit
Start early for gorilla trekking in Buhoma Sector.
Spend one hour with the gorillas, then visit the Batwa community for cultural interaction.
Day 28: Birding in Ruhija
Travel to Ruhija Sector for birding.
Look out for montane orioles, Rwenzori nightjars, and Doherty’s bush-shrikes.
Day 29: Bwindi to Mgahinga
Drive to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, stopping at Echuya Forest for birding.
Expect species like the grauer’s swamp warbler and dusky crimson wing.
Day 30: Golden Monkey Tracking
Join a briefing at Ntebeko and start golden monkey tracking.
You will have an hour with these rare monkeys before returning to the lodge.
Day 31: Mgahinga to Lake Mburo National Park
Travel to Lake Mburo National Park, known for zebras, impalas, giraffes, buffaloes, and over 350 bird species.
Day 32: Game Drive & Boat Cruise
Go for a morning game drive, then enjoy a boat cruise on Lake Mburo to view hippos, crocodiles, and water birds.
Day 33: Horse Riding or Cycling, Return to Kampala
After breakfast, enjoy a short horse ride or cycling tour, then drive back to Kampala or Entebbe.
Stop at the Equator line for photos and souvenirs.
Day 34: Birding in Mabamba Swamp
Explore Mabamba Swamp, famous for the shoebill stork, malachite kingfisher, and African jacana.
Day 35: Departure
Depending on your flight time, visit the Entebbe Botanical Gardens for one last birding experience before heading to the airport.
This marks the end of your 35-Day Uganda Safari.
