12 Days Uganda Primates And Wildlife Holiday
The 12-day Uganda primates and wildlife holiday is a complete primate and savanna wildlife expedition. It covers Uganda’s finest destinations—primate and wildlife parks, especially Murchison Falls National Park, Lake Mburo, and Queen Elizabeth National Park—for wildlife/game viewing. Primate encounters will be enjoyed in Kibale National Park for chimpanzees and other primates, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for mountain gorillas. Below is the detailed 12 days Uganda primates and wildlife holiday safari itinerary.
Day 1: Arrival & pick up at Entebbe Airport
Meet our company representative at Entebbe Airport, who will pick you up and take you to a comfortable and safe place to stay in Entebbe, such as a reputable hotel or lodge.
Day 2: Rhino tracking & Murchison Falls wildlife holiday
Enjoy breakfast and meet your safari leader for a briefing about this special 12-day tour in Uganda. Murchison Falls National Park will be your first destination. It is Uganda’s biggest park and a naturally rich protected area with over 76 mammal species, a powerful waterfall—Murchison Falls—primates, 451 bird species, and more.
In a 4×4 safari vehicle, navigate via the Kampala-Gulu highway. The 6-7-hour drive includes a stopover at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to see rhinos in their natural environment. From Ziwa, have lunch at a hotel in Masindi town before proceeding to Kichumbanyobo gate to clear with Murchison Falls N/Park officials.
As you drive to the Northern circuit, plenty of playful olive baboons will be spotted around Budongo or Kaniyo-Pabidi Forest. You will drive up to the top of the falls, observing the mighty Murchison Falls squeeze into a narrow gorge of about 7-8 meters.
Day 3: Full-day tour in Murchison Falls- Game drive & Launch cruise
You can start your game drive before the sun rises, and this will be perfectly done along the wildlife tracks in the northern circuit. This area has wildlife, including giraffes, buffalo, waterbucks, oribis, Jackson’s hartebeest, lions, leopards, elephants, hippos, and birds. Return from a game drive, a delicious lunch, catering to various dietary preferences, will be served, plus some refreshments.
After a remarkable lunch, report at the Paraa Jetty for a boat cruise. This takes you to the base of the Murchison Falls and takes 2-3 hours. However, it rewards you with incredible sightings of aquatic life -hippos, crocodiles, and birds. On a boat cruise, you can take pictures of marine life and the Murchison Falls at the base.
Day 4: Wildlife Holiday to Kibale National Park
Have a hefty breakfast early in the morning, and then your driver’s guide will transfer you to Kibale. On a journey of about 7-8 hours, you will enjoy the view of the Rift Valley escarpment and Fort Portal city. A lunch stopover will be made before you check in at the lodge in Kibale.
Kibale National Park holds a diversity of primates, about 13 primate species, including 1500 chimpanzees, l’hoest monkeys, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, black & white colobus monkeys. These share the same habitat with over 375 species of birds, several colorful butterflies, and reptiles.
Day 5: Go chimpanzee tracking on the Kibale & Bigodi Wetland expedition
The D-day to encounter the Eastern chimpanzees will be today, and you will first have breakfast at the comfort of your lodge. This will be followed by a briefing at Kanyanchu from 7:00 am to 8:00 am, where the park guides will also explain the safety measures during the trek. Then the park guides will accompany you to the forest. 2-4 hours will be spent looking for a community of chimpanzees, and other primates can also be encountered, plus birds. Once you meet these unique apes, a special one-hour close interaction with chimpanzees will be guaranteed.
Return and enjoy lunch at the lodge you booked. The afternoon tour includes visiting Bigodi Wetland, where more primates, birds, and other mammals will be encountered.
Day 6: Scenic drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Drive to Queen Elizabeth N/Park via Kasese town, and your driver will take you at a speed that allows you to enjoy the view of the Crater Lakes, banana plantations, and the Rwenzori Mountain ranges in the background. Queen Elizabeth NP comes after Murchison Falls Park as Uganda’s 2nd biggest park, occupying 1978 sq. .km. Established in 1952, this park is home to exceptional wildlife. These include tree-climbing lions, other big game animals like elephants, leopards, buffalo, and antelopes.
Arrive early and settle for lunch. After lunch, set off for the Kazinga channel launch cruise, a 2- 3 hour recreational sport. This sport lets you watch large schools of hippos, aquatic birds, and crocodiles while they bask along the river banks. You can retreat from the Kazinga channel launch trip and settle for a leisurely dinner at the comfort of your lodge.
Day 7: Kasenyi game drive- Ishasha & Bwindi
Enjoy a sumptuous breakfast or pack it and set off for a 6:00 am game drive along the Kasenyi Plains. This wildlife sector is where you will find many wildlife species. They include: elephants, buffalo, jackals, spotted hyenas, and warthogs. Bushbucks, Kobs, waterbucks, and plenty of birds. It will be a 2-3 hour drive, and you will get back to enjoy lunch.
Check out and drive to Bwindi via the Ishasha sector, where you will stop briefly. At Ishasha, you will have a chance to see tree-climbing lions and other wildlife. From Ishasha, could you connect to your lodge in Bwindi Impenetrable NP for an overnight stay?
Day 8: Go Bwindi gorilla trekking
Have a delicious breakfast, then transfer to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Park offices for a briefing on gorilla trekking. The trek begins at 8:00 a.m., with the park guides leading your group of 8 people. Your group will trek a single gorilla family. One hour is guaranteed for photography and interaction with the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural environment.
Return from the wild, relax at the lodge, and in the afternoon, visit the Batwa community. Meet the original occupants of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Learn about their traditions and cultures, and you will also be entertained by their dance and music performances.
Day 9: Lake Bunyonyi for a canoe trek- Uganda
Early in the morning, you will be served a tasty breakfast, after which you will leave Bwindi for Lake Bunyonyi. This is Uganda’s deepest Lake, and in Africa, it comes in second place with a depth of 900m. It has 29 islands dotted on it and shelters interesting birds. Arrive early, and you will have a canoe ride to one of the historical islands.
Day 10: Wildlife Holiday to Lake Mburo
After a tasty breakfast, you leave Lake Bunyonyi for Lake Mburo National Park, your next wildlife holiday destination in Uganda. Lake Mburo NP is a compact savanna-protected area but features distinct wildlife including zebras, buffaloes, elands, waterbucks, reedbucks, hippos, crocodiles, 350 bird species, topis, and others.
Day 11: Lake Mburo Safari drive & launch cruise
A morning game drive through Lake Mburo National Park will reward you with special animal encounters. This park has a vast profusion of zebras, impalas, elands, topis, buffalo, birds, and others. Most of these will be spotted during the 2-3 hours’ game drive. The afternoon activity will be a boat cruise taking you along Lake Mburo. You will be spotting schools of hippos, crocodiles & aquatic life.
Day 12: Transfer to Kampala – Departure
After checking out of the lodge, drive back to Kampala or Entebbe. Take the 4-hour drive to Kampala. Do not miss taking pictures at the Equator crossing. This will mark the end of your 12-day Uganda Primates and Wildlife Holiday.
