12 Days Luxury Uganda Safari

This 12 Days Luxury Uganda Safari takes you to some of the most popular national parks in Uganda with exciting activities such as gorilla trekking, boat cruise on the Nile and Kazinga channel, game viewing, chimpanzee trekking, watching rhinos in the wild and visiting the world’s most powerful waterfall.

Brief 12 Days Luxury Uganda Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and pick-up

Day 2: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Day 3: Gorilla trekking

Day 4: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 5: Game drive and boat cruise

Day 6: Game drive/Lake Katwe/Kasoga community visit

Day 7: Transfer to Kibale National Park

Day 8: Chimpanzee trekking

Day 9: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park

Day 10: Game drive and boat cruise

Day 11: Transfer to Entebbe via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Day 12: Departure

Detailed 12 Days Luxury Uganda Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and pick-up.

On arrival, you will be received at Entebbe International Airport by our company representative who will give you a briefing about the tour as you transfer to your hotel in Kampala for relaxation, as you prepare for the early morning journey the following day.

Depending on the time of your arrival and fatigue, you may choose to take a tour on a Kampala city tour or stay in the hotel for relaxation. There are many cultural and historical sites within the city to look out for, including the catholic and protestant cathedrals, overlooking the city center, the king’s palace, and also within the city center are the famous tombs where past Buganda royalties have been laid to rest. Kampala also has many restaurants and bars, both modern and more traditional – all of which are very entertaining.

Accommodation: Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort

Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort

Serena Hotels offers quality accommodation in a diverse collection of 35 up-market properties, including hotels, resorts, safari lodges, camps, palaces and forts. Spanning across 6 countries in the Eastern African region (Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Uganda, Rwanda, Mozambique and DR Congo) and 12 properties in Asia (Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan), its portfolio showcases some of the most exquisite and prime locations strategically positioned to offer exciting circuits for its clients. With an unrivalled focus on product excellence, service standards, authentic cuisine and guest satisfaction, Serena Hotels continues its quest to be the hotel of choice for the discerning traveller.

Day 2: Kampala>Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

After breakfast, the guide will pick you up at your hotel and start your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You will have an en-route stopover at the Equator for a photo session before proceeding to Mbarara for lunch. After lunch, you will continue with the journey to Bwindi, arriving at your hotel later in the evening for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Four Gorillas Lodge

Four Gorillas Lodge

Four Gorillas lodge Uganda offers the best Luxury Accommodation of all worlds to those who travel to Bwindi Forest National Park. In this oasis of privacy, serenity and rejuvenation, there are no crowds, just Mountain Gorillas as well as the soothing sound of birds, rustling trees, soft breezes and breath-taking views – the Four Gorillas Lodge is the closest to the headquarters of the Bwindi National Park, only 10 minutes away from the Gorilla tracking and briefing center.

The Four Gorillas Lodge in Bwindi National Park Uganda offers perfect contemporary luxury while satisfying the human craving to become one with nature and our fellow apes.

Accommodation: Four Gorillas Lodge

Day 3: Bwindi gorilla trekking.

After early breakfast, you will have your packed lunch ready then drive to the park headquarters for a briefing before the gorilla trekking activity. You will then be assigned a group to track a particular gorilla family. You will be led into the jungle by an armed ranger who will keep in touch with the monitoring team on the ground in order to easily locate the mountain gorillas.

The activity takes between 3-7 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas. Once you locate the gorilla family, you will be given an hour to watch them in their natural habitat playing, feeding, resting and going about their daily life. You will later return to the lodge for evening relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Accommodation: Four Gorillas Lodge

Day 4: Bwindi>Queen Elizabeth National Park.

After breakfast, transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park through the Ishasha sector. On arrival, you will have a game drive expecting to see tree-climbing lions, elephants, topis, waterbucks, Uganda kobs, savannah baboons and different species of bird species. Arrive at the lodge for check-in and lunch. Shortly after lunch, you can choose to do an afternoon game drive or relax at the lodge as you prepare for the next day’s activities.

Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge

Mweya Safari Lodge

Mweya Safari Lodge offers visitors an unforgettable experience. Located on a peninsula within the heart of the Queen Elizabeth National Park, Mweya Safari Lodge is surrounded by the magical Rwenzori Mountains aptly described as the ‘Mountains of the Moon’.

To the east, lie the guardians of the birthplace of mankind, the Great Rift Valley hills, separated from the Mountains of the Moon by the meandering Kazinga Channel. Here the water flows endlessly into two giant lakes – Lake George and Lake Edward

Day 5: Queen Elizabeth National Park.

After early breakfast, you will head out for a game drive in the Kasenyi plains in search of species like lions, bushbucks, waterbucks, giant forest hogs, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, lions, and other bird species. The park boasts a record of over 600 bird species. After, you will drive back to the lodge for hot lunch and later take a boat cruise on the Kazinga channel.

The Kazinga channel is a 42km stretch connecting Lake George and Lake Edward with rewarding big schools of hippos, Nile crocodiles, and other animals that come to cool off and different bird species like the rare African skimmers. After the cruise, you can opt for a sundowner at one of the crater lakes or transfer to the lodge for evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge

Day 6: Morning game drive/lake Katwe/community visit.

Wake up early in the morning, have breakfast, and head out for another game drive. Drive to the plains of Kasenyi in the savannah in search of the Uganda kobs, warthogs, elephants, hippos, buffaloes, and lions. After the game drive, return to the lodge for lunch. Shortly after lunch, you will visit the Lake Katwe salt mine to see the salt mining process.

You will also visit the Kasoga community and fishing village to see and learn about the different fish preservation methods. Later, you may head for a sundowner at one of the craters or drive to the lodge for evening relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge

Kasoga Community

Kasoga Community Tour in Queen Elizabeth National Park is a community initiative on LakeGeorge Ramsar site in Hamukungu Fishing Village, southwest of Kasenyi on the edge of Queen Elizabeth National Park that offers authentic experiences on how the community lives and works.

The aim of the initiative is to enhance the knowledge and experiences of the tourists but most importantly, to lengthen their stay and expenditure of the place visited.

Day 7: Queen>Kibale Forest National Park.

After breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and start the drive to Kibale National Park going through the crater lakes with beautiful sceneries. Arrive at the lodge later in the afternoon for lunch and check-in. Afternoon relaxation at the lodge and overnight.

Accommodation: Kyaninga Lodge

Kyaninga Lodge

Kyaninga Lodge is fantastically located just north of Fort Portal. This makes it a great base for chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest, exploring the snow-capped peaks of the Rwenzori Mountains, or heading into the lowland tropical forests of Semliki Valley. On arrival, you’re immediately struck by the design, huge cottages cascading across the crater rim of Lake Kyaninga, connected by a central walkway that itself sits on raised wooden beams.

DAY 8: Kibale Forest National Park.

After your early breakfast, you will drive to the chimpanzee briefing point in time for a briefing about the activity. You will be assigned a guide and rangers to escort you through the forest. Shortly, you will walk through the forest as the ranger keeps in touch with the monitoring team on the ground. Upon finding the chimpanzees, you will be given one hour to watch them feeding, copulating, hunting, breastfeeding, and patrolling.

Later, you will drive back to the lodge for lunch as you prepare for the Bigodi swamp walk and community experience. Among the activities to excite you here include local liquor making, weaving of baskets, cultural dances and also paying a visit to the cultural doctor. You will later drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary

Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary is a community development effort at the edges of Kibale National Park to help protect the former Magombe Swamp. The sanctuary is found off the road between the districts of Kamwenge and Fort Portal in Uganda. The wetland was at first generally known as Magombe swamp (graveyard in local language) because of the number of people who once died there while constructing a bridge. In the 1990’s the wetland became known as Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary.

Accommodation: Kyaninga Lodge

Day 9: Kibale>Murchison Falls National Park.

After breakfast, you will begin your journey to Murchison Falls National Park. The drive will take you through the Albertine Escarpment, viewing the two separations of the rift valley facing the blue mountains of Congo, plus you will have views of Lake Albert en route. On arrival, you will check in at the lodge and have lunch. After lunch, you can have an afternoon game drive or have an afternoon relaxation at the lodge.

Accommodation: Paara Safari Lodge

Day 10: Murchison Falls National Park.

Today after your early breakfast, you will set off for a game drive. The drive gives the possibility of catching the big cats in action. Other animals frequently seen during the drive are Lake Chad buffalos, African Elephants, Lelwel’s hartebeest, Nubian giraffes, and Oribis among other species. Common bird species include the Goliath Heron, African Skimmer, and the red-throated bee-eater.

You will later head back to the lodge for lunch. After lunch, you will have a launch cruise on the Nile. The cruise will expose you to schools of hippos, Nile crocodiles busking by the riverside, and different bird species. Later return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Accommodation: Paara Safari Lodge

Day 11: Murchison>Entebbe via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

After breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and start your journey. Proceed in the direction of Kampala with an en-route stop over at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. On arrival, you will head out for rhino tracking. The rhino tracking activity is done in the company of an armed game ranger and the activity takes about 2 hours. You will get an opportunity to watch the rhinos in their natural habitat. After the tracking activity, we shall come back for lunch and continue with the journey to Kampala for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Accommodation: Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort

Day 12: Departure.

After your breakfast, depending on the time of your flight, you can choose to visit the zoo, reptile village, or the botanical gardens. After the visit, you will transfer to the airport to catch your flight back home.

Package cost offer includes the following services:

Exclusive Safari transport in custom made Safari 4x4WD Land Cruiser with AC
Services of English-speaking driver guides
Park entrance fees
Chimpanzee permit
Gorilla trekking Permits
Pick-up and drop-off in Kampala
All park entrance fees
Bottled water (2 bottles per day)
Meals included till dinner

Package cost excludes the following services

International and Visa entry charges to Uganda.
All items of personal use i.e. drinks, laundry, telephone calls, gratuities, personal travel insurances, Masai village visit- etc.
Activities not listed in the itinerary

GENERAL INFORMATION

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

All visitors to Uganda must have a valid passport with at least 4 consecutive blanks pages. Any applicable visa and/or relevant documentation are the responsibility of the traveller. For further information on Visa requirements visitors are advised to contact their nearest Uganda Embassy or Consulate.

LANGUAGE:

English

TIME:

GMT +3

VOLTAGE:

220 Volts/AC50Hz. Sockets are UK style, 3 pin square plugs. Power is from the UMEME in the city/major towns and generator with inverter back up in the Safari Lodges and Camps.

CURRENCY:

Foreign currency must be changed at the Bank, Bureau de Change, and Hotel/Safari lodge/Camp/Resort. Major Credit Cards, Master card, Visa, American Express, are usually accepted throughout the country. Where credit cards are accepted, the payment will normally be recorded in US$ regardless of the card’s default currency.

CLOTHING:

Dress is mainly informal and should be comfortable as well as practical. Something warm should be brought along for early morning and evenings. Safari clothes are available from hotels/lodges/camps.

BAGGAGE:

Where possible, travel light. Baggage space on safari is limited to medium suitcase or soft bag per person plus reasonable amount of hand luggage. There is 15 Kilogram per person limit on all flights to the wildlife sanctuaries. Excess luggage must be stored in your arrival hotel.

WATER:

You will find many different of opinion of what is safe and what is not. We recommend for peace of mind, to drink local Bottled Mineral water. It is important to drink plenty of water especially during the hotter months. We would recommend that guests drink at least 2 to 3 liters of water per day to limit the effects of dehydration.

HEALTH;

East Africa is a safe and secure destination; however, it is a good idea to take a few precautions. Kindly consult your GP or local doctor at least 6 weeks before you travel, with regards:

Malaria prophylactics. East Africa is a known malaria area and preventive measures are essential. You are advised to take one of the recommended anti-malarial drugs. Be sure to wear long sleeved shorts and trousers after sunset and spray the exposed parts of your body with a mosquito repellent spray

Remember to protect yourself from direct sun rays with sunscreen cream or safari hat.

DIETARY REQUIREMENTS:

For those guests with specific dietary requirement, please ensure we are notified prior to travel

GRATUITIES:

As a guideline and dependent on how happy you are, we would suggest the following:

The General Hotel/Lodge/Camp Staff – Approximately U$ 10.00 per person per day

Driver Guides – Approximately US$ 15.00 to US$ 20.00 per person per day

PHOTOGRAPHY:

Please be careful when photographing public buildings, airports, bridges, the national flag and people in uniform. Ensure that you have sought permission before photographing local people and their villages. If in doubt, please check with your guide.

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