10 Days Uganda Big 5 and Gorilla Safari

Day 1 · Pick up from Entebbe and transfer to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

1. 1

   Stop 1

   3 hours Admission included

   Your driver will warmly welcome you at the airport or pick you up at the hotel. After the introduction, he'll brief you about the tour, have lunch, and then embark on a journey to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Upon arrival, you'll be assigned a ranger guide who'll lead you to the bushland and thickets to see rhinos, and after finding the rhinos, you'll see how they behave as the guide explains their characteristics. After that, you'll return to the starting point, where you'll check in at the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch Lodge

Day 2 · Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park to visit top of the falls and an a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls

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   Murchison Falls

   3 hours Admission included

   You'll have breakfast and embark on a journey to Murchison Falls National Park, the biggest national park in Uganda. Upon arrival, you'll first head to the top of the falls, where you'll witness the Nile River forcing itself into an 8-meter gorge, creating a roaring sound. After that, you'll head to the jetty, where you'll board a boat in the afternoon, heading to the bottom of the falls. While sailing, you'll see several animals such as waterbucks, elephants, hippos, and crocodiles basking in the sun. You'll also see several bird species such as African Fish Eagles, cormorants, herons, Egrets, and so on. After that, you'll head to the lodge for relaxation and overnight.

Pakuba Safari Lodge

Day 3 · Full-Day Game drives in Murchison Falls National Park

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   Murchison Falls National Park

   6 hours

   On this day, you’ll wake up, have breakfast, and head back to the park. You’ll then embark on a full-day game drive in Murchison Falls National Park. As you follow the different tracks, you’ll spot a variety of animals, some of which you might have missed the day before. You’ll see giraffes, buffalo, deer, Uganda kobs, elephants, bushbucks, gazelles, baboons, impalas, and

   others. You may also encounter predators like hyenas, leopards, lions, wild dogs, and others. If you are

   interested in birds, you’ll spot several bird species. After a full-day of wildlife viewing, you’ll

   head back to the lodge for well-deserved relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Pakuba Safari Lodge

Day 4 · Transfer to Kibale National Park

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   Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary

   2 hours Admission included

   You'll have breakfast on this day and embark on a journey to Kibale National Park, having lunch en route. Upon arrival in the afternoon or early evening, you'll head to the Bigodi community for a swamp walk. You'll see several primates like black and white colobus monkeys, red colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, and bird species like the blue turaco. You'll also go for a coffee experience where you'll witness the local way of making coffee and banana gin. After that, you'll head back to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Bweza Kibale Lodge

Day 5 · Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale National Park

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   Kanyanchu Visitor Center

   5 hours Admission included

   You'll wake up early in the morning for breakfast, and then drive to the Kanyanchu visitor center in Kibale National Park. You'll then undergo a briefing about chimpanzee trekking rules and regulations. You'll then follow a guide and a ranger to the forest in search of chimpanzees, while spotting several other primates and unique plant species. After finding the chimpanzee community, you'll spend an hour in their presence, as the guide explains their characteristics and behavior. After that, you'll return to the starting point, where you'll return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Bweza Gorilla Lodge

Day 6 · Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national Park for an evening game drive

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   Queen Elizabeth National Park

   3 hours

   You'll leave Kibale in the morning and head to Queen Elizabeth National Park. You'll pass by the Equator monument for pictures and have lunch at the lodge. Then later, you'll embark on an evening game drive where you'll see several animals, including gazelles, Uganda kobs, elephants, buffalo, and you might also spot predators like leopards and lions. After the evening game drive, you'll return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Buffalo Safari Lodge

Day 7 · Morning Game Drive and Afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga Channel

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   Queen Elizabeth National Park

   3 hours

   You will wake up very early in the morning, have breakfast, and head to the Kasenyi plains. You will be able to see many animals, even those that you may have missed the previous day on a boat cruise. Herds of buffalo, elephants, Uganda kobs, olive baboons, and many other animals will be spotted. After that, you’ll return to the lodge for relaxation and lunch.

   After that, you’ll embark on an afternoon boat cruise on kazinga channel. The channel has a high concentration of hippos, which you'll see. You'll also see elephants, buffalo, antelopes, and other animals drinking water. Also, you will spot crocodiles basking in the sun, while others are waiting to prey on the thirsty animals. After that, you'll return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Buffalo Safari Lodge

Day 8 · Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via Ishasha sector for chances of seeing tree-climbing lions

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   Stop 1

   2 hours

   On this day, you’ll pack your bags and head to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You’ll pass through the Ishasha sector, famous for being home to the tree-climbing lions. The lions in this sector have this rare habit because they usually want to spot prey from a distance. Others hide in the fig trees to hide from the scorching sun during the day. After, you’ll head to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for dinner and an overnight stay.

Four Gorillas Lodge

Day 9 · Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for relaxation

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   Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

   6 hours

   After breakfast, you will drive to the Park Headquarters with your packed lunch for a briefing about the dos and don’ts for gorilla trekking. You will then meet your ranger guide for a briefing about gorilla tracking in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This exercise is to prepare you for the great lifetime experience. After a briefing, the rangers will allocate you a gorilla family to trek. Then, you’ll follow two of them in search of that gorilla family. The time it takes to find that gorilla family is uncertain, ranging from 2 to 8 hours. This, therefore, necessitates that you have some level of fitness. This will help in a way that if your gorilla family to trek is far, you can complete the trek. After finding the gorillas, you’ll spend an hour in their presence. Remember to take pictures for memories and record videos. After the gorilla trek, you'll embark on a journey to Lake Bunyonyi for relaxation and an overnight stay.

Four Gorillas Lodge

Day 10 · Transfer back to Entebbe to end the tour

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   Entebbe

   30 min

   You'll have breakfast and embark on a journey to Entebbe. You'll have a stopover at the Equator and another in any convenient location for lunch. Upon arrival in Entebbe, your driver will say goodbye, and this will mark the end of your 10-day Big 5 and wildlife excursion.