10-Day Wildlife, Big 5, Chimpanzee, and Gorilla Safari

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, our representative driver (guide) will receive
and welcome you to Uganda – the Pearl of Africa. Thereafter, you will transfer to the
booked accommodation in Entebbe.
In case you have had an early landing in Uganda, you can proceed to visit the Entebbe
Botanical Garden. The garden is one of the places around Entebbe where you can spot
many species of birds and a few primates such as the black and white colobus monkeys
and vervet monkeys. It is also a place of tranquility and peace, a feast for the eyes with
the notable absence of people. Here, you simply immerse in nature with the sounds of
birds breaking the stillness of the moment.

After breakfast, the assigned driver (guide) will pick you up from the hotel and hit the road
to Murchison Falls National Park. Please note that we either provide a safari Land Cruiser
or a safari van, depending on which is available on your date.

The highlights of this park include the roaring rapids of the Murchison, and the rolling
plains of Uganda’s largest national park. You will have the chance to view lions, giraffes,
hartebeests, buffalos, and elephants. Surely the concentration of hippos and the Nile
crocodiles here will also fascinate you. En route, make a visit to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
for your first Big 5 experience where you will have an hour of rhino tracking. Another stop
will be in Masindi in order to enjoy your lunch. Continue to the park and check in to your
accommodation to relax for the evening.

Have your breakfast, then depart for an early morning game drive across the rolling plains
of Uganda’s largest national park. Be on the lookout for wildlife including lions and
leopards (though hard to spot) among others. For any birder, there are quite a number of
birds to sight during the drive. Return to the accommodation for some rest time and lunch.
If interested, you may opt for an optional hot-air balloon safari at an extra cost.
After lunch, you will head out for the boat trip to the base of Murchison Falls where you
will also be able to catch sight of more animals including hippos, crocodiles and several
waterbirds. Continue with a hike (if you like) to the top of the falls. The hike may be a
strenuous one but the thrill of reaching the top is unforgettable. Miss it only if you must.
Return to your accommodation and have a relaxed evening. Lodging

After breakfast at your accommodation, depart right away for Kibale Forest National Park.
The drive is quite long but incredibly scenic. You'll pass through villages, lush green
countryside and hills dotted with tea plantations that characterize this part of Uganda. The
beautiful scenery will amaze you all the way.

Kibale National Park is popular for its primates like chimpanzees, black and white colobus
monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, L'Hoest's monkeys, and Uganda mangabeys (Lophocebus
ugandae). While on your chimpanzee trails, you will see them swinging in the forest trees
and others feeding on the wild fruits. You will reach your accommodation and do little but
check in, have dinner, and an overnight rest.

Have breakfast and head to the rangers’ post where you will receive a briefing on the dos
and don’ts during chimp trekking. Thereafter, you will proceed to trek the chimps in the
Kibale Forest. An experienced ranger guide will take you chimp tracking and you will be
left amazed by the presence of primates here. Once you locate the chimpanzees, you will
have a full hour in their presence.

You will return to the lodge for lunch and thereafter, you will head out for Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Be up early and have your breakfast. Proceed for a morning game drive to the Kasenyi
plains and be on the lookout for Cape buffalos, herds of elephants plus the big cats like
lions and leopards (though hard to spot), among others. Return to the accommodation for
some rest time and lunch.
After lunch, you will go for a 2-hour boat trip on the Kazinga Channel that connects Lakes
George and Edward. During the trip, the sight of wildlife including giant hippos, elephants
and crocodiles among others will fascinate you. You will also see many varieties of birds
on the water shores. You will have dinner and overnight at your accommodation.

Have breakfast, then set off for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through the Ishasha
sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park – famously known for its resident tree-climbing
lions. The chance of spotting these lions is about 70%, though sometimes they are hard
to spot, especially when they are down in the grassland looking for prey. Hoping you get
the chance to spot them, the sight will be spectacular!

Continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi is a big habitat for mountain
gorillas in Uganda, harboring an estimated 400 mountain gorillas (roughly half of the
world’s population). It includes several habituated groups which you will trek. With a
strenuous day ahead, you will do less on arrival but just check in at your accommodation,
and relax as you prepare for the Bwindi gorilla-trekking experience the following day.

Have breakfast and continue to the rangers’ post. You will receive a briefing from a ranger
guide on the dos and don’ts during trekking. Thereafter, you will enter the gorilla sanctuaryfor your adventure. The beauty of this rainforest is spectacular!

The area offers adramatic, steeply forested landscape and is incredibly dense. It is crisscrossed by numerous animal trails, allowing access to tourists. The time it takes and the terrain vary with the movements of these great primates. Once you have located a gorilla group, you will be allowed an hour in their presence. The thrill of spending time observing these gentle but endangered giants is unforgettable.

Thereafter, you will return for lunch and then drive off to Lake Bunyonyi. The lake is
framed by lush, green-terraced hills that reach a height of 2,200 – 2,478m, but it’s the 29 islands of various shapes and sizes scattered across the water that make it almost
magical.

Have breakfast and set off to Lake Mburo National Park via Mbarara town. You will arrive
in the early afternoon and take some rest before proceeding for the late afternoon/evening
game viewing. On the game drive, expect to see the gigantic eland, zebra, topi, impala,
Uganda kob and Cape buffalo among others. Later, relax at the accommodation where
you will spend the night.
Optional: If you are interested, you can on the breathtaking Mburo night game drive (at
an extra cost). During the night game drive, expect to see nocturnal creatures including
snakes, hyenas, owls and elusive leopards (on a lucky day), among others.

Enjoy an early breakfast and proceed for the morning bushwalk in Mburo Park in the
presence of an armed Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger/guide. On this early guided walk,
you will have the opportunity to encounter, at close range, zebra, giraffe, eland, topi and
other antelope, and Cape buffalo among others.

Take the trail to the top of the hills and see Lake Mburo and beyond. From this vantage
point, you will have a great view of 9 of the 12 lakes surrounding Lake Mburo National
Park. Thereafter, return to the accommodation for checkout and then hit the road to
Entebbe Airport for your flight out (recommended for 18h00 onward). We hope to see you
(or any referral) on your next visit.