12 Days Uganda Safari

12 Days Uganda Safari | Bwindi, Murchison Falls & Kibale

This 12 Days Uganda Safari is Uganda’s full national park circuit in a single trip: Murchison Falls for the Nile and its boat cruise, Kibale Forest for chimpanzee trekking, Queen Elizabeth National Park for tree-climbing lions and a Kazinga Channel cruise, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for mountain gorillas, and Lake Mburo to close things out with a final game drive and boat cruise.

Few Uganda itineraries fit in this much variety without feeling rushed: rhino tracking on foot at Ziwa Sanctuary, a hike to the top of Murchison Falls, chimpanzee trekking in Kibale, tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector, mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi, and a Batwa cultural visit, all before finishing at Lake Mburo, Uganda’s smallest savannah park. Accommodation is offered at luxury, mid-range, and budget tiers at every stop.

This itinerary suits travelers with the time for a complete Uganda trip rather than a single-region visit, and who want both of the country’s headline primate treks — gorillas and chimpanzees — alongside its best savannah and river wildlife.

Quick Facts

Highlights

• Day 1: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
• Day 2: Morning game drive, afternoon boat cruise
• Day 3: Transfer to Kibale National Park
• Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest, Bigodi wetland visit
• Day 5: Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Days 6 & 7: Game drive and afternoon boat cruise
• Day 8: Depart for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
• Day 9: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
• Day 10: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
• Day 11: Game drive and afternoon boat cruise
• Day 12: Return to Kampala / Entebbe

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park

After breakfast at your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe, your representative will pick you for the drive to Murchison Falls National Park via Luwero town, with a stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to track black and white rhino on foot.

After a lunch stop in Masindi, continue to the park for a hike to the top of the falls, where the Nile — the world’s longest river — is forced through a gap just seven meters wide and drops 43 meters with a thunderous roar. With a game drive en route, continue to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal Plan: Half Board

Day 2: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Cruise

Enjoy breakfast at your lodge before heading into the park for a morning game drive, with chances to spot giraffes, lions, elephants, cape buffaloes, and a wide range of birdlife.

Return to the lodge for lunch, then head out in the afternoon for a boat cruise on the Nile, bringing you close to thousands of hippos and Nile crocodiles, along with water birds including kingfishers, the shoebill stork, and various grey-throated and yellow-billed species.

Meal Plan: Half Board

Day 3: Transfer to Kibale National Park

Have an early breakfast before transferring from Murchison Falls to Kibale National Park via the Lake Albert Escarpment, with scenic views over the lake.

Stop in Hoima for lunch before continuing past Lake Nkusi and along Lake Kyoga. On reaching Fort Portal, you will pass tea plantations set against the Rwenzori Mountains. Continue to Kibale National Park, arriving in the early evening for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 4: Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale Forest, Bigodi Wetland Visit

Wake early and head to Kanyanchu by 8:00 a.m. for a briefing on chimpanzee trekking and how to behave in their presence — chimpanzees share around 98% of their DNA with humans, making them our closest living relatives.

After the briefing, head into the forest in search of chimpanzees, spotting other primates along the way, including L’Hoest’s monkeys, black-and-white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, pottos, and bushbabies, along with birds such as the little greenbul, yellow-spotted nicator, crowned eagle, and green-breasted pitta.

Chimpanzees in Kibale

Once you find the chimpanzees, spend an hour observing them as they play, feed, and socialize. Afterward, head back to the park headquarters, meet your guide, and return to your lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon, visit the Bigodi Wetland for further primates, including blue monkeys, baboons, and bush pigs, along with birds such as the great blue turaco. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 5: Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Have breakfast before the roughly three-hour transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, known for its diversity of wildlife, primates, and birds.

On arrival, take a game drive en route to your lodge for check-in and lunch. In the afternoon, head out for a further game drive across the savannah plains, watching for impalas, kob, forest hogs, elephants, buffaloes, and tree-climbing lions. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal Plan: Full Board

Days 6 & 7: Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Cruise

Wake early for breakfast before heading into the park for a morning game drive, watching for elephants, elands, antelopes, buffaloes, and lions. Return to the lodge for lunch, then head out in the afternoon for a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, home to crocodiles, hippos, waterbucks, buffaloes, and water birds including storks and kingfishers. Return to your lodge each evening for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 8: Depart for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After breakfast, take a game drive in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, known for tree-climbing lions resting in fig trees, along with elephants, leopards, and buffaloes.

Continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park on a three-hour drive, with lunch en route. On arrival, take a guided nature walk in the forest before checking in at your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 9: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Have an early breakfast before heading to the park headquarters, where you will join other trekkers for a briefing on the rules of gorilla trekking. In groups of eight, you will be assigned a gorilla family and head into the forest in search of them. The trek takes about two to seven hours, depending on the family’s movement and feeding range. Once located, you will spend an hour in their presence, with photography permitted.

Trek back to the park headquarters to collect your certificate, then head to the Batwa community for a cultural experience. Return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 10: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

After breakfast, check out and drive to Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda’s smallest savannah park, covering 371 square kilometers. Stop for lunch in Mbarara along the way. On arrival, take a guided nature walk through the park before dinner and an overnight stay.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Walking Safaris in Lake Mburo

Day 11: Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Cruise

After breakfast, head into the park for a morning game drive, watching for impalas, kob, antelopes, and a variety of birdlife. Return to the lodge for lunch, then head out in the afternoon for a boat cruise on Lake Mburo, with sightings of crocodiles and hippos, among other wildlife.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 12: Return to Kampala / Entebbe

After an early breakfast, take a game drive as you begin the drive back to Kampala, with an en-route lunch and a stop at the Equator for the classic water-spin demonstration and photos. On arrival in Kampala, you will be dropped at your hotel or the airport for your onward flight. 

What’s Included

• Gorilla permits
• Chimpanzee permits
• Rhino tracking
• Bottled water
• English-speaking guide
• Park entrance fees
• Boat rides
• Cultural tours
• All activities mentioned

What’s Not Included

• International flight fare
• Entry visas
• Laundry services
• Tips
• Alcoholic drinks
• Kampala hotel fees
• Any other optional activities