6 Days Uganda Wildlife Safari

6 Days Uganda Wildlife Safari | Nile, Chimpanzees & Tree-Climbing Lions

Murchison Falls National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park are widely considered Uganda’s two best wildlife destinations, and this six-day safari puts both on one itinerary, with a strong mix of game drives, boat cruises, and a chimpanzee trek along the way.

In Murchison Falls, the highlight is a boat cruise up the Victoria Nile to the base of the falls themselves, where the entire river is forced through a gorge barely seven meters wide before plunging into the gorge below. In Queen Elizabeth National Park, the itinerary adds the Kazinga Channel — one of the highest concentrations of hippos in Africa — plus chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge and a search for the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha.

This trip suits travelers who want Uganda’s classic wildlife circuit rather than the primate-focused parks further south, with enough variety across boat cruises, game drives, and a forest trek to avoid the itinerary feeling repetitive.

Quick Facts

Highlights

• Day 1: Pick up from Kampala or Entebbe, drive to Murchison Falls National Park
• Day 2: Morning game drive, boat cruise on the Nile
• Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Day 4: Game drive at the Kasenyi Plains, boat cruise at the Kazinga Channel
• Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge
• Day 6: Tree-climbing lions of Ishasha, transfer back to Kampala

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Pick Up from Kampala or Entebbe, Drive to Murchison Falls National Park

On arrival at Entebbe International Airport, or after breakfast at your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala, your safari guide will collect you for the drive to Murchison Falls, passing through Kampala City and smaller towns including Luwero and Nakasongola.

Luwero is known as a stronghold of the National Resistance Army during its guerrilla campaign against government forces in the early 1980s. Nakasongola is cattle country, and you will likely see long-horned Ankole cattle grazing along the roadside, with stops available to buy local fruit.

You will stop at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to track white rhinos on foot, followed by a lunch stop in Masindi before continuing to the park. On arrival, stop at the top of Murchison Falls to watch the Nile squeeze through a narrow gorge before plunging over the rocks on its long journey toward Egypt. Head to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Paraa Safari Lodge

Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner

Day 2: Morning Game Drive, Boat Cruise on the River Nile

Wake early for breakfast before meeting your guide for a morning game drive across the savannah of Murchison Falls National Park, watching for cape buffaloes, elephants, antelopes, lions, hyenas, giraffes, and oribis.

After the game drive, return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, take a boat cruise upstream toward the base of Murchison Falls, close to a spot known as Devil’s Cauldron.

The cruise offers a strong chance to spot some of Africa’s most iconic wildlife: the Nile here holds one of the continent’s densest concentrations of hippos and crocodiles, along with elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, and countless antelope.

Birders will find plenty to look for too, including the elusive shoebill stork, Goliath heron, pelicans, bee-eaters, Egyptian geese, kingfishers, cormorants, and hornbills. The cruise ends with a dramatic view of the falls from the water before you return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Paraa Safari Lodge

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 3: Full Day Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before setting off for Queen Elizabeth National Park, taking in the countryside along the way, with lunch en route.

You will admire the scenery of western Uganda throughout the drive. On arrival at the park, check in at your lodge and spend the evening relaxing, with dinner and an overnight stay to follow.

Accommodation: Elephant Hub

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 4: Game Drive at the Kasenyi Plains, Boat Cruise at the Kazinga Channel

Wake early for breakfast before heading into the park for a game drive across the Kasenyi Plains, where you can expect elephants, hyenas, leopards, lions, and various antelope species.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is also a strong birding destination, with hundreds of recorded species, including falcons, eagles, other raptors, black bee-eaters, and eleven species of kingfisher.

Return to the lodge for a short rest and lunch before heading out in the afternoon for a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, home to one of the highest concentrations of hippos in Africa. You will also spot buffaloes and elephants drinking at the water’s edge, along with birdlife such as herons and crested cranes. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Elephant Hub

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 5: Chimpanzee Trekking in Kyambura Gorge

Wake early for breakfast before heading to Kyambura Gorge, an underground forest and one of Queen Elizabeth National Park‘s most distinctive features. The gorge is home to a chimpanzee community you will search for on a guided nature walk, alongside other primates such as vervet monkeys, colobus monkeys, and olive baboons.

Chimanzees in Kyambura

After this experience, return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, head back into the park for a further game drive before returning to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Elephant Hub

Meal Plan: Full Board

Day 6: Tree-Climbing Lions of Ishasha, Transfer Back to Kampala

After breakfast, head to the Ishasha Sector for a game drive in search of the region’s famous tree-climbing lions resting in fig trees. Afterward, begin the drive back to Kampala, with a lunch stop in Mbarara and a photo stop at the Equator crossing in Kayabwe-Masaka.

On arrival in Kampala, you will be dropped at your hotel or at the airport for your onward flight.

What’s Included

• Game drives
• Park entrance fees
• Ziwa Rhino tracking
• Chimpanzee permits
• Boat cruises
• Lunch and water during transfers
• An experienced English-speaking guide, including allowances
• Accommodation for 5 nights and meals
• Transportation in a 4×4 vehicle
• Government taxes

What’s Not Included

• Expenses of a personal nature such as phone calls, bar bills, souvenirs, laundry, and beverages
• Air tickets and visa fees
• Tips for the guide, hotel staff, or park rangers
• Anything not mentioned in the itinerary