A perfect 8 Days Uganda Safari Package

Our well planned 8 Days Uganda Safari offers an unforgettable experience, covering the country’s most iconic attractions. During this adventure, you’ll explore the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Murchison Falls National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Park. From stealing magic moments with mountain-dwelling  gorillas to enjoying classic big game viewing on boat cruises and game drives, this safari adventure will give you memories that will last for a lifetime!

Itinerary Highlights

  • Explore Uganda’s premier safari destinations
  • Track rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
  • Cruise to Murchison Falls’ base
  • Explore Kibale’s lush forests and track chimps
  • Enjoy a wildlife safari in Queen Elizabeth Park
  • Cruise the Kazinga Channel for hippos and birds
  • Spot tree-climbing lions in Ishasha
  • Trek gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
  • Relax at beautiful Lake Bunyonyi
  • Variety of cultural experiences, including visiting local villages

Itinerary Summary

Day 1: Transfer to Murchison Falls via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Day 2: Morning Game Drive and Boat Cruise to the bottom of the fall

Day 3: Visit the top of the falls & Transfer to Kibale Forest

Day 4: Chimpanzee Trekking and Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 5: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise

Day 6: Track Tree-climbing lions and Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Day 7: Gorilla Trekking & Lake Bunyonyi Relaxation

Day 8: Depart

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Transfer to Murchison Falls via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Driving Distance& Time:  Approx. 337km/6 hours

Your driver-guide will pick you up from your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala for a 5-hour drive north to Uganda’s largest and one of its top national parks. Along the way, you’ll stop at Ziwa Rhino & Wildlife Ranch to track and observe Uganda’s only wild rhinos up close. Getting a chance to see these prehistoric-looking heavyweights on foot is an exhilarating experience. And since proceeds go toward breeding and ultimately reintroducing rhino into Uganda’s parks, visiting this site is highly recommended. Afterward, you’ll enjoy lunch at the nearby Kabalega Dinner. Continue on to Murchison Falls National Park, where you’ll check into your accommodation and unwind for the evening, ready for the exciting adventures that lie ahead the following day.

Your Accommodation Choice:

Budget: Heritage Safari Lodge

Midrange: Murchison River Lodge/Pakuba Safari Lodge

Luxury: Nile Safari Lodge/Paraa Safari Lodge

Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner

Day 2: Morning Game Drive and Boat Cruise

Enjoy a hearty breakfast and head out for an early morning game drive in the northern part of Murchison Falls National Park, known for its high concentration of wildlife. You’ll have the opportunity to view and photograph elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, lions, leopards, Uganda kobs, and waterbucks, along with a variety of bird species. 

Return to your lodge for lunch before embarking on a leisurely 3-hour boat trip to the base of Murchison Falls, one of the highlights of your 8 days Uganda Safari tour. Along the way, you’ll see plenty of hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds in the river, and there’s a good chance of elephant, buffalo and giraffe coming down to drink, or acrobatic black-and-white colobus monkeys swinging in waterside trees. The real highlight, however, is Murchison Falls itself. Imagine the explosive force of the longest river on Earth being pushed through a small narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment. Sit back and enjoy the sunset with a drink in hand while cruising back.

Day 3: Visit the top of the falls & Transfer to Kibale

Driving Distance& Time:  Approx. 366km/6 hours

After breakfast at your accommodation, drive to the top of Murchison Falls for a breathtaking view of the falls. From there, embark on a 6-hour journey to the renowned Kibale Forest National Park. While Uganda is famous for guaranteed wild gorilla watching and offers a good chance of spotting the Big Five, it is also the best places in Africa to track chimpanzees, humankind’s closest genetic relatives. In addition to chimpanzees, the park is home to around 12 species of monkeys, including the red-tailed monkey, red colobus, black-and-white colobus, and the endemic Uganda mangabey. Kibale is also a stellar bird-watching destination, with a checklist of 370 bird species that includes the glamorous likes of great blue turaco, double-toothed barbet and papyrus gonolek.

Your Accommodation Choice:

Budget: Chimpanzee Forest Guest House/Kibale Forest Camp

Midrange: Kibale Forest Camp/Chimpanzee Forest Guest House

Luxury: Crater Safari Lodge/Primate Lodge/Kyaninga Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 4: Chimpanzee Trekking and Transfer to Queen Elizabeth NP.

Driving Distance and Time: Appox. 152km/2 hours

Home to over 1,500 wild chimpanzees, the forest offers an excellent chance to see a group of them in their natural habitat. Wander through the lush greenery, listening to the chimps’ calls and observing their behavior—watch as babies cling to their mothers, alpha males protect the group, and playful juveniles interact with one another. After this captivating adventure, return to the lodge for lunch before having a relaxed drive through Kasese Town and cross the equator on your way to the next destination. Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of Uganda’s top wildlife destinations, boasts 95 species of mammals and over 600 bird species.

Please note: Children under 13 years old are not permitted on the chimpanzee tracking experience.

Your Accommodation Choice:

Luxury: Elephant Plains Camp/Kambura Gorge Lodge/Mweya Safari Lodge

Semi-Luxury: Park View Lodge

Mid-range: Bush Lodge/Enganzi Game Lodge

Budget: Pumba Safari Cottages

Day 5: Morning Game Drive & Afternoon Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise

Morning game drives in the park are particularly rewarding, offering regular sightings of elephants, buffalo, leopards, spotted hyenas, and lions. However, thrilling game drives aren’t the only way to explore this renowned Uganda national park. The Kazinga Channel, which is the heart of Queen Elizabeth National Park, draws a diverse range of animals to its waters, including one of the densest concentrations of hippos in the whole world, present throughout the year. Today’s safari activities include a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, offering a fantastic alternative for wildlife game drives.

Your Accommodation Choice:

Luxury: Elephant Plains Camp/Kambura Gorge Lodge/Mweya Safari Lodge

Semi-Luxury: Park View Lodge

Mid-range: Bush Lodge/Enganzi Game Lodge

Budget: Pumba Safari Cottages

Day 6: Track Tree-climbing lions and Transfer to Bwind

Bid farewell to Queen Elizabeth National Park as you journey further south. As part of your approximately five- to six-hour journey, enjoy an exciting game drive in the Ishasha Plains, famous for its tree-climbing lions. In this area of the park, large prides often spend their days lounging in ancient fig trees. They look quite comfortable, too. That is, until they want to come down. Let’s say, you won’t confuse any of them with a graceful leopard. Depart Ishasha for a spectacularly scenic drive traversing rolling hills and terraced fields before reaching Bwindi. This picture-perfect pocket of primeval forest has exceptional biological diversity, so keep an eye out for forest birds, monkeys, and butterflies as you settle into your lodge.

Your Accommodation choice

Budget: Buhoma Community Rest Camp/CTPH Camp

Midrange: Haven Lodge Buhoma/Gorilla Mist Camp

Luxury: Gorilla Forest Camp/Buhoma Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner     

Day 7: Gorilla Trekking and Lake Bunyonyi Relaxation

Gorillas are the main attraction of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The park is home to nearly 50% of the world’s remaining 1,060 mountain gorillas. More than 25 family groups here can each be tracked by up to eight visitors daily. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi often entails a steep and relatively demanding hike through dense undergrowth. On other days it might involve a short, flat 30-minute stroll. Either way, coming face-to-face with these gentle giants, who share 98% of their genes with humans, is an unforgettable, and for some life-changing, experience. After your gorilla trek, you’ll have lunch and then transfer to the scenic Lake Bunyonyi, a perfect spot to relax and unwind after the adventure. If you feel like being more active, there are plenty of options for hiking, swimming, chatting with locals, or even paddling a traditional dugout canoe.

Your Accommodation Choice:

Midrange: Lake Bunyonyi Rock Resort

Luxury: Birdnest Resort

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner       

Day 7: Relaxed Breakfast & Drive back to Kampala or Entebbe

After a leisurely breakfast at your accommodation, which offers stunning views of Lake Bunyonyi, begin your journey back to Entebbe or Kampala. Along the way, you’ll make stops for lunch and visit the Uganda equator line for photo shoots. Continue your drive, arriving in the late afternoon or evening for a drop-off at your preferred location. This will mark the end of your amazing 8 days Uganda safari adventure.

*Please note: Extensions toTanzania Rwanda, or Kenya can easily be organized. Please don’t hesitate to ask for our expert assistance.

Accommodation: Not Included

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch

End of the 8 Days Uganda Safari

Inclusions

  • Park fees
  • Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking permits
  • All activities mentioned in the itinerary
  • All accommodation
  • A professional driver/guide
  • All transportation
  • All Taxes/VAT
  • Meals as specified in the day-by-day section
  • Drinking water on all days

Exclusions

  • International flights from/to home
  • Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
  • Tips
  • Personal items like souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
  • Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees