17 DAYS CLASSIC WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY SAFARI
17 DAYS CLASSIC WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY SAFARI
Our photography expedition maximizes your chances to capture intimate, thrilling shots of Africa’s most charismatic primates. We also include classic game drives and exceptionally scenic routes through lush countryside, offering myriad photo subjects. Notably, driving enables you to take all your camera equipment, since gear can be restricted on small planes with tight weight limits. Your Tour Guide is a highly certified naturalist guide who is also a top photographer, by your side with personalized tips and expert coaching on all details from shot composition to follow-up editing.
Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival – Entebbe Airport
Upon your arrival, our guide/driver will receive you at Entebbe airport and transfer you to your booked hotel in Entebbe. Depending on your arrival time, you will enjoy a sundowner cruise for a photography moment on Lake Victoria in case you arrive before 4:00pm. Meet your Tour Leader at a welcome dinner this evening, where we’ll have a full orientation to our photography extravaganza.
Overnight: Papyrus Guesthouse
Meal Plan: Dinner
Day 2: Transfer & Rhino Tracking – Murchison Falls National Park
This morning we make a scenic drive to Murchison Falls National Park, stopping en route at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to track this endangered species. This is one of the two only locations in Uganda where we have an opportunity to capture images of endangered rhinoceros, Ziwa rounds out our chance to photograph the full Big Five on our photography safari! Six southern white rhinos were introduced to Ziwa back in 2006, and since then, 26 successful births have brought the number to 32.
You will continue to our destination of Murchison Falls National Park, covering almost 1,500 square miles of wild and varied terrain at the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley.
Overnight: Murchison River Lodge
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 3: Delta Cruise & Waterfall Cruise – Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s richest wildlife enclave, with 144 mammal species including chimpanzees and Rothschild’s giraffe, Uganda’s largest population of Nile crocodiles among its 51 reptile species, and 550 bird species including shoebills, dwarf kingfisher, Goliath heron, great blue turaco and winged gray warbler. We look for a wide variety of animals to photograph today, first on a private cruise in the Lake Albert Delta, where the Victoria Nile enters this swampy wetland as a sluggish stream, threading its way among small islands in a series of tributaries. The alluvial marsh is a designated Important Bird Area and one of the best birding locations in Africa, especially for aquatic birds; keep an eye out for African fish eagles among the 75+ species of waterbirds found here. In the distance, the Congo Mountain ranges rise in undulating forested ridges on the horizon. After our cruise, we’re met by our safari vehicles for a continuing game drive as we scout for a great plethora of animals that could include buffalo, elephant, giraffe, Uganda kob, Jackson’s hartebeest, oribi, lion, leopard and side-striped jackal.
This afternoon, we take a scheduled boat cruise to photograph wildlife along the river channels. In addition to the excitement of seeing scores of hippos and crocodiles, we also have good chances to spot elephants, giraffe, baboons, warthogs, and of course, countless beautiful birds. Our journey includes a voyage to the base of Murchison Falls, with a view into the Devil’s Cauldron, the foaming chaos created by the turbulent Nile River as it plummets over the cliff.
Overnight: Murchison River Lodge
Meal Plan: Full board
Day 4: Chimp Trekking in Budongo Forest Reserve & Transfer – Hoima City
This morning, we set off to go chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest Reserve. Located on the escarpment east of Lake Albert, this semi-deciduous tropical rainforest is noted for its large chimp population of approximately 600 individuals, and its native mahogany trees, with some old-growth specimens as tall as 200 feet still standing. The forest is also home to 360 bird species, some of which are endemic to this localized region, including the yellow-footed flycatcher. Research on Budongo’s chimpanzees began in the early 1960s, with the establishment of a forest reserve that later became the Budongo Conservation Field Station. Among a trio of pioneer researchers in the 1960s was Jane Goodall. Later, you will embark on your drive to Hoima City for relaxation.
Overnight: Hoima Cultural Lodge
Meal Plan: Full board
Days 5: Transfer – Kibale National Park
After your tasty breakfast at leisure, you will begin your scenic drive through the local African homesteads, tea plantation until you arrive at your lodge in Kibale National Park. This equatorial rainforest reserve is home to one of the world’s most important primate populations, including 1,300 chimpanzees. Upon arrival at your lodge, you will check-in and enjoy your lunch then after spend the rest of the day relaxing by the lodge.
Overnight: Kibale Tourist Safari Lodge
Meal plan: Full board
Day 6: Chimpanzee Tracking & Tinka Home Experience
Early morning breakfast, continue to Kibale park headquarters for a morning briefing and start the chimpanzee tracking experience that will bring you close to our relatives that survive in the jungle. Kibale forest is dense and regarded as the Primate capital of east Africa due to its large numbers of primates and fauna. Expect loads of monkeys, birds and lots of tree species that will give u a touch of being in the jungle. In the afternoon we shall go for a local lunch experience at Tinka’s Homestay that will unite your spirit with the African organic foods, this is done by a family living around the forest as a community-based initiative to community collaboration towards conservation.
Overnight: Kibale Tourist Safari Lodge
Meal plan: Full board
Day 7: Bigodi Community Experience & Relaxation
Today, you will have your breakfast at leisure before you head out for yet another African immersion experience. You have an opportunity to visit a swamp with abundant butterflies, plants, animals and spectacular birds like Great Blue Turaco and will be of great interest to birders. After this experience you will take a village walk that will lead you to the Coffee experience, banana bear making, busket making and traditional healer before you return back to your lodge for relaxation and bonfire.
Overnight: Kibale Tourist Safari Lodge
Meal plan: Full board
Day 8: Transfer & Local Authentic Experience – Queen Elizabeth National Park
Today morning, we will transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park a bio-diverse national park and most visited game reserve in Uganda. On this day, we will have a Traditional visit to one African home and we shall share a typical Ugandan meal prepared to you by a typical African Woman in a typical African surrounding. The meal is called the Luwombo and the guides shall go through with you in this African life and setting as part of our Authentic Local experiences. Later we will transfer to your booked lodge for relaxation as you prepare for the evening game drive and scenic locations within the park and outside.
Overnight: The Bush Lodge
Meal plan: Full board
Day 9: Morning Game drive & Boat Cruise – Queen Elizabeth National Park
Enjoy an early morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park, home to over 100 mammal species, including lions, hippos, buffaloes, leopards, elephants, and giant forest hogs among others. The primate population is equally impressive, featuring chimps, colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, and baboons. In the afternoon, experience an afternoon boat safari on Kazinga Channel.
Overnight: The Bush Lodge
Meal plan: Full board
Day 10: Transfer & Sundowner Game Drive – Ishasha Sector
Today morning after a relaxed breakfast, we will check-out of your lodge and transfer to Ishasha the southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park. We will have en-route game drive as we proceed to the Ishasha sector. Upon arrival at the booked lodge, you will check-in and head out to traverse through the park in search for the tree climbing lions and more wildlife. Hyenas, hippos, buffalos, elephants, Topis, lions, leopards and much more wildlife to see. Let’s enjoy a great sundowner and watch the sun go down in Golden lights.
Enjojo Lodge is ideally located in the southern section of Queen Elizabeth National Park, in the Ishasha Sector. The Ishasha savannahs are famous for its population of tree climbing lions that can sometimes be spotted resting in the branches of the large fig trees.
Overnight: Enjojo Lodge
Meal plan: Full board
Day 11: Transfer – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
In the morning, depart to the home of the mountain gorillas with a morning opportunity to spot tree-climbing lions on another game drive in the Ishasha Sector. After lunch, continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and our gorilla-trekking base in the rainforest. The Park, whose name references the dense, tangled forests it encompasses, is home to roughly half the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. Though best known for its outstanding gorilla viewing, it also provides refuge to chimpanzees, monkeys, elephants and various small antelope. Bwindi is also a top Uganda birding destination, with 23 of Uganda’s 24 Albertine Rift endemics, including threatened species such as African green broadbill and Shelley’s crimson wing.
Overnight: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
Meal plan: Full board
Day 12: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Within the World Heritage Site that is Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, discover one of nature travel’s peak experiences: a visit with wild gorillas in their natural habitat. Just over a thousand mountain gorillas remain in the world, and Bwindi is home to about 460 a population that is growing but still threatened by increasing human population and habitat loss in the surrounding area. Early in the morning, we head into the dense rainforest on a quest to locate one of the habituated family groups. Our local guides are expert trackers, reading signs of the gorillas’ recent presence in the undergrowth. We can’t predict how long it will take to locate them, but finally, we hear and see a gorilla family, watching enrapt as they sit among the trees, chewing leaves, babies clinging to mothers’ backs, juveniles swinging from branches, and a big male silverback surveying it all. It’s hard to tell who is more intrigued with the other, the gorillas or us! Later, return back to your lodge for a deserving hot lunch and spend the rest of the day relaxing at the lodge or opt for the Batwa cultural tour.
Overnight: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
Meal plan: Full board
Days 13: Gorilla Habituation & Transfer – Lake Bunyonyi
Today you will have an early breakfast and embark on an incredible adventure looking for the gentle giants of Bwindi. But this time, it starts so early as you have to start with the gorillas the same time as they begin their daily work. Once found, you shall spend 4 hours with the gorillas and observe their day-to-day behaviors. This gives you more insight and get to witness what these apes go through every day. Return to the lodge for lunch and depart Bwindi National Park for Lake Bunyonyi. Make the most of your day at Lake Bunyonyi, considered one of the deepest and most beautiful inland water bodies lakes in Africa that offers refreshing experiences ranging from dug-out canoeing, swimming, and bird watching.
Overnight: Bunyonyi Rock Resort
Meal plan: Full board
Day 14: Transfer & Igongo Cultural Museum – Lake Mburo National Park
We will drive from Lake Bunyonyi to Lake Mburo National Park after your breakfast at leisure. There is a scheduled stopover at Igongo Cultural Center in Mbarara for a short cultural tour at the museum. Later, proceed to the park with a check-in at your lodge and you can opt to have optional night game drive in search for the nocturnal mammals and birds.
Overnight: Rwakobo Rock
Meal plan: Full board
Day 15: Walking Safari & Transfer – Entebbe
After breakfast at the lodge, you will hit the African bush for a walking safari adventure inside Lake Mburo National Park. This Park is the only place in Uganda where you can see Impalas in the wild, and besides Kidepo Valley National Park, you can also see Zebras and the majestic common Elands from here.
Prepare to walk through herds of the beautiful wildlife like, the giraffes, impalas, zebras, cape buffalos and so many other species that call this park home in a presence of a ranger guide. Later return to the lodge for a hot lunch and embark on a scenic drive with a stop-over at the Uganda Equator for souvenir photo moments and then after proceed to your booked hotel on the banks of Lake Victoria.
Overnight: Papyrus Guesthouse
Meal plan: Full board
Day 16: Mabamba Wetlands & Behind the Scenes at UWEC – Entebbe
The Mabamba wetland, located west of Entebbe, is one of the best and most convenient places to encounter the elusive shoebill and a prime birding site. After a few minutes in a dug-out canoe, the papyrus reeds open up into a flat grassy wetland where several shoebills are regularly sighted. The shoebills are most relaxed in the morning when they stalk their main prey (fish or frogs) though they can be spotted all day. The shoebills may stand still for long periods awaiting the movements of their prey and then suddenly strike with astonishing speed. The boat allows you to see many birds that you may otherwise miss.
After the Mabamba trek, you will return to your lodge for lunch and drive out to the Uganda Wildlife Education Center for the 2hrs educative adventure that offers special inside look tours and interesting information about how this center takes care of these resident animals and birds. You will have a close up and personal encounter with the lions, elephants plus many more wonders you have perhaps never imagined meeting.
Overnight: Papyrus Guesthouse
Meal plan: Full board
Day 17: Relaxation – Entebbe
Today will be spent relaxing at the hotel or visiting nearby fishing sites as you learn about their ways of life.
Alternatively; you can take on optional experiences around Lake Victoria like visiting Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary and have a chance to view chimpanzees feeding or Equator Cruise that gives you another opportunity to explore the waters of Lake Victoria and the Equator line.
Overnight: Papyrus Guesthouse
Meal plan: Full board
Day 18: Transfer to Entebbe International Airport
After served breakfast, you will go for shopping around Entebbe as you get souvenirs to take back home for your loved ones. Later drive to Entebbe international airport for your departure flight back home.
Overnight: No
Meal plan: Breakfast & Lunch
Trip inclusions:
- Park fees (For non-residents)
- Gorilla & Chimpanzee permit (One per person)
- AMREF Evacuation Air Ambulance insurance
- All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
- All Taxes/VAT
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- 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 (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
- Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees