17 DAYS CULTURAL & WILDLIFE SAFARI
17 DAYS CULTURAL & WILDLIFE SAFARI
This is one of Uganda’s trips to remember that will bring all your travel dreams to reality and give you a lot of unforgettable memories that you will live with you forever. This safari connects you with nature and brings you in touch with the African culture which helps you learn about African communities than just wildlife sights. We shall visit the most famous savanna parks and rainforests that will reward us with a lot of sightings ranging from the rolling hills, primates, birds and a lot of savanna wildlife species.
SAFARI ITINERARY:
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport
You will be received by your driver/guide at the Airport. Depending on your arrival time, if you arrive night time, we check into your hotel in Entebbe for refreshment and relaxation after the long flight.
Overnight: 2 Friends Beach Hotel
Meal plan: Bed & Breakfast
Day 2: Buganda Cultural Experience & Short City Tour
Today after your early breakfast, you will be driven to the Buganda King’s Palace for the cultural experience. You will engage in a culinary experience of preparing a local traditional cuisine known as the luwombo and learn how its harvested, prepared and cooked. Then after visit the Kingdom’s parliament known as Bulange to learn about the royal mile and the history of the Kingdom before driving to the largest man-made lake in Africa and it’s the King’s Lake.
Later you will head to the Uganda National Mosque, Uganda Museum and Ndere Cultural center later in the evening for the traditional dance performances and local dinner.
Overnight: Hilton Gardens Inn
Meal plan: Full board
Day 3: Transfer & Rhino Trekking – Murchison Falls National Park
After your breakfast, you will drive to Murchison falls National Park – Uganda’s biggest Park which is over 3840 square kilometers. Drive through Luwero Triangle famous with Ugandan civil war of 1980, with en-route lunch and Rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino sanctuary, Nakasongola for a short walk to see the southern white Rhinos, and then proceed to Murchison Falls Park. Upon arrival, check-in, dinner and overnight.
Overnight: Pakuba Safari Lodge
Meal plan: Full board
Day 4: Morning Game Drive & Boat Cruise – Murchison Falls National Park
Today you will have an early coffee with packed breakfast, drive out for the morning game drive in the savannah for the most likelihood big cats hunting, Elephants, Giraffes, Buffaloes, plus more as the checklist of mammals reaches 144. We continue browsing the drive circuits to the Delta point for a cocktail of Birds and mammals. If you are a keen birder this might be your magnet to catch them. Afternoon 2-5pm for a 3 hours boat safari to the base of Falls where you get to see the Hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants and a variety of beautiful bird species along the falls. Elephants quenching their thirst for the afternoon sun
Overnight: Pakuba Safari Lodge
Meal plan: Full board
Day 5: Mubaku Community Tour – Murchison Falls National Park
After your breakfast at leisure, you will drive to the Mubaku community for a full day tour as you engage into culinary, community walk, basket weaving, craft making among others.
You will spend the entire day immersing yourself fully into the community lifestyle with the women and children as well as visiting the community school and medical center.
Later in the evening you will return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Overnight: Pakuba Safari Lodge
Meal plan: Full board
Day 6: Transfer & Top of the Falls – Hoima
Today you will have your breakfast at leisure, then later check-out for a transfer to Hoima (Bunyoro Kingdom) with en-route visit to the top of the Murchison falls before proceeding to your lodge in Hoima for lunch and spend the rest of the day resting by the pool side.
Overnight: Kikonko Safari Lodge
Meal plan: Full board
Day 7: Bunyoro Kingdom Exploration
After your breakfast, you will drive out to visit the King’s palace and Mparo Royal Tombs. This is the final resting ground of King Kabalega II who exiled Seychelles by the British empire. Then after return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation as you prepare for the evening visit to the Kibiro salt gardens and hot springs, lake albert guided village walk. Later drive back to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Overnight: Kikonko Safari Lodge
Meal plan: Full board
Day 8: Transfer – Kibale Forest National Park
After the early morning breakfast, check out of the lodge and have a short visit in the local market then after continue through Mabale, kagadi towns with great views of the local community, thatched houses, school kids and finally to fort portal town which is one of the ancient colonialist towns that will reward you with amazing views of tea plantations, the Rwenzori mountains and much more rift valley views.
Overnight: Kibale Tourist Safari Lodge
Meal plan: Full board
Day 9: 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 10: 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 11: Transfer & En-route Kiwa Hot Spings – Queen Elizabeth National Park
Morning breakfast, drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, with great views of Rwenzori Mountain, drive through Kasese town to the Kiwa hot springs where you will experience a natural healing of the underground warm water pool and play some traditional music instruments as you enjoy story telling from the local guides. Return to Kasese town for your lunch. Get ready for an evening boat ride on the Kazinga channel with chances of many bird’s species, hippos, elephants, crocodiles, leopards and much more interesting wildlife
Overnight: Mweya Safari Lodge
Meal plan: Full board
Day 12: Game Drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park
You will have an early morning breakfast and head out for the early morning game drive in the park and expect to spot different wildlife like the Uganda kobs, lions, elephants, buffaloes and warthogs, giant forest hogs and lots of birdlife. We know you love nature and that’s why we shall take a scenic crater drive through the volcanic plains down to the Katwe explosion salt lakes that will reward with an experience of local salt mining. We shall then drive to the south of Queen Elizabeth that is famous for the tree climbing lions
Overnight: Enjojo Lodge
Meal plan: Full board
Day 13: Ishasha – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Park
After an early breakfast you will check out and head out for a short game drive through the Ishasha plains with chances of seeing the tree climbing lions, then after proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Lunch en-route in Kihihi and continue to the home the massive and gentle mountain Gorillas.
Overnight: Agandi Lodge
Meal plan: Full board
Day 14: Gorilla Trekking & Transfer – Lake Bunyonyi
Today we shall hit the forest for the ultimate once in a lifetime Gorilla trekking experience. The trekking goes through a thick forest where you always have to find the way through until you set eye to eye with the gentle giants in their natural habitat. The hike through the forest can be short, medium and sometimes long depending on the movement of the gorillas so it’s good to be ready for the jungle. Later, you will depart to Lake Bunyonyi for relaxation.
Overnight: Arcadia Cottages
Meal plan: Full board
Day 15: Transfer Lake Mburo National Park
After breakfast, drive from Lake Bunyonyi and continue to Lake Mburo National Park, drive through the rolling hills and local villages. Lunch break and continue for the afternoon boat ride on Lake Mburo.
Overnight: Rwakobo Rock
Meal plan: Full board
Day 16: Walking Safari & Transfer – Lake Mburo
We shall wake up for a 2hr early morning walking safari around Lake Mburo national park that will bring us in close contact with the unique wildlife of the beautiful area. Have breakfast after the walk and drive to Entebbe via the Uganda Equator.
Overnight: 2 Friends Beach Hotel
Meal plan: Full board
Day 17: Entebbe Airport Transfer
Depending on your flight time, you can decide to do an optional visit to the Zoo, nature walk in the Entebbe botanical gardens where you will learn about the unique trees, bird watching, meditation or relax in the morning as you wait for your flight back home
Accommodation: No
Meal plan: Half board
Trip inclusions:
- Park fees (For non-residents)
- Gorilla & Chimp permits (One per person)
- 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