Popular: gorilla permit · best time · chimpanzee · itinerary
Sample Itinerary
Parks: Murchison Falls NP, Kibale National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable NP, Lake Mburo NP
Highlights: Rhino tracking on foot at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Murchison Falls: game drives, the boat cruise to the falls and the hike to the top, Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale and gorilla trekking in Bwindi
Best For: Travellers who want to see Uganda properly in one trip, wildlife lovers and photographers who value variety, and anyone who prefers a steady pace with rest days built in.
Group Size: Private vehicle, any group size from solo travellers to families
Want a tailored quote for this route?
Send Us Your BudgetDay 1
Arrive in Entebbe. Your driver-guide meets you at the airport and takes you to a hotel by Lake Victoria to rest after the flight.
Days 2–4
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and on to Murchison Falls. Drive north to Ziwa for rhino tracking on foot with a ranger — the only place in Uganda to see rhinos. Continue to Murchison Falls National Park, arriving at your lodge in the late afternoon. Murchison Falls game drive and boat cruise. An early game drive on the northern bank for giraffe, elephants, buffalo, Uganda kob and lions. In the afternoon, a boat cruise up the Nile to the base of the falls, past hippos and crocodiles. Top of the Falls and the Nile delta. An optional morning boat trip to the Nile delta to look for the shoebill, then a hike to the top of Murchison Falls, where the whole Nile forces through a gap in the rock about seven metres wide.
Days 5–6
Drive to Kibale. A long scenic drive south along the Albertine Rift escarpment to Kibale National Park and the crater-lake country near Fort Portal, about seven hours with stops. Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale. Morning chimpanzee tracking from Kanyanchu, then an afternoon walk in the community-run Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary for birds and monkeys.
Days 7–8
Drive to the Kazinga Channel. About three hours south to Queen Elizabeth National Park, with an afternoon boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel past hippos, buffalo, elephants and waterbirds. Kasenyi game drive. An early game drive on the Kasenyi Plains for lions and Uganda kob, with the afternoon free or an optional visit to Kyambura Gorge.
Days 9–12
Drive south to Bwindi. A game drive through the southern sector on the way, looking for tree-climbing lions in the fig trees, then on through the hills to your lodge in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi. The ranger briefing, then the trek to your assigned gorilla family and an hour with them. The evening is free to rest. Drive to Lake Bunyonyi. A short drive of about two to three hours to Lake Bunyonyi, a calm lake of terraced islands, for two nights of rest after the trek. A free day at Lake Bunyonyi. Canoe between the islands, swim, walk to a viewpoint or relax — Lake Bunyonyi has no hippos or crocodiles and is widely considered safe for swimming.
Day 13
Drive to Lake Mburo. About four to five hours east to Lake Mburo National Park, with an afternoon boat trip or game drive for zebra, impala and eland.
Day 14
Return to Entebbe. An optional morning walk, then about four to five hours to Entebbe for your evening flight home.
Your quoted price covers accommodation for every night on the route, all ground transport in a private 4x4 with an experienced driver-guide, and park entry fees for each park visited, including the gorilla trekking permit and the chimpanzee tracking permit. Fuel and the driver-guide's costs across the full route are built into the quoted price rather than billed separately.
Excluded, as with every Uganda itinerary we quote: international flights, visa fees, travel insurance, tips for your driver-guide and gorilla trekking porters, and personal spending such as drinks and souvenirs. We itemise all of this clearly when we send your formal quote, so nothing arrives as a surprise once you're on the ground.
Lodging across the route is mid-range by default — the properties can be swapped for budget or luxury alternatives at the same locations without changing the underlying route, activities or duration. Tell us which tier fits your trip and we'll send a revised, fully itemised quote.
Start Planning
Good To Know
Yes. Rhinos at Ziwa; lions, elephants and buffalo in Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth; and leopards, which are seen with luck in both parks.
Not with rest days built in. The pace on this route is steady rather than rushed, and the rest days at Lake Bunyonyi come straight after the gorilla trek, when they are most welcome.
Several days include drives of four to seven hours, broken with stops. Domestic flights can replace the longest legs if you prefer.
Yes. Gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking and rhino tracking are booked separately for fixed dates, and we book them together so the route runs in the right order.
Yes. Bwindi’s southern sectors and Lake Bunyonyi are close to the Rwandan border, so the trip can end in Kigali or add Volcanoes National Park. See our East Africa safari guide.
Tell us your dates, interests and preferred lodges. We will confirm gorilla and chimp permit availability, adjust the route to the way you like to travel and send an itemised quote.
