18 Days Uganda Safaris Tour, Gorilla Trekking, Chimpanzee Tracking, and Wildlife Tour

 This 18 Days Uganda Safaris Tour is designed to offer an extraordinary experience on a gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, and wildlife viewing tour across Uganda. Explore Uganda the Pearl of Africa with this 18 days Uganda Safaris Tour itinerary and discover what is unique about the Pearl. On this 18-day-long Uganda Safaris tour itinerary, you will explore the premier destinations of the country including gorilla trekking in Bwindi, Chimp tracking in Kibale National Park, Wildlife viewing in several parks, and more

Highlight of 18 days Uganda Safaris Tour

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport

Day 2: Depart to Jinja – the source of the Nile River

Day 3: Depart to Murchison Falls National Park

Day 4: Game drive and launch cruise in Murchison Falls National Park

Day 5: Top of the Murchison Falls and transfer to Hoima.

Day 6: Proceed to Fort Portal Area and then after transfer to Kibale National Park

Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi nature walk 

Day 8: Depart to Semuliki National Park

Day 9: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 10: Chimpanzee trekking and launch cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 11: Ishasha Sector Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 12: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Day 13: Gorilla trekking and nature walk

Day 14: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

Day 15: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

Day 16: Game drive and nature walk

Day 17: cultural tour to the Banyankole community at Enyemebwa center

Day 18: Transfer drive to Entebbe International Airport for departure.

Safari Inclusions and Exclusions

Safari cost includes:

• Transportation in a tour van/Land cruiser
• Service of an English -speaking tour guide/driver
• All activities mentioned in the itinerary
• Park admissions
• Accommodation on full board
• Entrance fees to all destinations as per the program
• Transfer to and from the airport

Safari exclusions

• All activities not mentioned in the program
• Phone calls bills
• Tips
• International transfers
• Gratitude to tour guides
• Personal insurance
• Personal effects of any nature
• Hotel fees before and after the safari

Detailed 18 Days Uganda Safaris Tour, Wildlife Tour, Gorilla, and Chimpanzee Trekking

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport

Upon your arrival at the Entebbe International Airport, you will meet and get greeted by your tour guide who will later drive you to Kampala for your dinner and overnight.

However, in case you arrive a bit in time, you will enjoy the Kampala city tour and visit places like Kasubi tombs, Bahai temple, and Namugongo shrine among others if time allows. Dinner and overnight at the booked hotel

Day 2: From Kampala depart to Jinja – the source of the Nile River

After breakfast, your safari guide will meet you and brief you about the whole safari, and later he will drive you to the eastern side of Uganda to Jinja which is a drive of about 2 hours (80km) from Kampala Uganda’s capital and largest city.

You will pass via the Mabira forest, Uganda’s largest forest, sugarcane plantation, and people’s homes before you finally arrive in Jinja for a striking white water rafting at the source of the Nile, the world’s longest river.

This experience will be guided by expert guides who are at your rescue in case the waters push you off the raft. This experience will go on for an hour after coming back to the lodge for lunch and relaxation. Later on, you will go for a boat cruise on the source of the Nile, at the boat cruise you will be gifted with chances of seeing various species of birds like beautiful kingfishers.

You will also have a chance to stop at the point where John Speke stood as the first European to discover the source of the River Nile. After the activity drives back to Kampala for dinner and overnight.

Day 3 of the 18 days Uganda Safaris Tour: Depart to Murchison Falls National Park

This day early in the morning after breakfast, your safari guide will meet and drive you towards the northeastern part of Uganda passing through Luweero Triangle and Nakasongola.

In case you are interested in tracking rhinos, you will branch off at Nakitoma and head to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and track these rare animals, one of the Big Five African animals. It marks the beginning of your moments with the big 5 of land animals.

After lunch, you will embark on a drive up to the top of the falls which offers a magnificent view. Here the Nile River, the longest river in the world, is forced through a narrow gap in the rock (only 7 meters wide) before brutally plunging down 43 meters.

After this wonderful site, you will be transferred to your booked accommodation for dinner and an overnight

Day 4 of 18 days Uganda Safaris Tour: Game drive and launch cruise

Morning breakfast is followed by a transfer to the northern part of the park for a game drive to catch up with a wide variety of games that live at the park. Games expected to see include elephants, buffaloes, bushbucks, lions, warthogs, giraffes, and a variety of bird species. After, take a slow drive back to the lodge for lunch.

After lunch, proceed for two hours launch/boat cruise on the Nile River up to the bottom of the mighty Murchison falls for more opportunities to view various amazing species of wildlife like schools of hippos, crocodiles, and water birds along the river bank lucky visitors can spot the rare shoe bills. After the activity drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight

Day 5: Top visit of the Murchison Falls and transfer to Hoima.

From here after breakfast, you will cross to the southern sector of the park to the top of the falls to explore the famous Murchison Falls.

Retire from the site and embark on the transfer to Hoima, with a stopover en route at Kabiro salt Gardens to meet the heritage of this significant site. At the site, you will be fed with information from the guide.

The Kibiro Salt Gardens has supported the livelihoods of the surrounding community dating far back to 900 years ago far before the coming of Europeans. The locals extract fine salt which they then exchange with the other communities for food and other items.

Continue with your journey to Hoima, you will arrive in the afternoon for relaxation as you wait for your dinner and overnight

Day 6: Proceed to Fort Portal Area and then after transfer to Kibale National Park

This morning after breakfast, you will embark on the drive to the Fort Portal area; this will take you about 5 hours drive through the exciting countryside landscape of Kagadi and Kyenjojo with views of people’s homesteads and farmland.

Have lunch in Fort portal, after go and visit the Amabere g’s Nyinamwiru Caves and hike the Fort Portal Crater Lake field. The guide at the place will give you a more informative and educative history of the place.

Retire back to the lodge if you still have time hike to the Fort Portal Crater Lake field where you traverse the challenging slopes of Kyeganywa hill surrounded by a range of crater lakes and crater caves presenting one of the most beautiful scenic sites in Uganda. From here you will depart to Kibale Forest National Park for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Day 7 of the 18 days Uganda Safaris Tour: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi nature walk

After breakfast, report to the ranger station in Kibale National Park before 8:00 am here you will first receive a short briefing about chimp tracking from the respective park rangers who will be your guides through the activity detailing the conduct of the exercise.

After heading to the forest following the ranger, the guide begins the most thought-after activity at the park chimp tracking. The dense forests of Kibale comprise lush flora with mature trees marked with huge buttresses and climbers, and impressive bird species including the African Pitta, Afep Pigeon, and Green-breasted Pitta, however, chimps are the most common dweller of the forest.

These delightful apes more closely related to humans than to any other living creature, are magnificent to watch as they squabble and play in fruitful trees or on tree branches. Tracking time is unpredictable however it can be from 1-6 hours as meeting them depends on where they spent their last night from, therefore some physical fitness is needed.

Once they are met you are strictly allowed only one hour with them taking photography as well as studying their behaviors.

After lunch, you will go for a guided walk in Bigodi wetland sanctuary to look for more species of primates and birds like the shining blue kingfisher, and blue Throated Roller, and see various species of trees among many other species of plants. Dinner and an Overnight

Day 8: Semuliki National Park

Early morning breakfast, we will drive to the Toro Semuliki wildlife reserve for a chance to catch up with early species that rush from their hideouts, games to see include the smaller and larger savannah elephants, buffaloes, waterbuck, crocodiles, warthogs, and Uganda kob just to mention but a few, with luck you may even see pygmy hippopotami, leopard, and elusive bush babies.

After, we will get back to the lodge for lunch. In the late afternoon, we will visit the Sempaya and Nandi the rewarding places for birders. Here you will spot various species of birds including the white-crested hornbill, Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill, Piping Hornbill, and Yellow-throated Nicator among many others.

The shoebill stork is regularly seen in the close quarters of Lake Albert and primate species can be seen including the Black and white colobus monkeys, if you still have energy still you can connect to Nandi and visit the Batwa pygmies who are initially forest dwellers that were evicted to pave way for conservation.

They will entertain you through their cultural music and dance and they also narrate to you their history of existence. Dinner and overnight at Semulik lodge

Day 9: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

After breakfast, you will depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park Uganda’s most diversified park with an incredible variety of wildlife species, from the open savannah to rain forest, dense swamps, and beautiful crater lakes to the immensity of Lake Edward.

The transfer to the QENP will take about 3-4 hours. We will enter the park via the northern crater area, which complies with beautiful lakes and rich grasslands which are set deep in the crater valley; this is one of the most breathtaking sceneries at the park.

You will arrive at the park in time for lunch. In the evening you will go for a game drive for an opportunity to spot various species of wildlife. Games expected to see include lions, buffaloes, elephants, leopards, giant forest hogs, Uganda kobs, spotted hyenas, various species of birds kike the black-ramped buttonquail, Verreaux’s, African skimmer among many others, after taking a slow drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 10 of the 18 days Uganda Safaris Tour: Chimpanzee tracking and launch cruise

Wake up early for a morning breakfast, and then after you will have a short briefing from the park warden about the dos and don’ts while with the chimps. After, leave for the 8:00 am chimp trek in the Kyambura George.

You will return to the lodge for lunch. After lunch embarks on 2 hours launch cruise on the Kazinga channel that connects Lakes Edward and George, the launch cruise allows you to view wildlife up close like schools of hippos, just feet away from the boat, and buffaloes linger in the shallows as well as elephants.

The shores of the Kazinga channel are also home to various species of birds including pink-backed pelicans, pied and malachite kingfishers, saddle-billed stork, and many others. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 11 of the 18 days Uganda Safaris Tour: Ishasha sector Queen Elizabeth National Park.

After breakfast, you will transfer to Ishasha the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National park. The section of the park is known for the Tree Climbing Lions. The Lions in this sector has adapted to tree climbing because of the nature of the vegetation, the Fig trees in Ishasha enable Lions to climb and rest up which is uncommon for the Lions.

Ishasha Sector is also home to other animal species so a game drive in search of the climbing lions will reward you with a variety of other animal species.

Dinner and overnight in Ishasha lodges.

Day 12 of the 18 days Uganda Safaris Tour: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

This morning after breakfast, embark on 4 hours transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park a home to the endangered mountain gorillas, bird life, and primate life, and home to very many incredible varieties of flora.

Depending on the nature of the road, we will drive through the famous part of the park to the south known as the ishasha sector; it’s known for its rare tree-climbing lions if lucky you can spot them sited on fig trees or tree branches.

Have lunch by the Ishasha river camp before continuing to Bwindi with a spectacular view throughout. Arrive in the evening for leisure as you’re waiting for tomorrow’s wonderful activity that’s gorilla tracking. Dinner and overnight

Day 13: Gorilla trekking and nature walk

On the 13^th day of your 18 days Uganda Safaris Tour, Wake up early for breakfast to give you the energy needed for gorilla tracking. The guide will drive you to the park headquarters for registration and also receive short briefings about the dos and don’ts while with these giants.

After the briefing, set deep into the forest following the ranger guide to begin the gorilla trekking experience. This trek can take from half an hour to 8 hours so a reasonable degree of fitness is needed as well as tracking gears like a sturdy pair of walking shoes, long-sleeved shirts, and blouses.

Sit in the forest among the gorillas, listening to them grumble to each other, it’s a breathtaking moment sitting in the dense rain forest knowing you are with the few remaining mountain gorillas in the world.

You are strictly allowed only one hour with ounce you meet these giants while taking photography as well as studying their behaviors.

After this delightful activity, get back to the lodge for late lunch. If you still have the energy this evening, go for a guided village walk. Return for dinner and overnight at lodge.

Day 14: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

This morning after breakfast, embark on the transfer to Lake Bunyonyi, the drive will go for about 2-3 hours. Lake Bunyonyi is one of the deepest lakes in Africa and it’s known as a home to very many small birds which feed and leave on the lake.

We will arrive in time at the lodge for lunch, in the afternoon we will take a boat ride around the lake, the canoe ride offers a fantastic view of various species of birds like the egrets, kingfisher among many others, spend the evening at leisure at the lodge. Meals and overnight

Day 15: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

After breakfast at the lodge embark on a drive of about 6-7 hours up to Lake Mburo national park with good sights along the way. Arrive at the park in time for lunch and then after lunch, go for a boat trip on Lake Mburo.

The boat trip provides a good chance to spot hippos, and crocodiles, just meters from the boat, many bird species that live and feed on the lake, buffaloes, and elephants can also be spotted along the shoreline. Dinner and an overnight

Day 16 of the 18 days Uganda Safaris Tour: Game drive and natural walk

Wake up for breakfast after, we will go for a game drive at the Savannah part of the park to catch up with various species of animals, games expected to see include zebra, elephant, warthogs, eland, impala, Uganda kobs, waterbuck, buffaloes just to mention but a few.

Come back to the lodge for lunch, after lunch, we will enjoy the natural walk-through flora and fauna of Lake Mburo National Park guided by an Uganda Wildlife game ranger. Dinner and overnight

Day 17: Cultural tour to the Banyankole community at Enyemebwa center

This morning after breakfast, do a morning game drive for more opportunities to view various species of animals, after taking a slow drive back to the lodge for lunch, embark on another cultural tour to the Banyankole to see the Ankole long-horned cattle, participate in some of the local activities like milking of the Ankole long-horned cattle, participate in treating a sick animal, caring for cows like brushing their body using the locally made fiber after set back to the lodge and later depart back to Kampala with stopovers at the Equator Crossing in Kayabwe for informative talks and snacks. Continue to arrive in Kampala in the evening for relaxation, dinner, and overnight

Day 18: Transfer drive to Entebbe International Airport for departure.

After breakfast, do last-minute shopping and later transfer to Entebbe International Airport for your departure flight.

End of 18 days Uganda wildlife, gorilla trekking, and chimpanzee tracking safari