Journey to Murchison Falls National Park for an Afternoon (Sunset) Game Drive

Murchison Falls National Park - Embark on a scenic drive heading northwest through the renowned Luwero Triangle and Masindi Town, arriving at Murchison Falls NP just in time for a delightful lunch at the breathtaking location atop Murchison Falls. This park is Uganda’s largest wildlife reserve, bisected by the iconic River Nile into two nearly equal sections, where it dramatically forces its way through the legendary Murchison Falls, a narrow 7-meter gap in the rock, creating a spectacular cascade of white water. During this 7-hour drive, enjoy the magnificent views of the countryside.

Arrive at Murchison Falls NP in the afternoon, enjoy lunch, and embark on an afternoon game drive, where you can expect to see a variety of wildlife and hopefully spot lions and leopards. The game track network converges at Delta Point, where the Nile flows north from Lake Albert, providing a perfect spot for refreshments and viewing water birds and distant hippos.

Rhino Fund Uganda - Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is a private wildlife sanctuary in Uganda, offering a chance to see the white Rhinoceros.

Morning (Sunrise) Game Drive & Afternoon Boat Safari on Victoria/Nile River, Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison Falls National Park - Start the day with a safari breakfast before dawn to begin your morning game drive as the sun rises. Sunrise is ideal for wildlife viewing as animals are most active during the “golden hours” when the first sunlight touches the savannah. Expect to encounter elephants, buffalo, and various antelope species, and with luck, a lion or leopard.

Return for lunch in the afternoon, then enjoy a 3-hour boat safari upstream on the Victoria Nile to the falls, passing stunning scenery and numerous crocodiles, hippos, buffaloes, water birds, monkeys, and other animals along the Nile. The boat will drop you near the waterfall for a hike (1-1.5 hours) to the top of the falls.

Top of the Falls Walk & Transfer to Kibale National Park for a Guided Walk in Nature at Amabere Caves or Crater Lakes Walk

Kibale National Park - Enjoy your final sunrise and breakfast in this beautiful National Park in Uganda with a walk to the top of Murchison Falls (30 minutes to 1 hour) before transferring to Kibale National Park. Along the way, make several stops to admire the beautiful scenery and landscapes before reaching Fort Portal tourism city for lunch at Fort Portal Garden Restaurant.

Fort Portal - In the afternoon, after lunch, choose to go for a guided Crater Lakes & Plantation Walk. The landscape south of Fort Portal is adorned with picturesque crater lakes, some over 400m deep. These lakes are stunningly beautiful and offer excellent hiking opportunities. The hikes take you through several crater lakes, villages, tea plantations, and waterfalls.

Amabere Caves - Enjoy a guided nature walk at Amabere caves, where you can view stalagmites, crater lakes, birdwatching, and hill climbing. Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru Caves is a historic site believed to be the birthplace of the founding King of the Bachwezi. The name “Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru” means ‘Breasts of Nyinamwiru,’ named after the stalactites in the caves that resemble a woman’s breasts, though some say they look more like a cow’s udder.

Visit to Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary OR Optional Chimps Tracking & Transfer to Queen NP for Afternoon (Sunset) Game Drive

Kibale National Park - Start the day early with breakfast before venturing into the forest for a Swamp Walk in the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, home to 8 primate species, over 200 bird species, butterflies, and various reptiles.

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Alternatively, head to Kibale NP for an optional Chimps Tracking experience, where you can follow an experienced guide into the forest to observe these fascinating creatures up close. Watching them interact, groom, play, and forage is an incredible experience. While the chances of encountering chimps are high, it is not guaranteed as they are wild animals with their own will. The park is also home to 10 other primates, including l’ hoestes, red colobus, blues, red-tailed, and gray-cheeked mangabey. The guide will provide detailed explanations about the primates and all the forest fauna and flora.

Queen Elizabeth National Park - In the afternoon, transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park for lunch and embark on an afternoon-evening (sunset) game drive, where you can expect to see elephants, buffaloes, lions, bush pigs, and various antelope families.

Morning (Sunrise) Game Drive & Afternoon Boat Safari on Kazinga Channel, Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park - Set out early in the morning for a game drive in the park. Queen Elizabeth National Park’s diverse ecosystem of grassy plains, tropical forests, rivers, swamps, lakes, and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife. Game drives in this park, with the majestic Rwenzori Mountains as a backdrop, offer excellent opportunities to see lions, leopards, giant forest hogs, Cape buffalo, elephants, defassa waterbuck, Uganda Kob, Topi, and bushbuck.

Return for lunch, and later in the day, when the sun is high and animals head to the river for a drink, visit Kazinga Channel for an exciting boat safari. You’ll see more hippos than you can imagine, along with herds of elephants and buffaloes wandering to the shoreline to bathe in the cooling waters. It will be a wonderful experience.

Chimps Tracking at Kalinzu Forest Reserve & Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable or Mgahinga NP via Ishasha sector

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park - After breakfast, drive to the “Switzerland of Africa” area known as the Kigezi Highlands, with its terraced hillsides and winding roads. Enjoy spectacular views of the mountainous countryside, offering incredible photography opportunities. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in southwestern Uganda on the rim of the Rift Valley. This “impenetrable forest” protects over 400 mountain gorillas, approximately half of the world’s population, including some habituated groups that visitors can track.

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Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is one of Uganda’s smallest and luckiest parks, home to the critically endangered mountain gorillas, and part of the Virunga massif, where over 480 mountain gorillas reside.

Kalinzu Central Forest Reserve - Stop for Chimps tracking at Kalinzu Forest Reserve and enjoy a game drive at Ishasha Sector, Queen Elizabeth National Park, if time permits. Ishasha is famous for its tree-climbing lions. Here, enjoy an extended game drive in search of these unique lions.

Mountain Gorillas Tracking & Batwa Community Visit or Canoe/Boat ride on Lake Bunyonyi

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park - After breakfast, hike to the park headquarters, just meters from the lodge, for a briefing by UWA guides before transferring to the starting point for gorilla tracking. Enjoy Mountain gorilla tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable NP. Bwindi has the highest concentration of Gorillas, given its small size. The search for Gorillas takes you through the dense, untamed rainforest, scrambling over mossy rocks and through thick undergrowth. It is a challenging activity, but the encounter is worth the effort. Observing Gorillas in their natural habitat is a lifetime experience. The experienced ranger guides will share extensive information about the history and lifestyle of these Gorillas. Your tracking experience will be an exciting, yet challenging, journey along forested slopes, tangled vines, thick vegetation, and bamboo forests before reaching the territory of these gentle giants.

Lake Bunyonyi - After Mountain gorilla tracking, choose to either go for a Canoe ride on Lake Bunyonyi or visit the Batwa community to learn about their traditions, such as traditional dance, beer making, and fire setting. Lake Bunyonyi is the only lake where you can ride a canoe to visit all 29 islands, including the floating Island and the punishment Island, where young girls who became pregnant before marriage were abandoned.

To Lake Mburo National Park for Afternoon (Sunset) Game Drive

Lake Mburo National Park - After an early breakfast, depart Lake Bunyonyi and drive to Lake Mburo National Park via Kabale Town. Be welcomed into the park by herds of zebra, buffalo, eland, and antelope grazing in the savannah grass.

Arrive in the afternoon, have lunch, and embark on an afternoon game drive, where you are sure to spot zebras, buffaloes, impalas, warthogs, and waterbucks, among others. Bird enthusiasts will enjoy sightings of malachite kingfishers, African Fish eagles, blue-headed weavers, Rufous-tailed starlings, herons, pelicans, the rare shoebill, and cormorants.

Morning (Sunrise) Walking Safari, Equator Experience & Departure

Lake Mburo National Park - Enjoy your last sunrise in this beautiful part of Uganda with a guided nature walk (walking safari with a guide), where you can spot zebras, giraffes, eland, topi, antelope, and Cape buffaloes up close. Take the trail to the top of the hills to see Lake Mburo and beyond. From this vantage point, enjoy a great view of 9 of the twelve lakes surrounding Lake Mburo National Park.

Equator Entebbe - After your walking safari (guided nature walk), your guide will drive you through the beautiful scenery back to Kampala or Entebbe, or drop you off at Entebbe International Airport 3 hours before your departure time, with a stopover at the equator for an equator experience and photo opportunities.

Did this safari fulfill all the items on your travel bucket list? If not, don’t worry. We specialize in tailor-made tours and can customize this program to create your dream trip. Get in touch to create your personalized program.

Only breakfast, lunch, and drinking water are provided on this day.

• Ground Transportation by a 4×4 safari Van or Land Cruiser vehicle fully fuelled
• Top of Murchison Falls walk at Murchison Falls National Park
• Full-time English-speaking Driver/Guide
• Lunch, Dinner, and Breakfast
• Full Board Accommodation and en-route meals as indicated in the itinerary
• All Park entrance fees
• Chimps Tracking permits at Kalinzu Forest Reserve (USD 50 per person)
• Boat Safaris
• All relevant Government Taxes
• Walking Safaris
• Airport transfer & drinking water on all days
• Equator Experience & Photo moments
• Game drives
• Mountain Gorilla Tracking permits (USD 700 per person)
• Batwa/Pygmies Community Visit or Canoe/Boat ride on Lake Bunyonyi

• Airfares (International Air tickets and airport taxes)
• Visa Fees
• Personal Insurance
• Expenses of personal nature such as; drinks (alcoholic & non-alcoholic beverages), tips, laundry etc
• Accommodation & meals not indicated in the itinerary & optional activities
• Any other items which are not included in the above itinerary
• Accommodation on your first & last night in Uganda
• Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is optional at additional fees of $50 per person.

This 9-day safari offers a great overview of Uganda’s top tourist places and Activities. You will be able to visit; Murchison Falls National Park, Track Chimps in Kalinzu Forest Reserve or Kibale National Park, see more wildlife in Queen Elizabeth & Lake Mburo National Parks as well and visit Tree Climbing at Ishasha Sector, Bwindi Impenetrable or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for your eye-to-eye encounter with the endangered Mountain Gorillas among others.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.