Ultimate Uganda

13 days, 12 nights
Price Range: $13,633 – $18,683
(all-inclusive price per person, depending on dates & camps selected)

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Unlike Kenya or Tanzania, Uganda is not the first name that typically comes to mind for an epic African safari. Yet within its compact borders is a microcosm of the continent, a diversity of habitats and animals you’d be hard-pressed to find in a single country elsewhere in Africa. Ultimate Uganda unveils it all in four distinct national parks: mountain gorillas and chimpanzees, plains game and predators, prolific birdlife and the Victoria Nile’s plunge over Murchison Falls.

Photo of Ben Bressler

Our Expert Says

I love Uganda! I arrived here in search of the country’s famed mountain gorillas and left with a deep appreciation for the wildlife, people and varied terrain of the entire nation. The game viewing is tremendous, the variety of wildlife impressive and the authenticity of the experience intense. From the western mountains of Bwindi to the central savanna of Queen Elizabeth and northward to the Victoria Nile, I have fallen for Uganda.

– Ben Bressler


Photo: Entebbe / Kampala view image gallery

Day 1: Entebbe / Kampala

Safaris in Uganda typically start and finish in Entebbe or nearby Kampala. Entebbe, on Lake Victoria, was a former British colonial administrative center. The National Botanical Gardens, laid out in 1898, are a must-see here. Uganda’s capital, Kampala, was established during the 13th century Buganda kingdom, one of the oldest in Africa. Built among lush hills and wetlands that were once royal impala-hunting grounds, Kampala today is a modern city of 1.7 million.


Photo: Murchison Falls Nat'l Park view image gallery

Days 2-4: Murchison Falls Nat'l Park

Murchison Falls National Park, located at the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley, is bisected by the Victoria Nile, a turbulent stretch of whitewater that plunges 140 feet over a sheer wall at the falls. The calm stretch of river below offers superb wildlife viewing, with elephant, giraffe, buffalo, hippo and Nile crocodile frequently in view. Launch trips to the base of the falls and Lake Albert delta offer fine bird watching, with a chance to see shoebills.


Photo: Kibale Forest Nat'l Park view image gallery

Days 5-6: Kibale Forest Nat'l Park

The most accessible of Uganda’s major rainforests, Kibale harbors the greatest variety and concentration of primates in East Africa and is home to 13 species including chimpanzees and red colobus monkeys. The elusive forest elephant moves through the park seasonally. Kibale’s tremendous biodiversity also attracts a long checklist of rainforest birds. Activities include forest walks and wildlife viewing along the string of beautiful crater lakes that lie between Fort Portal and Kibale Forest.


Photo: Queen Elizabeth Nat'l Park view image gallery

Days 7-9: Queen Elizabeth Nat'l Park

Uganda’s most popular national park is arguably its most scenic. Stretching from the crater-dotted foothills of the Ruwenzori Mountains along Lake Edward to the remote Ishasha River, its mosaic of habitats includes savanna, wetlands, gallery and lowland forest. The park offers prime grazing for buffalo, elephant and myriad antelope, and boasts 600 bird species. Game drives, forest walks, chimp tracking and boat trips on the hippo-filled Kazinga Channel are popular activities.


Photo: Bwindi National Park view image gallery

Days 10-12: Bwindi National Park

Named for the dense forests it encompasses, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to roughly half the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. Though the park is best known for its outstanding gorilla tracking, it also provides refuge to chimpanzees, monkeys, elephants and various small antelope. Bwindi is a key 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.


Photo: Entebbe/Home view image gallery

Day 13: Entebbe/Home

Your safari adventure ends today in Entebbe, Uganda.


Notes

  • iSafari.com's Africa safari planner cannot precisely calculate the costs of air and land transfers to all camps and lodges as the locations and travel distances vary slightly. With this in mind, your final quote may increase or decrease by a small amount.
  • The estimated rates given for these itineraries are adult rates, but many properties offer reduced rates for children. Please contact our office for more information.
  • Holiday surcharges may apply for travel in late December and early January, and occasionally over the Easter holiday.
  • A non-refundable deposit of 25% of the trip fee per person is required upon booking to confirm your reservation.

Inclusions

  • All accommodation on a double occupancy basis
  • Meals at camps and lodges
  • Excursions and transfers unless listed as optional
  • Services of an NHA Safari Expedition Leader and lodge staff
  • Relevant park fees
  • Alcoholic and soft drink beverages are included at some camps and lodges
  • Laundry service is available at most permanent camps/lodges and hotels; in some cases this service is included in the tariff quoted
  • Air transfers within countries as specified
  • Accommodation taxes, the applicable Tourism Levies and all relevant Value Added Tax (VAT) or Government Sales Tax (GST)

Exclusions

  • Travel to the start and end point of the route
  • Generally lunch and dinner in city hotels
  • Alcoholic and soft drink beverages at some camps and lodges
  • Cancellation, baggage and medical insurance
  • Staff gratuities
  • Any newly-implemented government taxes, levies, fuel or industry increases which are beyond our control
  • Visa fees where relevant
  • Any items of a personal nature
  • Gorilla trekking permits ($600 per person per trek) and chimp trekking permits ($150 per person per trek)