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.
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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Day 13: Entebbe/Home
Your safari adventure ends today in Entebbe, Uganda.