Classic Western Uganda Safari
8 Days
This comprehensive 8-day Western Uganda Safari leaves no stone unturned as it takes you on a journey into the western Kingdoms of Uganda. The safari covers all the principal National Parks and attractions in Western Uganda as well as affording you the opportunity to immerse yourself in some of the regions heritage and traditions with visits to local women's groups and community lead activities. All of this is set to the beautiful back drop of picturesque rolling hills, savannah lands and the iconic forests of Kibale and Bwindi.
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Itinerary Highlights
- Scenic boat ride across Lake Mburo
- Gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi National Park
- Diverse landscape with a wide range of animals in Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Opportunity to see tree climbing lions
Itinerary in Brief
- Day 1: Entebbe
- Day 2: Entebbe - Lake Mburo National Park
- Day 3: Lake Mburo National Park - Bwindi National Park
- Day 4: Bwindi National Park Gorilla Trekking
- Day 5: Bwindi National Park - Ishasha Sector, Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Day 6: Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Day 7: Queen Elizabeth National Park - Kibale National Park
- Day 8: Kibale National Park - Entebbe
Tailor-made Suggestions
- Extend your holiday into Tanzania or Kenya with our Classic 7 and 8 Day Packages.
- Complete your trip with a relaxing beachside island escape to Zanzibar.
- Looking for something cultural and different? Take a look at our 6 Day Historic Ethiopia Tour
Day 1: Entebbe Arrival
Welcome to Uganda! On arrival you will be met at the Airport by our representative who will escort you to your safari vehicle and will introduce you to your Driver who will also be your Guide. The first stop will be a short drive to your accommodation where you will be able to relax and prepare for the adventure that lies ahead.
Day 2: Entebbe - Lake Mburo National Park
Your Ugandan safari adventure begins in earnest with a trip to Lake Mburo National Park. You will head west on a scenic drive towards the heartland of the Ankole Kingdom. The drive is one of the most scenic in Uganda as you transition out of the suburbs of the city and into open marsh and the grasslands, where the famous long horned Ankole cattle graze.
One of the best activities to do in Lake Mburo is a scenic boat ride on the lake. This is one of the best ways to see the diverse wildlife that the Park has. The boat ride can be done at dawn or dusk depending on your safari itinerary and will normally take around 2 hours.
All the rides begin at the Rwonyo jetty, it will not take you long before you begin to see large groups of hippos in the water as well as crocodiles and buffalo lining the banks of the lake. The lake is also famous for its bird life, from majestic fish eagles, colourful kingfishers, to hammerkops and their enormous nests.
Day 3: Lake Mburo National Park - Bwindi National Park
A game drive in Lake Mburo National Park is the perfect way to begin or end a Safari in Uganda. The park has a variety of wildlife that almost contradicts its small size in comparison to the other parks in Uganda. The park doesn't have any large cats apart from leopards who are normally only seen at night.
Lake Mburo has a large variety of antelopes and Rothschild's giraffe have recently been reintroduced. However, the highlights of the park have to be the Burchell's zebra and eland which are only found in two National Parks in Uganda.
Saying goodbye to Lake Mburo National Park is never easy. It has an uncanny ability to charm visitors with its peaceful and tranquil atmosphere, stunning landscapes and great wildlife viewing. The safari will continue westwards leaving the Ankole Kingdom, heading towards Bwindi and the Kigezi Kingdom, home of the remarkable mountain gorillas.
Day 4: Bwindi National Park
Your Gorilla Trekking experience is finally here, hope your camera is charged and you are ready for what lies ahead. An early start will see you transfer to the Park Headquarters for a briefing with the Uganda Wildlife Authority guides. An advance party of guides will have gone ahead into the forest to locate where the gorillas slept the previous night and will have begun to track their movements. These guides will communicate with your team via a walkie-talkie and the trek into the forest will begin.
Locating the Gorillas can take a few hours or the whole day depending on how far they have moved from the place they spent the previous night. For conservation purposes, the amount of time allowed with the Gorillas is 1 hour. As you trek through the forest you will appreciate why the forest is called impenetrable. There is also a multitude of other animals that you might encounter including antelopes and rare monkeys not to mention the beauty of the forest itself. Once you have completed the trek you will return to the lodge, for a well-earned rest and time to reflect on a truly magical experience.
We try and support the communities that we interact with as part of the business we run, with a view to minimising the impact we have on communities as well as ensuring that they too benefit from our operations. One such community in the Buhoma area of Bwindi is called Ride 4 a Woman. You will get to visit these incredible women and learn more about their story!
Day 5: Bwindi National Park - Ishasha Sector, Queen Elizabeth National Park
With your Gorilla Trekking experience still fresh in your memory it will be time to head north to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The landscape changes as you move away from the thick forest into the open savannah lands. You will begin to notice the traditional home steds and farms that characterise this area. Entry to the Park will be via its southern sector also known as the Ishasha sector. Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the most famous National Parks in Uganda and for good reason. There diverse landscape houses a wide range of animals, birds and plants which enables any visitor to partake in games drives in different locations of the park, a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel where animals and birds line the banks of this waterway that stretches between two lakes and Chimpanzee Trek in Kyambura Gorge.
A game drive in the Ishasha sector gives you a chance to see the famous tree climbing lions that can be seen hanging out of large fig trees. No one really knows why lions in this area climb trees but there are many theories surrounding this behaviour. However, lions are not the only animals to be found in the park. Large herds of Uganda Kob, Hippos, elephant and antelope also roam this part of the park making it an ideal place to view the wildlife at it's best.
Day 6: Ishaha Sector - Queen Elizabeth National Park
A game drive in Kasenyi sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park is a great place to see view differing landscape and ecosystems in Uganda. The park is the oldest and the most visited in Uganda. This game drive will take place on the
Kasenyi Plains which are in the north-east section of the park and west of Lake George. There are large numbers of buffalo, antelope, elephant, warthogs, baboons as well and lions and the odd leopard if you are lucky.
One of the highlights of visiting Queen Elizabeth National Park is the boat ride along the Kazinga Channel. The boat ride is a round trip beginning at the Mweya Peninsula and lasting around 3 hours. The Channel is a 32-kilometre long natural channel that links Lake Edward and Lake George. The channel has one of the world's largest concentration of hippos, numerous Nile crocodiles, buffalo, elephants and a whole host of birds. including African fish eagles, kingfishers, Herons, storks and skimmers.
The Kataara Women’s Poverty Alleviation Group was formed in 2005 to combat the problem of human-wildlife conflict in this particular area of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The group provides alternative income for Kataara families and an
incentive to conserve Uganda’s precious wildlife. There is a proud mixture of Banaynkore, Bakiga, Batoro and Banayruguru tribe, which is reflected in the artistic diversity of the products that are created developed and sold. The women believe in maximizing the use of natural materials grown locally, even the dyes for the baskets are created by boiling leaves from local herbs. A visit to the group will enable to find out more about how this incredible enterprise works and be inspired by the individual stories that the women have. There will also be a chance to support the group by purchasing reasonably priced crafts.
Day 7: Queen Elizabeth National Park - Kibale National Park
With the anticipation of your Chimpanzee Trek, the safari will head further north into the Kibale Forest region. You leave the Rwenzururu Kingdom and journey into the heart of the Tooro Kingdom towards the principal city Fort Portal. Look out
for the King of Tooro's grand palace on top of the largest hill in the area.
The Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary is a part of the Magombe Swamp just south of Kibale National Park. A visit to the sanctuary enables you to see rare mammals and birds, like the webbed feet sitatunga as the great blue turaco call this place home. However, if you aren't lucky enough to see them there are still plenty of other animals, including bush pigs, black and white colobus monkeys and over 200 species of birds that inhabit the swamp. The Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary is a community-based programme that supports local residents and encourages a healthy link between tourism and the community it affects.
Day 8: Kibale National Park - Entebbe
Your Chimpanzee Trekking experience has finally arrived! It begins at the Uganda Wildlife Authority HQ at Kayanchu Gate where your trekking group will head into the forest with a guide after a short briefing. About 1 hour before your group sets off an advance party of guides will have entered the forest to locate where the Chimpanzees spent the night. Once located the advance party send a radio message back to your trekking group so that you can navigate through the forest.
During the trek, you will also get to see the different birds, animals and plant species within the forest. Once you locate the Chimpanzees you can only spend one hour with them this ensures that the Chimpanzees don't become accustomed
to human contact.
After an exhilarating experience with the chimpanzees you will begin your return trip to Entebbe. The journey will see you leave the Kiblale Forest National Park in the Tooro Kingdom and head eastwards back to the Buganda Kingdom. The relaxing ride back to Entebbe will allow you to reminisce about the amazing time you have spent in Uganda and all the wonderful experiences you have had.
Suggested Accommodation
City | Accommodation |
---|---|
Entebbe | Airport Guesthouse |
Lake Mburo | Rwakobo Rock |
Bwindi National Park | Mahogany Springs |
Queen Elizabeth National Park | Parkview Safari Lodge |
Kibale National Park | Kibale Guest Cottages |
Whats included?
- Accommodation with private facilities
- Hotel taxes
- 1x Gorilla permit per person
- Tours led by experienced English Guide(s)
- Park and vehicle entrance fees
- Transport in 4v4 shared vehicle
- Activities as specified
- Meals as specified
What’s not included?
- Air transportation
- Passport, visa and immigration fees
- Airport entrance/departure taxes
- Additional hotels
- Travel protection plan
- Alcoholic & non-alcoholic beverages
- Meals in Entebbe
- Laundry service
- Gratuities
- Any items not mentioned as included