The Best Of Uganda
The Best Of Uganda
Kibale Forest National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
This journey through Uganda showcases the incredible natural diversity, rich wildlife encounters, and community-driven conservation that make the “Pearl of Africa” one of East Africa’s most rewarding destinations. Beginning in the lakeside town of Entebbe, you are welcomed into the country before travelling west into Uganda’s lush rainforest belt.
Your first major stop is Kibale Forest National Park, a vibrant ecosystem of tropical and montane forest famed for its remarkable primate population. Here, you’ll explore dense jungle paths and embark on an unforgettable trek to meet the park’s habituated chimpanzees, observing their expressive behaviour as they leap, groom, and forage through the canopy. Additional guided walks offer insight into local village life and the rich birdlife found in the nearby Bigodi wetlands.
Continue onwards to the wildlife-rich plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of Uganda’s most diverse protected areas. Game drives reveal elephants, buffalo, antelope, and the region’s famous tree-climbing lions. A cruise along the Kazinga Channel brings you close to an astonishing concentration of hippos and water birds, making it one of the country’s most memorable wildlife experiences.
Your adventure reaches its emotional peak in the ancient, misty jungles of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a sanctuary for nearly half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. Trek deep into the forest with expert guides to spend a precious hour in the company of a habituated gorilla family—watching mothers care for their young, silverbacks standing guard, and juveniles tumbling playfully through the undergrowth. This intimate wildlife moment is often described as one of the most powerful encounters in Africa.
Complementing the natural wonders is a meaningful visit to local communities supported by philanthropic projects. Meet the teams driving vital initiatives—from healthcare and education to clean water and sustainable employment—offering a deeper connection to the people who call this landscape home.
With spectacular landscapes, warm hospitality, and some of Africa’s rarest wildlife, this itinerary captures the spirit of Uganda: raw, welcoming, and deeply moving. It is an enriching journey for travellers seeking adventure, connection, and unforgettable encounters with the natural world.
8 nights / 9 days – The Best Of Uganda
Kibale Forest National Park – Queen Elizabeth National Park – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
DAY 01 – ARRIVE IN ENTEBBE
On arrival at Entebbe International Airport and after clearing customs and immigration, you will be met by our representative and driven in your private vehicle to your hotel.
Bronze: Boma Guest House
Silver: Protea Hotel Entebbe
Gold: Hotel No. 5
DAY 02 – KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, drive to Kibale National Park. Arrive in time for lunch and have the afternoon to relax or head out on a nature walk.
Kibale National Park is an enchanting place and one of the most varied tracts of tropical forest in Uganda. At a little under 800 square kilometers (309 square miles), the park is a mix of lowland tropical rainforest, mixed tropical deciduous forest and montane forest. All those trees means it’s good monkey country. Kibale is famous for its 13 resident primates including chimps, L’Hoest’s monkeys with their white neck ruffs, and Red colobus whose copper coloured backs gleam in the sunshine; the forest is the last place in Uganda where large concentrations of Red colobus can be found.
Bronze: Primate Lodge – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Silver: Ndali Lodge – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Gold: Chimpundu – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
DAY 03 – KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK
Today, you set out to track the habituated chimpanzees. This is the highlight of visiting Kibale National Park and the habituated chimps are great fun to watch as they squabble and play in the trees. You can expect to see at least two or three other types of primates most probably the Grey-cheeked mangabey and Red-tailed monkey. Once you find the family you will have about an hour with them to observe their fascinating behavior. Once you have completed the track take a guided walk to the nearby Bigodi Swamp for some bird watching and opportunities to explore rural village life.
Bronze: Primate Lodge – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Silver: Ndali Lodge – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Gold: Chimpundu – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
DAY 04 – QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK
After breakfast, drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, a picnic lunch will be provided and it is game driving all the way.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of Uganda’s most popular game conservancies; within its 2,000 square kilometres (772 square miles) it harnesses savannah, fertile forest, lakes and wetlands which means it offers refuge to a huge diversity of game. The endless Ishasha plains are hunting grounds for lion. The Kazinga Channel is thought to be the home to the planet’s largest concentration of hippo, the wetlands and forests 600 species of bird including the pouting, rare and endangered Shoebill stork.
Bronze: Mweya Safari Camp – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Silver: Kyambura Gorge Lodge – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Gold: Ishasha Wilderness – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
DAY 05 – QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK
Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Bronze: Mweya Safari Camp – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Silver: Elephant Plains Lodge – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Gold: Kyambura Gorge Lodge– Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
DAY 06 – BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST NATIONAL PARK
Drive to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, arrive in time for lunch.
Located in south-western Uganda, Bwindi is one of the richest, oldest and most diverse rainforests in the region. The park is also home to over 300 mountain gorillas – half the world’s population – some habituated so visitors can observe them: standing quietly aside, you can watch these enormous animals getting on with their day: feeding, playing, watching you back. They aren’t the only primates, they share the forest with almost a dozen other species including chimpanzees.
Bronze: Mahogany Springs – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Silver: Bwindi Lodge – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Gold: A&K Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp – Breakfast, lunch, dinner & limited beverages included
DAY 07 – BWINDI IMPENETRABLE FOREST NATIONAL PARK
After an early breakfast drive to the Gorilla Tracking HQ to meet the guide, porter and the other people tracking the same gorilla family. Tracks can take anywhere from 45 minutes to six or more hours. Once clients reach the family everyone has 60 minutes to enjoy these amazing primates.
The gorillas you will track belong to one of the ‘habituated’ family groups in Northern Bwindi. For several years each group has undergone an extremely delicate process that has gradually made them used to the presence of humans.
Experienced guides will accompany the tracking, many of whom have been involved in the habituation process themselves. A look into the deep and expressive brown eyes of these giants is surely one of the most unforgettable wildlife encounters that Africa has to offer.
Bronze: Mahogany Springs – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Silver: Bwindi Lodge – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Gold: A&K Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp – Breakfast, lunch, dinner & limited beverages included
DAY 08 – COMMUNITY WALK
Set out into the village for a community walk and to see the amazing AKP Philanthropy projects and the positive impact they have on the local communities. The projects include visits to the Bwindi Community Hospital and the Nursing School. Starting out as a simple clinic operating beneath a mango tree, Bwindi Community Hospital is now a 112 bed facility that treats 15,000 families in the community. Also included is a visit to Ebenezer Primary School and the Life Straw Project which offers clean drinking water to the students, as well as a visit to the Bwindi Bike Shop which provides disadvantaged women a source of income and the community a source of transportation.
Bronze: Mahogany Springs – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Silver: Bwindi Lodge – Breakfast, lunch & dinner included
Gold: A&K Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp – Breakfast, lunch, dinner & limited beverages included
DAY 11 – DEPART ENTEBBE
Transfer to the airstrip and fly back to Entebbe where a day room is booked. Freshen up before connecting to the outbound international flight.
The gloriously named Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is aptly named ‘Bwindi’ which means darkness and this densely tangled green wilderness is deeply shaded, steeply rising (the elevation soars from just over 1,000 meters [3280 feet] to almost 3,000 meters [9840 feet] ) and so rugged and tightly packed, that it’s only accessible on foot.
Located in south-western Uganda it is one of the richest, oldest (25,000 year old) and most diverse rainforests in the region boasting over 400 plant species. Within its 330 square kilometers (127 square miles) live 120 species ofmammals, 348 species ofbirds, 220 species of butterflies and 27 species of frogs, chameleons and geckos.
The stars of the show here are the Mountain gorillas, seeing them up close is an unforgettable experience.
Home to half the world’s population -some which have been habituated, allowing us visitors an unfettered view into their world.Watch these amazing mammals in their natural environment is always a highlight of any African safari. These incredible creaturesshare the forest with almost a dozen other species including chimpanzees.
BEST TIME TO TRAVEL
- Although Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park has relatively wet weather because of equatorial climatic conditions, you can visit Bwindi for a gorilla trekking safari all year round.
- Due to the tropical nature of the forest, rainfall can happen at any time, so there is no complete dry season. June and July receive the lowest rainfall, along do December to February.
- The heaviest rains are March to May and October to November. The months of June to August and mid December to February are therefore a relatively dry season.
UGANDA
MONEY MATTERS
The Ugandan shilling is issued in denominations of 1000, 5000, 10000, 20000 and 50000 shillings for notes, while coins are issued in denominations of 10, 50, 100, 200 and 500 shillings. The local currency can be obtained at authorised facilities (such as banks and foreign exchange bureaus). Foreign currency can also be changed at the airport on arrival. Many establishments will only change USD issued after the year 2003. Be aware that only paper currency will normally be accepted for exchange. Travellers cheques are not widely accepted outside of Kampala. In Uganda, credit card use is usually restricted to major banks and hotels and most shops will not accept other methods of payment other than cash. Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp accepts Visa, MasterCard, Amex and JCB credit cards which attract a surcharge of 5%.
TIPPING
Tipping is not compulsory, nor are there any fixed amounts.
Driver-Guide in Bwindi: a tip of about US$10 per transfer is appropriate for your transfer driver.
On a Gorilla Track: If you choose to take a porter (highly recommended), the minimum recommended tip is US$15 per traveller per track.
A recommended tip of about US$20 per day of tracking per traveller may be placed in the appropriate tip box for your gorilla group (found at Park Headquarters) for distribution amongst the staff.
WE ALSO SUGGEST $15 PER GUEST PER DAY FOR THE REST OF THE STAFF.
PASSPORT & VISA INFORMATION
Each traveller must be in possession of a passport that will remain valid for at least six months beyond the completion of his/her trip. Travellers should check for visa requirements pertaining to their citizenship, as entry requirements vary.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Please note: TSA Bans Powerless Devices From Flights
According to recent rules issued by the US Transport Security Administration (TSA), passengers travelling from Europe, the Middle East and Africa to the US must be able to turn on their electronic devices to prove they are genuine, “Powerless devices” – cellphones and computers that cannot be turned on will not be permitted on board the aircraft.
This was followed by an announcement by the UK Department for Transport regarding stepping up some aviation security measures. “In line with the US advice, passengers on some routes into and out of the UK may now also be required to show that electronic devices in their hand luggage are powered up or face not being allowed to bring the device onto the aircraft.” According to Reuters, TSA officials singled out smartphones, including the Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy, for extra security checks on U.S.-bound flights from Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Source: http://www.tsa.gov/press/releases/2014/07/06/enhanced-security-measures-certain-airports-overseas
TIME ZONE
GMT + 3 hours
LANGUAGE
English is the official national language. Luganda, the most common of the many indigenous languages, is also widely spoken.
WEATHER
In Uganda days are warm, but it almost invariably rains, except in the very driest months of January and February. It can get very cool at night. The year-round weather stays within this range.
For more information on Uganda travel please visit http://www.visituganda.com/index.php
RATES
Different package levels are Bronze, Silver & Gold.
From $5,950 – $10,500 USD – Please enquire for detailed rates.
Rates are per person twin or double share.
Single supplement on request.
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