Best of Uganda Safari

Your journey north begins with a stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the only place in Uganda where rhinos roam freely in the wild. With a ranger, you’ll track them on foot, a thrilling and humbling experience. Continue to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest protected area. Before settling into your lodge, visit the top of the falls to watch the Nile squeeze through a seven-meter gap and explode into a thunderous cascade. The roar and spray here are unforgettable.

Wake before dawn for a game drive across the northern savannah. Giraffes step gracefully through the golden grass, elephants march in family herds, and lions lie in wait among the acacias. After lunch, take to the water on a Nile River boat safari. The riverbanks are alive with hippos, crocodiles, and birdlife, and the climax comes as the boat edges toward the base of the falls, where mist rises from the thunder. You may disembark for a short hike up to the viewpoint.

Today is a full day’s drive south, but the scenery keeps you captivated. The route passes through bustling villages, tea plantations, and crater lakes as you approach the primate capital of East Africa. Arrive at your lodge on the forest edge and settle in as night falls to the chorus of insects and frogs.

An early breakfast prepares you for the forest. As you trek under the towering canopy, the air vibrates with the calls of monkeys and birds until the forest erupts with the whoops and hoots of chimpanzees. Soon, you find them, a troop of chimps grooming, chasing, and swinging effortlessly through the trees. The encounter is noisy, playful, and utterly different from the quiet awe of gorillas. In the afternoon, visit Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a community-run project rich in primates, birds, and local culture.

After breakfast, drive south into Queen Elizabeth National Park. The landscapes open to vast savannahs with the Rwenzori Mountains looming in the background. Arrive for an afternoon game drive on the Kasenyi Plains, where lions stalk kob antelope and buffalo gather at the water’s edge.

At sunrise, set out on another game drive, this time focusing on elephants, Uganda kob, and perhaps leopards in the thickets. In the afternoon, board a boat for the Kazinga Channel cruise. This narrow waterway between Lakes Edward and George is one of the richest wildlife habitats in Africa. Hippos crowd the shallows, crocodiles bask in the sun, and the skies fill with pelicans, kingfishers, and fish eagles.

Journey south through the Ishasha sector, renowned for its tree-climbing lions. Keep your eyes on the branches of fig trees where these unusual cats are often draped. After a game drive, continue into the highlands of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, where mist rolls over the ridges and anticipation builds for the gorilla trek.

This is the pinnacle of your journey. After a briefing from your ranger, trek into Bwindi’s dense rainforest. The climb may be steep and the paths tangled, but the reward is immense: an hour with a gorilla family. Watch in awe as a silverback surveys his group, mothers nurse their young, and juveniles tumble in play. This humbling encounter leaves an imprint for life.

After the emotion of the gorilla trek, today offers a chance to slow down and connect with Uganda’s people. Join a community walk through nearby villages, visit local craft workshops, or spend time with the Batwa people, the forest’s original inhabitants, to learn their traditions, songs, and deep knowledge of the land. It’s a cultural dimension that enriches the safari.

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast as mist drifts through the trees, then begin the drive back to Entebbe. Stop for lunch along the way and arrive by evening, in time for your onward flight.