8 Days Uganda Primates and Wildlife Experience

Road Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park with Rhino Tracking and Hike to the Top of the Falls

After an early breakfast, your 8 Days Uganda Wildlife Safari Experience officially begins as you set off on a scenic road transfer to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest and most visited park. The drive takes approximately six to seven hours, but the journey is broken with fascinating stopovers. Your first highlight is a guided rhino tracking experience at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the only place in Uganda where wild rhinos can be seen. Accompanied by expert rangers, you will walk through the bush to observe these magnificent animals in their natural habitat. This activity not only offers a thrilling encounter but also contributes directly to rhino conservation efforts in Uganda.

After lunch, the journey continues through changing landscapes, small towns, and lush farmlands until you reach Murchison Falls. On arrival, you will head straight to the top of Murchison Falls, where the Nile River squeezes through a narrow seven-meter gorge before plunging 43 meters into the Albertine Rift Valley. The sight and sound of the powerful waterfall create an unforgettable memory. You will take a short hike around the falls, enjoying panoramic views and taking photographs of this natural wonder.

Later in the evening, you will check in at Bamboo Village Safari Lodge, located near the park. The lodge offers beautiful views of the park surrounding wilderness, often with hippopotamus roaming nearby. Dinner will be served, followed by overnight rest as you prepare for a full day of exploration.

• Accommodation: Bamboo Village Safari Lodge
• Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Drinking Water

Game Drives, Boat Cruise, and Wildlife Photography in Murchison Falls National Park

This day begins with an early breakfast before setting out for a morning game drive across the northern banks of Murchison Falls National Park. The park’s savannah plains are teeming with wildlife, including elephants, lions, leopards, giraffes, hyenas, buffaloes, and numerous antelope species such as Uganda kobs, oribis, and hartebeests. The crisp morning hours provide the best opportunities to spot predators on the hunt as well as large herds of grazers feeding in the open grasslands. The scenic Nile River and rolling savannah create the perfect backdrop for incredible wildlife photography.

After a mid-morning break, you will return to the lodge for relaxation and lunch before embarking on one of the park’s most memorable experiences a boat cruise on the Nile River. This journey takes you upstream toward the base of Murchison Falls, where the river’s waters churn and crash with incredible force. Along the way, you will encounter pods of hippos, large Nile crocodiles, and a variety of bird species, including kingfishers, fish eagles, and the rare shoebill stork. Elephants and buffaloes are often seen drinking along the riverbanks, adding to the spectacle.

The boat cruise ends at the base of the falls, where you will marvel at the sheer force of the Nile before returning to your lodge. In the evening, you may choose to enjoy a sundowner while admiring the African sunset over the Nile. Dinner will be served at the lodge, followed by overnight accommodation.

• Accommodation: Bamboo Village Safari Lodge
• Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Drinking Water

Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

After breakfast, you will check out of Bamboo Village Safari Lodge and embark on a long but rewarding road transfer to Kibale Forest National Park, often referred to as the Primate Capital of East Africa. The journey takes approximately seven to eight hours, passing through picturesque landscapes, tea plantations, and small towns. Along the way, you will enjoy a packed or en route lunch while taking in Uganda’s scenic countryside.

Upon arrival at Kibale, you will check in at Bweza Lodge, a beautiful eco-lodge surrounded by lush forests. After some relaxation, if time allows you will set out for the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a community-managed conservation project located on the outskirts of Kibale Forest. The swamp walk is an excellent opportunity to encounter more primates, including black-and-white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, and L’Hoest’s monkeys. The sanctuary is also home to over 200 bird species, with the great blue turaco being a special highlight for bird lovers.

The swamp walk is guided by local community members who share insights into the medicinal plants, cultural practices, and the role of ecotourism in conserving the wetland. This activity provides both a wildlife experience and a cultural immersion. You will return to Bweza Kibale Lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight stay, preparing for the chimpanzee tracking adventure awaiting you the following day.

• Accommodation: Bweza Kibale Lodge
• Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Drinking Water

Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale and Afternoon transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

The day begins early with breakfast before heading to the Kibale Forest National Park Headquarters for a briefing about chimpanzee tracking. Kibale is home to more than 1,500 chimpanzees, making it one of the best places in Africa to encounter these intelligent primates. The trek through the dense forest takes you deep into their habitat, and once you find a chimpanzee troop, you will spend one hour observing their behavior. Watching them communicate, groom each other, or swing through the trees is both fascinating and memorable.

After this remarkable experience, you will have lunch before proceeding on a three-hour drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda’s second-largest national park. Upon arrival, you will check in at Tabingi Safari Lodge, where you will enjoy a hearty dinner and spend the night surrounded by the wilderness of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

• Accommodation: Tabingi Safari Lodge
• Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Drinking Water

Morning Game drive and Afternoon Kazinga Boat Safari

After an early breakfast, you will embark on a morning game drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park, focusing on the Kasenyi sector, which is famous for lion sightings. The plains are also home to large herds of Uganda kobs, which serve as prey for the park’s predators. With luck, you may also encounter leopards, hyenas, and a wide range of birdlife.

Later in the morning, you will enjoy a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, a natural waterway that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. This two-hour cruise is a highlight of Queen Elizabeth, offering some of the best wildlife viewing in East Africa. Hippos wallow in large numbers, crocodiles bask on the shores, and elephants frequently come down to drink. The channel is also a haven for birdwatchers, with over 600 species recorded in the park.

• Accommodation: Tabingi Safari Lodge
• Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Drinking Water

Game Drive through Ishasha and Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After breakfast, have a final game drive through the Ishasha Sector area of Queen Elizabeth National Park, known for its tree-climbing lions. If you’re lucky, you might observe these distinctive predators lazing on fig tree branches, which is unusual in Africa.
Continue south to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.The drive takes roughly five to six hours and passes through the picturesque scenery of the Kigezi Highlands, which are home to about half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. The picturesque route winds past terraced mountains, tea plantations, and welcoming communities. The overnight stay will be at Bweza Gorilla Lodge, which is close proximity to the park headquarters

• Accommodation: Bweza Gorilla Lodge
• Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Drinking Water

Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi and Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

This day is the highlight of your 8 Days Uganda Wildlife Safari Experience: mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. After an early breakfast, you will report to the park headquarters for a detailed briefing by the rangers. Groups are assigned and led into the forest in search of habituated gorilla families. The trek can last from two to six hours depending on the location of the gorillas, but the experience is always rewarding.

Once you find the gorilla family, you will spend one unforgettable hour observing them as they go about their daily routines. Watching them feed, play, and interact within their natural environment is often described as a life-changing experience. The close resemblance between gorillas and humans makes this encounter deeply moving and memorable. Rangers will also share valuable insights into the conservation challenges facing these endangered primates.

In the afternoon, transfer to  Lake Bunyonyi for relaxation after the activity lodge for dinner and overnight stay, reflecting on the incredible wildlife experience  of the day.

• Accommodation: Bunyonyi Eco Lodge
• Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Drinking Water

Morning Canoe boat and Road Transfer Back to Entebbe – End of Safari

After breakfast, enjoy a relaxing canoe boat trip on Lake Bunyonyi and explore some of the notable islands on the lake, such as the Punishment Island, with their rich history, and begin your return journey to Entebbe International Airport or your hotel. The drive takes approximately eight to nine hours, passing through Uganda’s countryside with scenic views of terraced hills, plantations, and small towns. Lunch will be provided en route, and there will be opportunities to stop for photographs or purchase souvenirs from local markets.

Your 8 Days Uganda Wildlife Safari driver-guide will ensure timely arrival in Entebbe for your evening flight or overnight stay. This marks the end of your 8 Days Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari Experience with Mooi Adventures. You leave Uganda with unforgettable memories of rhino tracking, game drives, chimpanzee and gorilla trekking, boat cruises, and cultural interactions that showcase the very best of the Pearl of Africa.

• Accommodation: None
• Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Drinking Water