9 Days Uganda Safari Tour
Discover the best of Uganda on this exciting 9 Days Uganda Safari Tour. This unforgettable journey takes you through Uganda’s top national parks, where you will track endangered mountain gorillas, walk through tropical forests in search of chimpanzees, enjoy thrilling game drives, cruise along the Nile and Kazinga Channel, and visit the famous Equator. Along the way, you will meet friendly local communities, admire breathtaking scenery, and create lifelong memories. This safari is perfect for travelers looking for adventure, wildlife, culture, and nature in one incredible holiday.
Day 1: Pickup from Entebbe International Airport – Transfer to Kampala and Kampala City Tour
Welcome to Uganda, the Pearl of Africa. Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by your professional safari guide from Giant Holiday Safaris. After a short briefing about your adventure, you will drive to Kampala, Uganda’s vibrant capital city.
After checking into your hotel and refreshing, you will head out for a guided Kampala City Tour. Visit some of the city’s famous attractions, including the Uganda Museum, Independence Monument, Gaddafi National Mosque, Nakasero Market, Kabaka’s Palace, and the Bahá’í Temple if time allows. You will also experience the lively streets, local businesses, colorful markets, and friendly people that make Kampala unique.
The city tour offers a great introduction to Uganda’s rich culture, history, and traditions before beginning your wildlife adventure.
Accommodation: Fairway Hotel
Meals: Dinner
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
After an early breakfast, begin your journey to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest and oldest national park. The drive takes you through beautiful countryside filled with villages, farms, and rolling hills.
On the way, stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the only place in Uganda where wild rhinos can be seen. Enjoy an exciting guided rhino tracking experience on foot. Walking close to these magnificent animals while learning about rhino conservation is an unforgettable experience.
After lunch, continue your journey to Murchison Falls National Park. Before heading to your lodge, visit the famous Top of the Falls viewpoint where the mighty River Nile squeezes through a narrow 7-meter gorge before crashing down 43 meters, creating one of Africa’s most spectacular waterfalls.
Arrive at your lodge in the evening for dinner and relaxation.
Accommodation: Pakuba Safari Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 3: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Nile Boat Cruise – 9 Days Uganda Safari Tour
Wake up early for an exciting morning game drive across the northern sector of Murchison Falls National Park. This area offers some of Uganda’s best wildlife viewing opportunities.
Look out for elephants, lions, Rothschild’s giraffes, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, hartebeests, oribis, waterbucks, hyenas, and if lucky, elusive leopards. Your experienced guide will help spot animals while sharing interesting facts about their behavior and habitats.
Return to the lodge for lunch before taking an unforgettable afternoon boat cruise along the Victoria Nile. The boat slowly approaches the bottom of Murchison Falls, giving excellent opportunities to photograph hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes, and many colorful bird species including the African fish eagle and kingfishers.
This is one of the highlights of any Uganda safari.
Accommodation: Pakuba Safari Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 4: Hike to the Top of Murchison Falls and Transfer to Kibale National Park
After breakfast, enjoy a guided hike to the Top of Murchison Falls. Feel the thunder of the powerful Nile as millions of liters of water force their way through the narrow gorge. The viewpoints offer breathtaking scenery and excellent photography opportunities.
After the hike, begin your scenic drive southwest towards Kibale National Park, known as the primate capital of East Africa.
The journey passes through tea plantations, forests, traditional villages, crater lakes, and beautiful rolling hills. Along the way, your guide will explain local culture and daily life in rural Uganda.
Arrive in Kibale during the evening, check into your lodge, and relax before tomorrow’s chimpanzee adventure.
Accommodation: Turaco Treetops
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 5: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale Forest and Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After an early breakfast, report to the park headquarters for a briefing before entering Kibale Forest with experienced ranger guides.
Chimpanzee tracking is one of Uganda’s most exciting wildlife experiences. As you walk through the lush tropical forest, listen for the loud calls of chimpanzees high in the trees. Besides chimpanzees, Kibale is home to twelve other primate species including black-and-white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and L’Hoest’s monkeys.
Once you find the chimpanzees, enjoy one unforgettable hour observing their daily activities, including feeding, grooming, playing, and communicating.
After lunch, continue to Queen Elizabeth National Park while enjoying spectacular views of the Rwenzori Mountains, crater lakes, and open savannah.
Accommodation: Twin Lakes Safari Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 6: Morning Game Drive and Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise
Start your day with an early morning game drive in the Kasenyi Plains. This area is famous for its large populations of Uganda kobs, making it one of the best places to search for lions. You may also see elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, waterbucks, hyenas, giant forest hogs, and numerous bird species.
After lunch, enjoy one of Africa’s best wildlife boat cruises along the famous Kazinga Channel. This natural waterway connects Lake Edward and Lake George and supports one of the highest concentrations of hippos in Africa.
Watch elephants bathing along the shoreline, buffaloes cooling off in the water, crocodiles resting on the banks, and hundreds of colorful birds. The boat trip provides excellent wildlife photography opportunities.
Accommodation: Twin Lakes Safari Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via Ishasha Sector
After breakfast, travel through the famous Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, home to Uganda’s rare tree-climbing lions.
Enjoy a game drive while searching for these unique lions resting in large fig trees. Besides the lions, you may also see elephants, buffaloes, topis, and numerous bird species.
After lunch, continue through the beautiful Kigezi Highlands, often called the “Switzerland of Africa” because of its stunning mountains and terraced hills.
Arrive at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to almost half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas.
Relax and prepare for tomorrow’s life-changing gorilla trekking adventure.
Accommodation: Bakiga Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 8: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi and Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
Today is the highlight of your Uganda safari.
After an early breakfast, head to the park headquarters for a briefing from Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers. You will then enter Bwindi Forest in search of one of the habituated mountain gorilla families.
The trek may take between two and six hours depending on the gorillas’ location. Along the way, enjoy the rich biodiversity of the ancient rainforest.
Once you find the gorillas, spend one magical hour observing them as they feed, care for their young, and interact naturally. This close encounter is one of Africa’s greatest wildlife experiences.
After receiving your gorilla trekking certificate, drive to beautiful Lake Bunyonyi for a relaxing evening overlooking its peaceful islands and surrounding hills.
Accommodation: Arcadia Cottages Lake Bunyonyi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 9: Transfer back to Entebbe via the Uganda Equator- End of 9 Days Uganda Safari Tour
After breakfast, begin your return journey to Entebbe. Enjoy scenic views of southwestern Uganda’s rolling hills, farms, and small towns along the way.
Stop at the Uganda Equator for memorable photographs while standing in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. You can also watch a simple water experiment that demonstrates the Coriolis effect, browse local craft shops for souvenirs, and enjoy lunch at one of the nearby restaurants.
Continue to Entebbe International Airport, where your guide will drop you off in time for your departure flight, marking the end of your unforgettable 9-day Uganda safari.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
9 Days Uganda Safari Tour Inclusions
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
- Private 4×4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof
- Professional English-speaking safari guide
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Chimpanzee tracking permit
- Rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
- Kampala city tour
- Game drives in Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth National Parks
- Boat cruise on the Nile River
- Boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel
- Hike to the Top of Murchison Falls
- Bottled drinking water during the safari
- Accommodation for 8 nights
- Meals as indicated in the itinerary
- Park entrance fees
- Government taxes
9 Days Uganda Safari Tour Exclusions
- International and domestic flights
- Uganda visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Tips and gratuities
- Alcoholic and premium beverages
- Personal expenses such as laundry, telephone calls, and souvenirs
- Optional activities not mentioned in the itinerary
Items of a personal nature