12-Day Uganda Pearls of Africa Tour

Our guide will meet you at Entebbe International Airport. After a short briefing, transfer to your hotel in Entebbe. Relax from your flight, enjoy the shores of Lake Victoria. Depending on arrival time, optional Entebbe Botanical Gardens walk. Overnight in Entebbe.

Accommodation

No. 5 Boutique Hotel Hotel Luxury

+7 +6

Early morning drive to Mabamba Swamp, the best place in Uganda for the prehistoric Shoebill stork. Take a wooden canoe through papyrus channels with a local guide. Besides the Shoebill, you will see jacanas, kingfishers, and malachite. Afternoon return to Entebbe, rest and prepare for the big safari. Overnight in Entebbe.

Accommodation

No. 5 Boutique Hotel Hotel Luxury

+7 +6

Early departure northwards. Stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for a walking safari among white rhinos - the only place in Uganda to see rhinos in the wild. Rangers will guide you on foot to within meters. Lunch, then continue to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest park. Arrive evening for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation

Paraa Safari Lodge Lodge Luxury

Inside Park Murchison Falls National Park

+6 +5

Early morning game drive on the northern bank - expect lions, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, hartebeest, and leopards. Afternoon boat cruise on the Nile to the bottom of Murchison Falls, where the Nile squeezes through a 7-meter gorge. See hippos, crocodiles, elephants bathing. Hike to the top of the falls if you have energy.

Accommodation

Paraa Safari Lodge Lodge Luxury

Inside Park Murchison Falls National Park

+6 +5

Long but scenic transfer south, past small villages and tea plantations. Drive past the jagged Rwenzori Mountains - the Mountains of the Moon - on your way to Fort Portal. Arrive in Kibale, the primate capital of the world. Evening at leisure, with crater lake views. Overnight near Kibale Forest.

Accommodation

Kibale Forest Camp Camp Mid-range

+7 +6

Morning briefing then enter Kibale Forest for chimpanzee trekking. You will trek for 2-4 hours tracking a habituated community. One hour with them - watch them feed, groom, play and pant-hoot. Afternoon Bigodi Swamp walk for monkeys and birds. Kibale has 13 primate species and 375 bird species.

Accommodation

Kibale Forest Camp Camp Mid-range

+7 +6

Morning transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Afternoon savannah game drive in Kasenyi plains - lions, elephants, Uganda kob. Then boat ride on Kazinga Channel, famous for highest concentration of hippos in Africa, plus buffaloes and 600 bird species drinking at the banks. Overnight in Queen Elizabeth.

Accommodation

Mweya Safari Lodge Lodge Luxury

Inside Park Queen Elizabeth National Park

+7 +6

Morning game drive in Ishasha sector - will you see the famous tree-climbing lions resting in fig trees? This is the only place in Uganda where lions regularly climb. After lunch, continue to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The road gets steeper as you enter the highlands (1,160m - 2,607m altitude). Overnight in Bwindi.

Accommodation

Gorilla Bluff Lodge Lodge Mid-range

+5 +4

The highlight! After briefing at UWA headquarters, enter Bwindi with rangers to track mountain gorillas. Trek can be 2-8 hours depending on gorilla movement. Once found, spend one magical hour with them. Only 8 people per family. Afternoon return for certificate, storytelling. Overnight in Bwindi.

Accommodation

Gorilla Bluff Lodge Lodge Mid-range

+5 +4

Morning transfer to Lake Mburo National Park. Afternoon walking safari with a ranger - the only park in western Uganda where you can walk among wildlife. See zebras, impalas, elands, and giraffes on foot. Evening game drive. Lake Mburo is small but rich, perfect to stretch legs before flying out.

Accommodation

Mihingo Safari Lodge Lodge Luxury

Inside Park Lake Mburo National Park

+6 +5

Walking Safari & Game Drives*

Today is a full, relaxed day inside Lake Mburo - the only park in western Uganda where you can explore on foot, by vehicle, and by boat.

Start with an early morning walking safari with an armed ranger. Walk among zebras, impalas, elands, buffaloes and giraffes - no vehicle between you and wildlife, very special. Learn about tracks, plants and birds.

Return to your lodge for breakfast. Mid-morning game drive to the lakeshores to see hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds. Lake Mburo has over 350 bird species.

In the afternoon, take a boat trip on Lake Mburo itself - see hippos, buffaloes drinking, and the rare African Finfoot. Evening game drive as you return, with a chance to see leopards and hyenas.

Accommodation

Mihingo Safari Lodge Lodge Luxury

Inside Park Lake Mburo National Park

+6 +5

Wake up to your last African sunrise in Lake Mburo. After an early breakfast overlooking the savannah, enjoy a final short game drive through the park as the morning light turns the acacia golden. This is your last chance to see Lake Mburo's special residents - the Burchell's zebras, impalas, elands, giraffes, and buffaloes that make this park unique. The park is small but beautiful, and the morning is peaceful with birds calling everywhere.

After exiting the park, begin your scenic drive back to Entebbe, approximately 5 to 6 hours. The road takes you through Ankole cattle country, where you will see the famous long-horned Ankole cows and rolling green hills.

Midway, stop at the Equator crossing in Kayabwe, one of the most photographed places in Uganda. Stand with one foot in the Northern Hemisphere and one foot in