16 Days Cultural & Wildlife Safari

16 Days Cultural & Wildlife Safari Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival at Entebbe International Airport

You will be received by your driver/guide at the Airport. Depending on your arrival time, if you arrive at night time, we check into Ikon Boutique Hotel Entebbe for refreshment and relaxation after the long flight.

Accommodation:

Luxury: No. 5 Boutique Hotel

Midrange: 2 Friends Beach Hotel

Best Budget: Ikon Boutique Hotel | African Root Guest House

Meal plan: Bed & Breakfast

Day 2: Buganda Cultural Experience & Short City Tour

Today after your early breakfast, you will be driven to the Buganda King’s Palace for the cultural experience. You will engage in a culinary experience of preparing a local traditional cuisine known as the Luwombo and learn how it is harvested, prepared and cooked. Then visit the Kingdom’s parliament known as Bulange to learn about the royal mile and the history of the Kingdom before driving to the largest man-made lake in Africa and it’s the King’s Lake.

Later you will head to the Uganda National Mosque, Uganda Museum and Ndere Cultural Center in the evening for the traditional dance performances and local dinner.

Accommodation:

Luxury: Serena Hotel

Midrange: Forest Cottages

Best Budget: Forest Cottages

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Transfer & Rhino Trekking – Murchison Falls National Park

After your breakfast, you will drive to Murchison Falls National Park – Uganda’s biggest Park which is over 3840 square kilometres. Drive through the Luwero Triangle famous for the Ugandan civil war of 1980, with en-route lunch and Rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Nakasongola for a short walk to see the southern white Rhinos, and then proceed to Murchison Falls Park. Upon arrival, check-in, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation:

Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge

Midrange: Pakuba Safari Lodge

Best Budget: Fort Murchison

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Morning Game Drive & Boat Cruise – Murchison Falls National Park.

Today you will have an early coffee with a packed breakfast, drive out for the morning game drive in the savannah for the most likely big cats hunting, Elephants, Giraffes, Buffaloes, plus more as the checklist of mammals reaches 144. We continue browsing the drive circuits to the Delta point for a cocktail of Birds and mammals. If you are a keen birder this might be your magnet to catch them. Afternoon 2-5 pm for a 3-hour boat safari to the base of Falls where you get to see the Hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants and a variety of beautiful bird species along the falls. Elephants quenching their thirst for the afternoon sun

Accommodation:

Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge

Midrange: Pakuba Safari Lodge

Best Budget: Fort Murchison

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Mubaku Community Tour  – Murchison Falls National Park

After your breakfast at leisure, you will drive to the Mubaku community for a full day tour as you engage into culinary, community walk, basket weaving, craft making among others.

You will spend the entire day immersing yourself fully into the community lifestyle with the women and children as well as visiting the community school and medical center.

Later in the evening you will return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation:

Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge

Midrange: Pakuba Safari Lodge

Best Budget: Fort Murchison

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6: Transfer & Top of the Falls – Hoima

Today you will have your breakfast at leisure, then later check out for a transfer to Hoima (Bunyoro Kingdom) with an en-route visit to the top of the Murchison Falls before proceeding to your lodge in Hoima for lunch and spending the rest of the day resting by the poolside.

Accommodation:

Luxury: Kikonko Safari Lodge | Albert Safari Lodge

Midrange: Kikonko Safari Lodge

Best Budget: Glory Summit Hotel

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: Bunyoro Kingdom Exploration

After your breakfast, you will drive out to visit the King’s palace and Mparo Royal Tombs. This is the final resting ground of King Kabalega II who exiled Seychelles by the British empire. Then return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation as you prepare for the evening visit to the Kibiro salt gardens and hot springs and Lake Albert guided village walk. Later drive back to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation:

Luxury: Kikonko Safari Lodge | Albert Safari Lodge

Midrange: Kikonko Safari Lodge

Best Budget: Glory Summit Hotel

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8: Transfer – Kibale National Park.

After the early morning breakfast, check out of the lodge and have a short visit in the local market then continue through Mabale, Kagadi towns with great views of the local community, thatched houses, school kids and finally to fort portal town which is one of the ancient colonialist towns that will reward you with amazing views of tea plantations, the Rwenzori mountains and much more rift valley views.

Accommodation:

Luxury: Turaco Treetops Lodge

Isunga Lodge: Isunga Lodge

Best Budget Kibale Forest Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9 – Chimpanzee Tracking and Bigodi Community Walk

Early morning breakfast, continue to Kibale Park headquarters for a morning briefing and start the chimpanzee tracking experience that will bring you close to our relatives that survive in the jungle. Kibale forest is dense and regarded as the Primate capital of East Africa due to its large numbers of primates and fauna. Expect loads of monkeys, birds and lots of tree species that will give u a touch of being in the jungle. In the afternoon we shall go for a local lunch experience that will unite your spirit with African organic foods, this is done by a family living around the forest as a community-based initiative to community collaborate towards conservation

Accommodation:

Luxury: Turaco Treetops Lodge

Isunga Lodge: Isunga Lodge

Best Budget Kibale Forest Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10: Transfer & En-route Kiwa Hot Springs – Queen Elizabeth National Park

For morning breakfast, drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, with great views of Rwenzori Mountain, and drive through Kasese town to the Kiwa hot springs where you will experience a natural healing of the underground warm water pool and play some traditional musical instruments as you enjoy storytelling from the local guides. Return to Kasese town for your lunch. Get ready for an evening boat ride on the Kazinga channel with chances of many bird species, hippos, elephants, crocodiles, leopards and much more interesting wildlife

Accommodation:

Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge

Midrange: The Bush Lodge

Best Budget: Euphorbia Safari Lodge

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11: Game Drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park

You will have an early morning breakfast and head out for the early morning game drive in the park expect to spot different wildlife like the Uganda kobs, lions, elephants, buffaloes and warthogs, giant forest hogs and lots of birdlife. We know you love nature and that’s why we shall take a scenic crater drive through the volcanic plains down to the Katwe explosion salt lakes that will reward you with an experience of local salt mining. We shall then drive to the south of Queen Elizabeth which is famous for the tree-climbing lions

Accommodation:

Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge

Midrange: The Bush Lodge

Best Budget: Euphorbia Safari Lodge

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12: Ishasha – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Park

After an early breakfast, you will check out and head out for a short game drive through the Ishasha plains with chances of seeing the tree-climbing lions, then after proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Lunch en route in Kihihi and continue to the home of the massive and gentle mountain Gorillas.

Accommodation:

Luxury: Buhoma Lodge

Midrange: Ichumbi Gorillas Lodge

Best Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Lodge, Nshongi Camp

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 13: Gorilla Trekking & Transfer – Lake Bunyonyi

Today we shall hit the forest for the ultimate once-in-a-lifetime Gorilla trekking experience. The trekking goes through a thick forest where you always have to find the way through until you set eye to eye with the gentle giants in their natural habitat. The hike through the forest can be short, medium and sometimes long depending on the movement of the gorillas so it’s good to be ready for the jungle.

Accommodation:

Luxury: Arcadia Cottages

Bunyonyi Overland Resort | Bunyonyi Overland Resort

Best Budget, Byoona Amagara Camp

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 14: Transfer Lake Mburo National Park

After breakfast, drive from Lake Bunyonyi and continue to Lake Mburo National Park, drive through the game trails with great chances of seeing zebras, elands, Topis, waterbucks and lots of impalas. Lunch break and continue for the evening boat ride on Lake Mburo.

Accommodation:

Luxury: Mihingo Lodge

Midrange: Rwakobo Rock

Best Budget: Eagle’s Nest Lodge

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 15: Walking Safari & Transfer – Lake Mburo

We shall wake up for a 2-hour early morning walking safari around Lake Mburo National Park which will bring us in close contact with the unique wildlife of the beautiful area. Have breakfast after the walk and drive to Entebbe via the Uganda Equator.

Accommodation:

Luxury: No. 5 Boutique Hotel

Midrange: 2 Friends Beach Hotel

Best Budget: Ikon Boutique Hotel | African Root Guest House

Meal plan: Bed & Breakfast

Day 16: Airport Transfer

Depending on your flight time, you can decide to do an optional visit to the Zoo, a nature walk in the Entebbe Botanical Gardens where you will learn about the unique trees, bird watching, meditation or relax in the morning as you wait for your flight back home