11 Days Secrets of Uganda

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, our guide will receive you and then transfer to your booked hotel in Kampala. In case of early arrival before 11am, you may opt to explore Mabamba Bay for the famous Shoebill Stork. Later, you will proceed to Kampala for a check-in and take on optional activities around Kampala city starting with Crafts village, downtown, markets and end with Ndere cultural center for the evening/night show + dinner before you return to your lodge for overnight

Overnight: Airport Guest House/ African Root Guest House

Meal plan: Bed & Breakfast

Day 2: Transfer & En-route Source of River Nile to Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve

You will be picked from your hotel and drive to Pian Upe National Reserve through Mukono with a cool breathe through the Mabira forest and beautiful view of the tea and sugar plantation as you proceed to Jinja with a stopover at source of the Nile for a private boat cruise to the source of the world’s longest river the Nile. Thereafter have lunch in Jinja and then proceed to Pian Upe.

Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve is one of the largest wildlife conservation areas in Uganda – second only to the Murchison Falls National Park. It is located in the Karamoja region in the northeastern part of Uganda. The reserve covers an area of about 2,788 square kilometers and is found between Kidepo Valley National Park and Mount Elgon National Park. Pian Upe is bordered by the Bokora Wildlife Reserve and Matheniko game reserve in different directions. Unlike Matheniko and Bokora, Pian Upe game reserve is part of the Mount Elgon Conservation Area.

Overnight: UWA Bandas/Pian Eco-Camps

Meal Plan: Full board

Day 3: Full Day Exploration – Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve

After your early morning breakfast, you will embark on an early morning walking safari to explore this diverse reserve on foot in the presence of a ranger guide as you prepare for the extensive game drives with unlimited mileage during game drives. Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve, situated in Uganda’s north-eastern region, is a captivating haven for nature enthusiasts and conservationists alike. It spans across vast savannahs and lush woodlands, this protected area showcases an incredible diversity of wildlife, including elephants, giraffes, lions and various bird species. The reserve’s commitment to preserving Uganda’s natural heritage is evident in its pristine landscapes and remarkable opportunities it offers for wildlife sightings and adventure.

Overnight: UWA Bandas/Pian Eco-Camps  

Meal plan: Full board

Day 4: Game Drive & Karamojong Experience – Moroto, Uganda

After your early breakfast, set off for a morning game drive in the savannah plains to search for reserve residents including the cheetahs, Uganda’s only population of the Roan antelopes, the Elands, Zebras, giraffes, Oribis, Uganda Kobs, Buffaloes, blue and Common Duiker and Impalas, among other. Return for lunch and transfer to Moroto and on arrival, you will check-in and spend the rest of afternoon exploring the Karamojong communities on foot, bicycle and in the vehicle, you make a choice.You will get first hand impression of Uganda’s last living traditional cultures. Experience traditional life, domestic duties and colorful dances as you visit the manyattas.

Overnight: Kara-tunga Safari Camp

Meal plan: Full board

Day 5: Nakapelimoru & Transfer to Timu Eco-Camp, Kaabong

Today you will have an early morning breakfast before you have a 1hr drive to Nakapelimoru Village, Kotido, known as the largest traditional village in East Africa and home to the Jié people of Karamoja. While here you will fully immerse yourself into this traditional village as you visit the iconic Manyata house before you depart to your booked accommodation at Timu Eco-Camp. The Jie is an ethnic group in Uganda; they belong to the Karamojong Cluster, which also includes the Karamojong and Dodoth people. In northeast Uganda lies between the Dodoth to the north and the Karamojong to the south. The Jie are semi-nomadic pastoralists known for their traditional warrior culture. After lunch you will embark on yet another scenic drive as you head north.

Overnight: Timu Eco-Camp

Meal plan: Full board

Day 6: IK Cultural Experiences & Evening Game Drive – Kidepo Valley National Park

After your early breakfast, you will have a briefing with your local guide before proceeding for the IK cultural village experience, The IK tribe counts only 7,000 people remaining, the people still speak their ancestral language and practice their traditional culture and traditions. A unique insight into a living traditional culture. You will return to your camp for lunch and transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park for an evening game drive later today.

Overnight: Kidepo Savannah Lodge

Meal plan: Full board

Day 7: All Day Game Drive – Kidepo Valley National Park

Today you will wake up very early with packed breakfast for a morning game drive with viewing the park’s endowed diversity of wildlife such as elephants, leopard, warthogs, ostriches, buffaloes, giraffes and lions and continue to bird watching in the Narus Valley. After the game drive, return to the camp in time for lunch. You will spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing at the camp. Alternatively, you will visit the lurkol community in the afternoon.

Overnight: Kidepo Savannah Lodge

Meal plan: Full board

Day 8: Transfer & Night Game drive – Murchison Falls National Park

After breakfast, we will depart Kidepo Valley National Park and drive Murchison National Park and on arrival, you will check-in at your booked lodge and prepare for the evening game drive and optional night game drive as you look out for the nocturnal mammals and birds. Murchison Falls National Park lies at the northern end of the Albertine Rift Valley, where the sweeping Bunyoro escarpment tumbles into vast, palm-dotted savanna. First gazetted as a game reserve in 1926, it is Uganda’s largest and oldest conservation area.

The park is bisected by the Victoria Nile, which plunges 45m over the remnant rift valley wall, creating the dramatic Murchison Falls, the centerpiece of the park and the final event in an 80km stretch of rapids. The mighty cascade drains the last of the river’s energy, transforming it into a broad, placid stream that flows quietly across the rift valley floor into Lake Albert. This stretch of river provides one of Uganda’s most remarkable wildlife spectacles. Regular visitors to the riverbanks include elephants, giraffes, and buffaloes; while hippos, Nile crocodiles, and aquatic birds are permanent residents.

Murchison Falls is notably blessed with over 144 mammals,556 bird species,51 reptiles, and 51 Amphibians. With a great number of  African elephants, Murchison falls is impressive all year round. The aerial survey noted over 900 individuals and 1,330 and is at an increase. Historically Giraffes exclusively inhabit the northern sector of the park. Buffalo populations have spiked to over 10,000 while Uganda kobs have leaped to more than 35,000.

You will prepare for the night game drive after your deserving dinner at your wilderness lodge that is situated inside the park at the banks of River Nile.

Overnight: Pakuba Safari Lodge

Meal plan: Full board

Day 9: Chimpanzee Tracking & Afternoon Boat Cruise, Murchison Falls National Park

After an early morning breakfast, you will embark on a drive to the briefing point in Budongo Forest Reserve. With your packed lunch, you will head into the jungles for the ultimate chimpanzee trekking experience and upon encounter, you will be allowed 1hr with the great apes before you head out of the jungle. Later, in the afternoon, we will take a relaxing boat trip on the iconic River Nilewhere, if we’re lucky, we’ll have a great chance to photoshoot the Nile crocodiles, hippos, and an array of rare birds. We will see for ourselves the point where the River Nile joins Lake Albert, which is one of the major highlights of this trip. Feel the immense power and force of the falls as the spray hits your face and you listen to the deafening roar of the water.  At the end of the boat trip, we will hike the famous ‘Top of the Falls’ where we have spectacular views of the Murchison Falls along the Nile River, a perfect photography opportunity for the budding photographers. We will return to our lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Overnight: Pakuba Safari Lodge

Meal plan: Full board

Day 10: Morning Game Drive & Mubaku Community

Today, you will wake up very early in the morning with packed breakfast for another game adventure that will offer you a chance to encounter the remarkable herds of mammals and prides of lions on a hunt. You shall go for a 3hr or more hours on a game drive. Expect to see animals including Giraffes, Lions, Jackson hartebeest, Uganda Kob, Elephants, buffalos and a lot of birds in the savannah. You will then go back for lunch and thereafter, you will drive to the Mubaku community for another village experience as you engage into a community walk, basket weaving, craft making among others. You will spend the rest of the day immersing yourself fully into the community lifestyle with the women and children as well as visiting the community school and medical center. Later, you will return to your lodge for relaxation and you also have a chance to take on a sundowner game drive that gives you a great opportunity to have the best wildlife shots of the day as the sun sets.

Overnight: Pakuba Safari Lodge

Meal plan: Full board

Day 11: Rhino Tracking & Transfer – Entebbe International Airport

Today we will wake up very early in the morning, check-out with packed breakfast for a brief morning game drive in the northern side of this beautiful national park. Murchison Falls National Park is the biggest national park in Uganda and offers fulfilling game viewing. The game drives start early morning right after breakfast which increases the chances of sighting different animals especially the predators that tend to go into hiding during the heat of the day. The game drive happens in the northern bank of River Nile, where we look out for giraffes, elephants, hartebeest, Buffaloes, Leopards, Lions and different bird species. After this rewarding game viewing experience, we will depart the park to Entebbe with en-route Rhino tracking at Ziwa Wildlife Sanctuary before proceeding without scenic drive to Entebbe for your outbound flight later in the evening.

Overnight: No

Meal plan: Half board

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