This 10 Days Explore the Pearl of Africa Uganda Safari takes you on a remarkable adventure to Uganda, where you will have unique wildlife experiences including rhino and Shoebill trekking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and two gorilla treks in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Highlights for 10 Days Explore the Pearl of Africa Uganda Safari
Day 1: Pickup and Drive to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Rhino Trekking.
Day 2: Shoebill Trek and Drive to Lake Albert
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 4: Lion Tracking & Afternoon boat Cruise
Day 5: Morning Game Drive and Coffee Tour at Omwani Women’s Cooperative
Day 6: Transfer to Bwindi National Park and Batwa Community Tour
Day 7: First Gorilla Trekking (Buhoma Sector)
Day 8: Drive to Rushaga Sector Bwindi
Day 9: Second Gorilla Trek- Rushaga sector
Day 10: Transfer Back to Kampala/Entebbe and Departure.
Detailed Itinerary for 10 Days Explore the Pearl of Africa Uganda Safari
Day 1: Pickup and Drive to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for Rhino Trekking.
Today after breakfast, your guide will pick you from hotel and drive to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. You will visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where you will go for rhino trekking with an experienced ranger, which gives you a unique opportunity to view the rhinos from a close distance. Have lunch and proceed with your drive to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Shoebill Trek and Drive to Lake Albert
Have your breakfast in time. You will head out on a birding tour in search for the rare Shoebill in Ziwa sanctuary which starts at 6am and takes approximately 4 hours. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary hosts over 300 bird species including both swamp and woodland species.
Have lunch and then drive to your Lake Albert Safari Lodge where you will check-in and spend the rest of your evening at leisure. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
You will have breakfast, and then continue your journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park which will be a day’s drive. You will have a stopover for lunch and at the equator again in Kasese if time allows.
Queen Elizabeth National park is Uganda’s second largest park, located at the base of the majestic Rwenzori Mountain range, adjacent to Lake Edward and Lake George. The park has game including Uganda Kob, warthog and waterbuck. Lions are often sighted both in and at the entrance to the park. Be ready to see huge numbers of hippos and elephants, and keep your eyes on the lookout for a leopard lazing in the sunshine.
Upon your arrival in the park, drive to your lodge and check-in. Later have dinner and an overnight stay at your lodge.
Day 4: Lion Tracking & Afternoon boat Cruise
After breakfast, you will set off for an early lion tracking experience which is conducted in Kasenyi sector of Queen Elizabeth national park. The activity which starts as early as 5am, takes between 3-4 hours depending on the location of the lions in the park. You will be accompanied by a team of expert lion researchers and a park guide. After your lion tracking experience, you will then embark on a short game drive in Kasenyi plains. Expect lots of animals including; elephants, Lions, buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs, Uganda Kobs among others. Head back to your lodge for lunch.
Afternoon boat cruise
After lunch you will go for a boat cruise on Kazinga channel a water channel that connects lake Edward and lake George. During the boat cruise which takes about 2 to 3 hours, you will be able to view large
herds of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view buffaloes, elephants, warthogs, waterbucks drinking water along the shores, view water birds like hornbills, cormorants, fish eagles, king fisher’s
among others. After the boat ride you will return to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Morning Game Drive and Coffee Tour at Omwani Women’s Cooperative
After breakfast, you will set off for an early morning breakfast to catch up with your driver guide for a morning game drive safari. Expect lots of animals including; elephants, Lions, buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs, Uganda Kobs among others.
Later return to your lodge for lunch and relax for a bit. Later in the afternoon you will drive to Omwani Women’s Coffee Cooperative for a coffee plantation tour and learn about the different stages of coffee processing in Uganda and later drive to view the crater lakes if you wish before heading back to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6: Transfer to Bwindi National Park and Batwa Community Tour
Have breakfast early morning and check out of your lodge. You will then embark on a 4-6 hours’ drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via Ishasha with a stopover for lunch enroute to the park.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park boasts both mountain gorillas and chimpanzees – the only forest in Africa that can make this claim. It also hosts five other species of primates, 113 species of mammals, over 200 species of butterflies and 360 species of birds. The gorillas you track are habituated and can tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period of time, every day.
Upon your arrival in Bwindi, you will visit one of the neighboring Batwa local communities where you will be taken on a cultural expedition around the local homesteads and get an chance to interact with the local people and watch dance and singing performances from the local dance troupe. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Day 7: First Gorilla Trekking (Buhoma Sector)
You will wake up early for breakfast and you will drive to the park headquarters where you will have a briefing about the gorilla trek in Bwindi national park. You will proceed into the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, where you will enjoy seeing the gorillas in their natural habitat.
You will spend 1 hour with the gorillas before returning to the briefing point, where you will meet your guide and return to your lodge. Spend the rest of your evening relaxing at your lodge.
Day 8: Drive to Rushaga Sector, Bwindi
Wake up in time to have breakfast at your lodge. You will then check out of your lodge and embark on your journey to Rushaga sector in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Arrive at your lodge and have lunch then relax for the rest of your after as you prepare for your second gorilla trek the next day.
Day 9: Second Gorilla Trek- Rushaga sector
Today you will be doing your second gorilla trek. Have your breakfast in time and drive to the park’s briefing point. Trekking mountain gorillas in Rushaga sector offers you a unique experience as the terrains and gorilla groups are different from those in Buhoma sector. Also, kindly note that Rushaga sector in Bwindi is the only sector in the park that offers visitors an opportunity for gorilla habituation experience where you get to spend up to 4 hours with the gorillas. (Gorilla habituation experience costs $1500 per person in case you are interested).
Day 10: Transfer Back to Kampala/Entebbe and Departure.
After your breakfast, check out of your lodge and embark on your drive back to Kampala with a stopover for lunch en-route. Upon your arrival in Kampala, you will be dropped off at a hotel of your choice or at Entebbe International Airport.
End of your 10 days Explore the Pearl of Africa Uganda Safari!
