Meet your Uganda Safari Archive guide at Entebbe International Airport and transfer to your hotel in Kampala. Settle in, unwind, and prepare for the adventure ahead.

Enjoy a guided half-day introduction to Kampala, Uganda’s lively capital, built across seven hills. Depending on your interests, visit landmarks such as the Kasubi Tombs, Uganda Museum, National Theatre Craft Centre, Kabaka’s Lake, Namirembe Cathedral, the Bahá’í Temple, Makerere University, and Owino Market.

Spend the afternoon browsing locally made crafts, sampling Ugandan food, and experiencing daily city life. All market and cultural visits are conducted respectfully, with attention to local customs, safety, and community privacy.

Travel northwest through the Luwero Triangle and Masindi to Murchison Falls National Park. After lunch, visit the Top of the Falls, where the Victoria Nile forces itself through a narrow gorge before plunging into the valley below.

Listen to the roar of the river, feel the mist in the air, and watch for rainbows in the afternoon light. This dramatic landscape is one of Uganda’s most memorable natural sights.

Take a guided nature walk through Pabidi Forest, looking for L’Hoest’s monkeys, red colobus, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and colourful forest birds.

After a picnic lunch, cross to the park’s northern bank and enjoy an afternoon game drive as wildlife becomes more active in the cooler hours. Finish the day with a sundowner overlooking the savannah, with distant views toward the Blue Mountains of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Set out early for a game drive on the northern bank of Murchison Falls National Park. Look for elephants, lions, Cape buffaloes, Rothschild’s giraffes, hartebeests, waterbucks, oribis, bushbucks, Bohor reedbucks, hyenas, and, with luck, leopards.

After lunch, cruise upstream on the Victoria Nile toward the base of Murchison Falls. Watch for hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, and abundant birdlife, including Goliath herons, kingfishers, bee-eaters, hornbills, cormorants, and the rare shoebill.

Travel south through Hoima and Uganda’s fertile countryside, passing traditional homesteads, farmland, and tea-growing areas. Continue to Fort Portal, beautifully situated beneath the Rwenzori Mountains, often called the Mountains of the Moon.

Join a guided chimpanzee tracking experience in Kibale Forest, one of Uganda’s most important primate habitats. Alongside chimpanzees, the forest is home to L’Hoest’s monkeys, red colobus, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and grey-cheeked mangabeys.

Your guide will share insights into primate behaviour, forest ecology, medicinal plants, and birdlife. In the afternoon, visit Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a community-managed conservation area where you may see monkeys, smaller mammals, forest birds, and occasionally red colobus or sitatunga.

Drive west to the remote Semliki Valley, a rewarding destination for birdwatchers and travellers seeking quieter, less-visited landscapes. The reserve combines tall grassland, Borassus palms, tamarind trees, forest patches, and sweeping views across the Albertine Rift.

Depending on conditions and your interests, enjoy an afternoon nature walk, wildlife drive, or guided birding excursion.

Explore Semliki Wildlife Reserve on foot or by vehicle. Possible wildlife sightings include elephants, buffaloes, leopards, bushbucks, waterbucks, reedbucks, duikers, Uganda kobs, forest hogs, warthogs, vervet monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and colobus monkeys.

Birdwatchers can look for the region’s distinctive species, including the shoebill. An optional excursion to Lake Albert offers dramatic escarpment views, photography opportunities, lakeside birdwatching, and insight into local fishing communities.

Travel toward Queen Elizabeth National Park, enjoying views of the Rwenzori Mountains along the way. An en-route game drive may reveal elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, hyenas, and antelope.

In the afternoon, take a two-hour boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel. This natural waterway is renowned for hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes, and a remarkable variety of waterbirds, making it a favourite for wildlife photography and relaxed game viewing.

Enjoy morning and afternoon game drives through Queen Elizabeth National Park’s varied landscapes of savannah, forest, wetlands, lakes, rivers, and volcanic crater country.

Search for lions, leopards, giant forest hogs, buffaloes, elephants, defassa waterbucks, Uganda kobs, topis, and bushbucks, all set against the spectacular backdrop of the Rwenzori Mountains.

Walk through the dramatic Kyambura Gorge in search of chimpanzees and other primates, including L’Hoest’s monkeys, red colobus, and black-and-white colobus monkeys.

After a picnic lunch, return to the Mweya area for another game drive. The gorge walk can be physically demanding, so wear sturdy walking shoes, carry drinking water, and follow your ranger’s guidance.

Travel through the scenic Kigezi Highlands, known for terraced hillsides, winding roads, and traditional farming communities. Continue to Kihihi, your base for exploring the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Spend the day in the Ishasha sector, famous for its tree-climbing lions. Explore open savannah, riverine woodland, and stands of giant euphorbia while searching for lions, topis, buffaloes, elephants, and other wildlife.

Continue through the Kigezi Highlands to Kisoro, enjoying views of terraced cultivation, volcanic peaks, and small rural communities along the route.

Enter Bwindi Impenetrable National Park early for a guided mountain gorilla trekking experience. Accompanied by professional trackers and guides, walk through dense rainforest in search of a habituated gorilla family.

Trek duration and terrain vary depending on the gorillas’ location. Observe quietly, avoid sudden movements, and follow all health, distance, and park regulations. Gorilla trekking in Uganda is available to visitors aged 15 and above; guests who are unwell should not take part, to protect the gorillas from illness.

Drive to Lake Bunyonyi near Kabale through steep, beautifully terraced hills. Enjoy views of the lake’s winding shoreline, forested islands, cultivated slopes, and traditional settlements before settling into your lakeside resort.

Enjoy a relaxed day on Lake Bunyonyi. Optional activities include canoeing or boating, birdwatching, island visits, and conversations with local community members.

Support local artisans by purchasing crafts directly, and always ask permission before taking photographs of people or private spaces.

Travel to Lake Mburo National Park and enter through Nshara Gate. Enjoy an afternoon game drive along the lakeshore and Kigambira Loop, looking for zebras, Cape buffaloes, elands, oribis, topis, impalas, and other plains wildlife.

Lake Mburo is also one of Uganda’s best parks for guided walking safaris, offering a chance to experience the bush beyond the vehicle with a trained ranger.

Enjoy a guided walking safari or game drive through the park’s kopjes, grasslands, and lakeside trails. Look for klipspringers, topis, zebras, buffaloes, and elands.

The area also offers a distinctive cultural landscape, where wildlife and long-horned Ankole cattle share the surrounding grazing land. Later, take a boat ride on Lake Mburo to observe hippos, crocodiles, waterbirds, and animals coming to drink at the shoreline.

After breakfast, travel toward the Ssese Islands for a peaceful retreat on Lake Victoria. Depending on ferry schedules and road conditions, the journey may take most of the day.

Enjoy a slower day in the calm surroundings of the Ssese Islands. Optional activities include beach time, forest walks, birdwatching, swimming in designated safe areas, fishing, and meeting local island communities.

The islands offer a quieter, more intimate side of Uganda. Choose locally guided activities where possible and respect community livelihoods and the lake environment.

Return to the mainland and travel toward Jinja. Stop at the Mpigi Royal Drum Makers to watch artisans create ceremonial drums using techniques passed down through generations.

Continue with optional stops at the Equator, Mabira Forest, and Ssezibwa Falls before arriving in Jinja.

Adults can enjoy professionally guided white-water rafting on the Nile, including safety equipment, a full safety briefing, qualified river guides, and approximately 25 kilometres of river activity, depending on the chosen route and conditions. Bring swimwear, secure sandals or trainers, sunscreen, sunglasses, and a dry change of clothes. Rafting is subject to operator safety assessments, water conditions, age limits, and individual fitness.

Children can enjoy a separate guided quad-bike experience around Bujagali, subject to the operator’s age and safety requirements. The route passes through farmland, forest, and lush Nile-side landscapes.

Enjoy a gentler family float or river experience on the Nile, followed by a visit to the Source of the Nile and Samuka Island. This is a relaxed way to enjoy the river while learning about Jinja’s history and surrounding communities.

Travel to Sipi Falls on the slopes of Mount Elgon. Enjoy sweeping valley views, cool highland air, and the sound of cascading water.

Optional activities include a guided visit to the local research centre or a scenic waterfall walk.

Choose between gentle or more demanding walks through local shambas, caves, viewpoints, and Mount Elgon landscapes. Meet local residents, learn about highland farming, and experience the region at a relaxed walking pace.

Travel back to Kampala and Entebbe at a comfortable pace. Stop at craft markets to browse locally made souvenirs and gifts, supporting Ugandan artisans and small enterprises.

Travel by boat across Lake Victoria to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, a forested refuge for rescued and orphaned chimpanzees. Learn from sanctuary staff about chimpanzee rescue, rehabilitation, conservation, and the threats posed by the illegal wildlife trade.

Observe the chimpanzees from a designated viewing platform during a scheduled feeding session. The sanctuary provides care for rescued chimpanzees and offers educational visits that support its conservation work.

Transfer to Entebbe International Airport for your onward flight, bringing your 30-day Uganda wildlife, gorilla, primate, cultural, and community safari to a close.