10 Days Best of Uganda Safari | Chimpanzees, Big Cats, Mountain Gorillas, Golden Monkeys, and a Lakeside Finish
This 10 Days Best of Uganda Safari is genuinely Uganda’s greatest-hits circuit, built to cover the country’s headline wildlife experiences without ever feeling rushed. It opens in Kibale Forest for chimpanzee trekking, continues through Queen Elizabeth National Park for lion tracking and a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, crosses into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for mountain gorillas, pushes on to Mgahinga for golden monkey trekking and a Batwa community visit, and closes with two unhurried days at Lake Bunyonyi, the deepest lake in East Africa and one of the few genuinely safe for swimming.
The pacing is deliberate throughout: each major activity gets its own dedicated day, and the route is sequenced to minimize backtracking, moving steadily southwest from Kampala before looping back for the return journey.
Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to Kampala
On arrival at Entebbe Airport, your guide meets you and transfers you to Kampala, roughly 37 kilometres away, where you’ll check in to your hotel and rest after the flight. Dinner and an overnight stay await at Forest Cottages for budget travelers, Fairway Hotel for mid-range, or Sheraton Hotel for luxury, all on full board.
Day 2: Drive to Kibale National Park, Bigodi Swamp
After breakfast, set off on the five-to-six-hour drive west to Kibale Forest National Park, with stops to stretch and for lunch along the way. En route, pass the scenic crater lakes near the park before visiting the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a reserve genuinely rich in butterflies, plant life, birds, and primates. Spectacular species like the great blue turaco and rare papyrus gonolek are of particular interest to birders, while the swamp’s more elusive residents include red colobus monkeys and sitatunga antelope. The visit also offers a chance to see local community projects funded by tourism. Dinner and an overnight stay at Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse or Isunga Lodge for budget travelers, or Kyaninga Lodge for luxury.
Day 3: Chimpanzee Trekking, Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, head to Kibale’s park headquarters for a briefing before entering the forest to track the chimpanzees in their natural habitat. The search typically takes two to five hours, and once found, you’ll spend a genuine hour in their presence, watching them swing through the canopy high above the forest floor.
After lunch, continue on to Queen Elizabeth National Park, a three-hour drive that conveniently shortens the following day’s journey. Dinner and an overnight stay at Parkview Safari Lodge for mid-range travelers, Pumba Safari Cottages for budget, or Mweya Safari Lodge for luxury.
Day 4: Lion Tracking and Game Drive, Boat Cruise on the Kazinga Channel
After breakfast, head out on an early lion-tracking experience, offering a genuinely strong chance of encountering the resident pride, followed by a game drive with further sightings of buffalo, elephant, waterbuck, Uganda kob, and other antelope species. Return to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, board a three-hour launch cruise along the Kazinga Channel into Lake Edward, passing through one of the highest concentrations of hippo found anywhere in the region, with further wildlife regularly gathered at the water’s edge. The cruise also offers strong conditions for photography and birdwatching. Dinner and a second overnight stay at your lodge.
Day 5: Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast, meet your driver for the roughly six-hour drive to Bwindi, routed via the Ishasha sector for a genuine, if unguaranteed, chance of spotting Uganda’s tree-climbing lions. Continue on with lunch en route, arriving at your lodge in the Buhoma or Ruhija sector of the forest. Dinner and an overnight stay at Buhoma Community Rest Camp for budget travelers, Buhoma Haven Lodge for mid-range, or Silverback Lodge for luxury.
Day 6: Gorilla Trekking
After breakfast, transfer to the park offices for a briefing on mountain gorilla trekking from your local guide. The trek typically takes between two and eight hours depending on the gorillas’ movement that day, and meeting them unexpectedly in the forest ranks among the most captivating experiences travel has to offer, a genuine chance to observe and photograph them at close range as they feed and interact. After an hour in their presence, your guide and rangers lead you back to the starting point, where your driver will be waiting to return you to the lodge. Depending on your return time, an optional community tour is worth considering. Dinner and a second overnight stay.
Day 7: Transfer to Kisoro, Mgahinga National Park
After breakfast, meet your guide for a roughly two-hour Batwa community tour before continuing on to Kisoro, about three hours from Buhoma, with lunch in Kisoro town. In the afternoon, visit Lake Mutanda for a canoe ride and a look at some of its more interesting islands. Dinner and an overnight stay at Travellers’ Rest Hotel for budget travelers, Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge for mid-range, or Gahinga Lodge for luxury.
Day 8: Golden Monkey Tracking, Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
After breakfast, transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for a golden monkey tracking experience. Park officials will brief you and allocate groups before you enter the forest, a search that typically takes five to six hours, and once the troop is found, you’ll spend a genuine hour in their presence, photographing and observing their behaviour. Return to meet your guide, then check out and drive on to Lake Bunyonyi. Dinner and an overnight stay at Bunyonyi BirdNest Lodge for luxury, Bunyonyi Eco-Resort for mid-range, or Bunyonyi Overland Resort for budget.
Day 9: Exploring Lake Bunyonyi
After breakfast, spend the morning exploring Lake Bunyonyi by canoe, a genuinely restful counterpoint to the trekking-heavy days behind you. Among the deepest lakes in Africa, Bunyonyi holds some 29 islands, including the notorious Punishment Island, alongside Bushara, Bwama, and Njuyeera. Ringed by steep, terraced hillsides, the lake is also genuinely free of bilharzia, hippo, and crocodile, making its clear waters safe for swimming, a rarity among East Africa’s lakes.
After lunch, relax at the lodge or, for an added cost, try the zip-lining course strung across the water, or any other activity that catches your interest. Return to the lodge for the evening, taking in the views over the hills and lake before dinner and a second overnight stay.
Day 10: Transfer Back to Kampala/Entebbe, Departure
After breakfast, depart the lodge and begin the journey back to Kampala or Entebbe, with a stop at the Equator and for lunch along the way. On arrival, you’ll be dropped off according to your onward plans, bringing your ten-day Uganda safari to a close.
Safari Includes
- Pick-up and drop-off in Kampala/Entebbe
- Gorilla trekking permits
- Chimpanzee permits
- Park entry fees for clients and vehicle
- Boat cruise and canoe ride fees
- All accommodation and meals as per the itinerary
- 4×4 safari vehicle with pop-up roof and fuel
- Full-time English-speaking driver/guide
- En-route lunches during transfers
- Bottled mineral water while on safari
Safari Excludes
- Tips
- Visa fees and air tickets
- Optional activities, including zip-lining at Lake Bunyonyi
- Payment transfer fees
- All items of a personal nature, such as laundry, phone calls, and beer
- Anything else not included in the itinerary
