This 9-day Uganda safari introduces you to the best of Uganda, often called the “Pearl of Africa.” You will begin with gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, followed by wildlife viewing in Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National Parks.
The 9-day Uganda safari also includes three chimpanzee tracking sessions in Kibale, Kyambura Gorge, and Budongo Forest, making it a perfect trip for primate and nature lovers.
9-Day Uganda Safari Highlights
- Visit three of Uganda’s best national parks: Bwindi, Queen Elizabeth, and Murchison Falls
- Trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Track chimpanzees three times in Kibale, Kyambura Gorge, and Budongo Forest
- Enjoy game drives in Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National Parks
- Take boat cruises on the Kazinga Channel and the Nile River
- See the top of Murchison Falls, where the Nile passes through a narrow gorge
- Visit Katwe Salt Lake and meet the Batwa community near Bwindi
- Spot tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector
- Experience Uganda’s primates, wildlife, birds, and culture in one 9-day safari
Brief 9-Day Uganda Safari Itinerary
- Day 1: Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
- Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Day 4: Game Drive and Boat Cruise on Kazinga Channel
- Day 5: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kyambura Gorge
- Day 6: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale and Bigodi Wetland Visit
- Day 7: Drive to Murchison Falls National Park
- Day 8: Game Drive and Boat Trip to the Bottom of the Falls
- Day 9: Chimpanzee Tracking in Budongo Forest and Return to Kampala
Detailed 9-Day Uganda Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
On the first day of your 9-day Uganda safari, start early from Kampala and drive southwest toward Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The journey takes about 10 hours.
Stop at the Equator in Masaka for photos and continue to Mbarara for lunch. Proceed to Kisoro and finally to Bwindi, home of the endangered mountain gorillas. These great apes are among the main reasons visitors come to Uganda.
Arrive in the evening, check in at your lodge, have dinner, and rest.
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
After an early breakfast, head to the park headquarters for a briefing about gorilla trekking. Begin your trek through the thick forest in search of the gorillas. The trek can take several hours depending on their location.
Once you find them, spend one hour observing and taking photos before returning to your lodge. In the evening, take a community walk around Buhoma to meet the Batwa pygmies and shop for local crafts. Have dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park via the Ishasha sector, where you may see tree-climbing lions, buffaloes, and Uganda kobs.
Upon entering the park, take a game drive around the Mweya Peninsula to see warthogs, buffaloes, and waterbucks. Visit Katwe town to learn how local people mine salt from the crater lakes. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Game Drive and Boat Cruise on Kazinga Channel
After breakfast, go for a morning game drive in the Kasenyi Plains. You may see Uganda kobs, waterbucks, topis, and buffaloes. Watch for birds such as bee-eaters and kingfishers near Lake Edward.
Return to your lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, enjoy a 2-hour boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, which connects Lake George and Lake Edward. Expect to see hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and many birds such as pelicans, flamingos, and storks. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kyambura Gorge
After breakfast, head to Kyambura Gorge for chimpanzee tracking at 8:00 am. The gorge has an underground forest that is home to chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, and antelopes. It is also a good place to spot various bird species.
After tracking, drive to Kibale Forest National Park, about four hours away. Check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale and Bigodi Wetland Visit
After an early breakfast, go to Kanyanchu Visitor Centre for a briefing before trekking chimpanzees in Kibale Forest. This park is home to 13 primate species, including red colobus, L’Hoest’s monkeys, mangabeys, and blue monkeys. You may also see forest elephants and giant forest hogs.
Return to your lodge for lunch, then take an afternoon walk through Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. This area is known for its rich birdlife, including the Great Blue Turaco, and several monkey species. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Drive to Murchison Falls National Park
After breakfast, set off for Murchison Falls National Park, a journey of about 8 to 9 hours. Enjoy views of the Albertine Rift Valley and Lake Albert along the way.
If time allows, visit the Top of the Falls to see the Nile River force its way through a narrow gorge before plunging into the valley below. Continue to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Game Drive and Boat Trip to the Bottom of the Falls
After breakfast, go for a game drive in the delta area of the park. Look out for leopards, lions, giraffes, buffaloes, elephants, waterbucks, and oribis. The area also has many Uganda kobs, which attract predators.
Return for lunch, then head to Paraa Jetty for a boat trip along the Nile River to the bottom of Murchison Falls. Enjoy views of the waterfall, hippos, crocodiles, and elephants cooling off in the water. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Chimpanzee Tracking in Budongo Forest and Return to Kampala
After breakfast, go for chimpanzee tracking in Budongo Forest, which has the largest chimp population in Uganda. You may also see blue monkeys, baboons, black and white colobus, and vervet monkeys.
After the trek, have lunch and begin your drive back to Kampala, exiting through Kichumbanyobo Gate. Arrive in the evening, marking the end of your 9-day Uganda Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzee Trekking Safari.
End of 9 Days Uganda Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzee Trekking Safari.