10-Day Uganda Wildlife Safari with Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking

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Day 01

Arrival in Entebbe and City Tour

• On arrival at Entebbe Airport, you will be picked up by your guide, who will brief you about your safari and then transfer you to your accommodation. In the afternoon, enjoy a city tour and visit local sights, depending on your arrival time.

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Day 02

Transfer to Murchison Falls via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

• After breakfast, your guide will pick you up from your accommodation and set out for Murchison Falls. The highlights of this park include the roaring rapids of the Murchison and the rolling plains of Uganda's largest national park. While here, you will have the chance to view lions, giraffes, hartebeest, buffalo, and elephants. You will also be fascinated by the concentration of hippos and Nile crocodiles. For birders, Murchison Falls boasts 450 bird species, such as the elusive shoebill stork, dwarf kingfisher, white-thighed hornbill, and Goliath heron, among others.
• En route, stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for your first Big 5 experience, where you will enjoy an hour of rhino tracking. Another stop will be made in Masindi for lunch. Continue to the park and check in to your accommodation to relax.

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Day 03

Murchison Game Drive and Boat Trip to the Falls

• After an early breakfast, tour the northern section of Murchison, which has a high concentration of savannah wildlife. Enjoy game viewing and photography of elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, giraffes, Uganda kobs, lions, leopards if you are lucky, and various bird species. Return to your accommodation for lunch.
• After lunch, head out for a boat trip to the base of the falls in the afternoon. This trip is said to be the highlight of the safari in Murchison Falls, as it allows you to get up close to the animal species within the water. Cruise past huge hippo pods, crocodiles, bathing buffalo, and numerous aquatic birds adorning the north bank on the way to the mighty waterfalls. You will also have an opportunity to take thousands of pictures. If you like, you can then hike to the top of the falls. The hike is strenuous, but the thrill of reaching the top is unforgettable. Return to your accommodation afterwards and freshen up.

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Day 04

Drive to Kibale Forest and Bigodi Wetland Walk

• Enjoy an early breakfast at the lodge and embark on your drive to Kibale Forest. You will enjoy the gorgeous scenery of the countryside, making the journey even more exciting. Have lunch en route in Fort Portal, the Tourism City, and continue with great views of the Rwenzori ranges. After checking in at your lodge, go for a guided nature walk in Bigodi Wetland in the evening, home to various birds and primate species.

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Day 05

Chimpanzee Trekking and Transfer to Queen Elizabeth

• Wake up early for breakfast and head to the park headquarters. Here, you will be briefed before starting your chimpanzee trekking experience in the forest. Kibale Forest is among the charming places well known for different primates and several crater lakes in Uganda. You will see the chimps in their natural environment in the morning. These chimps are exciting, and this very close encounter will reward you with a memorable experience on your trip. Afterwards, return to the lodge for lunch and check out.
• After lunch, drive straight to the Mweya Peninsula in Queen Elizabeth National Park, arriving in the late afternoon. Check in and relax after the long journey.

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Day 06

Kasenyi Game Drive, Katwe Village and Kazinga Cruise

• After breakfast, head out for a morning game drive on the Kasenyi track of the park. Common sightings here include elephant, warthog, waterbuck, kobs, leopard, lions, hyena, buffalo, and much more. The activity lasts three to four hours, after which you will return to the lodge for refreshments. After a short break, visit Katwe fishing and salt mining village. In season, you will see plenty of flamingos in this part of the park before returning to the lodge for lunch.
• In the afternoon, head out for a boat cruise on the well-known Kazinga Channel to see schools of hippos and basks of crocodiles. The channel has the highest concentration of hippos in Africa and is also a great place for birders, as you will see hundreds of birds along the shore. You can easily identify over 40 species while on the boat cruise on Kazinga Channel. Return to the lodge after the trip.

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Day 07

Game Drive via Ishasha and Transfer to Bwindi

• After breakfast, head out for a game drive to look for wildlife on the Kasenyi track of the park. Common sightings here include elephant, warthog, waterbuck, kobs, leopard, lions, hyena, and buffalo. You will then drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park via the Ishasha sector, which is famous for its tree-climbing lions. Enjoy another game drive to look for these remarkable lions before continuing to Bwindi, home to half of the world's endangered mountain gorillas.
• This ancient rainforest, one of the few in Africa to have flourished throughout the last Ice Age, is home to roughly half of the world's mountain gorillas. Arrive, check in, and have lunch. Later, relax or go for an evening village walk and shopping at the craft market before dinner.

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Day 08

Gorilla Trekking and Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

• Have breakfast and then proceed to the rangers' post. You will receive a briefing from a ranger guide on the dos and don'ts during trekking. After that, enter the gorilla sanctuary for your adventure. The beauty of this rainforest is spectacular. The area offers a dramatic, steeply forested landscape and is incredibly dense, but it is crisscrossed by numerous animal trails that allow access to tourists.
• The time taken and the terrain vary, as do the movements of these great primates. Once you have located a gorilla group, you will be allowed an hour in their presence. The thrill of spending time observing these gentle but endangered giants is unforgettable.
• Afterwards, return for lunch and drive to Lake Bunyonyi. The lake is framed by lush, green-terraced hills that rise to a height of 2,200-2,478 m, and its 29 islands of various shapes and sizes scattered across the water make it especially magical - you could admire them all day.

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Day 09

Transfer to Lake Mburo and Evening Game Viewing

• Have breakfast and set off for Lake Mburo National Park via Mbarara town. You will arrive in the early afternoon and rest before proceeding for late afternoon or evening game viewing. During the game drive, expect to see gigantic eland antelopes, zebras, topis, impalas, Uganda kobs, and Cape buffaloes, among others.
• Later, relax at your accommodation, where you will spend the night. If you are interested, you may go out for the breathtaking Mburo night game drive at an extra cost payable on the ground. During the night game drive, expect to see nocturnal creatures, including snakes, hyenas, owls, and the elusive leopard on a lucky day.

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Day 10

Lake Mburo Nature Walk and Departure

• Enjoy an early breakfast and proceed for the Lake Mburo morning bush walk with an armed Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger-guide. On this early morning guided walk, you will have the opportunity to encounter zebras, giraffes, eland, topi, other antelope, and Cape buffaloes at close range, among others.
• Take the trail to the top of the hills and see Lake Mburo and beyond. From this vantage point, you will have a great view of 9 of the 12 lakes surrounding Lake Mburo National Park. Afterwards, return to the accommodation for check-out and then drive to Entebbe Airport for your flight out.