12-Day Closer to the People and Their Culture

• You'll be collected from the airport.
• Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Arrival in Entebbe

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda, you will be warmly welcomed by our company representative who will assist you with your luggage and provide a short briefing about your stay. You will then be transferred in comfort to your accommodation at Airport Guest House, where you can relax, unwind, and enjoy an overnight stay after your journey.

Main Destination:

Entebbe International Airport (Entebbe)

Accommodation:

Airport Guesthouse Entebbe

• Mid-range guest house located in Entebbe (City)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast (Lunch & dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

Murchison Falls National Park

After breakfast, proceed to Murchison Falls National Park. Lunch en route in a restaurant and in the afternoon visit the “Top of the Murchison Falls” and embark on an evening game drive in Murchison Falls, the biggest national park in Uganda and according to many the most rewarding for photographic safari. In the geology, it is found where river Nile meets the graben of the Albertine Rift Valley by creating a canyon in the rock, the so-called Murchison Falls. Dinner and overnight at Twiga Safari Lodge. This eco-lodge is found on the shores of river Nile; the typical cottages fuse the camping tent and the thatched elevated cottage, for the best experience of the surrounding nature.
Note: Today drive is about 6 hours, 350 km some murram road in the park.

Main Destination:

Murchison Falls National Park

Best Time To Visit December to February (Easier to spot animals)

High Season June to September (Peak time for Uganda)

Best Weather June and July (Less rain and lower temperatures)

Wildlife in Murchison Falls NP

ChimpanzeeOccasional

ElephantCommon

GiraffeCommon

LionCommon

BuffaloCommon

HippoAbundant

Show more

LeopardOccasional

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

CheetahNone

ZebraNone

WildebeestNone

Wild DogNone

Accommodation:

Twiga Safari Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located just outside Murchison Falls NP

+9 Photos

+8 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Murchison Falls National Park

After breakfast you will embark on an early morning game drive, explore the savannah in the delta of the Nile on Lake Albert, northern bank. As you view and take memorable photographs of the animals in the wild, you might find elephants, lions, buffalos, giraffes, waterbucks, bushbucks, spotted hyenas and, very rarely, the leopards. Lunch at the lodge and in the afternoon, you take the boat safari along the river Nile to the base of the magnificent Murchison Falls. It is amazing the concentration of wildlife in the bank of the river Nile, including hippos, crocodiles, and a variety of bird’s species, like African eagles, pelicans, kingfisher, Egyptian geese and much more.
Dinner and overnight at Twiga Safari Lodge.

Main Destination:

Murchison Falls National Park

Accommodation:

Twiga Safari Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located just outside Murchison Falls NP

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Murchison Falls - Bugoma Forest nature walk

After breakfast, proceed to Bugoma Forest. Lunch at the lodge and in the afternoon you go for a guided nature walk in Bugoma Forest to see the unique Uganda mangabeys. Dinner and overnight at Bugoma Jungle Lodge. This eco-lodge is located amid the tropical forest, a tended camp mixed with the stylish raised cottages, with open verandah where much observation can be made of monkeys and birds.
Note: Today drive is about 3 hour, about 180km.

Main Destination:

Bugoma Forest Reserve

Best Time To Go December to February (Driest months)

High Season June to September (But it’s seldom busy)

Best Weather

Accommodation:

Bugoma Jungle Lodge

• Mid-range tented camp located inside Bugoma FR

+4 Photos

+3 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Bugoma Forest Conservation Project

After breakfast at 7:00 am, head out for chimpanzee trekking in Bugoma Forest, a 410 sq km habitat for endangered chimpanzees and Uganda mangabeys. The forest is protected through efforts by the Association for Conservation of Bugoma Forest (ACBF), which runs initiatives such as “Every 5 Acres” for reforestation, the Chimp T-rap patrol project, eco-tourism development, and beekeeping. Eco-tourism plays a vital role in preserving Bugoma, especially after parts of the forest were cleared for sugarcane plantations in 2020. Visitors can take part in tree planting, purchase local products like tea and honey, and meet ACBF guides to learn about conservation and community benefits. After lunch at the lodge, continue to Fort Portal for dinner and overnight at Rubalika Safari Lodge and Farm or Kluges Farm Guest House.
Note: Today drive is about 3 hours, about 180km.

Main Destination:

Bugoma Forest Reserve

Accommodation:

Rubalika Safari Lodge

• Mid-range tented camp bordering Kibale NP (Chimps) without fences

+5 Photos

+4 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Fort Portal Rubalika – Queen Elizabeth NP

After breakfast visit the Rubalika farm where you will have the direct experience of agri-tourism learning about the coffee, vanilla and tea. The local community cultivates directly the farm and local guides will take you through the explanations.
Typical Ugandan style lunch will be served at the lodge and in the afternoon explore the region of beautiful Kasenda Crater lakes with a nature walk to “Top of the World”. Then proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Dinner and overnight at Marafiki Lodge. This eco-lodge provides safari tents on wooden decks overlooking Lake George, all crafted and designed with the use of local materials and local knowledge.

Main Destination:

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Best Time To Visit January to February and June to July (Dry seasons)

High Season June to September (Peak time for Uganda)

Best Weather June to July and January to February (Less rainfall)

Wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP

ChimpanzeeOccasional

ElephantCommon

LionCommon

BuffaloCommon

HippoAbundant

LeopardOccasional

Show more

GiraffeNone

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

CheetahNone

ZebraNone

WildebeestNone

Wild DogNone

Accommodation:

Marafiki Safari Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located just outside Queen Elizabeth NP

+13 Photos

+12 Photos

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Queen Elizabeth National Park

In the early morning, game drive in Queen Elizabeth NP and safari by boat from Mweya peninsula along Kazinga channel, one of the most popular sites in Uganda for its concentration of wildlife, bird’s life and opportunities for good photographs. Moreover, you will see plenty of hippos, buffaloes and elephants while drinking from the channel. Lunch from the lodge and in the afternoon, we propose the eco-tourism activity at the Kasoga Experience, where you can have a local canoe trip with local guides on Lake George or / and visiting the cultural village of the Basongora community in Hamukungu Fishing Village.
Dinner and overnight at Marafiki Lodge.

Main Destination:

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Accommodation:

Marafiki Safari Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located just outside Queen Elizabeth NP

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Ishasha – Bwindi National Park / Buhoma

After breakfast short transfer to Ishasha sector and take a game drive in search for the “tree climbing lions” which are seen during the hot hours of the day, as they lie resting on top of Figs trees. You might also see herds of buffaloes, elephants, topi antelopes and more. Lunch in a restaurant and in the afternoon proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Stop over for a visit at Kayonza Growers Tea Factory for an Agro-tourism trail, that includes tea agronomy, production process, demo firms, community impact, and tea support projects. Kayonza has a long and interesting story, as it is a model of successful cooperative of small-scale farmers, who supported the tea project and entered into internationally recognized “fair trade” markets. Transfer to Buhoma in Bwindi, to the site of the community project Ride 4 a Woman. Accommodation and meals are provided at Noel’s Cottage or Mwebesa House.
Note: Today drive is about 2 hours of murram road.

Main Destination:

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)

Best Time To Visit June to August and December to February (Gorilla trekking is easiest)

High Season June to September (Gorilla permits are scarce)

Best Weather June to July and December to February (Less rainfall)

Wildlife in Bwindi Impenetrable NP

GorillaCommon

ChimpanzeeRare

ElephantRare

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionNone

Show more

GiraffeNone

LeopardNone

CheetahNone

BuffaloNone

ZebraNone

WildebeestNone

HippoNone

Accommodation:

Mwebesa House

• Mid-range lodge located outside Bwindi Impenetrable NP (Gorillas)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Mountain gorilla trekking

In the morning, optionally enter the tropical rainforest of Bwindi for a gorilla safari. Starting at 8:00 am, you will join a ranger guide in a group of up to 8 people to track a habituated mountain gorilla family assigned by permit. Spend one hour observing their behavior and taking photographs. Carry packed lunch and water; porters are available to assist. Gorilla trekking directly supports conservation and benefits local communities through shared revenue. Bwindi is home to about 460 gorillas, according to the 2018 census. In the afternoon, visit Ride 4 a Woman, founded in 2009 by Evelyn Habasa, supporting women from 11 villages through sewing and basket weaving. Visitors can join workshops, shop handmade crafts, enjoy traditional Bakiga meals, and experience the vibrant Kiga dance. Dinner and overnight at Noel’s Cottage or Mwebesa House.

Main Destination:

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)

Accommodation:

Mwebesa House

• Mid-range lodge located just outside Bwindi Impenetrable NP (Gorillas)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

The Batwa walk - Kitanga

Today’s activity is the Batwa Trail, a walk into a forested site near Bwindi, Echuya Forest. The objective is to know about the rich cultural heritage and traditions of the Batwa Pigmies, the people who inhabited the forest. This project generates incomes to the Batwa community, who become very poor and marginalized after been displaced from the protected areas, helping the education of children and the health of the people. During the walk, you will learn about medicinal plants, visit the traditional hut, experience how they collect honey and also see the traditional dances. Packed lunch in the afternoon proceed to Kitanga Mission, located between Bwindi and Kabale, a beautiful rural areas surrounded by green hills. Dinner and overnight in Kitanga Guest House.

Main Destination:

Batwa Experience (Highlight)

Accommodation:

Kitanga Guest House

• Mid-range lodge, Batwa Experience (Highlight)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Kitanga Mission

Kitanga Mission is a good example of how much can be done to improve on the livelihood of rural people when the efforts are well channeled and well managed. You have a chance to talk to the people of the mission. In Kitanga you have the opportunity to spend time with the local rural community and learn more about crop cultivation, rearing of animals and the traditional life of the Bakiga people. You can also visit the Primary School, the Hospital and the Industrial park. Lunch at the guest house and in the afternoon proceed the journey to Mbarara.
Dinner and overnight at Nyore Hillside Retreat.

Main Destination:

Mbarara (Town)

Accommodation:

Nyore Hillside Retreat

• Mid-range lodge

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinks not included

Transfer to Entebbe

After breakfast, drive back to Entebbe. Lunch en route in a local restaurant.
Reserved for departure from Entebbe International Airport or extension 2 nights Farm Stay Zirobwe.
Note: Today drive is about 7 hours, 390 km on tarmac roads.

Main Destination:

Entebbe International Airport (Entebbe)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

• Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
• You'll be dropped off at the airport.