This comprehensive 20-Day Ultimate Uganda Safari Vacation begins in Kigali and ends at Entebbe Airport.
The itinerary covers all of Uganda’s major national parks, with visits to local communities for a firsthand look at daily life. Take in the Albertine Rift escarpment and enjoy boat trips along some of Uganda’s most scenic lakes and rivers.
Highlights include Kidepo Valley National Park, one of Africa’s top wilderness destinations, a Karamojong cultural visit, and Sipi Falls at the foothills of Mount Elgon, before the trip ends at Entebbe Airport.
20-Day Uganda Safari Highlights
- Day 1: Arrive at Kigali Airport, meet and greet, and transfer to the hotel
- Day 2: Kigali to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
- Day 3: Golden monkey trekking and evening cultural tour
- Day 4: Travel to Lake Bunyonyi, boat excursion, and proceed to Bwindi National Park
- Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi
- Day 6: Transfer to Lake Mburo, afternoon boat cruise
- Day 7: Walking safari and drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Day 8: Game viewing drive and boat safari
- Day 9: Transfer to Mount Rwenzori, evening community walk
- Day 10: Full day nature walk in Rwenzori Mountains National Park
- Day 11: Mount Rwenzori to Kibale Forest National Park, crater lakes tour
- Day 12: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi wetland tour
- Day 13: Transfer to Hoima, evening Bunyoro Cultural Trail
- Day 14: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
- Day 15: Morning game drive and boat trip
- Day 16: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park
- Day 17: Game drive and Karamojong community visit in the afternoon
- Day 18: Transfer to Sipi Falls
- Day 19: Hike Sipi Falls, afternoon Arabica coffee tour
- Day 20: Return to Kampala or Entebbe and departure
Detailed 20-Day Uganda Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive at Kigali Airport, Meet and Greet, and Transfer to the Hotel
Welcome to Kigali. Meet your safari guide at Kigali International Airport for the transfer to your pre-booked accommodation in Kigali city, for refreshments, dinner, and an overnight stay.
Day 2: Kigali to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Have breakfast, and if time allows, take a city tour of Kigali, one of the cleanest and safest cities in Africa. Visit the Genocide Memorial in Gisozi, city monuments, the presidential palace, and local craft markets.
Your guide will then drive you out of Kigali toward Mgahinga National Park in southern Uganda, through Rwanda’s countryside, the Land of a Thousand Hills. Cross into Uganda via the Cyanika border in Kisoro district and continue to your lodge on the edge of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Rest, have dinner, and stay overnight.
Day 3: Golden Monkey Trekking and Evening Cultural Tour
Wake at 6:30 am, have breakfast, and drive to Ntebeko park headquarters for the pre-trek briefing before heading into the Mgahinga forest to search for golden monkeys, found in the bamboo zones at the foot of Mount Gahinga.
The park holds two habituated golden monkey troops, one with 80 to 100 members living at the base of Mount Gahinga. As with gorilla trekking, golden monkey treks run in the morning starting at 8:00 am, with one hour allowed with the troop once found. Return to the lodge for lunch afterward.
Rest in the early afternoon, then in the evening visit the nearby Batwa community, who have lived on the foothills of Mount Gahinga and Mount Sabyinyo for over a thousand years.
Since their resettlement outside the forest, the Batwa have adapted to life beyond it. Hear their history and how they once depended on the forest alongside mountain gorillas, golden monkeys, and other wildlife.
Day 4: Travel to Lake Bunyonyi, Boat Excursion, and Proceed to Bwindi National Park
Have an early breakfast in Mgahinga, check out, and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda’s deepest lake, known for its terraced hills. On arrival, take a 3-hour boat cruise to visit some of the lake’s 29 islands and the communities living on them.
Have lunch at a lakeside resort, then drive to your lodge in the Ruhija sector of Bwindi for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 5: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to Uganda’s mountain gorillas, accounting for about half the world’s remaining population. Have an early breakfast at 7:00 am, then head with your trekking gear to the pre-trek briefing at Ruhija sector ranger station, followed by the transfer to your trek’s starting point based on your assigned gorilla family.
You’ll be assigned a ranger guide and, if hired, a porter to carry your luggage, along with trackers, before heading into the forest to search for the gorillas.
Trekking time runs 1 to 8 hours, since gorilla movements vary daily. The trek is rewarded with an encounter with your assigned family, including playing juveniles, caring mothers, and the group’s dominant silverback.
Afterward, trek back to the trailhead, meet your driver, and return to the lodge. Rest for the afternoon, or take an optional visit to the Batwa community on the edge of the Bwindi forest.
Day 6: Transfer to Lake Mburo, Afternoon Boat Cruise
Have an early breakfast in Ruhija, then transfer to Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda’s smallest savannah park but still a strong wildlife destination.
Arrive in the afternoon for a boat trip on Lake Mburo, bringing you close to crocodiles and hippos, with buffalo, elephants, and a wide range of birds along the shore. Overnight stay in Lake Mburo National Park.
Day 7: Walking Safari and Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Leave the lodge early after breakfast for a walking safari in Lake Mburo National Park. Despite its small size, the park holds a wide range of habitats, from wetlands and grassland to the acacia woodland it’s known for.
This mix of habitats supports a strong population of wildlife. Along with its scenery, Lake Mburo is known for strong bird life, large buffalo herds, reintroduced Rothschild giraffe, lions, leopards, hyenas, hippos in the lake itself, and several antelope species.
All of this can be seen at close range during the morning walking safari. Afterward, check out of the lodge and drive south toward Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Arrive at your lodge in the late afternoon and spend the evening resting, taking in the view from your room’s balcony.
Day 8: Game Viewing Drive and Boat Safari
Wake early for a morning game drive, a good chance to spot early risers and nocturnal animals before they retreat for the day.
The drive covers Uganda’s second-largest national park, including the Kasenyi area and the Queen’s Pavilion, both known for strong wildlife viewing. Return to the lodge for breakfast.
Queen Elizabeth National Park holds a wide range of wildlife, and visitors commonly see elephants, buffalo, and several antelope species. Birders will find plenty here too, since the park holds Uganda’s highest recorded bird population.
In the afternoon, take a boat trip along the Kazinga Channel. Expect strong bird sightings and animals resting or drinking along the Nile’s banks, most commonly hippos, Nile crocodiles, and Cape buffalo, along with birds such as the African fish eagle, malachite kingfisher, Egyptian goose, yellow-billed stork, and cattle and lesser egrets.
Stay on the boat back to Mweya jetty, where your driver will meet you for the return to the lodge.
Day 9: Transfer to Mount Rwenzori, Evening Community Walk
After breakfast, your driver will transfer you to Rwenzori Mountains National Park. On arrival, check in at your hotel at the base of the range.
Rest in the afternoon, then in the evening visit the nearby Bakonzo community for music, traditional performances, and storytelling about their origins.
Try local dishes such as cassava flour and fish, then return to the lodge for the overnight stay.
Day 10: Full Day Nature Walk in Rwenzori Mountains National Park
Start with coffee, then attend a 7:30 am briefing from park rangers covering the procedures and guidelines for hiking Mount Rwenzori.
This full-day nature trek on the mountain’s lower slopes covers a wide range of birds, mammals, amphibians, primates, and plant life. Common sightings include dense alpine forest, the three-horned chameleon, leopards, bushbuck, blue monkeys, and olive baboons.
Day 11: Mount Rwenzori to Kibale Forest National Park, Crater Lakes Tour
After breakfast, drive north to Kibale Forest National Park, known as the primate capital of both Uganda and Africa. The route passes through rolling tea plantations, arriving at your lodge in the afternoon.
Have lunch and rest, then in the evening take a guided nature walk to nearby crater lakes, a well-known feature of the Fort Portal region. Alternatively, take a sunset canoe trip on one of the smaller crater lakes.
Day 12: Chimpanzee Trekking and Bigodi Wetland Tour
Wake at 6:30 am for the day’s main activity. Have breakfast, then head to Kanyanchu headquarters for the pre-trek briefing before setting out into the forest.
The trek brings you close to Kibale’s chimpanzees in their natural habitat, with your ranger guide explaining their behavior along the way.
Chimpanzees move constantly between trees, which can make photography tricky, but the encounter itself is memorable.
Trek back to the lodge for lunch, or take a boxed lunch into the forest. Spend the afternoon at Bigodi Wetland, known for its birds and other primates.
Look for species such as the Great Blue Turaco and Papyrus Gonolek, among more than 130 others, along with butterflies and other insect life.
Day 13: Transfer to Hoima, Evening Bunyoro Cultural Trail
After breakfast, leave Kibale Forest National Park for Hoima district, through the scenery of western Uganda.
Arrive in Hoima for lunch, followed by a short tour of Karuzika Palace, headquarters of the Bunyoro Kingdom and home of its current king.
This cultural stop covers the traditions and history of the Banyoro people.
Visit the Mparo royal tombs, where Bunyoro’s kings are buried, including Omukama Kabalega, known for leading resistance against colonial rule in the 18th century until his eventual exile following defeat.
Time permitting, take a short town tour in Hoima before returning to your lodge to rest for the night.
Day 14: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
After a relaxed breakfast, take the 4-hour transfer to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest protected area. Stop en route at the historic Kibiro salt gardens, once a key source of salt for the Bunyoro Kingdom and Uganda more broadly.
Visit the salt works and see local workers still mining salt by hand using traditional methods.
Continue through scenic countryside, traditional homesteads, and farmland. Murchison Falls National Park was gazetted in 1952.
The drive crosses the Albertine Rift escarpment, with views of Lake Albert and the Congo Blue Mountains in the distance, along with several tea plantations worth a photo stop.
Day 15: Morning Game Drive and Boat Trip
Have an early breakfast, then set out on a sunrise game drive through the park’s Buligi track toward the delta. Look for Jackson’s hartebeest, giraffe, buffalo, lions, and elephants, along with birds such as the African jacana and various storks.
Take the 2:00 pm boat trip upstream along the Victoria Nile to the base of the falls. Along the way, watch for crocodiles, hippos, and a range of other mammals and birds.
An optional hike to view the falls from the top is also available. Afterward, rest at your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 16: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park
Have breakfast, then leave Murchison Falls National Park via the northern Tangi gate near Pakwach. Begin the drive to Kidepo Valley National Park, in Uganda’s far northeastern corner near the Kenyan border.
The drive takes about 6 to 7 hours, passing through Gulu in northern Uganda for a lunch stop, then continuing through Kitgum district to your lodge in Kidepo.
Spend the evening taking in Kidepo’s landscape and wildlife.
Day 17: Game Drive and Karamojong Community Visit in the Afternoon
Have breakfast, then transfer to park headquarters for a sunrise game drive. Look for giraffe, elephants, leopards, duiker, jackals, bush pigs, buffalo, and ostrich, most visible grazing in the Narus Valley.
The drive lasts about 3 to 4 hours. Return to the lodge for lunch and rest, then in the evening join a local Karamojong guide for a cultural tour of the community. The Karamojong are primarily cattle keepers and share a border with Kenya’s Turkana people.
The tour covers Karamojong tradition, history, and hospitality, along with traditional dance, food, and performances. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 18: Transfer to Sipi Falls
Depart Kidepo National Park after coffee, heading south toward Sipi Falls. Along the way, take a short game drive through Pian Upe Game Reserve, in the northeast.
Pian Upe is a remote reserve home to jackals, civets, spotted hyenas, serval cats, leopards, wildcats, vervet monkeys, patas monkeys, olive baboons, topi, Cape buffalo, common eland, blue and common duiker, Günther’s dik-dik, klipspringer, waterbuck, Uganda kob, and Bohor and mountain reedbuck.
After the game drive, continue on to the Sipi area for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 19: Hike Sipi Falls, Afternoon Arabica Coffee Tour
After breakfast, hike to Sipi Falls, three separate waterfalls dropping from a height of about 100 meters. Rest and take in the sound of the falls.
After the hike, return to the lodge for lunch, then spend the afternoon visiting nearby villages known for growing Arabica coffee, which thrives in the conditions at the foothills of Mount Elgon. Tour the plantations and take part in harvesting and tasting.
Day 20: Return to Kampala or Entebbe and Departure
Have breakfast, then depart the Sipi area, driving through Jinja to Entebbe Airport for your return flight, marking the end of your 20-Day Ultimate Uganda Safari Vacation.
End of 20-Day Ultimate Uganda Safari Vacation.
