The 8 night Uganda Discovery safari takes you to four remarkable National Parks. Including Kibale Forest where you’ll set off to trek for chimpanzees with the chance to see all 13 primates in this area. Safaris in Queen Elizabeth NP will be where you can look out for tree-climbing lions and wildlife galore. Trek for the majestic Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi.
Ending your Uganda tour at Lake Mburo where you can wind down your safari with some night drives and lakeside relaxation.
Skip to 8-night Uganda Discovery Safari Rates
Uganda Discovery Safari Full Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival – Entebbe (10mins drive)
Welcome to the Pearl of Africa! Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be met by a representative and transferred to your guest house in Entebbe.
Overnight at Karibu Guest House in a standard room (B&B)
Karibu Entebbe is a boutique hotel set on the grounds of a former Presidential Residence. Karibu offers a high level of personalized service, quality food, fast internet, high pressure showers, a swimming pool, a spa & massage facilities. The eight unique and individually designed rooms are spread over the original homestead with an extension in the tropical gardens. Rooms in the original homestead have air-conditioning. The airy garden rooms are fitted with overhead and pedestal fans for your comfort.
Day 2: Entebbe – Kibale Forest National Park. Approx. 370km/6hrs drive
After breakfast, we drive west to Kibale National Park via the lovely town of Fort Portal. This town rests in the shadow of the fabled Mountains of the Moon and is famous for its many tea plantations. After stopping for lunch at a local restaurant, continue to the Park and check in at your lodge.
Kibale Forest National Park is an extensive Biodiversity National Park in South Uganda. Also known as the “Primate Paradise” it also has one of the greatest varieties and concentrations of primates in Africa. These include our famous cousins the Chimpanzee, Red Colobus Monkeys, Vervet Monkeys, L’Hoest’s, Black and White Colobus, and the Olive Baboons.
There is also a wide array of unique birds, forest elephants (smaller and hairier than the more familiar savannah elephant), and much more.
Dinner and overnight at Primate Lodge Kibale in a luxury cottage (Breakfast, lunch & dinner)
Primate Lodge
The lodge’s greatest asset lies in its location. Nestled deep within the Kibale forest and adjacent to the starting point for Chimpanzee tracking and the extraordinary Chimpanzee Habituation experience. Step into one of the nine spacious and luxurious cottages. Each is tucked away in the heart of the forest for ultimate privacy and an immersive nature experience. Relax in a cozy haven featuring a comfortable sitting area with armchairs, a reading table, and a sprawling veranda offering stunning forest views.
Day 3: Kibale Forest National Park
Today the forest opens its doors for a sensational chimpanzee tracking experience. Following the pre-tracking briefing, you will walk or drive to the trailhead for the start of an unforgettable adventure. Hiking in the footsteps of the habituated family of chimpanzees.
En route, your guide will enthrall you with stories and facts about the forest. And her other inhabitants including other species of primates, birds, and other big mammals. Upon sighting the chimpanzees, you will spend an unforgettable one hour with them as they go about their daily life. Feeding, playing, grooming, taking care of their young, howling, and screeching, in their natural habitat.
After your tracking experience, you will return back to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon you will enjoy a guided nature walk through the Bigodi wetland.
The Bigodi Swamp Walk is an initiative of the local community and is known for its rich diversity of birds and primates. The path and boardwalk may be flooded and muddy after heavy rainfall. Therefore, gumboots are recommended. The walk is about 4km, taking 3-4 hours at birding pace with local community guides. All proceeds from eco-tourism go back into the community. A conservation project well worth supporting.
Dinner and overnight at Primate Lodge Kibale in a luxury cottage (Breakfast, lunch & dinner)
Day 4: Kibale – Queen Elizabeth National Park. Approx.185km/3hrs drive
After an early breakfast, we will enjoy sightseeing around the scenic crater lakes that surround the dense forest of Kibale National Park. Afterward, you will proceed south alongside the majestic Rwenzori ‘Mountains of the Moon’ to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Check-in at the lodge for lunch and relaxation. Later enjoy an evening game drive.
Dinner and overnight at Elephant Plains Lodge in a cottage (Breakfast, lunch & dinner)
Elephant Plains Lodge
Perched atop the stunning western escarpment of the Albertine Rift, Elephant Plains is a Luxury Lodge that offers the ultimate retreat within Queen Elizabeth National Park. With breathtaking views stretching over open grasslands to Lake George, our location is simply unmatched.
Day 5: Morning Game drive and afternoon boat cruise
The day begins early with a morning game drive as we head to the mating ground of the Uganda Kobs. We search for lions, elephants, buffaloes, and other wild animals in their natural habitat. Alternatively, you can decide to experience a second chimp tracking in the lush Kyambura Gorge at an extra cost (pre-booking required).
The northern sector of the national park is called Kasenyi, better known as the “Kobs Mating Ground”. In this open savannah area, you will find hundreds of Uganda kobs. The kob is an elegant antelope, similar to the impala, which lives in harems up to twenty females, led by one dominant male. Consequently, it is not exceptional to encounter a hungry lion in this area. Waiting for his chance to pounce on one of the unsuspecting animals. Big herds of buffaloes, giant forest hogs, warthogs, monitor lizards, and sometimes a lonely elephant can be seen during a game drive in Kasenyi as well.
In the afternoon we take a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel. A natural channel between Lake Edward and Lake George. The channel is 33 km long and 2-3 km at its widest points. The scheduled 2 hour boat ride (beverages and snacks included!) will cover a 12-14 km stretch of the channel. With almost guaranteed excellent wildlife sightings including multitudes of hippopotamus (possibly the world’s highest concentration), Nile crocodiles, wallowing buffaloes on its reedy banks, elephants, and many birds.
Dinner and overnight at Elephant Plains Lodge in a luxury cottage (Breakfast, lunch & dinner)
Day 6: Queen Elizabeth –Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Approx. 225km/4hrs drive
After breakfast, you will depart the northern part of QENP and drive to Bwindi through the Ishasha sector. Famously known for the tree-climbing lions.
Continue further south to Bwindi National Park, home of the gorillas. Upon arrival check in and enjoy lunch. After some time to rest, you will then embark on an evening village walk meeting the locals and engaging in the community
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to the rare but critically endangered Mountain Gorillas. It lies on the edge of the Albertine Rift Valley in southwestern Uganda. With a wide altitude range between 1,160m and 2,600m.
The forest itself, dating back to the ice ages, is one of Uganda’s oldest and ecologically most diverse. With almost 400 species of plants, and 350 species of birds including 23 Albertine Rift endemics. As well as 120 mammal species including lots of smaller ones like rodents and bats. But also the Gorillas, Baboons, Chimpanzees, Elephants and Antelopes.
Dinner and overnight at Mahogany Springs Lodge in a cottage (Breakfast, lunch & dinner)
Day 7: Gorilla Tracking (3 to 8hrs)
You will arise early today and prepare for the highlight of your safari. An unforgettable encounter with the Gentle Giants of Bwindi! Following breakfast, you will be transferred to the National Park offices. Participants are divided into groups of 8 and allocated a gorilla family and a tracking guide.
A pre-tracking briefing by your guide will touch on the gorillas generally, your assigned gorilla family as well as appropriate safety precautions. After which you drive to the trailhead for the start of a thrilling adventure.
Expect to walk between 2 and 8 hours in steep and sometimes muddy conditions with rain overhead. Which can be tough and require a degree of (average) fitness. However, the thrill of coming face to face with a giant Mountain Gorilla silverback completely makes up for the effort! Upon sighting the gorillas, you spend the allowed one hour with them as they go about their daily life. Feeding, moving, playing, raising their young, and sometimes wrestling by the juveniles. It is a totally unique and unforgettable experience!
Afterward, you hike back to base where your driver will be waiting to transfer you to the lodge for a deserved shower and lunch. Or dinner depending on the time taken on the trek.
Dinner and overnight at Mahogany Springs Lodge in a cottage (Breakfast, lunch & dinner)
Mahogany Springs Lodge is a lodge in the Buhoma, Northern side of Bwindi, located on its own private section of the Munyanga River. The gorillas can regularly be viewed from the terraces crossing the river outside the lodge. Mahogany Springs offers privacy and serenity blended with optimal comfort in a spectacular setting.
Day 8: Bwindi – Lake Mburo National Park. Approx. 250km/6hrs drive
After breakfast, we depart the impenetrable forest of Bwindi and head to Lake Mburo National Park. En route, we’ll stop for lunch.
As you enter the park you will likely spot some wildlife. After checking in you will go on a boat ride on the lake to view the rich bird life. And many hippos that are cooling off. Have an early dinner before going on an optional (at an extra fee) night game drive in an open Land Rover with a spotlight. This special game drive of 2-3 hours provides a good chance of seeing the elusive leopard. And of course other nocturnal animals.
Lake Mburo NP is one of the few parks in Uganda where you can continue watching wildlife after the sun has set. A night game drive (usually 2-3 hours) is an exciting experience and an unusual twist on your regular game drives. Allowing you to search for a variety of animals that you would not easily see during the day. Such as bush pigs, genet cats, and white-tailed mongoose. But also the elusive leopards and spotted hyenas are best to be seen at night. And with some luck, you will be able to spot the one male lion in the park who resides down by the lake.
Lake Mburo is the only place you can enjoy a horse riding safari in Uganda. We highly recommend extending a night at Mihingo Lodge to experience this.
Dinner and overnight at Mihingo Lodge in a tented room (Breakfast, lunch & dinner)
Mihingo Lodge
Mihingo is in a magical setting adjacent to Lake Mburo National Park. Perched high on a rocky kopje, whose pre-Cambrian granite boulders were formed over 500 million years ago, it has spectacular views over a vast savannah landscape. Designed to blend in with its fragile surroundings, this luxurious, environmentally friendly lodge offers comfort, relaxation, and the experience of being at one with nature. An infinity pool overlooks the valley below where buffalo, eland, impala, warthogs, bush buck, and zebra can be seen at the waterhole. On the rocks, you may have the rare chance of seeing the resident family of Klipspringers. We cannot guarantee that you will see a leopard, but on a night game drive, you do have a good chance.
Day 9: Lake Mburo NP – Entebbe. Approx. 270km/5-6hrs drive
Early start of the day you will go for a bush walk guided by a ranger. Experience a safari on foot. That will allow you to notice the smaller, often overlooked, details. And usually brings you much closer to the wildlife than when in a car.
Return to the lodge for breakfast. Game drive on your way out of the protected area and back towards the capital city. En route, we will pass the Equator where we stop for lunch, photos, and souvenir shopping.
Arrival will be late in the afternoon in Entebbe, in time to connect with your flight back home.
Uganda Discovery Safari Rates
2025 Uganda Discovery Safari Rates |
||
| Number of people traveling | High season January, February, June, July, August, September & December |
Low season March, April, May, October & November |
| 2 | $5220 | $4590 |
| 3 | $4620 | $4010 |
| 4 | $4310 | $3715 |
| 5 | $4130 | $3540 |
| 6 | $4600 | $3995 |
| 7 | $4430 | $3830 |
| 8 | $4300 | $3705 |
| Single room supplement* | $1040 | $740 |
*When traveling with other people.
Uganda Discovery Safari Includes
Airport transfer to/from Entebbe Airport
Ground transport per private 4WD safari vehicle with fuel
English speaking driver/guide
Accommodation as mentioned in the itinerary, is based on a shared twin/double room
Meals as described in the itinerary
All park entrance fees
Mineral water in the vehicle; 2 liters per person daily on safari
Medical emergency evacuation cover
Uganda Discovery Safari Excludes
International flights
Visa
Gorilla and Chimpanzee Permits
Optional activities
Meals and drinks not mentioned above
Items of personal nature
Tips
We are still working on this and have many more Ugandan safaris available if you get in touch with us.
Uganda Discovery Safari (9 Days)
The 8 night Uganda Discovery safari takes you to four remarkable National Parks. Including Kibale Forest where you’ll set off to trek for chimpanzees with the chance to see all 13 primates in this area. Safaris in Queen Elizabeth NP will be where you can look …
Fly-In Uganda Gorilla Safari (4 Days)
On these 4 day Fly-In Uganda Gorilla Safari packages, you will get to interact with one of 5 habituated gorilla troops. And experience the beautiful ecosystem of Bwindi National Park. We have 5 options to choose from so there is most likely one that will …
Kenya Safari and Uganda Gorillas (9 Days)
Kenya Safari and Uganda Gorillas Tour combines two safaris (in the Masai Mara and Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya) with gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda. Knock off two wishes on your bucket list in one trip! This tour can be customized to …
Best of Uganda Tour (8 or 10 Days)
The Best of Uganda Tour is an 8 day scheduled tour from Entebbe. Search for endangered Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge. Multiple game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park with its amazing selection of wildlife. Including tree climbing lions. …
