22 Days Uganda Exclusive Safari

Duration 22 Days / 21 Nights

Best Time Year-round

Experience Gorilla-trekking · Chimpanzee

Group Solo to groups

What to expect

22 days is the most complete Uganda safari we offer, an unhurried and exclusive journey through almost every corner of the Pearl of Africa. It gathers the shoebill of Mabamba, the rhinos of Ziwa, chimpanzees in three different forests, the big game of Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth, and the mountain gorillas of Bwindi, with both a gorilla trek and the four-hour gorilla habituation experience, before closing at the source of the Nile in Jinja.

Staying in private conservancies and reserves throughout, it is Uganda at its most in-depth and indulgent. Time your treks with our guide to gorilla trekking, and read more in the Uganda destination guide.

Shoebill tracking at Mabamba and rhino tracking at Ziwa Chimpanzees in the Budongo, Kibale and Semuliki forests Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth in private reserves The Kyambura Gorge and a Kazinga Channel cruise Mountain gorilla trekking and the four-hour habituation experience The Batwa people and a finale at the source of the Nile

Day by day

The Journey

Day 1Entebbe

Arrival at Entebbe Airport

On arrival you are met and assisted through entry formalities, then transferred to your hotel for dinner and an overnight stay on the shores of Lake Victoria, ready for the journey ahead.

Day 2Ziwa

Shoebill Tracking & Transfer to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

After breakfast you transfer to the Mabamba wetlands and glide the papyrus channels by canoe in search of the prehistoric shoebill stork. A hot lunch follows before the scenic drive of around three hours north to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Uganda's only home to wild rhino.

Day 3Ziwa

Rhino Tracking & Transfer to Budongo Forest

You enjoy breakfast with rhinos grazing in the lodge grounds before a guided rhino tracking experience on foot. Afterwards you begin the road transfer to Budongo Forest, arriving to spend the rest of the day at leisure on the edge of one of Uganda's great mahogany forests.

Day 4Ziwa

Chimpanzee Trekking in Budongo Forest

After an early breakfast you head into Budongo to track its habituated chimpanzees, then transfer to a private conservancy within Murchison Falls National Park, with an evening game drive en route as the plains come alive in the cooling light.

Day 5Murchison Falls

Explore Murchison Falls National Park

Days in the exclusive private conservancy bring unlimited game drives across the northern plains, in search of lion, elephant, buffalo and the localised Rothschild's giraffe, far from the crowds and at your own pace.

Day 6Murchison Falls

Murchison Falls & the Nile

An afternoon boat trip carries you up the Nile to the foot of the thundering Murchison Falls, with a visit to the Top of the Falls where the river is forced through a narrow gorge, and more game viewing among hippo, crocodile and abundant birdlife along the way.

Day 7Murchison Falls

Wild Days in Murchison Falls

A final day to enjoy the exclusivity of the private conservancy at your own pace, with game drives timed by your guide to the best of the light and the wildlife across Uganda's largest national park.

Day 8Kibale

Transfer to Kibale National Park

After a relaxed breakfast you transfer to the airstrip with an en route game drive, then take the scheduled flight south. Met at Kasese by your driver-guide, you continue to your lodge in Kibale National Park, the primate capital of East Africa.

Day 9Kibale

Chimpanzee Trekking & Bigodi Community Tour

After breakfast and a briefing you head into Kibale for another chimpanzee trekking experience, watching our closest cousins feed and move through the canopy, followed by a guided tour of the community-run Bigodi Wetland, rich in birds and monkeys.

Day 10Kibale

Transfer to Semuliki National Park

After breakfast you begin the road transfer to Semuliki National Park through the breathtaking Albertine Rift Valley. On arrival you are welcomed by the lodge team and spend the rest of the day on a game drive in this remote, lowland-forest park.

Day 11Kibale

Chimpanzee Research & Nature Walk

Today is spent in the forest with researchers, learning about the different primate species of Semuliki, followed by a nature walk to the male and female hot springs that bubble up through the valley floor before you return to the lodge.

Day 12Queen Elizabeth

Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

After a leisurely breakfast you transfer with your private driver-guide to Queen Elizabeth National Park, with a stopover at the Uganda Equator for photographs, before continuing to your lodge in the park.

Day 13Queen Elizabeth

Experience Kyambura Reserve

Two nights in this private reserve bring unlimited game drives across the Kasenyi plains, with the chance of lion, elephant and the park's vast kob herds, all in an exclusive and uncrowded setting.

Day 14Queen Elizabeth

Kyambura & the Kazinga Channel

More game viewing is paired with a scheduled boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, a natural waterway that gathers extraordinary numbers of hippo, buffalo, elephant and birdlife to its shores.

Day 15Bwindi

Transfer to Bwindi National Park

After breakfast you drive south to Bwindi through the remote Ishasha sector, with its famous tree-climbing lions, and a stopover at the Ride 4 A Woman community centre, before continuing to your lodge inside the park.

Day 16Bwindi

Gorilla Trekking & Batwa Tribe Experience

After breakfast you are transferred to the park headquarters for a briefing, followed by gorilla trekking in the jungles of Bwindi and a treasured hour with a habituated family. After lunch you visit a Batwa empowerment village for a cultural experience with the forest's original people.

Day 17Bwindi

Buhoma to Nkuringo Walk

After a leisurely breakfast you set out on a long forest walk from Buhoma to Nkuringo, crossing the heart of Bwindi on foot. On arrival you are met by your driver-guide and transferred to your lodge overlooking the ancient forest.

Day 18Bwindi

Gorilla Habituation in Bwindi

Today is a special day, with an early breakfast and transfer to the park offices for the gorilla habituation experience, which begins very early in the morning alongside researchers and grants a remarkable four hours in the presence of the gorillas.

Day 19Jinja

Transfer to Jinja

After an early breakfast you check out and transfer to Kisoro airstrip for your scheduled flight to Entebbe. Met by your driver-guide, you continue by road to your accommodation on a private island near Jinja, at the source of the Nile.

Day 20Jinja

Leisure at the Source of the Nile

Unwind and rejuvenate over two leisurely days at your luxury lodge, reflecting on your safari. On one of the days you enjoy an exclusive private boat cruise to the iconic source of the River Nile, a serene journey along one of the world's most legendary waterways.

Day 21Jinja

Relaxation on the Nile

The remainder of your time is yours to indulge in the lodge's amenities, soak in the tranquil surroundings and enjoy personalised service at your own pace, on your private island in the river.

Day 22Departure

Farewell to Uganda

The day begins with a delicious breakfast, followed by a boat and road transfer to Entebbe Airport for your onward flight, closing an exceptional journey across the Pearl of Africa.

What is included