Do you want to see all the highlights of Uganda and get involved in Eco- tourism? When you book a self drive tours in Uganda with us you will see all the important parks, visit local communities and participate in unique Eco- tourism activities for example game driving to see wild animals like hippos, elephants, leopards, lions, buffaloes, antelopes, crocodiles and others more during you game viewing alongside tracking both gorillas and chimpanzees where by you are able to observe and follow the chimps and gorillas leaving their overnight nests between the one hour you are allowed to stay with them until it is time ends to be with them.

For people who yearn to get up close with wild African big cats, you can join researchers on a Lion Tracking project in Queen Elizabeth National Park! This is not just an activity created for visitors, it is scientific research that is recorded and gives the researchers a better understanding of the habits of the lions found in Queen Elizabeth Park. And you can also join researchers for a full-day Chimpanzee Habituation Project in Kibale.

This is the ultimate Uganda eco- tourism and wildlife experience from the famous Nile to the Ruwenzori Mountains. National Parks and protected areas you will visit include Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Murchison Falls National Park, Semuliki National Park, Kibale National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, bird paradise Lake Mburo National Park and Mabira Forest. En-route, community initiatives included: Batwa pygmies’ communities and Bigodi community.

Activities game include lion tracking, chimpanzee tracking, game drives in the world’s most beautiful national parks, two boat safaris in different areas, visiting traditional kingdoms, the Sempaya Hot Springs, an exciting night game drive, photographing tree-climbing lions, Mountain gorilla trekking tours .

The start of your Eco- tourism gorilla trekking and wildlife safari will begin from Entebbe airport where you will be welcomed by our professional guide who will transfer you to Kampala for a comfortable overnight stay and dinner at the Cassia Lodge Sheraton Hotel or you can have a choice of your own on the lodges if any. Both hotels have a rustic elegance, which makes them the perfect place to relax in understated luxury, mid-range and budget range. You enjoy a good swim, chill out and enjoy a view of Kampala complete with natural and local sounds from your room or terrace. Meal plan;dinner and breakfast.

The adventure begins with breakfast and an early departure for Murchison Falls National Park in the west – north of Uganda. The Eco – drive will go North West through the historical, green Luwero triangle and continue through the Savannah with the famous Acacia trees and shrubs. The stopover will be at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino tracking and information about the reintroduction project. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is home to Uganda’s only rhinos making this a must for anyone who wants to see Africa’s Big Five. Both the Black Rhinoceros and the White Rhinoceros are endemic to Uganda.Tracking the rhino on foot through the Savannah is a thrilling experience.

After the tracking of rhinos you proceed for lunch as you drive to Murchison Falls National Park which is the largest national park in Uganda. Overnight at Budongo eco lodge in Budongo forest which is approximately 3-4 hours on the way to Murchison falls national park; it is the biggest forest reserve. Chimpanzee trekking is the most famous activity but in this case you will have to do a nature walk best for your Eco- tourism and you will see many forest birds including the white thighed horn bill and privel’s illadopsis on Masindi Paraa road.

Early morning after breakfast depart for Murchison falls dawn with the help of a ferry, cross to the northern part of Murchison Falls National Park for a captivating of an evening game drive through the park that shelters over 400 colorful, exotic and rare bird species and 75 mammal species including 4 of the Big Five mammals that include; elephants, buffaloes, leopards and lions. You may also be able to view other mammal species like the Rothschild’s giraffe, Harte beest, Water buck, Oribi, Bush buck, Bohor reed buck and Hyenas. With some luck, you may spot the ever elusive leopard in the park’s Savannah grasslands.

The following day you rise up for a morning game drive to see variety of wildlife to see morning wildlife, then return to your lodge for breakfast after the early game drive and relax as you wait for lunch. After lunch, we will take a boat cruise to the delta watch elephants, hippos, buffaloes and crocodiles close-up from the safety of our boat as we cruise gently upstream. We proceed to hike up Murchison Falls, one of the world’s most powerful waterfalls, where the Nile squeezes through an 8m wide gap before plunging 42m deep into the gorge.

This spectacular, scenic view of the falls, with the roaring sound of water creating a beautiful rainbow will enhance your experience of being in the heart of Africa. After youreturn to the lodge in the evening for a delicious dinner and restful sleep with the sounds of the bush. Meal plan: Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner.

After breakfast, you depart to south west through Hoima town where you will stop for lunch and have an experience with the local cultures it can be optional. Visit Mparo Royal Tombswhich is the burial ground for the Bunyoro kings. Bunyoro Kitara Kingdom is one of the oldest Kingdoms in Africa. It is one of the most treasured historical sites in the region. Kabalega’s tomb is inside a round-grass thatched hut with a wooden door. Visitors have to make confessions to the caretakers of the tomb before being permitted to access the site. We will proceed further south west to Semliki National Park, near the southern shores of Lake Albert. The park is an extension of the Congo biome, with large wetlands and tropical rain forest. Overnight stay at Semliki Safari Lodge. Meal plan: Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner.

Depart at sunrise after breakfast for the famous Sempaya Hot Springs, an hour-long trail to the outer “male” spring leads through a forest where red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys and black-and-white colobus monkeys can be spotted from. A tree house en -route provides an Aerial view at Semliki. These hot springs have a geyser shooting up from an eight-meter wide hole. Your guide will show you the female and male hot springs which are differentiated by their degree in temperatures. At the male hot spring, you may be able to carry out experiments like egg boiling in the hot spring or preparation of porridge using the geothermal-heated water of the spring.

After your lunch, you may crown your day with a cultural walk to the Batwa pygmy community living adjacent to the park. You can enjoy famous cultural performances including, singing dancing and drama. Relax at the lodge and enjoy a spectacular sunset, while preparing for the night game drive. Driving into the dark is an exhilarating experience holding the possibility of surprise wildlife encounters with animals like big cats, hyenas, the white tailed mongoose and slender mongoose, and many other nocturnal species. Overnight stay at Semuliki Safari Lodge. Meal plan: Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner.

You begin the day with breakfast and drive off south east wards through Fort Portal, where you may stop for lunch. Fort Portal town which lies in the shadow of the ‘Mystical Challenge’, the highest non volcanic mountain range in Africa and one of the most challenging hiking spots in the world: Mt Ruwenzori. The legendary Ruwenzori massif at more than 5,000m is popularly called the “Mountains of the Moon”. On a clear day you will have a view of the snow caps of Ruwenzori one of the very few opportunities to see snow near the equator.

Depending on the visitor’s interests, we can opt to visit the cultural sites in Fort Portal including King’s palace; the stalagmites & stalactites (locally called “Amabere ga nyina Mwiru” or the breasts of Nyinamwiru), the beautiful crater lakes dotting this region and/or the tea gardens. Then proceed south wards to Kibale National park. Overnight stay at Primate Lodge. Meal plan: Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner. But this is an optional to the visitor regardless of his or her interests.

After an early breakfast, at Kanyanchu Tourist Centre for a briefing before you set out to track man’s closest relative and evolutionary cousin, the chimpanzee, in the forest known as the‘Primate Capital of the World’ and we share 98% of their DNA. You will participate in a Chimpanzee tracking, a unique opportunity. The chimpanzees will welcome you in their world with vocalizations and playful behavior. Chimpanzees are closer to humans than to any other animal, an exceptional and memorable encounter. You observe the chimps as they play and feed themselves as you take pictures and videos of them, undisturbed by the presence of humans.You may also get a chance to see some forest elephants and antelopes, if we are lucky, as well as viewing some of the other 12 primate species that have given Kibale National Park the brand of the ‘Primate Capital’.

In the afternoon, you can take a village walk in Bigodi community including nature walk in Bigodi swamp where your chances of seeing other smaller primates are high. You are likely to see Black and white Colobus, Blue monkey, Grey-cheeked Mangabeys, Red tailed monkey, Bush babies and Pottos. Return for the overnight stay in Primate Lodge. Meal plan: Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner.

Early morning you wake up very early in the morning, take a breakfast and drive off to the south for Queen Elizabeth National Park via Kasese town where you may stop for lunch. In this town you will have one last view of the fascinating Ruwenzori Mountains. After lunch, we will continue and drive further south, to stop at the Equator for some water experiments, snacks and photographs. We will proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park and you will encounter several savanna mammals including buffaloes, elephants, and various antelope species. Overnight stay at the Bush Lodge. Meal plan: Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner.

Early morning take a game drive at sunrise to view the wildlife of East Africa’s most diverse National Park with over 600 bird species and about 100 species of mammals. You are also likely to view 4 of the big five animals which include; (elephants, buffalos, leopards and lions). Then return for breakfast and lunch at the lodge.In the afternoon, we will go for a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel to view hippos, elephants, crocodiles and other wildlife that can often be found on the banks of this channel. The Kazinga Channel is a wide, 32km (20 miles) long natural channel that links to Lake Edward and Lake George. Kazinga Channel is well known for its abundant bird life, including colorful water birds and the majestic African fish eagles. Return to the lodge for an overnight stay and dinner. Meal plan: Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner.

After breakfast we set off for Ishasha in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth for a game drive. You will also participate in a Lion Tracking project. The area around Ishasha in Rukungiri District is famous for its tree-climbing lions, whose males sport black manes, a feature unique to the lions in this area. Enjoy watching a herd of elephants, a pair of hyenas with their typical funny behavior.After the game drive we will go further south, to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Overnight stay at Gorilla Forest Camp / Silverback Lodge. Meal plan: Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner.

After a delicious breakfast we drive to the park headquarters for a gorilla trekking briefing from the senior park ranger. You will be allocated a specific group of gorillas to track before hiking into the forest. The forest is one of the richest ecosystems in Africa. The park is a sanctuary for Colobus monkeys, chimpanzees and many birds. It is perhaps most notable for the 340 gorillas, half the world’s population of the critically endangered mountain gorillas.

Learn more about these gentle giants and observe them in their natural habitat. These gorillas are habituated and used to visitors. You will be allowed to stay 1 hour with the gorillas. The visitors provide vital funding for their conservation. Meeting the gorillas face to face in the wild is an intensive experience you will never forget. Return to the lodge for lunch and later on travel northeast to Lake Mburo National Park. Overnight stay at Mihingo Lodge/Mburo Safari Lodge/ Rwonyo Safari Lodge. Meal plan: Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner.

After breakfast, take a game drive to see the park’s zebras and antelope species including the gazelle, the topi, sitatunga, bush bucks, water bucks and the largest of all, the eland. You may also spot a leopard with some luck. As an alternative, you can go horse riding in Lake Mburo National Park depending on the hours charged.

After taking your lunch, you will set off for Kampala and arrive in the evening to check in at Sheraton Hotel Kampala / Le Petit Village Hotel / Cassia lodge for an overnight stay and dinner. You may take a tour and have a scenic night view of Uganda’s capital also regarded as one of the safest cities in East and Central Africa. Meal plan: Breakfast-Lunch.

What is included?

Gorilla Permit 600 USD per Person
Chimps Permit 150 USD per Person
Game Drive and Launch Cruise fees
Park entrance fees
Cultural entertainment
Park Ranger Fees
All relevant Government Taxes
Full Board Accommodation and en-route meals as indicated in the itinerary.
Full time English speaking Driver/Guide
Ground Transportation by a 4×4 safari vehicle
Airport transfer, as long as your flight is on the same day on which the safari ends.

What is not included;

Airfares
Visa Fees
Personal Insurance
Expenses of personal nature such as; drinks, tips, laundry, telephone, accommodation & meals not indicated in the itinerary and optional activities.