Duration: 4 days
This is a great extension if you wish to spend more time seeing mountain gorillas up close at Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. This extension also allows you the chance to see the rare Golden Monkey and learn more about Rwandan cultures.
Arrive in Entebbe, Uganda, and transfer to the Cassia Lodge offering a panoramic view of Lake Victoria. Early arrivals will visit the Entebbe Wildlife Education Center or enjoy a first day of birding at the botanical gardens, good for spotting the Vervet, Red tailed, Black, and White Colobus monkeys. The Wildlife Education Center (UWEC) is a great place to learn about the animals of Uganda and the ecosystems in which they live. UWEC is not a zoo in the conventional sense, nor is it a safari park. It is a center for wildlife education where you can observe many indigenous species of wildlife in a semi-natural environment.
After breakfast, drive north through the Luwero triangle to Murchison Falls Conservation Area (MFCA) via the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the only place in Uganda where you can see them in the wild. The Sanctuary, a Rhino re-introduction project, is currently home to 15 southern white rhinos. Before arriving at Murchison, stop for lunch in the town of Masindi. Bisected by the Victoria Nile, Murchison Falls N.P. is the largest protected area in Uganda and contains three different ecosystems. This park has a variety of wildlife which includes lions, leopards, elephant, giraffe, buffalo, a variety of antelope, and chimpanzees as well as the largest population of crocodiles in Uganda. The park is also one of the best birding sites in all of Africa according to the African Bird Club and includes a large variety of birdlife including the rare Shoebill Stork.
Overnight at the Nile Safari Lodge, located in perhaps one of the most beautiful settings in Africa with views of the Nile. From the lodge, it may be possible to spot herds of elephants, hippos, and crocodiles, as well as a variety of birdlife. You'll stay in a charming wood chalet with private bath facilities and a deck overlooking the river.
Today you'll start early for a breathtaking game drive in northern Murchison falls and the chance to spot many African antelopes such as the leaf-eared Oribi, Jackson's Hartebeest, the beautiful Uganda Kob, and the Bohor Reedbuck. Drive towards the delta and Albert Nile for encounters with hunters such as lions, leopards, hyenas, and jackals and herbivores such as the African Elephant, Chad or Cape Buffalo, Hippos and many loose societies of Rothschild’s Giraffe. Birder's will delight in the large number of birdlife including the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, and Denham’s Bustard and large eagles such as the Bateleur and Brown Snake as well as large flocks of vultures. You'll return to the lodge for lunch and some down time.
In the afternoon, take a boat safari up to the bottom of the falls and be rewarded with a view of the wildlife that come to cool off from the afternoon's hot, dry sun including the resident hippos and crocodiles. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Depending on the success of the last days' drives, today you'll have another chance to find what might have been missed, or you can take a walk around the lodge or even relax or take a swim at the lodge pool. Afterwards, make the drive to Masindi via the top of the falls, enjoying the fantastic scenery along the way. In Masindi, enjoy a western Ugandan dance called "Entogoro" from the Banyoro people living around Masindi.
Overnight at one of Uganda's oldest hotels offering clean, comfortable, and spacious rooms with attached bath.
Today, start after an early breakfast for a long drive to Kibale National Park with lots of stops for birds, animals, and photos along the way. You may encounter large congregations of Olive Baboons and Black and White Colobus, Red Colobus, Red-tailed and Velvet monkeys. Kibale National Park is a popular habitat for 13 known primate species, including the closest living cousin of man - the chimpanzee. You'll arrive at your lodge, located on the edge of Kibale National Park amidst beautiful gardens, tea plantations, and indigenous forests. Enjoy beautiful views of the park, crater lakes, and Rwenzori Mountains from your cottage.
After breakfast, head out on chimpanzee tracking adventure in Kibale. These impressive creatures are the most human-like of mammals, sharing about 98% of the same dna as humans. During the tracking, you may encounter other primates such as the L’Hoest’s, Red Colobus, Gray-cheeked Mangabey, and Red-tailed Monkeys, and the Olive Baboon.
In the afternoon, visit the Bigodi wetland, which is managed by the local community. This project was started by an American Peace Corps volunteer who was trying to develop ways for the local people to derive income by protecting their forest for ecotourism. These efforts have survived as a successful model which funds a school and employs local people as hosts, guards, and guides. Here, you might spot the elusive Sitatunga Antelope among the papyrus and several interesting species of birds such as the White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, and Carruthre’s Cisticola. Enjoy a traditionally-prepared lunch from the local group that manages this wetland then return to your lodge in Kibale.
Journey through Uganda’s beautiful scenic areas with a potential clear view of the Mountains of the Moon, depending on the cloud cover. As you near your destination, stop for a game drive on the way to Queen Elizabeth National Park - the second-largest national park in Uganda. In terms of diversity, this park is amazing - with 612 known species of birds. Special birds of this park include the Harlequin and Blue Quails, Red-capped Lark, African Crake, Broad-tailed Warbler, Martial Eagle, African Skimmer, Verreaux's Eagle-Owl, and the Amur Falcon. Primates include the Olive Baboon, Valvet Monkey, and Tantalus monkey. In the Chambura Gorge, you'll find chimpanzees, as well as the Blue and Red-tailed Monkeys. In the afternoon, embark on a boat ride along the Kazinga Channel where you'll get close to hippos, buffalos, and crocodiles. Elephants often swim here as well. The birdlife is very rich and quite approachable, including Saddle-billed Stork, both species of Pink-backed and Great Pelicans, and other migratory species. The Striated Heron, Water Thick-knee, Three-banded Plover, Marsh, Green, Wood, and Common Sandpipers, Gray-headed Gull, and Yellow-billed Oxpecker are typically seen.
Overnight at the Parkview Safari Lodge (or similar), one of the best lodges in the park. The cottages here are built using natural materials that blends in nicely with their surroundings and offers fantastic views of the park savannah.
After breakfast, head out to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for a wildlife safari. The seasonal Ishasha sector provides a good chance of seeing the area's tree-climbing lions. On a good day, you might also catch a glimpse of a leopard or two. Troupes of Olive Baboons also frequent the roads. Be on the lookout for other interesting savannah animals and birds, including the Black-lored Parrot, Arrow-marked Babbler, Ovambo Sparrow Hawk, African Cuckoo Hawk, stout, zitting, Wing-snapping and Trilling Cisticolas, Brown Snake Eagle, Holub’s Golden Weaver, Black Cuckoo, and Blue-naped Mousebird.
Overnight at the Bakiga Lodge (or similar), located at top of a beautiful valley overlooking the Bwindi Forest for the next 2 nights. You'll stay in traditional style cabins or luxury tents with private baths.
Set off early with a packed lunch to Bwindi's park headquarters for a briefing prior to the gorilla tracking. The gorillas are gentle animals, and it is an unforgettable experience to locate, observe, and photograph their family groups. You'll be assigned a family group and it may require walking anywhere from 20 minutes to three hours to reach them, depending on where they've been located after sunrise. Game scouts are likely to have pre-located them and radioed back their location to your guide, but the animals are wide-ranging and don’t stick to the trails. Each encounter is different and has its own rewards. You are likely to enjoy a close view of the adults feeding, grooming, and resting as the youngsters frolic and swing from vines in a delightfully-playful display. Gorilla tracking involves part or all of a day in the Impenetrable Forest. In rare instances, finding, reaching, observing, and returning from a group takes an entire day of rather difficult trekking through thick, sometimes muddy vegetation and hilly terrain. You need to be physically fit if you wish to maximize your chances. Very occasionally, in spite of all efforts, the gorillas prove elusive. Depending on the time you return to the camp, you might be able to visit some of the communities around the gorillas' habitat or spend an evening birding around Buhoma.
After breakfast, make the estimated four hour drive to Lake Mburo National Park, a former game reserve until it became a national park in 1983. This is the smallest of Uganda's savannah national parks and a portion of the park's entrance fees are used to fund local community projects. Together, with 13 other lakes in the area, Lake Mburo forms part of a 30 mile long wetland system that is linked by a swamp. Five of these lakes lie within the park's borders. Because there are no elephants to tame the vegetation, the park contains many forests. Here you'll enjoy a game safari to possibly see zebras, topis, elands, buffaloes, hippos, and leopards as well as a number of water birds such as pelicans, cormorant, fish eagle, and storks. Other bird species include the rare white-winged warbler, brown parrot, and African grey hornbill. This is the only park in the country where you can see impalas, slender mongoose, and the giant bush rat.
If you like, take a night safari for the best chances to see some of the more elusive species of the park such as leopards, hyena, porcupines, etc. Recently a giant ground pangolin was spotted on a night drive not far from Rwakobo Rock.
Dinner and overnight will be at Rwakobo Rock (or similar), an eco-friendly, family run hotel situated on a scenic outcrop at the edge of Lake Mburo National Park. Zebras, warthogs, impalas, and bushbucks often congregate at the water-hole below the dining area and the sounds of the wild come to life at night. Every night (weather permitting), the staff set up a camp fire from where you can watch the sunset and enjoy the starlit sky.
If adding on the Rwanda extension, today you'll cross into Rwanda and stay at a lodge at Volcanoes National Park.
After breakfast, dpeart for Entebbe via the Mabamba Swamp for the chance to encounter Uganda's most famous bird - the Shoebill. This prehistoric looking bird really has to be seen to be believed and is a great way to end your memorable Uganda experience. Many other water birds you may also see include a variety of herons and ducks, African and lesser jacanas, malachite kingfishers, and swamp flycatchesr. As African fish eagles soar overhead and as your canoe is paddled deeper into the swamps, be on the look-out for species that live among the papyrus plants (a reed-like swamp plant) including the white-winged warbler and papyrus gonolek.
Afterwards, transfer to the airport for your evening flight, or extend to other parts of Africa.
See Journeys’ FAQ about Mountain Gorillas for detailed information on the animals and the logistics for visiting them.
Below is a summary of our complete Trip Terms & Conditions, which explains each of the items below in more detail.
Normally, our stated land costs include the cost of all guides, leaders, permits obtained after arrival, lodging accommodations, food and entry fees as specified, and all surface transportation associated with the planned itinerary. We do our best to avoid increasing prices after receipt of your deposit, but, rarely, factors beyond our control might require us to change our prices without prior notice, even after you have signed up.
Costs not included in the price may include: meals not indicated as included in itineraries; meals prior to arrival in starting cities; transfers, if not arriving or departing on the scheduled group flights; soft drinks, bottled water, and alcoholic beverages; medical expenses, costs of hospitalization, or evacuation from remote areas; laundry; airport departure taxes not included on your airline ticket; accommodations en route to starting cities; visas; airfares; gratuities; and insurance.
For most group departures, the booking deposit is $500 per person per trip, though for some trips it may be more, as noted in the trip description. The minimum booking deposit requirement for custom trips is $800 per person, and this deposit is non-refundable. A trip-planning fee of $250 per itinerary is also charged to cover costs of preparing itinerary proposals for custom trips. This fee is credited to the cost of the trip, but is nonrefundable if you do not take the trip. Custom travel during holiday seasons may require a deposit prior to trip confirmation.
For both group departures and custom trips, a second deposit of $1,000 per person is due 120 days prior to departure or at the time of booking for reservations made fewer than 120 days before departure. The balance as shown on your invoice is due 60 days prior to departure regardless of whether extensions or other arrangements are pending. Late payments may jeopardize confirmation of your itinerary and in some cases may result in additional fees. If we have not received final payment 30 days prior to departure your reservation may be canceled and subject to our Cancellation & Refund Policy stated in the complete Terms & Conditions.
We accept payments by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or check drawn on a U.S. bank account. Payment for airfare is required at the time of ticketing. Discounts that may be available for some trips are not available toward bookings made through travel agencies.
We can help you secure air travel arrangements to correspond with land travel booked through Journeys International. We work with an airfare consolidator to assist in booking the flights that suit your needs. If you decide to make your own flight arrangements, you must provide Journeys International with a complete copy of your itinerary showing departure and arrival flights and times. You should plan to arrange your own air travel if you are using mileage credit or originating outside North America, but please be in touch with our office before you finalize ticketing so that we can help you to coordinate the correct arrival and departure dates and times.
When you make your application, we strongly recommend the purchase of comprehensive travel insurance in case of emergency situations. Please contact us for a recommended policy.
There will be a $40 fee for changes once an itinerary has been confirmed and approved. Additional cancellation penalties or change fees may apply as per our terms and conditions. The passenger is responsible for such fees.
It's the moment you'll never forget. That moment when, after trekking through mountainous terrain, it's time to remove your backpack and follow quietly. When the tracker …
Many naturalists claim that Uganda offers an experience that is richer and more diverse than the great wildlife safari destinations of Tanzania, Kenya, and Botswana. Mountain Gorillas are the featured species of the country and you will have the necessary permits to see them up close. But there is so much more. The valley of the upper Nile, the vast savannas of Queen Elizabeth National Park, and many smaller sanctuaries protecting lakes, rain forests, and volcanic landscapes hold more species of plants, primates, birds, and other animals than any comparable region on the continent.
On this trip, you will sample all the major habitats of Uganda. The emphasis will be on seeing and photographing as many birds and animals as possible, but will also afford the opportunity to enjoy the hospitality of many friendly people representing different tribes who will be your hosts. Expect early morning starts, opportunities to explore on foot, and small comfortable hotels and lodges located close to interesting natural areas. Most tourists visiting Uganda focus just on the locations where chimps and the Mountain Gorillas occur. You will have the chance to see the gorillas close up (see Will's 2009 Gorilla Video), but the main emphasis will be active exploration of your naturalist-guide’s favorite sanctuary haunts species of birds and other animals. Time permitting consider additional gorilla viewing by going finish up in Rwanda.
Arrive in Entebbe, Uganda, and transfer to the Cassia Lodge offering a panoramic view of Lake Victoria. Early arrivals will visit the Entebbe Wildlife Education Center or enjoy a first day of birding at the botanical gardens, good for spotting the Vervet, Red tailed, Black, and White Colobus monkeys. The Wildlife Education Center (UWEC) is a great place to learn about the animals of Uganda and the ecosystems in which they live. UWEC is not a zoo in the conventional sense, nor is it a safari park. It is a center for wildlife education where you can observe many indigenous species of wildlife in a semi-natural environment.
After breakfast, drive north through the Luwero triangle to Murchison Falls Conservation Area (MFCA) via the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the only place in Uganda where you can see them in the wild. The Sanctuary, a Rhino re-introduction project, is currently home to 15 southern white rhinos. Before arriving at Murchison, stop for lunch in the town of Masindi. Bisected by the Victoria Nile, Murchison Falls N.P. is the largest protected area in Uganda and contains three different ecosystems. This park has a variety of wildlife which includes lions, leopards, elephant, giraffe, buffalo, a variety of antelope, and chimpanzees as well as the largest population of crocodiles in Uganda. The park is also one of the best birding sites in all of Africa according to the African Bird Club and includes a large variety of birdlife including the rare Shoebill Stork.
Overnight at the Nile Safari Lodge, located in perhaps one of the most beautiful settings in Africa with views of the Nile. From the lodge, it may be possible to spot herds of elephants, hippos, and crocodiles, as well as a variety of birdlife. You'll stay in a charming wood chalet with private bath facilities and a deck overlooking the river.
Today you'll start early for a breathtaking game drive in northern Murchison falls and the chance to spot many African antelopes such as the leaf-eared Oribi, Jackson's Hartebeest, the beautiful Uganda Kob, and the Bohor Reedbuck. Drive towards the delta and Albert Nile for encounters with hunters such as lions, leopards, hyenas, and jackals and herbivores such as the African Elephant, Chad or Cape Buffalo, Hippos and many loose societies of Rothschild’s Giraffe. Birder's will delight in the large number of birdlife including the Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, and Denham’s Bustard and large eagles such as the Bateleur and Brown Snake as well as large flocks of vultures. You'll return to the lodge for lunch and some down time.
In the afternoon, take a boat safari up to the bottom of the falls and be rewarded with a view of the wildlife that come to cool off from the afternoon's hot, dry sun including the resident hippos and crocodiles. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Depending on the success of the last days' drives, today you'll have another chance to find what might have been missed, or you can take a walk around the lodge or even relax or take a swim at the lodge pool. Afterwards, make the drive to Masindi via the top of the falls, enjoying the fantastic scenery along the way. In Masindi, enjoy a western Ugandan dance called "Entogoro" from the Banyoro people living around Masindi.
Overnight at one of Uganda's oldest hotels offering clean, comfortable, and spacious rooms with attached bath.
Today, start after an early breakfast for a long drive to Kibale National Park with lots of stops for birds, animals, and photos along the way. You may encounter large congregations of Olive Baboons and Black and White Colobus, Red Colobus, Red-tailed and Velvet monkeys. Kibale National Park is a popular habitat for 13 known primate species, including the closest living cousin of man - the chimpanzee. You'll arrive at your lodge, located on the edge of Kibale National Park amidst beautiful gardens, tea plantations, and indigenous forests. Enjoy beautiful views of the park, crater lakes, and Rwenzori Mountains from your cottage.
After breakfast, head out on chimpanzee tracking adventure in Kibale. These impressive creatures are the most human-like of mammals, sharing about 98% of the same dna as humans. During the tracking, you may encounter other primates such as the L’Hoest’s, Red Colobus, Gray-cheeked Mangabey, and Red-tailed Monkeys, and the Olive Baboon.
In the afternoon, visit the Bigodi wetland, which is managed by the local community. This project was started by an American Peace Corps volunteer who was trying to develop ways for the local people to derive income by protecting their forest for ecotourism. These efforts have survived as a successful model which funds a school and employs local people as hosts, guards, and guides. Here, you might spot the elusive Sitatunga Antelope among the papyrus and several interesting species of birds such as the White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, and Carruthre’s Cisticola. Enjoy a traditionally-prepared lunch from the local group that manages this wetland then return to your lodge in Kibale.
Journey through Uganda’s beautiful scenic areas with a potential clear view of the Mountains of the Moon, depending on the cloud cover. As you near your destination, stop for a game drive on the way to Queen Elizabeth National Park - the second-largest national park in Uganda. In terms of diversity, this park is amazing - with 612 known species of birds. Special birds of this park include the Harlequin and Blue Quails, Red-capped Lark, African Crake, Broad-tailed Warbler, Martial Eagle, African Skimmer, Verreaux's Eagle-Owl, and the Amur Falcon. Primates include the Olive Baboon, Valvet Monkey, and Tantalus monkey. In the Chambura Gorge, you'll find chimpanzees, as well as the Blue and Red-tailed Monkeys. In the afternoon, embark on a boat ride along the Kazinga Channel where you'll get close to hippos, buffalos, and crocodiles. Elephants often swim here as well. The birdlife is very rich and quite approachable, including Saddle-billed Stork, both species of Pink-backed and Great Pelicans, and other migratory species. The Striated Heron, Water Thick-knee, Three-banded Plover, Marsh, Green, Wood, and Common Sandpipers, Gray-headed Gull, and Yellow-billed Oxpecker are typically seen.
Overnight at the Parkview Safari Lodge (or similar), one of the best lodges in the park. The cottages here are built using natural materials that blends in nicely with their surroundings and offers fantastic views of the park savannah.
After breakfast, head out to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for a wildlife safari. The seasonal Ishasha sector provides a good chance of seeing the area's tree-climbing lions. On a good day, you might also catch a glimpse of a leopard or two. Troupes of Olive Baboons also frequent the roads. Be on the lookout for other interesting savannah animals and birds, including the Black-lored Parrot, Arrow-marked Babbler, Ovambo Sparrow Hawk, African Cuckoo Hawk, stout, zitting, Wing-snapping and Trilling Cisticolas, Brown Snake Eagle, Holub’s Golden Weaver, Black Cuckoo, and Blue-naped Mousebird.
Overnight at the Bakiga Lodge (or similar), located at top of a beautiful valley overlooking the Bwindi Forest for the next 2 nights. You'll stay in traditional style cabins or luxury tents with private baths.
Set off early with a packed lunch to Bwindi's park headquarters for a briefing prior to the gorilla tracking. The gorillas are gentle animals, and it is an unforgettable experience to locate, observe, and photograph their family groups. You'll be assigned a family group and it may require walking anywhere from 20 minutes to three hours to reach them, depending on where they've been located after sunrise. Game scouts are likely to have pre-located them and radioed back their location to your guide, but the animals are wide-ranging and don’t stick to the trails. Each encounter is different and has its own rewards. You are likely to enjoy a close view of the adults feeding, grooming, and resting as the youngsters frolic and swing from vines in a delightfully-playful display. Gorilla tracking involves part or all of a day in the Impenetrable Forest. In rare instances, finding, reaching, observing, and returning from a group takes an entire day of rather difficult trekking through thick, sometimes muddy vegetation and hilly terrain. You need to be physically fit if you wish to maximize your chances. Very occasionally, in spite of all efforts, the gorillas prove elusive. Depending on the time you return to the camp, you might be able to visit some of the communities around the gorillas' habitat or spend an evening birding around Buhoma.
After breakfast, make the estimated four hour drive to Lake Mburo National Park, a former game reserve until it became a national park in 1983. This is the smallest of Uganda's savannah national parks and a portion of the park's entrance fees are used to fund local community projects. Together, with 13 other lakes in the area, Lake Mburo forms part of a 30 mile long wetland system that is linked by a swamp. Five of these lakes lie within the park's borders. Because there are no elephants to tame the vegetation, the park contains many forests. Here you'll enjoy a game safari to possibly see zebras, topis, elands, buffaloes, hippos, and leopards as well as a number of water birds such as pelicans, cormorant, fish eagle, and storks. Other bird species include the rare white-winged warbler, brown parrot, and African grey hornbill. This is the only park in the country where you can see impalas, slender mongoose, and the giant bush rat.
If you like, take a night safari for the best chances to see some of the more elusive species of the park such as leopards, hyena, porcupines, etc. Recently a giant ground pangolin was spotted on a night drive not far from Rwakobo Rock.
Dinner and overnight will be at Rwakobo Rock (or similar), an eco-friendly, family run hotel situated on a scenic outcrop at the edge of Lake Mburo National Park. Zebras, warthogs, impalas, and bushbucks often congregate at the water-hole below the dining area and the sounds of the wild come to life at night. Every night (weather permitting), the staff set up a camp fire from where you can watch the sunset and enjoy the starlit sky.
If adding on the Rwanda extension, today you'll cross into Rwanda and stay at a lodge at Volcanoes National Park.
After breakfast, dpeart for Entebbe via the Mabamba Swamp for the chance to encounter Uganda's most famous bird - the Shoebill. This prehistoric looking bird really has to be seen to be believed and is a great way to end your memorable Uganda experience. Many other water birds you may also see include a variety of herons and ducks, African and lesser jacanas, malachite kingfishers, and swamp flycatchesr. As African fish eagles soar overhead and as your canoe is paddled deeper into the swamps, be on the look-out for species that live among the papyrus plants (a reed-like swamp plant) including the white-winged warbler and papyrus gonolek.
Afterwards, transfer to the airport for your evening flight, or extend to other parts of Africa.
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