The 14 days adventures which leads to gorillas, chimpanzees, tree climbing lions and wildlife is one of the most rewarding safaris to undertake. Will take this Uganda safari through with your safari customized 4×4 vehicle starting right from Entebbe to Kampala, and drive to Kibale NP, Queen Elizabeth NP, Bwindi Impenetrable NP, Mgahinga Gorilla NP, and Lake Mburo NP. This road trip through the Pearl of African will lead you to do, gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, golden monkey tracking, tree climbing lion tracking, volcanic hiking, game drives and boat cruises, horse ridings and many more.
Each of the day of this trip starts with a breakfast, lunch and dinner for the meal course. This trip suggestion is a mid-luxury trip and all-inclusive.
Itinerary Summary;
- Day 1: Arrive in Uganda and Transfer to Kibale National Park
- Day 2: Chimpanzee Habituation
- Day 3: Bigodi Sanctuary Nature Walk and Bigodi Community Visit
- Day 4: Crater Lakes and Cave Visits and Hikes
- Day 5: Game Drive and Boat Cruise
- Day 6: Visit Kyambura Gorge, Track Chimpanzee and Drive to Ishasha
- Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Day 8: Trek Mountain Gorillas
- Day 9: Batwa and Visit Lake Mutanda
- Day 10: Golden Monkey tracking and Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
- Day 11: Stay and Explore Lake Bunyonyi
- Day 12: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park En-route to Igongo Cultural Center
- Day 13: Horse riding and Boar ride
- Day 14: Drive back to Kampala, Fly back home
Detailed Trip
Day 1: Arrive in Uganda and Transfer to Kibale National Park
Reach in Uganda via Entebbe Airport, meet our representative and receive you 4×4 car rental to use for the rest of your holiday in Uganda. Then will transfer to Kibale National Park in western Uganda. The drive will take about 4 hours and reaching the park you will check-in at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation (midrange): Primate Lodge
Day 2: Chimpanzee Habituation
Breakfast, then will hurry to Kanyachu starting point for the day track, well prepared with packed eats, enough drinking water, wearing tracking gears. The chimpanzee habituation adventure is more than just a track but a full day spent with the apes. The habituation process is aimed at making the chimps used to human presence, before they are set for tracking. Habituation is done in a limitation of 4 trackers, and it’s a full day spent following the apes, and on watching the chimpanzee you have 4 hours following the apes. After the track, will return to the starting point, refresh and make your lunch. Then will rest at your lodge for the rest of the hours. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Accommodation (midrange): Primate Lodge
Day 3: Bigodi Sanctuary Nature Walk and Bigodi Community Visit
Breakfast, then visit the Bigodi sanctuary to track various primates, the Kibale National Park hosts the highest number of primate species in the country with about 13 primates including; black and white colobus, red tailed monkeys, Mangebay, baboons, bush babies, L’Hoest, Vevert monkeys, pattas, pottos among others. So, the nature walk at the sanctuary is rewarding with sights of some of these monkeys, and as well there are chances of seeing chimpanzee plus numerous bird species, amazing tree plantations, and several mammals like bushbucks, among others.
Then, at the local community will refresh with lunch and take an afternoon visit to the community at Bigodi village. Around village will understand how the community is involved in the conservation of the protected areas around them. You can as well to buy some of the souvenirs made from local materials from the wetland. The return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation (midrange): Primate Lodge
Day 4: Crater Lakes and Cave Visits and Hikes
Breakfast, and drive through Fort Portal and continue to Amabere Cave which are backed-up with an interesting story. The legendary stories of the Bachwezi dynasty, the daughter of the King called Nyinamwiru was believed to have lost her breast after her father cut them off. So, reaching at the site you have to slope under the caves of waterfalls. Then afterwards you take a hike through Crater Lakes which an amazing hike that last for about an hour. Afterwards, you will drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Reaching the park in the evening hours then check-in at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation (Midrange): Park View Safari Lodge
Day 5: Game Drive and Boat Cruise
Today with packed breakfast will drive to Kasenyi section of Queen Elizabeth National Park for an incredible early game drive. Driving with packed breakfast is to enjoy morning bloody sunrise with a bit, it’s very amazing. A game viewing is packed with variety of wildlife species including; elephants, Uganda kobs, bushbucks, buffalos, lions, warthogs among so many species to watch accompanied by several bird species. Refresh with lunch, then will en-route to Mweya peninsular, for a boat cruise on Kazinga channel more animals seen coming to the channel banks to draw water and the aquatic life lousily relaxed at water banks.
Accommodation (Midrange): Park View Safari Lodge
Day 6: Chimpanzee at Kyambura and Drive to Ishasha
Breakfast, then a morning drive Kyambura gorge east of Queen Elizabeth National Park to track the chimpanzees here. You will take a guided walk through the forests of Kyambura and as well will track chimpanzees here. After the track, with lunch en-route will drive to Ishasha sector, then will take the afternoon drive to search for the rare tree climbing lions which remained special for Ishasha in Queen Elizabeth National Park. On a game drive through the acacias of Ishasha savannah you find the Kings of the Jungle walking and lazily relaxed under tree branches. The tree climbing track is done alongside a lot of other animals watch.
Accommodation (midrange): Ishasha Wilderness Camp
Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Breakfast, a morning drive through Ishasha sector and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. It’s about 5 hours’ drive with a lunch en-route. Will reach the park in the evening hours and enter the park via Ruhija gate. Relax, enjoy your dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Accommodation (Midrange): Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
Day 8: Trek Mountain Gorillas
Breakfast, hurry to the starting point for trekking briefing, get grouped in 8s of trekkers accompanied by an armed ranger guide will embark for a search for the gentle giants. The trekking adventure lasts for about 30 minutes to about 4 hours to find your assigned habituated gorilla family. Walking through the unmade paths, through moist thick jungle, hikes and slopes through hills and valleys and on finding the gorillas it’s a tiresome moment, but seeing the gorilla species, you have to find out that all the tiresomeness is forgotten. An encounter with the gorilla, you will have strictly one hour before them, then will be walking back to the starting point. You will be very exhausted, you just need to drive back to your lodge and relax.
Accommodation (Midrange): Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
Day 9: Batwa and Visit Lake Mutanda
Breakfast, then take a drive to the Batwa community, to see the Batwa people also known as the forest pygmies who once co-lived with the gorillas in the same forest. These people narrate their passionately touching stories, and offer entertainment moments with songs and dances. Can also decide to buy some of their handcraft to support their livelihood. Then will drive to Lake Mutanda take an evening boat ride and afterward will check-in at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation (midrange): Mutanda Lake Resort
Day 10: Golden Monkey tracking and Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
Breakfast, hurry to go and track the endangered golden monkeys which are only endemic to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. Golden monkey tracking starts as early at 8am, so you have to be at the center in Mgahinga by 7:30am for the morning session. The beautiful and nice looking golden monkeys live in communities of over 30 individuals and more. These monkeys are habituated meaning tracker can have that close-up moment. The track in volcanic forests of Mgahinga can last for about 30 minutes to 3 hours and when found the brownish monkeys you have an hour in their presence.
After tracking these beautiful creatures, will drive to Lake Bunyonyi reaching in the evening hours check-in at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation (midrange): BirdNest Resort
Day 11: Stay and Explore Lake Bunyonyi
Spend the day exploring and relaxed at the amazing Lake Bunyonyi. This lake is the 2nd deepest lake in Africa, and jeweled with a simple and unique landscape view. Reaching at the lake you will take a boat ride to one of the islands. Then will check-in at your lodge and relax under the melodies of many small birds like the name suggests. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Accommodation (midrange): BirdNest Resort
Day 12: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park En-route to Igongo Cultural Center
Breakfast, then transfer from Lake Bunyonyi drive to Lake Mburo via Mbarara. Along your drive will en-route to Igongo cultural center, will visit the museum which narrates the past western culture and tradition of the Ankole people. Then will as well have your lunch at Igongo and continue to Lake Mburo National Park, reaching the park in the evening hours relax. Check-in at your lodge and at 7pm will take a night game drive. This night game drive on torches is very rewarding with views of prides and predators actively hunting. However, there is more about the evening drive to bringing a night vision and mode of all wildlife. Then will return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation (midrange): Arcadia lodge
Day 13: Horse riding and Boar ride
Breakfast, then drive to Mihingo lodge and do a horse ride, one of exciting thing which brings you close to nature and its treasures. The horse rides takes various trails and rates according to the desires of the guest, the absence of elephants at the park make horse riding an incredible experience at the park. Have lunch refresh and take an afternoon boat ride on Lake Mburo, which is very rewarding with various animal encounters including buffalos, highest concentration of Impalas and many other considerations. Returning to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation (Midrange): Arcadia Lodge
Day 14: Drive back to Kampala, Fly back home
Breakfast, with all you luggage packed in your car, will take an early game viewing drive, the savannah plains of will take a drive back to Kampala. Take a stopover at the Equator for photography and then hurry to Kampala. Will reach Kampala by late evening afternoon hours.
4×4 Car Hire FAQ
When is best month for Self drive Safari in East Africa?
For the best game viewing self-drive safari, mid -June, July, August, September October are ideal months.
April to May (the ‘long rains’) and November to December (the ‘short rains’).
How much does a self drive safari cost in East Africa?
A budget 4×4 self drive safari is from USD 1000 to USD 2000.
Is it safe to drive in East Africa?
Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania are more Safer. With taking standard precautions Uganda too is safe.
What comes with my camping gear?
- Roof Top Tent
- Sleeping Pads with a Pillow
- Camping Stove
- Cookware and Utensils
- Storage box / Cooler
- Lanterns/Flashlights
- Portable Chairs and Table
- Camping Lights/Headlamps
- First Aid Kit
4×4 camper vehicle rental price
Prices Include: Rooftop Tent | Camping Gear | Spare Tire | 24/7 Road Side Assistance | Vehicle Replacement