Safari Overview
A relaxed Uganda highlights safari covering the country’s major primates, big wildlife landscapes, the Nile and scenic south-west.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrival in Entebbe
Meet your Bush Shrike Adventures guide, settle into the journey and review the route at an easy pace after your flight.
Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.
Day 2 – Ziwa Rhinos & Murchison Falls
Walk with a ranger at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to look for white rhinos on foot. The experience adds rhinos to a broader Uganda wildlife journey and gives time to learn about their protection and monitoring.
Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.
Day 3 – Murchison Wildlife & Nile Boat
Set out across the northern savannah for giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, hartebeest, antelopes and predators when conditions are favourable. Later, a Nile boat cruise offers a second angle on the park’s wildlife.
Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.
Day 4 – Murchison to Kibale
Drive toward Kibale’s forested landscape, passing tea country, crater lakes and village scenery before settling near the forest for the next primate experience.
Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.
Day 5 – Chimpanzee Tracking
Join a guided chimpanzee tracking walk in Kibale Forest. Listen for calls in the canopy, follow signs with your ranger and spend time with a habituated community when located. The forest also supports monkeys, birds and rich plant life.
Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.
Day 6 – Kibale to Queen Elizabeth
Enter Queen Elizabeth National Park for savannah wildlife, crater scenery and the possibility of elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, lions and prolific birdlife.
Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.
Day 7 – Game Drive & Kazinga Channel
Take a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, where hippos, crocodiles, waterbirds and animals coming to drink create one of Uganda’s most relaxed wildlife-viewing sessions.
Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.
Day 8 – Queen Elizabeth to Bwindi
Travel through the green highlands toward Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, with changing views of farms, forested hills and small trading centres.
Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.
Day 9 – Gorilla Trekking
After the ranger briefing, enter the forest with trackers to search for a habituated mountain gorilla family. The walk can be short or demanding depending on the gorillas’ location. Once found, enjoy the permitted viewing time quietly observing behaviour and photographing the encounter before returning to the trailhead.
Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.
Day 10 – Lake Bunyonyi
Continue to Lake Bunyonyi for a slower afternoon beside the terraced hills and island-dotted water. This is a good place to rest after trekking and enjoy optional canoeing or a gentle community walk.
Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.
Day 11 – Lake Mburo National Park
Explore Lake Mburo National Park, a compact landscape of acacia woodland, open grassland and lakes where zebras, impalas, elands, buffaloes and abundant birds can be seen.
Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.
Day 12 – Return to Entebbe
After breakfast, begin the final transfer to the airport or your agreed drop-off point. Stops can be arranged around flight timing, and your guide will help keep the final day comfortable and unhurried.
Your guide will discuss the next stage of the journey, likely driving time, suitable stops and the best way to use the day. Meals and accommodation are arranged according to the safari category you choose, and the programme remains flexible where park rules and permit times allow.
Customize This Safari
This itinerary is a strong starting point rather than a fixed formula. Bush Shrike Adventures can change the accommodation level, add or remove nights, include domestic flights, adjust the arrival city, add birding time, slow the pace for photography or combine the trip with more destinations in Uganda or Rwanda.
Safari Includes
Airport transfers where required
Private 4×4 safari vehicle and fuel
Professional English-speaking safari guide
Accommodation and meals as stated in the confirmed quotation
Park entry and activities specifically listed in the confirmed itinerary
Bottled drinking water in the safari vehicle
Safari Excludes
International flights
Entry visas
Travel insurance
Optional activities not listed as included
Alcoholic and premium beverages
Tips, gratuities and personal expenses
Gorilla or chimpanzee permits unless specifically included in the quotation
