We're as excited as you are to get started on your Ugandan safari. After an introduction to your guide and a few brief formalities, it's time to get out there and find the animals for which Uganda is so famous. The capital of Uganda, Kampala derives its name from a local phrase meaning Hill of Antelope; you won't find any antelope here today, but rather a rapidly growing city whose high-rise center ranks among the most important economic hubs in East Africa, with a varied culinary scene and nightlife.
On your arrival at Entebbe Airport, meet and greet and then transfer to the Lake Victoria Hotel. If time permits, visit the famous Entebbe Botanical Gardens and discover amazing flora species. You can also enjoy seeing a variety of bird species like the pink-backed pelican, yellow-billed stork, Eastern grey plantain-eater, yellow white-eye, purple-banded sunbird, African jacana, lesser jacana, yellow-billed duck, glossy ibis and many others.
The drive to the Kibale Forest area is a full day of approximately 7 hours. After leaving the Lake Victoria Basin, you pass through the beautiful agricultural countryside where every type of fruit and vegetable imaginable is grown. Upon reaching Kyanjojo, in the lower foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains (mountains of the moon), we drive through beautiful tea plantations and into the Kibale tropical rainforest.
The drive passes through Fort Portal and then south along the Eastern length of the Rwenzori Mountains with the hope of viewing the glaciated peaks. We gently descend to the Great African Rift Valley and Queen Elizabeth National Park and arrive at Mweya Lodge. The lodge is situated on a peninsula overlooking Lake Edward and the Kazinga Channel, offering beautiful views of the park with the Rwenzori Mountains in the background. As a result, it has one of the highest biodiversity ratings of any game reserve in the world, including a total of 95 recorded mammal species and more than 610 species of birds.
We drive to Mbarara passing through the "Switzerland of East Africa" area and eventually into the Ankole cattle country around Mbarara. These cattle are incredible with horns larger than one can imagine. Lake Mburo National Park is a small park, excellent for birding, antelope, and other grazers, and one of the only places to easily see impala and zebra in Uganda.
After breakfast, we take a short drive to the park headquarters and meet the excellent local guides and trackers who will give a talk on the etiquette of gorilla trekking. We then hike into the forest where the gorillas were seen the night before and track from that point. The trekking can take from 1 to 6 hours and climb to altitudes in excess of 7,500 feet. The terrain is rough and muddy at times.
Once the gorillas are located, all fatigue is forgotten. This experience is often described as being the most profound, natural history experience in the world. Picnic lunches are provided and it is important to take plenty of water. Cameras and plenty of fast-speed films are also recommended. It can rain at any time, hence waterproof clothing is a good essential including ziplock bags for cameras and film.
We line up internal airport transfers, lodge nights, and permit days on one road loop so game drives, channel launches, forest treks, and the Lake Mburo boat fit together without you chasing separate vouchers.
Your English-speaking driver guide stays with the vehicle from arrival through the western parks and back toward Entebbe, so daily briefings, packed meals, and gate times stay consistent.
On your arrival at Entebbe Airport, meet and greet and then transfer to the Lake Victoria Hotel. If time permits, visit the famous Entebbe Botanical Gardens and discover amazing flora species. You can also enjoy seeing a variety of bird species like the pink-backed pelican, yellow-billed stork, Eastern grey plantain-eater, yellow white-eye, purple-banded sunbird, African jacana, lesser jacana, yellow-billed duck, glossy ibis and many others.
Accommodation ; Latitude0 hotel
The drive to the Kibale Forest area is a full day of approximately 7 hours. After leaving the Lake Victoria Basin, you pass through the beautiful agricultural countryside where every type of fruit and vegetable imaginable is grown. Upon reaching Kyanjojo, in the lower foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains (mountains of the moon), we drive through beautiful tea plantations and into the Kibale tropical rainforest. Check in at your hotel for an overnight stay.
Accommodation; Turaco treetops
This morning we get the opportunity to explore Kibale Forest National Park. Kibale Forest is home to 13 primate species and a guided forest trek can be taken in search of one of the most popular primate species in the world, the chimpanzee. There are 9 diurnal primates which include the vervet monkey, red-tailed monkey, L'Hoest's monkey, blue monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey, red colobus, black and white colobus, olive baboon, and the most famous of all, the chimpanzee. In the afternoon, we go on a swamp walk.
Accommodatin; Turaco treetops
The drive passes through Fort Portal and then south along the Eastern length of the Rwenzori Mountains with the hope of viewing the glaciated peaks. We gently descend to the Great African Rift Valley and Queen Elizabeth National Park and arrive at Mweya Lodge. The lodge is situated on a peninsula overlooking Lake Edward and the Kazinga Channel, offering beautiful views of the park with the Rwenzori Mountains in the background. As a result, it has one of the highest biodiversity ratings of any game reserve in the world, including a total of 95 recorded mammal species and more than 610 species of birds.
In the afternoon, we will explore the park and its wonders on a game drive. Accommodation; the bush lodge banda
Today, we go on game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park including a launch trip of about 2 hours on the Kazinga Channel. You'll view some of the largest concentrations of hippos in the world (reported to be about 30,000) and other game, as well as excellent birding. Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the best birding parks in Africa, with more than 560 recorded species and a record of 296 bird species seen in a 24-hour period.
Accommodation; The bush lodge banda
Today we drive through the park to the Ishasha region. During the game drive, we search for the tree-climbing lions (75% success rate) and other game. In the afternoon, we drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a World Heritage Site, passing through the scenic area known as the "Switzerland of East Africa". The driving today is about 5.5 hours (excluding the game drives).
Accommodation; Gorilla valley lodge
After breakfast, we take a short drive to the park headquarters and meet the excellent local guides and trackers who will give a talk on the etiquette of gorilla trekking. We then hike into the forest where the gorillas were seen the night before and track from that point. The trekking can take from 1 to 6 hours and climb to altitudes in excess of 7,500 feet. The terrain is rough and muddy at times. Although the hike is physically demanding, the beauty of the forest and surrounding scenery make the trekking worthwhile.
Once the gorillas are located, all fatigue is forgotten. This experience is often described as being the most profound, natural history experience in the world. Picnic lunches are provided and it is important to take plenty of water. Cameras and plenty of fast-speed films are also recommended. It can rain at any time, hence waterproof clothing is a good essential including ziplock bags for cameras and film. Accommodation; gorlla valley lodge
We drive to Mbarara passing through the "Switzerland of East Africa" area and eventually into the Ankole cattle country around Mbarara. These cattle are incredible with horns larger than one can imagine. Continue to Lake Mburo National Park for a game drive. The drive today is 6 to 7 hours.
Lake Mburo National Park is a small park, excellent for birding, antelope, and other grazers, and one of the only places to easily see impala and zebra in Uganda. Buffalo, waterbuck, and eland are amongst the variety of wildlife to be seen. Game drives offer particularly picturesque game viewing with the park's mixture of savannah, acacia woodlands, grassy valleys, rocky outcrops, swamps, lakes, and rolling hills. Accommodation; kigambira safari lodge
After breakfast will drive through the park for our morning game drive where you will be able to see the zebra, giraffe, antelope, impalas and many more wildlife. After the game drive you will have a boat cruise to explore more wildlife. Our guide will take you through different route in the park for the best views.
Accommodation; kigambira safari lodge
We have an early morning game drive before heading back to Entebbe. The drive back takes approximately 5 hours, depending on the road and weather. If time permits, it is possible to stop in Kampala for shopping and lunch and to visit the Mpigi Royal Drum Makers.
You are then transferred to Entebbe International Airport to connect with your flight. Please note the departure must be in the late afternoon or evening, alternatively, we can arrange another overnight stay in Entebbe.
On your arrival at Entebbe Airport, meet and greet and then transfer to the Lake Victoria Hotel to begin the loop as written for day one.
On day ten you are transferred to Entebbe International Airport to connect with your flight; the departure should be in the late afternoon or evening, or we can arrange another overnight stay in Entebbe.
Nights follow this tour's lodge sequence with Lake Victoria Hotel on arrival, Turaco Treetops at Kibale, banda rooms at The Bush Lodge in Queen Elizabeth, Gorilla Valley Lodge by Bwindi, and Kigambira Safari Lodge at Lake Mburo.
Rooms are set up for safari rhythms with early starts, meals on your included plan, and evening briefings on trekking times, packed lunches, and drive lengths for the next day.
Waterproof clothing is a good essential on gorilla trekking days, including ziplock bags for cameras and film.
Take plenty of water on trekking days, and bring cameras and plenty of fast-speed films.
Price includes all internal Airport transfers, all meals, fully guided hosting, all accommodations on the route, all permits and Park entry fees, and transport between the sectors named in the itinerary for this 10-Day Uganda Budget Safaris product.
Choose the group-size option at checkout that matches your party so lodge rooming and vehicle use follow how we run this departure.
Price excludes laundry services, international flights, visa costs, souvenirs, and tips, matching the price excludes list on the operator tour page for this itinerary.
Plan visa and flights outside the package, bring cash or card for personal shopping and tipping at lodges and with guides, and budget laundry only where properties offer it as a paid extra.
The drive to the Kibale Forest area is a full day of approximately 7 hours, as written on day two of this itinerary.
After leaving the Lake Victoria Basin you pass through agricultural countryside, then tea plantations at Kyanjojo and into the Kibale tropical rainforest before checking in at Turaco treetops for the night.
Today, we go on game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park including a launch trip of about 2 hours on the Kazinga Channel. You'll view some of the largest concentrations of hippos in the world (reported to be about 30,000) and other game, as well as excellent birding.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the best birding parks in Africa, with more than 560 recorded species and a record of 296 bird species seen in a 24-hour period, so bring binoculars and a zoom lens for channel banks and open water.
After briefing at park headquarters you hike into the forest where the gorillas were seen the night before and track from that point; trekking can take from 1 to 6 hours and climb to altitudes in excess of 7,500 feet on rough, muddy ground.
Once the gorillas are located, all fatigue is forgotten; picnic lunches are provided, and it is important to take plenty of water, cameras, fast-speed films, and waterproof layers because rain can arrive at any time.
Today we drive through the park to the Ishasha region; during the game drive, we search for the tree-climbing lions (75% success rate) and other game before driving toward Bwindi in the afternoon.
The afternoon leg crosses scenery known as the "Switzerland of East Africa" toward Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a World Heritage Site, with roughly five and a half hours of driving excluding the game drives.
Lake Mburo National Park is a small park, excellent for birding, antelope, and other grazers, and one of the only places to easily see impala and zebra in Uganda, with buffalo, waterbuck, and eland among the variety of wildlife.
Game drives use savannah, acacia woodlands, grassy valleys, rocky outcrops, swamps, lakes, and rolling hills, and a boat cruise adds views from the water.
We have an early morning game drive before heading back to Entebbe; the drive back takes approximately 5 hours, depending on the road and weather.
If time permits, it is possible to stop in Kampala for shopping and lunch and to visit the Mpigi Royal Drum Makers before the transfer to Entebbe International Airport for a late afternoon or evening flight, or we add another overnight stay in Entebbe.
On your arrival at Entebbe Airport, meet and greet and then transfer to the Lake Victoria Hotel; if time permits, visit the famous Entebbe Botanical Gardens to discover amazing flora species.
Birds there can include pink-backed pelican, yellow-billed stork, Eastern grey plantain-eater, yellow white-eye, purple-banded sunbird, African jacana, lesser jacana, yellow-billed duck, glossy ibis, and many others named on day one.
This safari runs fully guided with one English-speaking driver guide and road transport between Entebbe, western parks, and return sectors.
The same team keeps gate times, permit days, and lodge check-ins coherent from arrival through the Lake Mburo sector and your final run back toward the airport.
We partner with Rewilding Britain to help protect our natural spaces for future adventures.
All centres are vetted for safety and quality. Your adventure is in good hands with adventuro.
About the centre
Entebbe
We arrange guided wildlife safaris, primate trekking, and canoe adventures across Uganda and neighbouring East Africa, from short national-park circuits to multi-day lodge-to-lodge journeys. Whether you are planning your first gorilla trek, a birding route through forest and savanna, or a river canoe trail, we shape the trip around how you like to travel and how much time you have.
Our team coordinates airport or hotel pickups, 4x4 road transport, park logistics, and hosting on the ground so you can focus on the experience. We give straight advice on trekking fitness, permit timing, and what to bring, and we stay in touch from your first enquiry through to departure.
Operated by Verdoro Safaris, a partner of adventuro.
