Itinerary

Day 1

U.S. / En Route

Fly independently to Entebbe, Uganda. (Meals Aloft)

Day 2

En Route / Entebbe, Uganda

Connect with your flight to Entebbe, Uganda, arriving in the evening, and transfer to the gracious Windsor Lake Victoria Hotel. (Meals Aloft)

Day 3

Entebbe / Kampala

Begin our Uganda gorilla safari with a morning visit to the Entebbe Botanical Gardens, established during the colonial era, with a superb collection of indigenous trees and shrubs and some of the bird watching for which Uganda is famous. There are good chances of seeing vervet and colobus monkeys. In the afternoon, we travel to Kampala, tour the city center and visit the National Museum. Discuss the next day’s activities on our Uganda tour itinerary and enjoy a welcome dinner back at our hotel. (B,L,D)

Day 4

Murchison Falls National Park

Today we set out on a full-day drive to the Murchison Falls National Park. We’ll descend the escarpment of the western corridor of the Great Rift Valley, enjoying fine views of Lake Albert. In the late afternoon we arrive at our home for the next three nights of our Uganda gorilla trek itinerary, Nile Safari Camp. This luxurious tented camp (with en-suite facilities) lies on the banks of the Victoria Nile, and your tent has a private veranda overlooking the river. (B,L,D)
 
Day 5

Murchison Falls National Park

Today we take the renowned launch journey on the Victoria Nile to the base of spectacular Murchison Falls, where the full force of the Nile is channeled into a narrow gorge just 20 feet wide. The wildlife along the river is exceptional: hundreds of hippos, large numbers of enormous crocodiles, a good chance of seeing elephants and vast numbers of birds. We may see one of the greatest rarities of all: the shoebill, a huge bird with a massive bill related to storks and herons. We then drive to top of the falls for lunch, and take a walk for a great view of the falls. We view wildlife as we return to our camp. (B,L,D)

Day 6

Murchison Falls National Park

Today we explore the park’s northern sector, where part of The African Queen was filmed. Wildlife, after the turmoil of the Amin years, is returning rapidly, and we look for elephant, lion, giraffe, sitatunga, Uganda kob, buffalo and a great deal more. We then take a boat to the Lake Albert Delta in search of shoebills, elephants and other wildlife. (B,L,D)

Day 7

Kibale Forest National Park

Our Uganda tour travels to the Kibale Forest area, seeing beautiful, fertile land that supports a wealth of agriculture. We traverse the foothills of the Ruwenzori Mountains (the Mountains of the Moon), pass tea plantations and reach the Kibale Forest. The acclaimed Ndali Lodge is situated on a high saddle between two crater lakes, with breathtaking views of Lake Rukwanzi and mountain slopes planted with bananas. Rooms are decorated with local crafts and have four-poster beds. There is no electricity, but candles and oil lamps create the romantic feel of “old Africa.” (B, Box L,D)

Day 8

Kibale Forest National Park

Today we walk in the Kibale Forest with skilled local guides in search of primates, including the star attractions: chimpanzees. While there is no guarantee of seeing chimps, the chances are good. If we find chimpanzees, we hope to spend about an hour observing their social behavior. After our walk we have a special treat: enjoying a traditional lunch in a local home, visiting the village of Bigodi, seeing a school, meeting local elders and getting insight into how the people of the area live and work. (B,L,D)
 
Day 9

Kibale Forest / Queen Elizabeth National Park

In the morning we visit one of the area’s swamps, where there is excellent birding and where we look for monkeys, including black-and-white colobus, red colobus, mangabey, L’Hoest’s monkey and others. Birds of the area include some of the large, noisy members of the turaco family. In the afternoon we drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, passing the eastern slopes of the Ruwenzori Mountains — the Mountains of the Moon. They are usually covered in cloud, but if luck is with us we may see the glaciated peaks. We arrive at Queen Elizabeth National Park and Mweya Lodge, which is situated on a peninsula overlooking Lake Edward and Kazinga Channel with the Ruwenzoris as backdrop. (B,L,D)

Day 10

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Today we enjoy game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of Africa’s premier national parks, known for its prolific wildlife. We look for elephant, buffalo, kob, waterbuck, bushbuck and predators including lion and leopard. Bird watching is remarkable, with about 600 species recorded. We’ll go by launch along the Kazinga Channel, which connects Lake George and Lake Edward, to view the large concentration of hippos. We’ll also visit a crater lake where salt is harvested for export to the Congo. (B,L,D)
 
Day 11

Queen Elizabeth National Park / Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

In the morning we drive to the less-visited Ishasha region of Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of the few places where lions regularly climb trees. We’ll look for them, along with a great deal of other wildlife. In the afternoon we drive to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, traversing the beautiful mountain landscapes known as the “Switzerland of East Africa.” We stay at the elegant Gorilla Forest Camp, whose tents have verandas and private facilities. (B, Box L,D)

Day 12

Gorilla Tracking / Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

This morning, we hike in search of endangered mountain gorillas in the company of outstanding local guides and trackers. The trekking during this portion of our Uganda gorilla safari is very taxing: it can take anywhere between one and six hours, and we may climb to altitudes of as much as 7,500 feet. The terrain is rough and at times muddy. The chances of finding gorillas are excellent, and our reward is the chance to spend time with some of the most remarkable creatures on Earth. This may well be the most exhilarating natural history experience in the world. The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a World Heritage Site, has other primates and excellent bird watching. We return to Gorilla Forest Camp for the night. (B, Box L,D)
 
Day 13

Lake Mburo National Park

We drive eastward to the town of Mbarara and on to the country of the Ankole people, seeing some of their renowned long-horned Ankole cattle. We continue to the outstanding Lake Mburo National Park, with a game drive in the afternoon. Lake Mburo is one of the few places in Uganda to see impala and zebra, and there is a wealth of other wildlife. We stay at the fine new Mihingo Lodge. (B,L,D)

Day 14

Lake Mburo National Park / Entebbe / En Route

After a final game drive, we drive back to Entebbe. We have dayrooms at the Windsor Lake Victoria Hotel, and transfer to the airport for our flight home. (B,L)

Day 15

U.S.

We connect with our flights to the U.S. (Meals Aloft)

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