12 Days Budget Uganda Safari | Gorillas & Wildlife Tour

If you dream of having a vacation but worry about your budget, this 12-day budget safari in Uganda is the perfect choice for you. Explore amazing destinations across the Pearl of Africa while enjoying warm hospitality, delicious Ugandan food, exciting wildlife experiences, and time with friendly local communities.

During this trip, you will visit Mabamba Wetland on the shores of Lake Victoria, Murchison Falls National Park, home to the world’s most powerful waterfalls, Kibale Forest National Park, known for its primates, Queen Elizabeth National Park, often called the “Medley of Wonders,” and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, the true African jungle and sanctuary for the endangered mountain gorillas. The safari will end at the peaceful Lake Bunyonyi, also known as the “second Switzerland of Africa.”

Activities throughout the twelve days include bird watching, boat cruises, game drives, photography, chimpanzee tracking, cultural experiences, and relaxation.

12-Day Uganda Safari Highlights

Day 1: Arrival & Short City Excursion
Day 2: Visit Mabamba Wetland – Birding
Day 3: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Day 4: Game Drive & Launch Cruise
Day 5: Top of the Falls Visit & Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
Day 6: Chimpanzee Trekking & Cold Springs Tour
Day 7: Depart Kibale National Park for Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 8: Morning Game Drive & Evening Boat Cruise
Day 9: Morning Lion Tracking & Depart to Buhoma Sector in Bwindi National Park
Day 10: Gorilla Tracking & Batwa Encounter
Day 11: Relaxation at Lake Bunyonyi
Day 12: Departure

Detailed 12-Day Uganda Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival & Short City Excursion

Today, our company representative will meet you at the airport and brief you about the different destinations and the rules to follow while in the country. The briefing lasts about one hour and includes a refreshing glass of juice before visiting the reptile village to learn about resident reptiles such as snakes, tortoises, and chameleons.

Afterward, you will have lunch, then visit the museum and local markets before proceeding to your lodge in the evening for dinner and rest.

Day 2: Visit Mabamba Wetland – Birding

Start your day with a tasty cup of coffee, followed by a full-day birding experience along the shores of Lake Victoria, the third-largest lake in the world. You will meet an experienced birder who will help you identify the different bird species, including the grey-headed gull, blue-breasted bee-eater, shoebill stork, Madagascar bee-eater, yellow-billed duck, and grey-rumped swallow.

Besides bird watching, you will also enjoy the cool lake breeze, photography, and beautiful sceneries before returning to your hotel for dinner and rest.

Day 3: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

After a peaceful night, enjoy a hearty breakfast before starting a 5–6-hour drive to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s oldest and largest park, known for the world’s most powerful waterfalls.

The journey will include two stopovers: one at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola District for rhino tracking and another at Kabalega Diner for a delicious Ugandan lunch. You will arrive at your lodge in the evening for dinner and rest.

Day 4: Game Drive & Launch Cruise

At around 7:00 a.m., depart for a morning game drive in the northern sector of the park. Look out for lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, warthogs, and antelopes. You may also see baboons, monkeys, and birds such as Egyptian geese, guinea fowls, and shoebill storks.

After the game drive and bush breakfast, return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, enjoy a 2–3-hour boat cruise to the bottom of Murchison Falls, where you can admire the powerful water flow through the narrow 7-meter gorge. Watch crocodiles, hippos, and water birds before returning to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Top of the Falls Visit & Transfer To Kibale Forest National Park

After breakfast, enjoy a short drive and visit the top of the falls to witness the force of the water and see the rainbow forming over the gorge. Take photos and admire the beautiful scenery.

Later, begin a 7–8-hour drive to Kibale Forest National Park, known for its primates. Enjoy the views of the countryside, plantations, and hills along the way. You will stop for lunch in Fort Portal, then continue to your lodge for dinner and rest.

Day 6: Chimpanzee Trekking & Cold Springs Tour

Have breakfast at sunrise, then head to Kibale’s park headquarters for registration and briefing before your chimpanzee trek. The forest is home to over 13 primate species, including colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and chimpanzees.

The trek offers sightings of birds and other animals, and once you find the chimpanzees, you will spend one hour observing and taking photos. Return to the lodge for lunch, then visit the cold springs in Isunga village and the “Top of the World” viewpoint before dinner and rest.

Day 7: Depart Kibale National Park tor Queen Elizabeth National Park

Begin your day with breakfast, then enjoy a scenic 4–6-hour drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda’s most visited park. The route passes through plantations, local villages, and mountain backdrops.

You will stop for lunch along the way before entering the park for an evening game drive. End the day with dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Day 8: Morning Game Drive & Evening Boat Trip

After breakfast, set off for a 4–5-hour morning game drive across the Savannah plains. Look out for lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, warthogs, Uganda kobs, and many birds, including the crested crane and Rwenzori turaco.

After lunch, enjoy a 2–4-hour boat trip along the Kazinga Channel, where you can see hippos, crocodiles, and various water birds. Later, return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 9: Morning Lion Tracking & Depart to Buhoma Sector in Bwindi National Park

After breakfast, head to the Ishasha sector for a 3–4-hour lion tracking experience. This area is known for its tree-climbing lions, often seen resting in the branches.

Have lunch in Ishasha, then continue your journey to the Buhoma sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You will arrive in the evening for dinner and rest.

Day 10: Gorilla Tracking & Batwa Encounter

After breakfast, head to the park headquarters for briefing and allocation of gorilla families. Trek through the forest for 1–7 hours in search of the gorillas while spotting birds, primates, and tree species along the way.

When you find the gorillas, spend one hour observing and photographing them. Watch the silverbacks, mothers, and young ones playing or feeding. After lunch, visit the Batwa pygmies for a cultural experience, including traditional dances and storytelling, before returning to the lodge for dinner and rest.

Day 11: Relaxation at Lake Bunyonyi

After breakfast, drive for about 2–3 hours to Lake Bunyonyi, one of the most beautiful and peaceful lakes in Uganda. The lake is surrounded by 27 islands and provides the perfect setting to relax after your safari.

You can enjoy canoe rides, swimming, bird watching, and photography before returning to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 12: Departure

After breakfast, check out and begin your 5–6-hour drive to Entebbe International Airport. You will stop for lunch along the way before continuing to catch your flight to your next destination.