If you dream of a getaway but worry about the budget, this 12-day budget safari in Uganda is a strong fit. Explore standout destinations across the country while enjoying warm hospitality, local food, wildlife experiences, and time with local communities.
This trip covers Mabamba Wetland on the shores of Lake Victoria, Murchison Falls National Park, home to the world’s most powerful waterfall, Kibale Forest National Park, known for its primates, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to the endangered mountain gorillas. The safari ends at Lake Bunyonyi, sometimes called the “second Switzerland of Africa.”
Activities across the twelve days include birdwatching, boat cruises, game drives, photography, chimpanzee tracking, cultural visits, and rest.
12-Day Uganda Safari Highlights
- Day 1: Arrival and 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 and launch cruise
- Day 5: Top of the Falls visit and transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
- Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and cold springs tour
- Day 7: Depart Kibale for Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Day 8: Morning game drive and evening boat cruise
- Day 9: Morning lion tracking and depart for Buhoma sector in Bwindi
- Day 10: Gorilla trekking and Batwa encounter
- Day 11: Relaxation at Lake Bunyonyi
- Day 12: Departure
Detailed 12-Day Uganda Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and Short City Excursion
Our company representative will meet you at the airport and brief you on the trip ahead and the country’s rules. The briefing lasts about an hour and includes a glass of juice before a visit to the reptile village to see resident snakes, tortoises, and chameleons.
Afterward, have lunch, then visit the museum and local markets before heading to your lodge in the evening for dinner and rest.
Day 2: Visit Mabamba Wetland, Birding
Start the day with coffee, followed by a full day of birding along the shores of Lake Victoria, the third-largest lake in the world. An experienced birder will help you identify species such as the grey-headed gull, blue-breasted bee-eater, shoebill stork, Madagascar bee-eater, yellow-billed duck, and grey-rumped swallow.
Alongside birdwatching, enjoy the lake breeze and photography opportunities before returning to your hotel for dinner and rest.
Day 3: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
After breakfast, begin a 5 to 6 hour drive to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s oldest and largest park.
The drive includes two stops: Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola District for rhino tracking, and Kabalega Diner for lunch. Arrive at your lodge in the evening for dinner and rest.
Day 4: Game Drive and Launch Cruise
Around 7:00am, depart for a morning game drive in the park’s northern sector, looking for lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, warthogs, and antelope, along with baboons, monkeys, and birds such as Egyptian geese, guinea fowl, and shoebill storks.
After a bush breakfast, return to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, take a 2 to 3 hour boat cruise to the base of Murchison Falls, where you can see the water forcing through a narrow 7-meter gorge, along with crocodiles, hippos, and water birds. Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 5: Top of the Falls Visit and Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
After breakfast, take a short drive to the top of the falls to see the water’s force up close and the rainbow that often forms over the gorge.
Afterward, begin a 7 to 8 hour drive to Kibale Forest National Park, known for its primates, passing countryside, plantations, and hills along the way. Stop for lunch in Fort Portal, then continue to your lodge for dinner and rest.
Day 6: Chimpanzee Trekking and Cold Springs Tour
After breakfast, head to Kibale’s park headquarters for registration and a briefing before your chimpanzee trek. The forest holds over 13 primate species, including colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and chimpanzees.
The trek offers chances to see birds and other wildlife, and once you find the chimpanzees, spend one hour observing and photographing them. 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 for Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, take a scenic 4 to 6 hour drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, passing plantations, local villages, and mountain views along the way.
Stop for lunch en route before entering the park for an evening game drive. End the day with dinner and rest at the lodge.
Day 8: Morning Game Drive and Evening Boat Trip
After breakfast, set out on a 4 to 5 hour morning game drive across the savanna, looking for lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, warthogs, Uganda kob, and birds including the crested crane and Rwenzori turaco.
After lunch, take a 2 to 4 hour boat trip along the Kazinga Channel, where you can see hippos, crocodiles, and water birds. Return to the lodge for dinner and rest.
Day 9: Morning Lion Tracking and Depart for Buhoma Sector in Bwindi National Park
After breakfast, head to the Ishasha sector for a 3 to 4 hour lion tracking experience, known for tree-climbing lions often seen resting in the branches.
Have lunch in Ishasha, then continue to the Buhoma sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, arriving in the evening for dinner and rest.
Day 10: Gorilla Trekking and Batwa Encounter
After breakfast, head to the park headquarters for a briefing and assignment to your gorilla family. Trek through the forest for 1 to 7 hours in search of the gorillas, spotting birds, primates, and tree species along the way.
Once you find the gorillas, spend one hour observing and photographing them, watching the silverback, mothers, and young at play or feeding. After lunch, visit the Batwa pygmies for traditional dance and storytelling before returning to the lodge for dinner and rest.
Day 11: Relaxation at Lake Bunyonyi
After breakfast, drive about 2 to 3 hours to Lake Bunyonyi, surrounded by 27 islands and a good spot to relax after your safari.
Enjoy canoe rides, swimming, birdwatching, and photography before returning to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 12: Departure
After breakfast, check out and begin the 5 to 6 hour drive to Entebbe International Airport, with a stop for lunch along the way before your flight to your next destination.
What to Bring
Pack hiking boots, a rain jacket, long trousers, a long-sleeved shirt, gardening gloves, insect repellent, sunscreen, drinking water, and energy snacks for the treks. A camera and binoculars help you capture wildlife along the way.
What’s Included
This tour includes transport, a professional driver-guide, accommodation, and park entry and permit fees. Personal expenses are not included unless agreed at booking.
