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12 Day Luxury Uganda Safari – Into the Wild
From
From $7449 per person for two sharing
Tour Overview
Located on the Equator, Uganda is a country of extraordinarily diverse landscapes, wildlife, and experiences. A trip here takes you from shimmering Lake Victoria and emerald green farmland cleaved by red-earth roads to mist-cloaked highlands, where tea is grown, and to the dense jungle of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to almost half of the world’s mountain gorillas. Beyond the wilderness, you will visit the hilly capital of Kampala and the lakeside town of Jinja, where visitors can immerse themselves in the warm atmosphere of contemporary Africa. This 12-day Uganda safari adventure captures it all, from culture-rich Kampala to up-close encounters with white rhinos, chimpanzees, and the famous Mountain Gorillas.
Highlights
- Observe charismatic silverbacks, females, and their young while mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
- Spend time with the Indigenous Batwa people, the original “Keepers of the Forest” in Bwindi
- Explore the UNESCO-listed Kasubi Tombs in Kampala, the royal burial ground of four Buganda kings
- Observe playful chimpanzees up close in Kibale rainforest
- Track wild white rhinos on foot at Ziwa Rhino Ranch and learn about efforts to reintroduce them into the wild.
- Cruise the placid waters of Lake Victoria with a sunset drink in hand
- Have breakfast at the top of Murchison Falls, taking in 360-degree views while listening to the roar of the water
Itinerary IN dETAIL
Discover your route below. This itinerary is the starting point, tailor your adventure with the specific experiences.
Day 1 | Arrival Entebbe Airport, Meet & Greet
Welcome to Uganda. Our private driver will meet you at Entebbe International Airport (EBB) and take you on a drive of about 1 hour to Kampala.
Like Rome, the Uganda’s capital city, Kampala was built on seven hills, but today it occupies more than 20. This is a city of panoramic views, taxi parks, palaces, cathedrals, and mosques, as well as flea markets, and kafundas (roadside bars with plastic chairs and tables). Also, keep your eyes out for street foods like rolex, chapati wrapped around an onion, tomato, and cabbage omelet.
You will stay at Latitude 0° Hotel for two nights. Set among trees laced with orchids on Makindye Hill, the hotel has 47 rooms. The rooms offer views of the city or Lake Victoria. They are filled with natural light, fine linens, and hand-beaded textiles, plus essentials like fresh Ugandan coffee. In the lobby, local artwork, antique carvings and vintage chestnut leather sofas create a boutique vibe. And the outdoor pool, gym, and spa provide opportunities to relax after your flight.
Accommodation: Latitude 0° Hotel Kampala
Meal Plan: Bed & Breakfast
Day 2 | Tour Kampala City
After breakfast, start the day with a visit to Afriart Gallery, one of Kampala’s spaces for contemporary African art. Its collection of paintings, photography and other works brings together artists from across the continent and offers an introduction to the creativity and ideas shaping modern Africa.
Then, head to Owino Market and stroll among its busy stalls. It is the largest market in Uganda, selling everything from second-hand clothes and shoes to traditional medicines and herbs. More than half the stallholders are women, many of whom drive a hard bargain. If you find something you like, try offering a quarter of the asking price and walking away if the offer is not accepted. If you have played your cards right, you may soon hear the seller calling you back.
After lunch, step back in time at the Kasubi Tombs, the royal burial grounds that was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2001. On the hilltop is the former palace of the Kabakas (kings) of Buganda Kingdom, the name of the homeland of the Baganda, the largest Bantu ethnic group in Uganda. Four tombs containing the remains of Buganda kings lie inside the circular main building, topped by a thatched dome called Muzibu Azaala Mpanga. After learning about Baganda traditions, cultures, and beliefs from your expert local guide, return to Latitude 0° for some relaxation before enjoying a delicious dinner.
Accommodation: Latitude 0° Hotel Kampala
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 3 | To the beauty of the Nile and Lake Victoria
About 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of Kampala lies Jinja, a historic town on the banks of the Nile that began as a British settlement in 1901. Your accommodation for the next two nights is Lemala Wildwaters Lodge, set on a private island about 24 kilometres (15 miles) from Jinja and accessible only by boat. True to its name, the lodge sits on a granite outcrop in the middle of the Nile, surrounded by Grade 5 rapids.
The soothing sound of the Nile is constant, whether you are in your suite, at the spa, on the lunch deck, or or relaxing in the pool cantilevered over the river. Around the island, look out for different bird species, from turacos and cuckoos to eagles and hawks, and keep your eyes peeled for giant otters and monitor lizards.
In the afternoon, take a cruise on Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa and the second-largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. Enjoy a sundowner on the water before returning to the lodge for dinner, with the sound of the rushing river in the background.
Accommodation: Lemala Wildwaters Lodge
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 4: Kayaking A Calmer Stretch of the Nile
Begin by kayaking a calmer stretch of River Nile with an expert instructor. Uganda is home to more than 1,080 bird species (about 10% of the world’s bird species can be found here), thanks to its varied habitats–rainforest, savannah, lakes, wetlands, and the Nile itself – making it an extraordinary birdwatching destination.
Learn about them from your guide as you paddle. After lunch at the lodge, enjoy the rest of the day at your leisure. If you wish, you may book a treatment at the Garden Spa or book one of the extra activities such as fishing, horse riding, or whitewater rafting.
Jinja Excursions – (optional)
From your accommodation, you can truly do anything! There is plenty of choice for both the adventurer and those who prefer to take things a little easier. Rafting is highly recommended for adventurers, as this is the ultimate spot for it due to all the rapids of the Nile near Jinja. Additionally, you can choose from tubing, mountain biking, bungee jumping, or quad biking. Those who prefer to take it easy might enjoy a beautiful horseback ride along the Nile or a walk through the village.
Of course, you can also simply relax at the lodge with a view of the Nile!
Accommodation: Lemala Wildwaters Lodge
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 5 | Off to Murchison Falls National Park
Set out early from Jinja to Murchison Falls National Park, stopping at Ziwa Rhino Rach for a lesson in wildlife conservation. Comprising 70 square kilometers (27 square miles) of woodland, swamp, and savannah, Ziwa is the best place to see wild southern white rhinos—named not on account of their color but their wide (“wyd” in Afrikaans) lower lip, which distinguishes them from black rhinos. Here, the rhinos roam free but can be tracked on foot with a ranger. Watch them from a safe distance as you learn about their behavior and plans to reintroduce the species into Uganda’s national parks.
After a good lunch at the ranch, continue to Murchison Falls National Park. The waterfalls themselves are created in a place where the Nile is forced through an eight-meter gap in the Rift Valley escarpment. Check in at Nile Safari Lodge, an exclusive lodge with 8 thatched bandas on the southern bank of the Nile River, each with an en suite bathroom, indoor and outdoor showers, and a private viewing deck. Listen for the sound of birds like wading shoebills, whose huge bills are shaped like a Dutch clog.
Accommodation: Nile Safari Lodge
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Day 6 | Deep into Murchison Falls National Park
Bisected by River Nile, Murchison Falls National Park is home to lions, leopards, elephants, buffalos, giraffes, chimpanzees, hippos, and Uganda’s largest population of Nile crocodiles. The exceptional birdlife elevates the national park even further. More than 450 species have been seen and recorded here, from dwarf kingfishers to Goliath herons to shoebills, white-thighed hornbills, and great blue turacos. Wake up early for a game drive in the savannah plains along the northern bank of the Nile River. Keep an eye out for buffalo, Jackson hartebeest, hyenas, and lions (since 2005 Murchison Falls National Park has been designated as a Lion Conservation Unit). Later, see, hear, and feel the full force of Murchison Falls (the word’s strongest waterfall) as you explore its base by boat, hoping for a sighting of hippos and Nile crocodiles.
Accommodation: Nile Safari Lodge
Meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner
