This 15 Days Uganda budget safari tour offers visitors an opportunity to enjoy a variety of Uganda’s main attractions for a period of about three weeks. Enjoy some of the country’s rich sights of wildlife, primates, and water experience. This trip involves exploring the Uganda primates in Semliki national park, Kibale national park, and Bwindi Impenetrable national park. Wildlife experience in the savannah park including Kidepo national park, Murchison falls national park, Queen Elizabeth national park and Lake Mburo national park. These national park have unique attraction that make them independently attractive and worth visiting. Other attractions include; nature walks such as Ziwa rhino trekking Plan on foot, Bigodi swamp walk, walking safari. Water experiences like boat cruises, horseback riding as added activities and community tours. The trip starts and ends in Uganda – Entebbe airport.
Safari highlights
Day 1: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park (12-13 hours)
Day 2: Full day game drive in Kidepo valley and Narus valley
Day 3: Drive to Murchison Falls national park (7-8 hours’ drive)
Day 4: Optional morning game drive – boat cruise top of the falls visit and evening game drive
Day 5: Transfer to Kibale National Park
Day 6: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi Swamp Walk
Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 8: Lion tracking/Game drive and Launch cruise
Day 9: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 10: Gorilla trek in Bwindi forest Park
Day 11: Golden Monkey tracking – community tour
Day 12: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
Day 13: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
Day 14: Walking safari and Boat ride on Lake Mburo
Day 15: Transfer to Kampala/Entebbe – Departure
Detailed safari
Day 1: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park (12-13 hours)
As early as 6 am, meet your safari to set off to Kidepo national park. You will have en-route stops to refresh, and lunch. Upon arrival in the park late evening, proceed to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Kidepo Savannah lodge for mid-range/budget/Apoka lodge for luxury
Day 2: Full day game drive in Kidepo valley and Narus valley
After morning breakfast, set off for a thrilling game drive in the vast savannah of Kidepo and Narus valleys. A morning game drive in Narus valley is rewarding with plenty of animals such as herds of buffalos, zebras, elephants, giraffes, hyenas, and cheetahs. You will enjoy a slow drive and you can be sure to seize picture moments while on your game drive and you can have stops at any moment you please. Proceed to Kidepo valley for chances of spotting the Ostriches. Dinner and overnight at lodge as above.
Day 3: Drive to Murchison Falls national park (7-8 hours’ drive)
On the 3rd day of your 15 Days Uganda budget Safari tour, Very early after breakfast, depart Kidepo via Gulu district for lunch then proceed to Murchison falls national park. Upon arrival, check-in at your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Pakuba safari lodge for mid-range/Heritage Safari lodge for budget/Paraa Safari Lodge for luxury
Day 4: Optional morning game drive – boat cruise top of the falls visit and evening game drive
After breakfast, you have an option of going for a morning game drive or stay at the lodge till connect for your lunch.
After lunch, you will connect for an afternoon boat cruise along the Nile which will give you an exciting panoramic view at the bottom of the mighty Murchison falls. Along the cruise, you will encounter crocodiles, hippos, and birds on the river banks like kingfishers, cormorants, and bee-eater.
Connect from the bottom of the falls to hike up to the top of the falls with great views of the great Murchison falls at different points. After spending a good time at the top of the falls, you will meet your driver and return to the lodge with en-route evening game drive to find some animals. Dinner and overnight stay at lodge as above
Day 5: Transfer to Kibale National Park
Early morning after breakfast, depart the lodge Proceed for your long journey to Kibale Forest National Park. This Park is home to almost 13 primate species. These include red colobus and L’Hoest’s monkey and many more. You will have lunch in Kagadi. Proceed with the journey to the Kibale forest. Dinner and overnight stay at Isunga lodge for budget/Chimpanzee forest guest house for mid-range/Kyaninga lodge for luxury
Day 6: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi Swamp Walk
After breakfast, you will set out for chimp tracking within the Kibale Forest. During your search, expect to see a lot of primate species like chimpanzees, monkeys, and other animals like the forest elephants, bush pig and duiker, warthogs, reptiles, and amphibians as well as a colorful variety of butterflies. Return to the Lodge for lunch.
After lunch, go for a nature walk in the Bigodi swamp area and look out for most of the water-loving bird species. The forest /Park has almost 335 species of birds and therefore a good place for birders. Return to the Lodge for dinner and overnight stay as above.
Day 7: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
On the 7th day of your 15 Days Uganda budget Safari tour, After enjoying your cup of coffee in the morning, depart the park and embark on your journey to Queen Elizabeth national park home to the tree-climbing lions. Depending on your time, have a stopover for lunch and at the Equator to take some pictures before entering the park. Connect to exploration crater lakes in the park before you proceed to rest at your lodge. Dinner and overnight stay at Parkview Safari lodge for mid-range/Pumba Safari lodge for budget/Kyambura Gorge lodge for luxury
Day 8: Lion tracking/Game drive and Launch cruise
Early in the morning after breakfast, you will set out for the lion tracking experience and game drive in search of early risers in the Kasenyi area. The park has a diverse eco-system of grassy plains, rivers, crater lakes, forests, swamps, and lakes. These are home to various types of wildlife and a game drive in Queen Elizabeth will reward you with views of animals such as lions, antelopes, buffalos, elephants, waterbuck, Uganda Kob, and other types of antelopes.
Return to your Lodge for lunch and after, go for a 3 hours’ launch cruise along the Kazinga Channel and into Lake Edward. This cruise will let you pass through a place of the highest concentration of hippos and you may also see many animals drinking at the water’s edge. The cruise also offers a good platform for photography, bird watching, and game viewing. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight as above.
Day 9: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
On the 9th day of your 15 Days Uganda budget Safari tour,You will set out for the game drive in the Ishasha area and expect to see the rare tree-climbing lions. The lions can be seen upon the fig trees. However, it’s not a guarantee that the lions will be seen. Sometimes it depends on the luck and time of reaching the area. You will have lunch in the Ishasha sector and after you will proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable forest National Park in preparation for your next day Gorilla trek. Dinner and overnight stay at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge/Buhoma Haven lodge for mid-range/Rushaga Gorilla Camp for budget/
Day 10: Gorilla trek in Bwindi forest Park
Early in the morning after breakfast and a briefing from the UWA officials, set off for the gorilla tracking. This is a once lifetime experience and unforgettable adventure. The ranger guides will lead you into the thick forest and start your search for the endangered Mountain Gorillas. You will move up and down the rugged terrain until you finally meet these harmonious creatures that will entertain you with performances for about1hour.
The activity can take 2 -7 hours since the gorillas move up and down. This is an awesome and exciting moment. En-route, there are other types of the primates such as monkeys, birds, and more. Return for dinner and overnight stay as above.
Day 11: Golden Monkey tracking – community tour
After breakfast, you will transfer to Mgahinga National Park for a briefing about the Golden monkeys with your packed food and water. Later enter the forest to search for the monkeys. On finding them, spend an hour viewing them while taking pictures and videos.
Later visit the Batwa Pygmies and Participate in the cultural performances and so on. Return for dinner and overnight at Mulehe lodge for mid-range/Travellers’ Rest hotel for budget/Gahinga lodge for luxury
Day 12: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
On the 12th day of your 15 Days Uganda budget Safari tour, After breakfast, you will transfer to Lake Bunyonyi which is one of the deepest lakes is Africa. The Lake has almost 32 Islands. The Lake is a good stopover for relaxation for people from trekking Mountain Gorillas. Upon arrival, you will go on a boat ride. This will enable you to visit most of the islands on the Lake.
Each Island is named according to the bird species found on the Island and some were named because of their purposes for example the Punishment Island which is the smallest and was used by the Bakiga people to drop their girls who got pregnant before marriage. After the boat ride, return back to the Lodge for relaxation while you watch the beautiful sunset. Dinner and overnight at Bunyonyi Overland Resort/Bunyonyi Birdnest Lodge – Luxury/Bunyonyi Arcadia lodge for mid-range
Day 13: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
Start your day with an early morning breakfast and after you will transfer to Lake Mburo National Park. You will reach Mbarara town in time for lunch after which you will enter the Park with a game drive en-route which will give you clear views of animals such as Zebras, Buffaloes, and elands. Upon reaching the park headquarters, Register and later go for the evening nature walk along the Kigambara loop. This loop offers interesting guided walks alongside the Lake. Dinner and overnight stay at Mihingo Lodge for luxury/Arcadia Lodge Lake Mburo for mid-range/Eagles Nest lodge for budget
Day 14: Walking safari and Boat ride on Lake Mburo
Early morning, after your breakfast, meet your ranger guides for your walking safari, this tour is no different from a game drive except that here you will walk on foot to find the animals. Return to the Lodge for refreshments, Lunch and in the afternoon go for a boat ride on Lake Mburo which will get you quite close to Crocodiles and Hippos. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight as above.
Day 15: Transfer to Kampala/Entebbe – Departure
Early morning, you will have breakfast and after en-route game drive for the early risers and other missed animals on the previous game drive before embarking on a journey back to Kampala with en-route lunch and at the Equator for water experiments and photographs, Royal drum Village at Mpambire for souvenirs. Proceed to Kampala and drop-off at Entebbe airport for your flight back home. End of Uganda budget safari
