This 7 days Uganda budget safari offers visitors an opportunity to enjoy a variety of Uganda’s main attractions within a week’s time. Plan to visit Uganda for one week and what you will get is worthwhile during your visit. This trip involves exploring the primates and wildlife including the Chimpanzees in Kibale forest national park. This park gives the best opportunities of meeting the endangered chimpanzees as compared to any other primate conservation area. It also features visiting Queen Elizabeth national park for a wildlife experience where you encounter the lions in the lion tracking experience and also view other animals during the game drives. Gorilla trekking is the main highlight of this 7 days Uganda budget safaris for Wild Mountain gorillas are the most sought primates in the world given that they can only be found East and Central Africa in countries including Uganda, Rwanda and Congo. Uganda has the highest population of these creatures in Bwindi forest national park while on Uganda Safaris .
This 7 days Uganda budget plan is allows visitors to enjoy the features involved at a relatively low cost even though the activities involved have a standard price to them. The trip starts and ends in Uganda – Entebbe airport however, it can also be ended in Kigali Rwanda since its much closer to drive from Bwindi to Kigali Rwanda but at an extra cost as compared to driving from Bwindi to Entebbe taken given the travel distance.
Highlights
- Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Kibale national park
- Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and nature walk
- Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park boat cruise
- Day 4: Lion tracking/Game drive and transfer to Bwindi forest
- Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable national park
- Day 6: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi – boat trip
- Day 7: Transfer to Kampala/Entebbe/Departure
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Kibale national park
Upon arrival at Entebbe airport in the morning hours before 12:00 am, you will be welcomed and briefed by our company representative who will also be your safari guide. Depart the airport and embark on your journey to Kibale national park located in the Western part of Uganda about 5-6 hours’ drive from Entebbe with en-route lunch. The drive is interesting as you drive through the countryside with its people. Arrive in Fort portal – the nearest town to the park late afternoon, proceed to your provided accommodation to check-in, relax as you wait for dinner to be served and overnight stay
Accommodation and meals (Full board)
- Luxury option; Chimpundu lodge
- Mid-range option; Chimpanzee Forest Lodge
- Budget option: Isunga lodge
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and nature walk
On the 2nd day of your 7 Days Uganda budget Safari ,After early morning breakfast, you will report to the park head offices for a briefing from the park warden about the activity you will be going for that is Chimpanzee trekking and during the briefing, you are given the your expectations about the experience and for your own good, please listen and obey to the instructions provided. After the briefing, with your trekking gears and water, enter the rainforest to start your search for the chimpanzee alongside your armed ranger guides. Kibale forest is the best destination in the world where you are 99 percent guaranteed to see the chimpanzees. The park has about 13 different primates’ species including the chimpanzees and also a home to a number of different birds and some of them will be encountered during the trek. Kibale forest also has a corridor that connects to Queen Elizabeth national park and so some animals do come to the forest and during your trekking experience, you may encounter some of the animals including the forest elephants and antelopes. The search for the chimpanzee will take about 2-5 hours depending on their location and on finding them, you will be allowed to spend 1 hour with the chimpanzees while taking pictures.
After trekking, return for lunch then go for a 2-3 hours nature walk in Bigodi wetland. This wetland is where you will find most of the remaining primates’ and most birds. The place is interesting and its most visited by researchers as there is a lot to find in this sound, walk through sounds of singing birds and playing primates. Before nightfall, drive back to your lodge, dinner will be served at your convenient time before bed time.
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park boat cruise
On the 3rd day of your 7 Days Uganda budget Safari ,After breakfast, check-out the lodge and drive to Queen Elizabeth national park. It’s a 3 hours’ drive from Fort portal to Queen Elizabeth national park. This park is the second largest national park in Uganda with a variety of wildlife and many other attractions in just one place to see. Upon arrival at the park, explore the crater lakes then connect to check-in your lodge where lunch will be served. After lunch, drive to the starting point for a boat cruise along the Kazinga channel which connects the 2 lakes of Lake George and Lake Edward. During the boat cruise, animals like the hippos, elephants, buffaloes can be seen at the lake shores or even inside the waters to bath or drinking. A variety of birds can also be spotted. After the boat trip, meet your guide and drive back to your lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay
Accommodation and meal (Full board)
- Luxury option; Kyambura Gorge lodge
- Mid-range option; Parkview Safari lodge/Twin Lake Safari lodge
- Budget option; Pumba Safari Cottages
Day 4: Lion tracking/Game drive and transfer to Bwindi forest
After early morning breakfast, drive to the park entry to check-in for your lion tracking and game drive experience in the Kasenyi area. Lion experience is an activity introduced in Queen Elizabeth national park to widen opportunities for visitors to see the rare lions. During a normal game drive, lions are hardly spotted so for a guaranteed opportunity; doing the lion experience is the best option. It takes about 2 hours and after a normal game drive is done, commonly spotted animals during a game drive include; the Elephants, Cape buffaloes, Waterbucks, Warthogs, Uganda kobs among others.
After the game drive, embark on your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable national park. Depending on the time, you may connect to Bwindi via Ishasha sector however the road is bumpy or use the main smooth road. It takes about 5-6 hours’ to reach Bwindi and on arrival, connect to your accommodation, check-in and rest. Dinner will be served and sleep for the rest of the night
Accommodation and meals (Full board)
- Luxury option; Ruhija Gorilla lodge
- Mid-range option; Trekkers Traven lodge
- Budget option; Bakiga lodge
Day 5: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable national park
On the 5th day of your 7 Days Uganda budget Safari ,After an early morning breakfast, drive to the park headquarters at 7 :00 am for briefing about the park and its habitants and also you will be advised on your expectations during trekking and be allocated a gorilla family to trek. Bwindi impenetrable national park has the world’s largest population of the mountain gorillas with four different sectors with each having more than three gorilla families. On this trip, you will visit Ruhija sector keeping in mind that the experience in all sectors is the same. After briefing, drive to the starting point of the trek and enter the forest with your provided armed range guides to search for the mountain gorillas. Unlike chimpanzee trekking, Gorilla trekking may take about 2- 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorilla up and down the hilly jungle, and on meeting them, stay with the gorillas for a maximum of one hour, before you descend back to the starting point where your driver will be waiting for you to return and relax at the lodge for dinner and overnight stay, Uganda Safaris Tours
Day 6: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi – boat trip
On the 6th day of your 7 Days Uganda budget Safari , Wake up for breakfast then connect for a community tour of the people who reside close to the park area. You will be entertained by them and also get to learn their way of life as they stay close to the park. Return to check-out of the lodge and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi located in the south western part of Uganda close to Uganda – Rwanda border and its about 2 hours’ drive from Ruhija sector of Bwindi Impenetrable national park. On arrival through the rolling hills, proceed to check-in your accommodation and have lunch. Lake Bunyonyi is the second deepest lake in Africa with over 45 meters deep and has about 29 islands each with its own importance during the old days such as the punishment island, Bushara, Bwama and Njuyeera islands to mention a few. The lake is surrounded by steep terraced hillsides and best of all, unlike other lakes, Lake Bunyonyi is Bilharzia, hippo and crocodile free with crystal clear waters good for swimming. Later afternoon, and connect to explore the islands on the lake taking a boat trip for about 2 hours. Return to relax at the lodge with great views of the hills and the lake. Dinner and overnight stay
Accommodation and meals (Full board)
- Luxury option; Bunyonyi BirdNest lodge
- Mid-range option: Bunyonyi Eco-resort
- Budget option; Bunyonyi Overland Resort
Day 7: Transfer to Kampala/Entebbe/Departure
After your delicious breakfast, check-out of the lodge and embark on your 7-8 hours’ drive back to Kampala/Entebbe. This drive is very interesting as you drive through the beautiful landscape and its people. Enjoy a lunch break in Mbarara town, one of the best towns in the western region of Uganda with a cultural treat at Igongo cultural center. Return on your journey and also stop at the Equator to refresh and have the equator experience before you proceed. Depending on your advice, your safari guide will drop you off at the location you advise in Kampala or Entebbe or drop you off at Entebbe airport for your flight. Note that to be on time for your flight, book an evening flight from 8:00 pm East African time. End of the 7 days Uganda Budget safari