07-Days Murchison Falls – Kibale – Queen Elizabeth & Gorillas Safari

On this day, you will have breakfast & transfer to Murchison Falls National Park. The drive will take you through Luwero triangle & Budongo forest in the western arm of the Rift Valley where you will also be rewarded with splendid views of the countryside.

You will arrive in the afternoon, have lunch & go for your afternoon (sunset) game drive where you will expect to see elephant, buffalo, antelopes, giraffe & keep your fingers crossed for lions & leopard. The game track network converges is at Delta Point where the Nile flows north out of Lake Albert; this is a convenient place to stop for refreshments & view water birds offshore & distant hippos.

After your afternoon (sunset) game drive, you will check in to Fort Murchison Lodge for your dinner and overnight stay.

Fort Murchision Lodge is set on the eastern banks of the slow flowing Albert Nile, Fort Murchison Lodge revokes the idea of a well maintained isolated outpost from times where Arab traders frequented the African hinterlands and legendary explorers led expeditions in search of the source of the Nile. Built in the right spot and inspired by the historical background, Fort Murchison Lodge is unlike any other in Uganda. The massive tower, the earth colored walls, the touch of Swahili style… will impress you from your arrival up to your departure!

White Rhinos Tracking/Trekking at Ziwa Rhino & Wildlife Sanctuary is optional at a fee of $60 pp.

Lunch, Dinner + drinking water are included.

Your safari breakfast will be served before the day breaks so that you can start your morning game drive as the sun comes up. Sunrise is the best time for wildlife spotting as animals tend to be the most active during the “golden hours”, when the first rays of sunshine come to rest on the savannah. Elephants, buffaloes & several species of antelope are some of the characters you may come across today, & if you’re lucky, you may even spot a lion or leopard.

You will return for lunch in the afternoon & go for a 3-hours boat safari upstream on the Victoria Nile to the falls where you will pass by breathtaking scenery, as well as many crocodiles, hundreds of hippos, buffaloes, water birds & animals that come down to the Nile. The boat will drop you near the waterfall for your hike (1-1.5 hrs) up to the top of the falls.

You will go for a short sunset game drive & return to the lodge for dinner & overnight stay.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner + drinking water are included.

On this day, you will enjoy your last sunrise & breakfast in this beautiful NP with a walk to top of Murchison Falls for about 1 hour & transfer to Kibale National Park with several stops along the way for beautiful scenery, landscape viewing & lunch at Fort Portal Garden Restaurant.

In the afternoon after lunch, you will choose whether you would like to go for a guided walk in Nature at Amabere caves. The Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru meaning ‘Breasts of Nyinamwiru’ were named after the stalactites that form in the caves. They resemble the breasts of a woman, though some would say it looks more like a cow’s udder.

OR

Go for a guided Crater Lakes & Plantation Walk. The landscape south of Fort Portal is dotted with picturesque crater lakes, some over 400m deep. These crater lakes are breathtakingly beautiful to behold & offer one of the best hiking places in the area.

You will check in to Lake Nkuruba Nature Reserve & Community Campsite for dinner & overnight stay.

Lake Nkuruba Nature Reserve was established in 1991 to protect the ancient forest habitat which surrounds the volcanic crater lake. It is one of the few crater lakes in the region which has retained its lush forest habitat. It is extremely rich in biodiversity and supports a variety of birds and primates, including the Great Blue Turaco, black and white colobus, and the endangered Uganda red colobus. 

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner + drinking water are included.

After breakfast, you will go deeper into the forest on a Swamp Walk in the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary; home to 8 primate species, over 200 bird species, butterflies and various reptiles. The vegetation in this swamp is also a key attraction to the plant lovers. Some travellers also come to this jungle swamp to study the different plant types that the swamp holds. Some of the dorminant plant species in this swamp include; common papyrus, polita fig trees & wild palms. OR, Alternatively, go to Kibale National Park for Chimpanzees Tracking/Trekking experience (optional).

You will return for your lunch & later in the day transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park when the sun is high in the sky & the animals make their way to the river for a drink, where you will head to Kazinga Channel for an exciting boat safari. You will spot more hippos today than you can possibly imagine. Herds of elephants & buffalos will also be wandering down to the shoreline to bath in the cooling waters. It will be a wonderful experience.

After your afternoon boat safari, you will check in to The Bush Lodge for your dinner & overnight stay.

The Bush Lodge forms an excellent base for your safari activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The lodge is built along ecological principals, the safari tents and bandas designed and spaced in such a way to maximize privacy and enhance the safari aspect of the lodge. Surrounded by Queen Elizabeth National Park and bordering the Kazinga channel, the lodge has a truly unique setting. Animals literary roam in and out the camp and sounds of hippo’s and hyena’s complement your star lit dinners.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner + drinking water are included.

Please note: Chimps tracking/trekking at Kibale National Park instead of Kyambura Gorge, Queen Elizabeth National Park or Kalinzu Forest Reserve is optional at additional fee of $150 per permit per person.

On this day, you will wake up early and have breakfast and go to Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park or Kalinzu Forest Reserve for Chimpanzees Tracking/Trekking experience where you will have the opportunity to follow an experienced guide into the forest to observe these fascinating creatures at a close range. Watching them interact with each other and go about their daily routine of grooming, playing and foraging is an incredible experience. While your chances of encountering Chimpanzees are high at 90% during your tracking/trekking excursion, it is never 100% guaranteed. These are, after all, wild animals with wills and minds of their own! The guide will provide detailed explanations, not only on primates but on all the forest fauna and flora and will ensure that your walk is both informative and enjoyable.

After your Chimps Tracking/Trekking, you will go for a game drive at Ishasha sector, Queen Elizabeth National Park if time allows. And instead of scanning your eyes across vast savannah grasslands, look up & you might find something lurking in the sycamore-fig trees.

After your game drive, you will drive to the “Switzerland of Africa” area known as the Kigezi Highlands with its terraced hillside & winding roads. Along the way, you will enjoy spectacular views of the mountainous countryside & this comes with many incredible photography opportunities. More notably, this “impenetrable forest” protects over 400 population of Gorillas – approximately half of the population in the world, among which are a number of habituated groups, that can be tracked by visitors.

You will arrive in the evening & check in to Gorilla Bluff Lodge for your dinner & overnight stay.

Gorilla Bluff Lodge stands proudly in the Buhoma Sector of the iconic Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to the endangered Mountain Gorillas. The lodge offers remarkable accommodations and serves as the ideal base for unforgettable Morilla tracking experiences in Buhoma sector. Built on an elevated site, the lodge features a bar and dining area with breathtaking views. Guests can unwind by organizing their safari photos, diving into a good book, or sharing stories about the day’s adventures with friends.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner + drinking water are included.

After your breakfast, you will hike to the park headquarters just meters from the lodge for briefing by UWA guides before transferring to the starting point for Gorillas tracking. You will enjoy Gorillas tracking in Bwindi. Bwindi has the biggest concentration of Gorillas, given its small size. The search for Gorillas goes through the thick untamed rainforest, where you’ll be scrambling over mossy rocks & through deep undergrowth. Watching Gorillas in their natural habitat is an experience that will last a lifetime. The experienced ranger guides will willingly share with you a lot of information about the history & lifestyle of these Gorillas (USD $800 included in the price).

After Gorillas tracking, you will choose to either go for Canoe ride on Lake Bunyonyi or visit the Batwa community for them to take you through their traditions like traditional dance, beer making, setting fire before checking in to Itambira Island for your dinner & overnight stay.

Itambira Island, Seeds of Hope is a unique facility on Uganda's beautiful Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale. This facility offer an opportunity to its guests to get closer to nature and experience true relaxation.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner + drinking water are included.

You will enjoy your last sunrise and breakfast in this beautiful corner of Uganda before your guide drives you across the beautiful sceneries back to Entebbe. You will be dropped off at Entebbe International Airport 3 hours before your departure time with a stopover at the Equator Monument for an equator experience and photo moments.

Please make sure your flight departure is after 6 pm at the very earliest. For flights departing before 6 pm, you will need an extra night in Entebbe, which we can help arrange for you at an additional cost.

Please note: You can also choose an alternative departure route (at an additional cost), or fly to Entebbe.

Did we hit all the items on your travel bucket list for this safari? If not, don’t worry. We specialize in tailor-made tours and can customize this program to create your dream trip. Contact us to create your personalized program.

Breakfast, Lunch + drinking water are included.

Please note: Kindly, get in touch for a more detailed itinerary/quote. You can write to us through info@ecovictours.com, ecovictours@gmail.com, reservations@ecovictours.com or +256783089658 (Phone + Whatsapp).