3 weeks/ 20 days Uganda safari experience overview
A 3 weeks package/ 20 days Uganda primates (gorilla trekking, chimpanzees & golden monkey tracking), Africa’s big 5 game & wildlife safaris experience in all the Pearl’ of Africa’s biggest national parks. This tour guarantees a top birding experience with over 1,000 bird species for example shoebills, turacos, pigeons, storks, king fishers, eagles etc. in the game parks & forests. The source of the river Nile offering its water sports activities like water rafting, kayaking, bungee jumping, boat cruises, water slide, quad biking etc. Cultural tours, wilderness & game drives, hiking, lodges & sceneries all on this safari.
3 weeks/ 20 days Uganda safari experience highlights
Arrival and departure: Entebbe
- Day 1- arrival and rest at l. Victoria shores
- Day 2- Kampala city tour and night life
- Day 3- L. Mburo via the equator
- Day 4- lake Bunyonyi, birding & nature walk
- Day 5- golden monkeys at Mgahinga
- Day 6- gorilla trekking & Batwa experience at Bwindi Impenetrable N.P
- Day 7- game drives from Ishasha
- Day 8- Kazinga channel, game drive & the Rwenzori sceneries
- Day 9- chimpanzee tracking & Kibale forest walk
- Day 10- Semuliki hot springs, tropical forest bird and scenery watch
- Day 11- Murchison falls game drive & top of the falls hike
- Day 12- game drives & boat cruise on the R. Nile
- Day 13- game drive to Kidepo evening drive
- Day 14- game drives & hiking at Kidepo N.P
- Day 15- Karamojong culture experience to Sipi
- Day 16- Sipi falls & hiking
- Day 17- Mt. Elgon N.P
- Day 18- Mbale city tour & Jinja city tour
- Day 19- water sports at the source of the Nile
- Day 20- Departure
Detailed 3 weeks/ 20 days Uganda safari experience itinerary
Day 1 Lake Victoria shores & relaxation sessions
Starting your 3 weeks Uganda safari experience, you will be picked from the airport by our guide and taken to your booked accommodation at the shores of Lake Victoria; Africa’s largest lake for a rest as you chill in the cool lake breeze, scenic endless water horizons and numerous green islands to overcome travel exhaustion as you prepare also to embark on a long awaited tour to Uganda’s game parks for a lot of exciting adventures.
Accommodation: Imperial resort hotel (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Day 2 Kampala city & night life
Kampala city, the heart of Uganda’s historical administrative, economic and cultural sites is such a diverse location that reflects the different dimensions of the country’s development ways of life. Food dishes/ cuisines and commodity markets around Kampala are so interesting and have a great reflection of how the county’s population survives; these will get you have some taste on fresh fruits, vegetables grown in the country and street food delicacies like the rolex (an egg omelet rolled in chapatti).
Accommodation: Lake Victoria Serena hotel (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Lake Mburo national park commonly known for its high zebra population and other ungulates is the nearest game park to the countries capital taking a 4 hours drive to get to it. Lake Mburo national park offers a wide range of touring options from boat rides, horseback riding safaris, walking safaris, game drives, biking/cycling safaris and community walks. The park has 70 mammal species and 332 recorded bird species and is richly gifted with various acacia and papyrus endemics such as the papyrus gonolek, papyrus yellow warbler, white-winged warbler and shoebills; as the acacia species are wide spread elsewhere in the park. Mammals include Burchell’s zebras, Nubian giraffes, hippos, leopards, buffaloes, topi, elands, antelopes, warthogs, bushbucks, stripped jackals, reedbucks, olive baboons, sitatungas, bush pigs. Later in the evening hours, you will head out to the shores of lake Bunyonyi.
Accommodation: Bird’s nest @ Bunyonyi resort (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Day 4 Lake Bunyonyi- Africa's deepest crater lake
Some of the most amazing attributes of the lake are being the deepest crater lake in Africa at 900 meters, the 29 islands located in its waters which toured by use of a boat/canoe and safe waters with no crocodiles and hippos. The lake harbors over 200 bird species with the gray crowned crane being one of the most remarkable birds, breathtaking sceneries of the volcano mountains ad slopes of Muhavura will leave you stunned at this beautiful lake and its surrounding.
Accommodation: Mgahinga lodge
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Early in the morning on this 3 weeks Uganda safari experience after breakfast and a briefing, you will hike up the volcanic Mgahinga mountain to a height of 2,500 meters above sea level into the bamboo zone of the montane region where these unique primates (golden monkeys) reside. These have orange-yellow like hair color that give them that distinguished golden look. When you reach their residence, you will be allowed to stay around them for one hour. Along the hike, you will also observe other primates like the red tailed monkeys, white and black colobus monkeys, reptiles, Albertine rift endemics and many more bird species.
Accommodation: Buhoma lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Mountain gorilla trekking into the tropical montane forests can take up to a total of 8 hours before meeting the gorilla family you were assigned to depending on where the gorillas nested the previous day and their movements. You will be allowed to spend an hour with that gorilla family taking videos, photos & enjoying the playful young ones. Getting to find the mountain gorillas on a trek in Uganda is a 99% chance backed up by the high mountain gorilla population at this destination. After the trek, you will have an experience with the Batwa people who have for all their life time co-existed with the impenetrable forest and its species. During this nature walk you will experience numerous bird species with particularly 23 Albertine bird endemics that are habitats to only the Albertine region.
Accommodation: Buhoma lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
This day on 3 weeks Uganda safari experience, you will have morning and evening game drives to various parts of the park for a lot of wonderful scenic view of the Rwenzori mountains and its slopes, the African big 5; elephant herds, lion prides, leopards, hippo herds, giraffes, hyenas, wild dogs, Uganda kobs, water bucks, antelopes, baboons, monkeys, crocodiles, crater lakes, reptiles, raptors, sun birds and many more awaiting your memorable tour in this game park.
Accommodation: Mweya safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Day 8 Kazinga channel boat cruise & sceneries
Kazinga channel (a river connecting lakes Edward and George) gets you to have a glance at the world’s largest concentration of hippopotami pods with over 5,000 members, Nile crocodiles, buffaloes, water birds and other land birds coming in to quench their thirst, elephants, lions and other wildlife game like water bucks, giraffes, kobs, kudus among others also coming in onto the banks of the Kazinga channel to quench their thirst. After the boat cruise, you will embark on a game drive around this channel and beyond into the vast savannah grassland to enjoy more game viewing, scenery views of the ice capped mountain Rwenzori and its slopes. On this day, you will also once again come across the 0° equator landmark as it crosses through queen Elizabeth national game park.
Accommodation: Mweya safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| lunch| Dinner
Still on the 3 weeks Uganda safari experience, you will head to Kibale national park known as the primates capital of the world for having the highest population & concentration of chimpanzees in world numbering above 1,500 individuals in the park. The afternoon tracking session starts at 14:00 and takes 2-5 hours with a more than 100% chances of meeting the chimpanzees; a forest walk that will come along with numerous sceneries of more than 370 bird species of forest, swamp/ papyrus and Albertine rift region endemics. Kibale forest has 350 tree species and 71 mammal species. other primates in the park include the L’hoest monkeys, colobus monkeys, blue monkey, olive baboon, red tailed monkey, vervet monkeys. After the evening tracking you will head out of the park.
Accommodation: Primates safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Semuliki national park is popular for its hot springs that were a result of geological actions dating thousands of years back; these produce water of over 110°C producing white mist and smoke ascending above the park floor. Locals in the area also believe that the hot springs are a blessing and of supernatural healing as this hot water comes up from the ground among different rock layers filled with various minerals such as sulphur, zinc among that heal fungal and many other skin diseases. The park is also an intersection of the east African grasslands and the central African tropical forests thus harboring numerous tree species of the west and central African forests and bird species. the park has 435 bird species, 11 primate species and 53 mammal species.
Accommodation: Semuliki safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
You will be amazed with many elephant families and their playful young ones, lion families, rothschild’s giraffes, waterbucks, buffaloes, leopards, hyenas, kobs, antelopes, monkeys, hippos, baboons, reptiles, numerous bird species among others. You will later drive towards the Murchison falls and embark on a walking trek up to view the magnificent Murchison falls from above and watch the strongest falls on the planet, gashing 3,000 cubic litres of water per second through an eight-meter corridor cascading down a 43-meter height into the “the devil’s caldron” forming a white mist and a signature rainbow producing a loud sound from the powerful force of the water of the river Nile.
Accommodation: Pakuba safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
This day, you will wake up very early in the morning for a game drive in the Murchison falls national park till afternoon when you reach lunch break. The park has the strongest water falls in the world and the highest number of rothschild’s giraffes in the world, more than three- quarter of the total world population and numerous elephant and lion families, waterbucks, impalas, kobs, warthogs, hippos, buffaloes, crocodiles, leopards, hyenas, jackals among other mammals and more than 450 bird species recorded in the park. After lunch you will then head to the banks of the river Nile for a boat cruise towards the face of the Murchison falls. While on the boat cruise, you will have scene of various water birds like the shoebills, raptors, geese among others, hippos and a great number of huge nile crocodiles and many more mammals that approach the river banks to quench their thirst like buffaloes, elephants and the scenes are endless.
Accommodation: Pakuba safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
The national park is one of the most typical of an African wilderness so vast and untampered with having savannah grasslands that tend to dry when it’s hot and all green when rains set in. the park has the second highest number of bird species in Uganda recorded at 475 species in the park such ostriches, secretary bird, raptors and vultures, among others along with 83 mammal species such as elephants, zebras, buffaloes, rothschild’s giraffes, kobs, hartebeests, blue monkey, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, lions, wild dogs, jackals among others. Expect to enjoy views of big buffalo and elephant herds. You will have a nature walk and hike on higher altitudes of the park to have a vast scene of the park and its wild game.
Accommodation: Apoka safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Day 15 transfer to Sipi falls
On this you will set off on a 9-hour journey to the Sipi falls in eastern part of Uganda on the slopes of mountain Elgon. Still while on the 3 weeks Uganda safari experience , you will make a stopover at the Karamojong community residences called Manyattas which are huts constructed of mud, cow dung and grass thatching as one main hut is surrounded by numerous huts of extended members of the family, fenced with thorny logs and sharing one compound. You will learn more about the culture of these pastoralists and warrior tribe before you embark on the journey to Sipi falls. On reaching Sipi falls you will get to your booked accommodation and rest for the next days’ activities.
Accommodation: Rafiki safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Day 16 Sipi falls & hiking activities
On this day you will continue to the 3 different water falls (Sipi, Simba, Ngasire) that pour from cliffs as high as 95 meters separated by steep hillsides. The falls are found outside mountain Elgon national park. During the hike you get across numerous other unnamed water falls across the steep slopes, a number of bird species as you hike along, can engage in fly fishing, biking among others. Later on you will visit the surrounding community for an agro-tour more so of the special indigenous Arabica coffee and coffee tasting sessions.
Accommodation: Rafiki safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
While enjoying sights of the Elgon peaks, numerous water falls flowing from the mountain caldera, montane vegetation that cascades on the slopes of the mountain, volcanic plugs, basalt cliffs and many others volcanic features and rocks, you can take up a day’s trek or more. You will then go through the park and its forests enjoying its wild game such as blue monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, de brazza’s monkey, leopards, elephant and cape buffaloes.
Accommodation: Mount Elgon resort hotel (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Day 18 Mbale & Jinja city
Different from other parts of Uganda growing colonal and robusta coffee, Mbale specifically grows Arabica coffee from the ancient times and is one of the few places in the world that grow this type of coffee more so because of the fertile volcanic soils on the slopes of the Mountain Elgon which the masaba people occupy. Mbale was once the world’s determinant of the price of Arabica coffee on the world which it is partly is today given the high yields and quantity of coffee produced. On this day you will also reach out to some traditional sites and be entertained by the masaba people with their famous Embalu dance and learn more about the essence of this tradition. Later in the evening hours you will set off for Jinja city. Jinja city known as the “adventure capital” of East Africa, has many other interesting features within it beyond the source of the Nile and water falls.
Accommodation: Nile safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
The 3 weeks Uganda safari experience will also get you to the source of river Nile which has numerous water falls that have become common water sport points to tourists, kayakers, rafters and adventurers from all corners of the world. Some of the falls include Owen falls, Bujagali falls, Ripon falls, Itanda falls, Busowoko falls among others. The clean and white waters of the River Nile at this point are the most entertaining of the river course throughout Africa offering the best bungee jumping point, water rafting, horse riding at the river banks, water surfing, swimming, canoeing, river boarding, quad biking around the river banks among others. You will also take a boat to reach the source of the nile where 30% of the water emanates from underground streams and 70% from Lake Victoria.
Accommodation: Whispers of the Nile lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Day 20 Entebbe & departure
On this day, you will wake up and set off on a 3-hour journey rest near Entebbe international airport as you prepare for your departure flight to end the 3 weeks Uganda safari experience.
Accommodation: N/A
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Inclusions
- Gorilla trekking permits
- Golden tracking permits
- Chimpanzee tracking permits
- Park entry fees
- Government taxes
- Airport transfers
- All excursions indicated in the itinerary
- Laundry
- Driver & guide
- Bottled drinking refreshments
- Transport 4×4 safari Landcruiser
Exclusions
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- Visa fees & processing
- Extra activities, meals, alcohol/liquor
- Any changes to the itinerary
- Accommodation after end of the trip
- Tipping & gratitude
- Souvenirs & snacks
- Anything not mentioned
Your safari route map
More Africa safari packages
- 1 day Rwanda gorilla trekking safari
- 1 day Uganda gorilla trekking safari
- 2 days Fly-in Uganda gorillas safari
- 2 day Rwanda gorilla trekking safari
- 2 day birding & wildlife Kenya experience
- 3 days Masai Mara safari experience
- 3 days Uganda gorilla trekking safari
- 3 days Murchison falls Uganda safari
- 3 days Diani experience
- 4 days Serengeti wildebeest migration safari
- 4 days Kenya wildlife safari
- 4 day Rwanda gorilla trekking safari
- 4 days Zanzibar experience
- 5 days Tanzania birding safari
- 5 days Murchison falls & rhino tracking safari
- 5 days Rwanda safari
- 5 days Uganda birding safari
- 5 days Luxury gorilla trekking safari experience
- 5 days Uganda gorillas & primates safari
- 6 days Tanzania wildlife experience
- 6 days gorilla trekking & wildlife Uganda safari
- 6 days Kenya wildlife expedition
- 6 days Rwanda wildlife safari
- 6 days Murchison birding safari
- 6 days gorillas, chimpanzees & wildlife Uganda safari
- 8-day primates & wildlife Rwanda safari
- 7 days Uganda gorillas and wildlife safari
- 4 days Murchison falls safari
- 7 days Masai Mara- Serengeti safari
- 7 days bird watching Kenya safari
- 7 days birding Kenya safari
- 7 days Tanzania wildlife experience
- 7 days Uganda- Rwanda wildlife safari
- 7 days Uganda- Rwanda primates safari
- 8 days Rwanda- Uganda wildlife safari
- 8 days primates & wildlife Rwanda safari
- 8 days Serengeti- Amboseli- Diani safari
- 9 days Tanzania birding expedition
- 10 days Source of the river Nile- Masai Mara safari
- 10 days Uganda primates & wildlife safari
- 10 day Tanzania safari experience
- 10 days Kenya wildlife safari
- 10 days Rwanda- Uganda wildlife safari
- 10 days Kenya- Tanzania safari
- 10 days Rwanda- Uganda wildlife safari
- 10 days Serengeti- Zanzibar safari
- 12 days Rwanda- Uganda wildlife safari
- 12 days Tanzania wildlife safari experience
- 15 day Uganda primates & wildlife safari
- 15 days Rwanda- Uganda wildlife safari
- 16 days gorilla trekking & River Nile Uganda safari
- 16 days gorilla trekking- source of the river Nile- Masai Mara safari
- 18 days Uganda birding & primates safari
- 21 days gorilla trekking- R. Nile & wildlife Uganda safari
- 24 days Rwanda-Uganda-Kenya-Tanzania wildlife safari
- 30 days Uganda birding & wildlife safari
More Africa safari travel tips
- Why book gorilla trekking permits in advance
- Facts about mountain gorillas
- Africa’s big 5 wildlife safaris
- Cost of gorilla trekking safaris
- Gorillas, chimpanzees & primate species safari
- Top gorilla trekking destinations
- Kayaking on river Nile/ Africa safari
- Gorilla trekking safari from USA, New York, California, Washington
- Top Africa safari packages
- Coming for gorilla trekking from United Kingdom
- Wildebeest migration
- Booking well planned Africa safari visits
- Chimpanzee tracking safaris
- Shoebills & birding safaris
- Guide to Africa safari
- Scuba diving & snorkeling
- Booking gorilla trekking permits in advance
- Gorilla trekking safari from India
- Gorilla trekking safaris in Rwanda
- What to wear on gorilla trekking safari
- Booking affordable safari packages
- What to know before setting off for Africa safari
- Uganda gorilla trekking safaris
- Africa big 5 game & wilderness safaris
- Soft white sand beach holidays & vacations
- Bungee jumping at the river Nile
- Gorilla trekking safari from USA
- Activities to do on safari visits to Africa
- How to prepare for a gorilla trekking safari
- Night life experiences in African cities
- Masai Mara wildebeest migration safari
- Gorilla trekking tours from Morocco
- Queen Elizabeth park birding experience
- Chimpanzee tracking in Rwanda
- Gorilla trekking expeditions from South Africa
- Source of the river Nile safari experiences & expeditions
- Cultural tours
- Gorilla trekking tours from Dubai
- Best places to visit in Uganda
- Safari visits to Africa and vacation packages
- Chimpanzee trekking safari experiences in Africa
- Bird watching on Africa safaris
- Gorilla trekking safari from south Africa
- White water rafting at the source of the river Nile
- Serengeti wildebeest migration safaris
- Top Africa safari experiences
- Zanzibar island vacation
- Gorilla trekking tours from Scandinavia
- Diani soft white sand beaches
- Water rafting on Africa safari
- Summer safari visits in Africa
- Gorilla trekking tours from Egypt
- Wilderness game drives on Africa safari
- Luxury gorilla trekking safari
- Mountain climbing & hiking
- Top short Kenya safaris