About This Journey
This is the flagship Uganda circuit — the fullest possible picture of the country in seventeen days. It opens with adventure on the Nile at Jinja and waterfall hikes at Sipi Falls, then works its way through Uganda's 'big three' savanna and forest parks: Murchison Falls, Kibale, and Queen Elizabeth, before the trip's centrepiece — a morning with the mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Along the way you'll cross the Equator, cruise beneath one of Africa's most powerful waterfalls, track chimpanzees on foot, watch elephants drink from the Kazinga Channel, and unwind for two nights on the terraced shores of Lake Bunyonyi. It's a journey built for travellers who want it all — adventure, primates, big game, and scenery — in one seamless trip.
Every departure is private and led by an expert Ugandan driver-guide, with the itinerary shaped around your dates and pace rather than a fixed group schedule.
Trip Highlights
- Optional white-water rafting, kayaking, and adventure activities at the Source of the Nile in Jinja
- Guided waterfall hikes and a coffee tour around Sipi Falls on the slopes of Mount Elgon
- Game drives and a boat safari beneath Murchison Falls, Uganda's most powerful waterfall
- Chimpanzee tracking and a swamp walk in Kibale Forest
- Game drives and a Kazinga Channel boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park
- One unforgettable hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
- Two nights unwinding on the terraced, island-dotted shores of Lake Bunyonyi
- A stopover at the Equator, standing between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres
Day by Day
Welcome to Uganda! You're met on arrival and transferred into Kampala for a guided city tour — sights can include the Kasubi Tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the bustling craft markets of the capital.
- Overnight
- Lodge TBC — Kampala
- Meals
- Dinner
Drive east to Jinja, where the Nile begins its 6,600km journey to the Mediterranean. Two days here are yours to fill with optional adventure activities — white-water rafting, kayaking, quad-biking, horseback riding, or a sunset boat cruise to the river's source — all available at a supplement.
- Overnight
- Lodge TBC — Jinja
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Continue to Sipi Falls on the foothills of Mount Elgon, where a series of three waterfalls tumbles through coffee-growing hillsides. Guided hikes take you to each of the falls, with a local Arabica coffee tour — from bean to cup — rounding out the stay.
- Overnight
- Lodge TBC — Sipi Falls
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Drive west to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda's largest, arriving in time for an evening sunset cruise on the Nile or a visit to the top of the falls as the light fades.
- Overnight
- Lodge TBC — Murchison Falls NP
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A morning game drive across the Buligi plains, home to lion, elephant, giraffe, and buffalo, followed by a three-hour launch trip past hippo pods and crocodiles to the base of the mighty falls.
- Overnight
- Lodge TBC — Murchison Falls NP
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A morning walk to the top of Murchison Falls, watching the Nile thunder through a 7-metre gap before dropping 43 metres into the gorge, then drive south to Hoima.
- Overnight
- Lodge TBC — Hoima
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Continue south through rolling tea plantations to Kibale Forest National Park, home to the highest density of primates in Africa.
- Overnight
- Primates Lodge Kibale
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Track a habituated chimpanzee community through the forest in the morning, then take an afternoon swamp walk in nearby Bigodi, rich in monkeys, birdlife, and wetland flora.
- Overnight
- Primates Lodge Kibale
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Visit Fort Portal and its scenic crater lakes before continuing into Queen Elizabeth National Park for an afternoon game drive across its open savanna.
- Overnight
- Mweya Safari Lodge
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A further morning game drive, then a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel — past some of Africa's densest hippo and elephant concentrations, with the crater-studded hills and endless Ishasha plains, home to Uganda's tree-climbing lions, visible in the distance.
- Overnight
- Mweya Safari Lodge
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
A scenic drive through the terraced hills of the Kigezi highlands — often called the 'Switzerland of Africa' — to Bwindi, arriving in time to rest before the trek ahead.
- Overnight
- Buhoma Lodge
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The day you came for. After a briefing at park headquarters, trackers and rangers lead you through the forest to a habituated gorilla family for an unforgettable hour in their company.
- Overnight
- Buhoma Lodge
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Wind down at Lake Bunyonyi — the 'place of little birds' — ringed by terraced hills and dotted with 29 islands. Swim, canoe, take an island boat trip, or simply relax after an action-packed week.
- Overnight
- BirdNest Resort
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Drive back toward Kampala or Entebbe, stopping at the Equator to stand between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres for photographs, before transferring to the airport for your international flight.
- Meals
- Breakfast
What's Included
Included
- 16 nights' accommodation in hand-picked lodges
- All meals as indicated in the itinerary (B/L/D)
- Private English-speaking Ugandan driver-guide and 4×4 pop-up-roof vehicle
- All fuel and bottled water in the vehicle
- 1 gorilla trekking permit per person (Bwindi Impenetrable National Park)
- 1 chimpanzee tracking permit per person (Kibale Forest National Park)
- Guided waterfall hikes and coffee tour at Sipi Falls
- Murchison Falls boat safari and Kazinga Channel boat cruise
- All national park and conservation fees for parks visited
Not Included
- International airfares
- Uganda entry visa
- Personal travel and medical insurance
- All drinks
- Meals and snacks not indicated in the itinerary
- Optional adventure activities in Jinja (white-water rafting, kayaking, quad-biking, bungee jumping, etc.) — available at a supplement
- A porter for gorilla trekking (optional — carries your daypack)
- Tips and gratuities for driver-guide and hotel staff
- Personal expenses — laundry, souvenirs, and items of a personal nature
Accommodation
Lodge TBC — Murchison Falls NP
Murchison Falls NP, Uganda2 nightsMweya Safari Lodge
Queen Elizabeth NP, Uganda2 nightsBuhoma Lodge
Bwindi Impenetrable NP, Uganda1 nightReady to Plan This Safari?
Every trip we run is private and tailored around you — your dates, your pace, your budget. Tell us what you have in mind and one of our safari planners will craft it into a detailed, costed proposal.
