Drive North & First Game Drive

Your driver-guide collects you early from your Kampala or Entebbe hotel for the drive north to Murchison Falls National Park — Uganda's largest and most dramatic protected area. The journey of approximately 4–5 hours passes through the green Luweero Triangle and crosses the Karuma Falls bridge over the Victoria Nile, where the river's power first becomes apparent.

Arrive in the early afternoon for your first game drive through the park's northern circuit — prime lion and elephant territory. The Murchison plains stretch endlessly under open sky, with giraffes silhouetted against the horizon and enormous buffalo herds moving across the grassland. Check in to your Nile-side lodge as hippos begin to call through the dusk. Browse our full safari collection for itinerary combinations.

Game Drive, Nile Boat Cruise & The Falls

A full day in one of Africa's most rewarding wildernesses. Begin with a sunrise game drive across the northern bank — lions, leopards, and spotted hyenas are most active in this golden hour, and the Murchison plains deliver some of Uganda's most memorable predator encounters. Large elephant herds gather at seasonal waterholes, and the rare opportunity to see lions mid-hunt is always possible here.

After a lodge lunch, board the famous Murchison Falls boat cruise — a 3-hour journey upstream along the Victoria Nile towards the base of the falls. The riverbanks are lined with Nile crocodiles and Nile monitor lizards basking on every exposed rock, while hippo pods surface and blow around the boat. As you near the falls, the roar becomes overwhelming — the entire volume of the world's longest river forced through a 7-metre chasm with extraordinary violence. Keep a keen eye for the rare shoebill stork, one of the most sought-after birds in Africa, standing motionless among the papyrus beds.

Drive South via Fort Portal & Kibale Arrival

After a final early morning game drive in Murchison — always worth one more attempt at a lion sighting — depart southward on the drive to Kibale Forest National Park. The journey of approximately 5 hours is one of Uganda's most beautiful, passing through Fort Portal — a charming highland town cradled by the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains (the legendary "Mountains of the Moon") and surrounded by tea plantations that carpet the hillsides in vivid green.

On the road south, you may also pass through the edge of the remarkable crater lake district — a volcanic landscape of perfectly circular lakes in vivid blues and greens. Arrive at Kibale in the late afternoon and check in to your forest lodge. The evening chorus of insects, birds, and distant primates sets the tone for tomorrow's chimpanzee trek. Your guide delivers a thorough pre-trek briefing after dinner.

Chimpanzee Trekking & Bigodi Wetland Walk

Rise before dawn for your chimpanzee trekking experience in Kibale — widely regarded as the finest destination in the world for observing wild chimpanzees. The park holds over 1,500 chimpanzees across 13 primate species, and its habituated groups are tracked by expert guides and Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers each morning through dense tropical forest. The trek lasts 2–5 hours depending on chimp movement.

When you encounter the group — perhaps feeding noisily high in the canopy, or descending to the ground in a fluid, purposeful procession — the intensity of the experience is immediate. One hour spent in the presence of chimpanzees, watching them groom, play, and communicate, is a vivid reminder of how little separates us from our closest evolutionary relatives.

After lunch, visit the community-managed Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary for an afternoon walk — home to sitatunga antelope, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and extraordinary birdlife including the Great Blue Turaco. The walk supports local livelihoods directly and is one of the most meaningful conservation tourism experiences in East Africa. Learn more about our safari vehicles and services.

Kazinga Channel Cruise & Ishasha Lions

After breakfast, depart Kibale and drive south through the crater lake district to Queen Elizabeth National Park — Uganda's most biodiverse protected area, encompassing savannah, forest, wetland, and crater lake habitats within a single park. The drive takes approximately 2 hours and the scenery grows more dramatic with every kilometre.

Arrive in time to join the Kazinga Channel boat cruise — a 2-hour journey along the waterway connecting Lake George and Lake Edward. The channel banks host Africa's largest hippopotamus population and one of the continent's densest concentrations of Nile crocodiles. Buffalo herds wade to drink, and over 600 bird species patrol the shoreline. After the cruise, drive directly to the remote Ishasha sector — famed worldwide for lions that rest in the canopy of ancient fig trees, a behaviour documented in very few places on Earth. Overnight in Ishasha for maximum lion-viewing opportunity at dawn.

Final Lion Search & Transfer to Gorilla Country

The morning begins with a focused early drive through the Ishasha sector in search of the tree-climbing lions. Your guide knows the most productive fig trees and the movement patterns of the resident prides — maximising every chance of the iconic sighting before departure. Leopards, hyenas, and elephants are also commonly encountered in this quieter, more remote corner of the park.

After breakfast, begin the drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park — home to nearly half of the world's remaining 1,100 mountain gorillas. The journey of approximately 3 hours traverses dramatic highland scenery, with the Virunga Volcanoes rising on the horizon as you approach. Arrive in the afternoon and check in to your forest lodge, many of which offer sweeping views over the ancient canopy.

Your guide delivers a comprehensive gorilla trekking briefing in the evening — covering the gorilla family you will visit, the forest terrain, photography protocols, conservation regulations, and exactly what to expect from the experience ahead. Learn more about the gorilla trekking experience from our partners.

Mountain Gorilla Trekking & Return Home

The moment your entire safari has been building towards. After an early breakfast, collect your gorilla trekking permit and enter the Impenetrable Forest with armed rangers and expert trackers. The trek through dense undergrowth, bamboo thicket, and steep forest terrain can last anywhere from 1 to 6 hours — the effort is always and completely rewarded.

When the trackers give the signal and you emerge into a clearing to find a silverback mountain gorilla resting calmly metres away — his vast frame, intelligent eyes, and unhurried composure utterly extraordinary — the world narrows to this single moment. One precious hour with the family: watching infants play, mothers nurse, and the silverback hold court over his group with quiet authority. This is the rarest and most deeply affecting encounter wildlife travel can offer. Fewer than 1,100 mountain gorillas remain alive on Earth.

After the trek, enjoy a celebratory lunch at the lodge. Then begin the drive back to Kampala or — for those returning via Rwanda — northward to Kigali via the Cyanika border with full assistance from our team. Kigali Transfers to Bwindi can also assist with onward connections. Contact our team now — gorilla permits sell out months in advance.