9 Day Murchison Falls and the Big 5 Trip

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport you will be met by a representative who will welcome you to Uganda – the Pearl of Africa. Thereafter, you will be transferred to the Cassia Lodge.

In case you have had an early landing in Uganda, you will have a late afternoon ride around the city of Kampala. Expect excursions to places like the Kasubi tomb, Uganda Museum, Namugongo Martyrs Shrine etc. Return to your accommodation and have enough rest.

Meals & Drinks:
● Dinner (Breakfast & lunch not included)
● Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast, embark on a journey to Murchison Falls National Park. The highlights of this park include: the roaring rapids of the Murchison, the rolling plains of Uganda’s largest National Park where you will have the chance of viewing lions, giraffes, hartebeest, buffalo, and elephants.

You will be fascinated by the concentration of hippos and the Nile crocodiles here. For birders, Murchison Falls boasts 450 bird species including the elusive shoebill stork, dwarf kingfisher, the white-thigh hornbill, and the Goliath heron among others.

En route, make a detour to Zziwa Rhino sanctuary for your first Big 5 experience where you will have an hour of rhino tracking. Another stop will be in Masindi in order to enjoy your lunch. Continue to the park and check in to your accommodation to relax for the Evening.

Accommodation: Pakuba Safari Lodge
(Mid-range lodge located inside Murchison Falls NP)

Meals & Drinks:
● All meals included
● Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After an early breakfast, tour the Northern section of Murchison with a high concentration of savannah wildlife. Enjoy game viewing and photography of elephants, buffalos, waterbucks, giraffes, Uganda kob and lions, the leopards (if you are lucky) plus a variety of bird species.

Return to your accommodation for lunch and a brief repose. After lunch, you will embark on a 3-hour boat trip to the base of the falls. This trip is said to be the highlight of the safari in Murchison Falls since it allows you to get up close to the animal species within the water.

Cruise past huge hippo pods, crocodiles and numerous aquatic birds adorning the north bank on the way to the mighty waterfalls. You will have an opportunity to take thousands of pictures, so carry your camera with you if you like.

Also, proceed for a hike (if you like) to the top of the falls. The hike is a strenuous one but the thrill on reaching the top is unforgettable. Miss it only if you must! Return to your accommodation.

Main Destination:
Murchison Falls National Park

Accommodation:
Pakuba Safari Lodge (Mid-range lodge located inside Murchison Falls NP)

Meals & Drinks:
● All meals included
● Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After breakfast at your accommodation, drive to the top of the falls (if you didn’t hike) where you will have spectacular view of the falls. Else, depart right away for Kibale Forest National Park after breakfast.

Kibale is popular for its primates like the Chimpanzees, Columbus monkeys, velvet monkeys and red tailed monkeys. On your chimpanzee trails, these are regularly seen swinging in the forest trees and others feeding on the wild fruits. You will reach and do little but check into your accommodation where you will have dinner and the overnight rest.

Main Destination:
Kibale National Park (Chimps)
Accommodation: Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse
(Mid-range guest house located just outside Kibale NP)

Meals & Drinks:
● All meals included
● Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Today you will experience some serious primate business! Kibale Forest National Park boasts the highest number of primate species including the chimpanzees. Approximately 5,000 chimpanzees live in the wild in Uganda which makes it a perfect place to spot them! An experienced ranger will take you chimp tracking in the morning.

The activity begins at 8.00am with a briefing regarding the rules of trekking the chimpanzees after which you set off to search for them in the forest. Once you locate the chimpanzees, you will have a full hour with them. You will return to the lodge for lunch after which you will head out for Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will arrive in the evening and overnight at your booked accommodation.

Main Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Accomdation: Irungu Forest Safari Lodge (Mid-range lodge located just outside Queen Elizabeth NP)

Meals & Drinks:
● All meals included
● Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Be up early and have your breakfast. Proceed for a morning game drive to the Kasenyi plains during which you will expect to see Lions, Elephants, Bush bucks, Cape Buffaloes, Defassa Waterbucks, Giant Forest Hogs, Uganda kob, among others. Return to your accommodation, have your lunch.

After lunch, you will go for a two-hour boat trip on the Kazinga Channel which connects Lakes George and Edward and you will surely be fascinated by the concentrations of giant hippos, elephants and crocodiles among others. You will also see many varieties of birds at the water shores. You will have dinner and overnight at your accommodation.

Main Destination:
Queen Elizabeth National Park

Accommodation: Irungu Forest Safari Lodge
(Mid-range lodge located just outside Queen Elizabeth NP)

Meals & Drinks:
● All meals included
● Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Have breakfast then set off for Bwindi NP through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park – famously known for its resident tree-climbing lions.

The chance of spotting these lions is about 70% though sometimes they are really hard to spot (most especially when they’re down in the grassland looking for prey). Hoping you get the chance to spot them, the sight will be spectacular!

Continue to Bwindi Impenetrable NP. Bwindi is a big habitat for mountain gorillas in Uganda; harboring an estimated 400 mountain gorillas – roughly half of the world’s population including several habituated groups which can be tracked. Its mist-covered hillsides are blanketed by one of Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforests which dates back over 25,000 years and contains almost 400 species of plants.

With a strenuous day ahead, you will do less on arrival but just check in your accommodation, relax as you prepare for the Bwindi Gorilla Trekking experience the following day.

Main Destination:
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)

Accommodation: Broadbill Forest Camp
(Budget tented camp located just outside Bwindi NP)

Meals & Drinks:
● All meals included
● Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

After an early breakfast and a briefing by a ranger guide, you will enter the gorilla sanctuary for your adventure. The beauty of this rain forest is spectacular! The area offers dramatic steeply forested landscape and is incredibly dense, but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails allowing access to tourists.

The time taken and the terrain vary with the movements of these great primates. Once you locate a gorilla group, you will be allowed an hour in their presence. The thrill of spending time observing these gentle and endangered giants is an awesome, exciting experience to be long savored.

Return to your lodge. Have your lunch and thereafter check out for a transfer to Lake Bunyonyi. Lake Bunyonyi is framed by lush, green-terraced hills that reach a height of (2,200 – 2,478m) but it’s the 29 islands of various shapes and sizes scattered across the water that make it most magical — you could admire them all day.

Main Destination:
Lake Bunyonyi (Lake)
Accommodation:
Lake Bunyonyi Lodge
(Mid-range cottage located in or near Lake Bunyonyi)

Meals & Drinks:
● All meals included
● Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Have a relaxed breakfast at the accommodation with spectacular view of the Bunyonyi little islands just right in front of you and thereafter embark on your return journey to Entebbe Airport. Expect en route stopovers in Mbarara town for lunch and the Uganda Equator line mark in Kayabwe for some memorable photos and maybe buying some art pieces of interest.

Proceed with the journey arriving late afternoon/evening for drop off at the airport to catch your flight out.

We do recommend for a late afternoon/evening outbound flight schedule for this day (if flying out). We hope to see you (or any referral) when next, you visit and thanks for choosing Home to Africa!

Main Destination:
Entebbe International Airport (Airport/Airstrip)

Accommodation:
No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:
● Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
● Drinking water (Other drinks not included)