Our 12-day Big5 + Chimps + Gorillas & Culture Nyumbu Escorted Safari is uniquely handcrafted to uncover Uganda’s most engaging places including Bwindi Impenetrable National Park best known for its magnificent mountain gorillas, Murchison Falls National Park known for a profusion of wildlife, Queen Elizabeth National Park named after the Queen of England who visited the park twice and Kibale the home of chimpanzees.
This holiday is a great way to immerse yourself in Uganda’s Unique culture, enjoy local foods, interact with community and of course enjoy the thrills of close encounters with our wildlife and beautiful scenery. Karibu Uganda, Nyumbu Beyond Journeys! This is the one chance you will get to flatten three bucket list items in one epic safari – in one country! What more could you ask for?
Experience the thrills and luxury of Africa’s most beautiful yet underrated safari destination in this 4X4 private family tour.
Detailed itinerary
DAY 1: Arrival at Entebbe, Karibu—a very warm welcome to Uganda!
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be picked up by a Nyumbu Beyond Journeys safari guide and transferred to your accommodations in Entebbe. You’ll have a safari briefing and time for last questions regarding your adventure across Uganda.
In the afternoon, we continue to Mabamba Swamp, one of the best places in Uganda to see the Shoebill; one of Uganda’s most sought-after bird species.
DAY 2: Tracking the Southern White Rhino
Today after breakfast, your guide will pick you from Kampala to Murchison Falls National Park. En route, you will visit Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where you will go for a game walk with an experienced ranger, which gives you a unique opportunity to view the rhinos from a close distance.
Murchison Falls National Park and Kidepo Valley National Park once had both black and white rhinos; however, widespread poaching during the Idi Amin era resulted in the disappearance of these majestic animals from the wild. Founded in 1998, Rhino Fund Uganda works to reintroduce black and white rhinos into Uganda and runs a breeding program.
Murchison Falls National Park is the largest conservation area in Uganda, covering an area of over 3,840 km². The park’s name derives from its famous waterfall: the mighty Murchison Falls, which are formed where the Victoria Nile powerfully forces its way through a narrow cleft before plunging 43m down with a thunderous roar.
The mighty Nile River divides the park into its north and south sections. At the spectacular Murchison Falls the world’s longest river explodes violently through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge into a frothing pool 43m below. As the river attracts large numbers of game, a boat safari up the Nile provides the perfect opportunity to see and photograph the animals. You will be carefully watched by crocodiles, hundreds of hippos, buffaloes, water birds, apes and all the other thirsty wildlife that the Nile attracts; you go to the bottom of the Murchison Falls, which approaches you with a thunderous sound. By car or after a short hike you can reach the “Top of the falls” from where you have a perfect view of the impressive falls and the river snaking below.
You will be staying at a great mid range lodge. Here you can relax during the rest of your day.
DAY 3: Boat Safari on the Nile & Savanna Game Drives
Today after breakfast, you will depart for an early morning game drive across the rolling plains of Uganda’s largest National Park. The 3,893 sq. km park is home to a range of animals, and you will have a chance of viewing some of the Park’s residents including lions, giraffes, hartebeest, buffalo, and elephants. For the birders amongst you, these areas support the secretary bird and the black chested snake eagle, to name a few.
In the afternoon, go for a boat trip to the base of Murchison Falls, where the Nile thunders through a small 7-meter gap plunging 43 meters into the Nile on the way to Lake Albert. The banks of the Nile are densely populated with crocodiles, hippopotamus, and a range of other wildlife that come to the river to drink.
DAY 4:Scenic Road Trip to Kibale Forest
Today we will take a picturesque route through the Rift Valley while enjoying spectacular views of Lake Albert and beautiful little villages. The trip lasts 5 hours and may be tiring but incredible views of the farmlands and the lush green countryside that is typical of Uganda will keep you relaxed. Because you’ve been travelling with a packed lunch, you’ll have a short stop at Fort Portal and enjoy or have lunch at the nearest restaurant and later drive to your lodge.
DAY 5: Trek and Meet the Chimpanzees of Kibale & Evening Bigodi Community Walk
Today you will wake up early to go to the park head offices to be briefed about your chimpanzee tracking experience. Kibale Forest National park boasts the highest number of primate species in the world, including the chimpanzees. Approximately 5,000 chimpanzees live in the wild in Uganda, which makes it a perfect place to see them
An experienced ranger will take you chimp tracking in the morning or afternoon; you might also see other monkey species that live here. Once you locate the chimpanzees you will have a full hour of eye-to-eye contact with them. Since they are wild animals, we can never guarantee you to see them and might have to settle with hearing their hoots and hollers.
In the afternoon after lunch, you will go for the guided swamp walk. The walk (2-3 hours) will take you through grassland, small communities and some beautiful scenery, where the locals are likely to greet you with enthusiastic waves. It is usual to spot three to four different primate species during this walk, though the highlight is catching a glimpse of the great blue turaco!
Crater Lakes Hike:
Formed by ancient volcanic activity, the crater lakes of Uganda are located near Fort Portal, and are a great hiking option. Typical hikes take you through local villages and tea plantations, to the base of several of these incredibly serene and beautiful lakes. With the Rwenzori Mountains in the background, this is by far one of Uganda’s most peaceful and extraordinary sights
DAY 6: Mountains of the Moon
After breakfast, your guide will drive you to Queen Elizabeth National Park, home to a high concentration of Uganda’s mammals that include tree climbing and savanna lions, elephants, wart hogs, Uganda Kobs, water buck, cape buffalo, hippos, leopards, as well as more than 600 species of birds that include the African spoon bill, pied kingfishers, fish eagles, pelicans, vultures
Queen Elizabeth National park is Uganda’s second largest park, located at the base of the majestic Rwenzori Mountain range, adjacent to Lake Edward and Lake George. The park has game including Uganda Kobs, warthog and waterbuck. Lions are often sighted both in and at the entrance to the park. Be ready to see huge numbers of hippos and elephants, and keep your eyes on the look out for a leopard lazing in the sunshine.
In the late afternoon you will relax at the lodge. You will stay in a nice lodge, overlooking the Lake George.
DAY 7: Boat Safari & Game Drives
Today you wake up early. A little before sunrise coffee, tea and donuts will be served in the lounge before we head out for a long game drive in time to see the first rays of light. You will search for all the wildlife in the park and are likely to come across Elephant, Buffalo, Lion, Waterbuck, Leopard, Uganda Kobs, and many Warthogs. A well-deserved brunch will be served back at the lodge in the late morning.
In the afternoon you will take a boat safari along the Kazinga Channel which joins Lake George and Lake Edward.
Here, you will see a lot of hippos (more than you can possibly imagine!), as well as a variety of other animals which come to the waterhole to drink or bathe. You can expect to see buffalo, crocodile, bathing elephant, and a range of beautiful birds. This will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of your tour.
After the boat-safari you game drive back to the lodge.
DAY 8: Transfer game drive to the Ishasha Plains – famous for tree-climbing
After breakfast you will proceed to the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park, the famous Ishasha area, for a game drive searching for the tree climbing lions
Ishasha is home to the famous tree-climbing lions. While lion cubs around the world frequently climb trees for fun, adults rarely do. The (adult) lions in Ishasha are an exception to this. It is thought that they sit in the branches to get away from the tsetse flies and to enjoy a cool breeze. If you are lucky you might spot a few during your game drive.
You will overnight at Embogo Lodge, which is surrounded with acacia forest, lush vegetation with palm trees and scattered grasslands. Find birds, monkeys, and other wildlife around your cottage.
DAY 9: Journey to the Impenetrable Forest
After an early breakfast, we will embark on the morning game drive in Ishasha again in search of more shows from the tree-climbing lions and whatever nature has for today.
We’ll then return to our lodge for lunch and later pack our luggage and head off to your next destination.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is Africa’s most diverse rainforest, the home and the best place for gorilla trekking in the world due to their large numbers and accessibility. In the afternoon we will spend time with the local Batwa pygmy’s tribe as they showcase traditional herbal medication, performances and fire making.
DAY 10: Ultimate Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
Today after early breakfast, you will be transferred to the park head quarters for briefing about gorilla tracking. You will encounter one of Bwindi’s endangered mountain gorillas. For most people this is the absolute highlight of their tour in Uganda. Bwindi Impenetrable national park boasts both mountain gorillas and chimpanzees – the only forest in Africa that can make this claim. It also hosts five other species of primates, 113 species of mammals, over 200 species of butterflies and 360 species of birds. The gorillas you track are habituated and can tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period of time, every day.
The time taken to track the gorillas can be as few as 2 hours to as many as 7 hours. Once the gorillas have been located, your group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. Coming face-to-face with a mountain gorilla is a truly humbling and emotional experience. This is a fantastic and privileged opportunity to get up close and personal with Uganda’s very own ‘Gorillas in the Mist’.
Return to the briefing point and receive your gorilla trekking certificate in recognition of such a great achievement. Remember gorilla trekking is a bragging right since not so many people in the world have come face to face with these amazing creatures. Then drive off to your hotel or Lake Bunyonyi for relaxation
DAY 11: Terraced Hillsides & Mountain Views
After breakfast, you will travel to Lake Mburo National Park, one of Uganda’s smallest parks, but certainly not to be underestimated. It is the only Ugandan national park (besides to Kidepo Valley National Park.) which is home to zebras, elands and impalas, as well as to an abundance of other wildlife – not to mention the lake itself, which has lots of hippos and crocodiles. Last but not least: The Uganda Wildlife Authority recently brought 15 giraffes from Murchison falls to lake Mburo!
You will stay just outside the park boundaries, but it will feel like being in the middle of the park. From your veranda and restaurant, you have a great view over the park and its wildlife.
As we evening calls there nothing worth watching the sun kiss the savanna plains as you sip a glass of wine and as we call it and end of the wilderness times.
DAY 12: Walking Safari on the Savanna
Today after breakfast, you will go for a guided bush walk. Lake Mburo National Park is one of two parks in Uganda where bush walks with an experienced ranger are permitted. This opportunity should not be missed. From footprints and animal droppings the ranger will be able to tell you which animal has left it and how long ago. It is exciting to approach wildlife at such close range.
Option: Instead of going for the bush walk, you can go on a horseback riding safari in the park (US $150 p.p. extra for 2 hours).
After, you will drive back to Kampala or Entebbe (Airport) stopping at the equator for the requisite snapshot and a bit of souvenir shopping.
Accommodation for tonight is not inclusive in the program. If you wish to depart tonight from Entebbe Airport, make sure your flight is at 10 pm or later. If you want us to book one (or more) nights in Kampala and/or Entebbe, please let us know.