6 Days Queen Elizabeth and Mount Rwenzori Safari
This is 6 Days Queen Elizabeth and Mount Rwenzori Safari itinerary designed in the first place to provide you with an electrifying classic African wildlife safari and a rare feature of high-altitude hiking in Uganda. Next, you will mix the different ecosystems of Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) with a short two-day trek to the lower zones of the awesome Rwenzori Mountains to give you both adrenaline and relaxation along Uganda’s western circuit.
Tour Highlights.
Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe/Kasese and Transfer to Queen Elizabeth.
Day 2: Game Drives and the Kazinga Channel Cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Day 3: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Day 4: Drive and Begin Rwenzori Foothills Trek.
Day 5: High-altitude hiking and descent (best highlight day).
Day 6: Departure.
Detailed itinerary.
Part 1: Queen Elizabeth National Park Wildlife (Days 1–3).
On the first half, we focus on the grasslands, craters, lakes of Queen Elizabeth National Park to the maximum extent for the most thrilling big game and rare primate sightings.
Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe/Kasese and Transfer to Queen Elizabeth.
On the first day of the safari; Your flight will land at Entebbe International Airport (EBB). You will then take either a scheduled scenic road transfer or flight to the Kasese region that is the gateway to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Upon arrival, your guide from Nyumbu Beyond Journeys will pick you up and take you to your lodge near the park and enjoy lunch. After lunch you will enjoy a game drive, mainly target the vast plains of the park and look for large herds of Uganda Kobs will keep you busy until the late afternoon.
Later you will be transferred to your lodge for dinner, relaxation and overnight stay.
Day 2: Game Drives and the Kazinga Channel Cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
This is really a full day of different events. Wake up early in the morning on the second day of the safari and enjoy breakfast.
After breakfast you will meet your safari guide and start the day with a game drive in the Kasenyi Plains that are known for you to see as many as lions, leopards, elephants, and buffaloes and usually be able to set the sights against the scenic backdrops of crater lakes.
You will then in the afternoon go upon the world-famous Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise which is best for photographers with a dream catching up close to hundreds of hippos, Nile crocodiles and long packs of elephants and buffaloes drinking from the water’s edge, and among many others. Later you will return to your lodge for dinner, relaxation and overnight stay.
Day 3: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
On the third day of the safari, wake up early in the morning and enjoy breakfast. After breakfast, check out, and then you will get ready and be mentally prepared to come down in the beautiful Kyambura Gorge (frequently referred to as the Valley of Apes) early in the morning for your unique chimpanzee tracking experience.
In this remote and absolutely quiet riverine forest, you will track down not only chimpanzees but also other primates, which, besides in the dense forest habitat, they are often found around rivers.
After the chimpanzee tracking, you will proceed with a final drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park before your journey takes you north to the foothills of the Rwenzori.
Part 2: Rwenzori Mountains Introductory Trek (Days 4 to 6)
Your adventure will be further continued in the Rwenzori Mountains with a glimpse of the “Mountains of the Moon,” characterized by no full ascent, yet taste of a trek to be had.
Day 4: Drive and Begin Rwenzori Foothills Trek.
On the fourth day of the safari, wake up early in the morning and enjoy breakfast. After breakfast, you will get into your safari vehicle and head over to the point where the Rwenzori Mountains National Park trek is to begin (probably the Kilembe trailhead).
Once there, mountaineering guide and porters are going to be waiting, and after the introductions, the commencement of the gentle, introductory walk down into the forest of the lower zone is expected; commonly, the trek gradually leads up to a reasonable height of around 2,000 meters for acclimatization.
The local participants of this particular hike would highlight that there are limitless picturesque views of the valley below plus the wide-open plains from which you have just come. In the evening, you will be staying in either a mountain hut or a simple tent amid the Rwenzori fresh, cool mountain air.
Day 5: High Altitude hiking and descent (best highlight day).
A day of hiking and a return down the mountain to your final destination (Best highlight day): This will be a day of many new experiences and wonderful places. You will have the opportunity to climb higher up into the mountain zone and see new types of vegetation, a unique Afro-alpine type called “Giant Heather” or “Giant Groundsel,” which is only found in Rwenzori.
Later in the day, you will begin to return to the area from where you began to descend, with panoramic views that extend out over the western rift valley. Your safari driver will be waiting for you at the base and will take you to a lodge near Kasese to relax and shower before heading back to your accommodations to rest for a new day of excitement.
Day 6: Departure.
On the final day of the safari, wake up early in the morning and enjoy breakfast. Later you will either transfer to Kasese’s local airport or start driving back toward Entebbe International Airport (EBB) to board your outbound international flight that will make your safari come to the end.
End of 6 Days Queen Elizabeth and Mount Rwenzori Safari
