Tap to book now

5 Days Uganda Safari – Chimpanzee Trekking & Wildlife Safari in Uganda Tour

5 Days Uganda Safari  – Overview

This 5 days Uganda safari features Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park and a wildlife viewing safari in Uganda tour in Murchison Falls National Park.

These exciting 5 days at Murchison Falls National Park and Kibale National Park start and ends in Kampala. It takes you to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where Uganda’s only wild rhinos reside.

Here, you’ll have a terrific chance to track the white rhinos on foot and get close-up views of a 2-ton land animal.

And, the largest national park in Uganda (Murchison Falls National Park) is also included in this thrilling 5 days Uganda Safari.

This park is named after the magnificent Murchison Falls, where the River Nile cascades 45 meters into a pool after passing through a 7-meter-deep gorge.

Murchison Falls National Park is home to 144 mammal species, including 4 of the Big 5 and the largest population of Rothschild Giraffes.

This park also has a fantastic bird checklist with over 556 recorded bird species, including the Shoebill.

You will enjoy game drives, a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls, and visiting the top of the falls while in Murchison Park.

After, an epic experience in Murchison Falls, you will then transfer to Kibale National Park where you will trek Chimpanzees in their natural habitat. Kibale Forest is home to the most primates in the world.

It boasts over 1500 Chimpanzees as well as 12 other primates. This park is also home to 70 Uganda mammal species as well as 370 bird species, including the endangered Green-breasted Pitta.

5 Days Uganda Safari In Murchison Falls National Park And Kibale National Park – Safari Activities

  • Rhino Tracking in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
  • Superb safari game drives in Murchison Falls National Park
  • A boat cruise along the River Nile to the bottom of Murchison Falls
  • Visiting the top of the falls
  • Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park
  • Bigodi Community tour

5 Days Uganda Safari In Murchison Falls National Park And Kibale National Park – Highlights

  • Day 1: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park and en route to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
  • Day 2: Do a morning game drive, afternoon boat cruise, and hike to the top of the falls.
  • Day 3: Visit the top of the falls and transfer to Kibale National Park.
  • Day 4: Enjoy Chimpanzee trekking In Kibale National Park and Bigodi Community Tour.
  • Day 5: Optional visit to Amabere Ga Nyinamwiru Caves and return to Kampala

5 Days Uganda Safari In Murchison Falls National Park And Kibale National Park – Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Transfer To Murchison Falls National Park And En Route To Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Have a serene morning breakfast at around 6 am and our guide will pick you up and drive you 310km (4-5hrs) to Murchison Falls National Park.

You’ll enjoy the scenic drive northwest through the former battleground of the Luwero Triangle. This is accompanied by the alluring rural landscapes of Uganda with a lush green cover, sparse human settlements, centers, and markets where you will see people going about their daily routines.

Continue your journey by driving through the amazing flat stretches of the Nakasongola district before rerouting at Nakitooma for a 7-kilometer drive to the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary. This is the only place in Uganda where you can see wild Rhinos.

When you arrive, you will have the opportunity to track the Rhinos on foot for 2 hours under the supervision of an expert ranger guide. If the Rhinos are too far away, you can drive closer to shorten the distance of the foot trek.

You may also see Waterbucks, Bushbucks, and Uganda kobs in addition to the Rhinos. Also, the sanctuary is home to over 300 birds, including the Grey-crowned Crane, Kingfishers, and Abyssinian Ground Hornbill.

After the beautiful activity, proceed to Murchison Falls Park, passing through Masindi town and the Budongo Forest. You may arrive in the park on time you may opt for an evening game drive.

Check in your lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

The highlight of the day: -Tracking wild White Rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary on foot.

Day 2: Do A Morning Game Drive, Afternoon Boat Cruise, And Hike To The Top Of The Falls

At around 6:30 am, eat breakfast, and then leave for a 3-4 hour game drive in the park’s northern region. You will drive across the sweeping grassy hills lined with Borassus trees and teeming with famous African Savannah animals.

You will expect lots of wildlife sightings as the park’s mammal checklist is over 144 mammal species.

Some of the notable Savannah animals you will see during the morning game drive include;

·        Rothschild’s Giraffes

·        African Elephants

·        Cape Buffaloes

·        Lions

·        Leopards

·        Jackson’s Hartebeest

·        Defassa Waterbucks

·        Uganda Kobs

·        Hippos

·        Oribi

·        Bushbucks

·        Bohor Reedbucks, and Forest primates

After the tremendous safari game drive, transfer back to the lodge for relaxation and lunch.

After that, you embark on an afternoon launch cruise down the Nile River to the base of Murchison Falls. This boat trip lasts two hours and provides an unforgettable experience.

You will see a variety of animals in the water as well as those drinking from the riverbanks. Hippos, Nile Crocodiles, and Monitor Lizards are the most certain to be spotted. Keep an eye out for Buffaloes, Elephants, and Antelopes along the banks of the river.

Apart from the animals, you will as well see various bird species as this park has over 556 bird species.

Below are some of the sought birds you will see along when on the boat cruise;

·        Goliath herons

·        Squacco heron

·        Egyptian geese

·        Pelicans

·        Bee-eaters

·        Kingfishers

·        Hornbills

·        Cormorants

·        African fish eagles

·        Saddle-billed storks

·        And, the iconic Shoebill storks.

This boat cruise will stop 100 meters from the bottom of Murchison falls and here you will have clear views of the falls. You can as well take photos to give you memories when you get back home.

The boat will bring you back to Paraa jetty and from here you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

The highlight of the day: A morning game drive and a delightful boat cruise to the bottom of Murchison Falls.

Day 3: Visit The Top Of The Falls And Transfer To Kibale National Park

On this day, have your breakfast at around 7 am and drive to the southern part of the park, and head to the top of the falls.

Visitors can see Murchison Falls when on a boat cruise, but the views from the viewing point are spectacular. You’ll take a short footpath downhill to the waterfalls and walk to the fenced area where you can enjoy the triggering waterfalls.

Here, you will see how the 50 m wide Nile River squeezes through a 7-meter gorge escarpment and drops 45 meters into the devil’s cauldron. You’ll hear the thunderous roar of the falls and see the massive water spray they form.

There is no doubt that Murchison Falls are the most powerful waterfall in the world. You will as well get opportunities of taking good pictures.

After this amazing exploration of the falls, you then transfer to Kibale National Park about 441 km (8-9 hours) drive. You will pass through remarkable scenery of the Albert Rift Valley including Lake Albert itself.

Before resting in Hoima town for lunch, you will also pass by the Butiaba escarpments and the Blue Mountains of Congo. You will then drive to Fort Portal for relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

The highlight of the day: Visiting Murchison Falls Viewpoint and the scenic drive to Fort Portal.

Day 4: Chimpanzee Trekking In Kibale National Park And Bigodi Community Tour

After an early breakfast (about 6.30 am), you will drive to the Kanyanchu Visitor’s Center, where you’ll meet the knowledgeable local ranger guide. He will then accompany you on foot as you track chimpanzees in Kibale park.

The Chimpanzee trekking experience here begins at 8 am and starts with a briefing as you get to know the proper tracking techniques before setting out.

Since 1993, chimpanzees in Kibale have been tracked, and there is more than a 95% of chance of seeing some of the 1500 chimpanzees. The journey to visit these sophisticated apes takes 2-5 hours.

Once you spot the apes, you be with them for 1 hour as you interact with them. However, a maximum of 6 visitors are required to visit a Chimpanzee group per session. These visitors should all be above the age of 12.

While tracking the Chimpanzees in the depth of the forest canopies, you will hear and see various birds and colorful butterflies.

And, expect to see at least 5 or 7 other primates and these may be;

·        Black and White Colobus

·        Uganda Red Colobus

·        Uganda Mangabey

·        Red-Tailed Monkey

·        Vervet Monkey

·        L’Hoest’s Monkey,

·        And, Olive Baboons.

 

These Chimpanzees are fully habituated and you can come closer though you keep a safe distance of 8-10 meters. You will be filled with emotions when you witness how mother Chips love their babies and or the mischief of a younger sibling.

You are free to take photos as many as you can as you will not be limited but you need to mind the flash of your camera as it should be off.

Indeed, Chimpanzee is an ultimate adventure. After, trekking the apes, you can return to the lodge for Lunch and a bit of relaxation.

Later, in the afternoon, transfer to Bigodi Community. Here you will engage in community encounters with the locals as you get to see how they live their daily life. You can as well engage in the activities like coffee picking and local brew making.

As you are on this community tour, you will also take part in coffee making right from the coffee planting process. You will harvest red ripe coffee berries, sun dry them, pound the coffee and lastly make yourself a cup of coffee freshly brewed.

After, this amazing community tour, you will retire at your lodge and await dinner and overnight.

Day highlight: -Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park and Bigodi community tour.

Day 5: Optional Visit To Amabere Ga Nnyinamwiru Caves And Return To Kampala

Enjoy your morning breakfast at harmony at around 7 am and after, drive to Amabere ga’ Nnyinamwiru caves. These are a few kilometers from Fort Portal town.

These breast-like features are said to have belonged to the Nyinamwiru the daughter of Bukuku who was the king of the Bachwezi. He dethroned her daughter as she was denied the opportunity to breastfeed her baby.

His father had been alerted that Nnyinamwiru’s son Ndahura would eventually take over his throne. So the locals believe that the whitish substance from the breast-like structures is her breast milk as she didn’t breastfeed.

After exploring the caves, you can have lunch in Fort Portal town and proceed back to Kampala. This will have marked the end of your 5 days Uganda tour.

Safari Inclusions

  • Full-time English professional safari driver guide
  • 4×4 safari van/ 4×4 Safari land cruiser with poop up roof for game viewing with functional A/C
  • Full board accommodation
  • Chimpanzee trekking permit fees
  • Boat cruise fees
  • Wi-Fi Internet on board the safari vehicle
  • Bottled water

Safari Exclusions

  • International &domestic flight fees
  • Visa fees
  • Laundry services
  • Items of personal nature
  • Gratuities and tips
  • Other beverages/ drinks
  • Other extras not mentioned in the itinerary above

Want to visit Murchison Falls?

Want to visit Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda's largest & oldest conservation area?

×