7 Days Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, Lake Bunyonyi and Lake Mburo safari
7 Days Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, Lake Bunyonyi, and Lake Mburo safari
This 7 days Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, Lake Bunyonyi, and Lake Mburo safari is an interesting safari that will take you to the savannah national parks that are Queen Elizabeth National Park and Lake Mburo National Park, where you will be able to view different animals, including elephants, waterbucks, lions, leopards, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, giraffes, Nile crocodiles, hippos, warthogs, zebras, topi, elands, impalas, oribi, and bushbucks, among others, during the game drives and boat cruise.
This will also take you to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, where you will be able to spend time with the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural environments, and Lake Bunyonyi which is the deepest freshwater lake in Uganda.
Highlights
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 2: Morning game drive/lion tracking and afternoon boat cruise
Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park via Ishasha sector
Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 5: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi – afternoon boat cruise
Day 6: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park – afternoon boat cruise
Day 7: Morning game drive and departure to Kampala
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Queen Elizabeth
Depending on your location on the first day of your Uganda wildlife safari, you will be welcomed by our driver guide, who will brief you about the safari and then start the journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park, which is the second largest national park in Uganda.
On the way you will have en route lunch and enjoy spectacular views of the Rwenzori Mountains, tea plantations, among others.
Upon arrival in the park, you will go for a short evening game drive where you will be able to view animals like elephants, buffalos, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, and others. After the game drive you will drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Morning game drive/lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive,
After an early breakfast, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive or lion tracking experience in the Kasenyi plains.
During the game drive you will have great views of the sunrise, the big four mammals, which are lions, leopards, elephants, and buffaloes; other animals like waterbucks, bushbucks, and Uganda kobs; and views of different bird species, among others. After the game drive you will return to the lodge for lunch.
Afternoon boat cruise: After lunch you will go for an amazing boat cruise along Kazinga Channel, a 40 km long channel that connects Lake George and Lake Edward.
During the boat cruise, you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view buffaloes, elephants, and warthogs drinking water along the banks, and view water birds, among others.
You will also be able to see the fishermen along the shores preparing their fishing gear for night fishing, taking beautiful pictures, among others. After the boat cruise you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
After breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
On the way you will have a stopover in the Ishasha sector in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you will be able to view the tree-climbing lions, which will be viewed lying up in acacia/fig tree branches during the game drive if you are lucky.
The Ishasha sector also harbors other animals like elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, and Uganda kobs, among others. After the game drive, you will have lunch en route and then proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking,
After an early breakfast, carry your packed lunch, and your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to transfer you to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules, regulations, and expectations of gorilla trekking.
After the briefing you will be allocated a gorilla family to trek with, a park guide, and start trekking in the jungle, which takes about 2 hours to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are located.
During trekking you will have views of mammals, other different bird species, and more. Once the gorillas are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their habitat, which gives you an opportunity to watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, breastfeeding, and playing; observe their behaviors; take great photos; and record the breathtaking moments to show people back home.
After the one-hour encounter with the gentle giants, you will trek back to the park headquarters, where you will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the lodge for an evening of relaxation, dinner, and overnight stay.
Day 5: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi – afternoon boat cruise
After breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Lake Bunyonyi in the Kabale district. Lake Bunyonyi is the deepest freshwater lake in Uganda and the second deepest lake in Africa after Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania.
The journey to Lake Bunyonyi takes about 3 hours’ drive, and upon arrival, you will drive to the lodge for lunch, after which you will go for an amazing boat ride on the lake where you will be able to explore some of the 29 islands, such as the punishment island; view bird species, among others; and have spectacular views of the terraced farmlands, Kigezi hills, and traditional homesteads, among others. After the boat ride you will relax at the lodge, have dinner, and stay overnight.
Day 6: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park – afternoon boat cruise
Enjoy a relaxed breakfast, check out of the lodge, and meet up with your guide to transfer to Lake Mburo National Park. Upon arrival in the park, you will connect to your lodge for lunch.
After lunch, you will go for an afternoon boat cruise where you will be able to view animals like buffaloes, warthogs, and antelopes drinking water along the shores of the lake; hippos and crocodiles in the water; and water birds such as cormorants, kingfishers, and fish eagles, among others. The boat ride takes about 2 to 3 hours, and after the boat cruise, you will drive to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 7: Morning game drive and departure to Kampala
After an early breakfast on the last day of the 7-day Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, Lake Bunyonyi, and Lake Mburo safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your guide to go for a morning game drive in the park where you will be able to view various wildlife species, including zebras, warthogs, topi, waterbucks, impala, giraffes, buffaloes, oribi, among others.
After the game drive you will drive out of the park and start the journey back to Kampala with en route lunch at the Equator, after which you will continue the journey to Kampala, arriving early evening, and upon arrival your driver guide will drop you off at Entebbe International Airport for your departure flight or drop you off at any place of advice.
End of 7 days Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, Lake Bunyonyi, and Lake Mburo safari
Includes
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Lion tracking experience
- Park entrance fees/game drives
- Boat cruise fees
- Professional English-speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Ground transfers (in a 4WD vehicle)
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled drinking water
Excludes
- International air flight tickets
- Visas
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Life insurance
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, and tips, among others.
