Safari Overview

This 6 day/5 nights Uganda road trip unveils the diversity of Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kibale Forest National Park.

The Big game that roams in the savannah and forested parts of Queen Elizabeth is best seen during safari game drives. The waterfront set in the shadow of the Rwenzori Mountain ranges offers the best boat rides on the Kazinga channel, a perfect spot for Birding and animal photography at a very close range.

The verdant Kibale Forest National Park is the “primate Capital of the World” where forest walking safaris happen. It’s here that you come face-to-face with chimpanzees and other primate species. The colorful vocal Birds, giant trees, Butterflies make this place quite special.

Itinerary at a glance.

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport – Uganda

Day 2: Entebbe – Queen Elizabeth National Park by road.

Day 3: Game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park & Boat cruise on the Kazinga channel.

Day 4: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Kibale Forest National Park. Afternoon village walk.

Day 5: Chimpanzee tracking – Optional Afternoon swamp walk.

Day 6: Kibale to Entebbe airport by road – Connect to international flight.

Safari description.

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe international airport – Uganda.

Adventure Consults’ airport staff will meet you on arrival, assist through customs, get the luggage, and hand over to the field guide for a transfer to the hotel.

Depending on arrival time, you may have a briefing on your safari today/tonight or can opt to get a briefing the following day before setting off to the field.

Overnight accommodation included on Bed & Breakfast basis.

Most recommended hotels in Entebbe are 10 – 20 minutes’ drive from the airport.
Inclusions: Bed & Breakfasts basis.
Excludes: All meals and Drinks.

Day 2: Entebbe – Queen Elizabeth National Park by road.

0700 hours: Briefing on the day’s adventure, and start for Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The approximately 7 hours’ drive will be interrupted by interesting stops for photography, stretching, lunch and interaction with the local people.

Your first stop will be at the Equator crossing point in Kayabwe/Mpigi. Here you get an an opportunity to stand at the center of the earth, take amazing photographs and listen to engaging explanations and experiments related to the equator. The stories and experiments here are both scientific, factual and others are cultural related. They all make interesting sense!

It’s on record that there are only 13 countries on earth that are crossed by the equator, and Uganda is lucky to be one of them.

Proceed to Mbarara for Lunch then after continue with the journey to the park arriving late afternoon.

You may have a relaxed evening by the pool or waterfront and enjoy the beautiful skies as the sun dips in the horizon – The Golden hour!

Enjoy your favorite beverage by the fireplace as you watch the Ugandan traditional dances and storytelling moment by the local communities that live in and around the National park. The dance groups are part of Adventure Consults broader conservation projects focused on creating relationships with the local communities who are the actual caretakers for the existing wildlife.

Meals and Overnight accommodation included at the Lodge.

Standard inclusions: All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner).
Some lodges include both alcoholic and none-alcoholic drinks with exclusion of premium drinks.
Standard exclusions at most lodges: All drinks.

Day 3: Game drive & Boat cruise on the Kazinga channel.

An early morning game drive awaits!

After a cup of coffee/tea, head out for a game drive. As the sun peeps out of the broken clouds, it reflects on thesavannahs, creating shady moments. The sparkling sunlight reflection on the lakes and green wetlands gives the best moment for classic big game and colourful birds to hang out.

Two famous game tracks- Kasenyi track, and Queens’s mile will never disappoint! There are high chances of sighting the Leopard, African bush elephants, Hippos, Lions, Cape buffaloes, and several antelope species.

Enjoy a Picnic Breakfast at a beautiful site by the community craft market, facing Lake Bunyampaka. This is the time to talk to the people that live within the park and buy some beautiful crafts. Depending on the season, you might see the colorful flamingos in a distance.

Lunch will be at the lodge.

At an agreed time (depending on the lodge you are booked), head out to the Mweya pier in time for a 1400 hours boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. The channel is a 32-kilometer- long natural water stretch that links Lakes Edward and George.

The boat cruise on the channel provides the best opportunities for up-close animal viewing and photography with lots of hippos and numerous Nile crocodiles. Queen Elizabeth National Park’s bird life is rich, colorful, and stupendous totaling to 600 recorded species.

We normally book scheduled boats. The type of boat to use (either big or small) is to be determined on the day of the boat trip. Private/exclusive boats are available on payment of supplement.

Weather permitting, go for a sundowner and have a taste of Uganda’s finest gin, and a mix of both local and premium drinks as you wait for the sunset.

Meals and Overnight accommodation included at the Lodge.

Standard inclusions: All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner).
Some lodges include both alcoholic and none-alcoholic drinks with exclusion of premium drinks.
Standard exclusions at most lodges: All drinks.

Day 4: Scenic drive to Kibale Forest National Park – Appox.3 hours’ drive.

After breakfast, head out to Kibale Forest National Park, via the frontier town of Kasese, surrounded by the mystical snow-capped Rwenzori Mountain Range.

Your first stop will be another magnificent equator crossing point. This is one of the best photography spots while on an African Safari. The scenery here is different!

You have an option to stop by the Rwenzori founders’ gallery for the finest artwork made out of bronze. If you love first class galleries with resident artists, this is the right place for you!

You will proceed with the drive, going through quiet villages mostly covered with green banana plantations, farmlands, roadside markets and happy people in busy townships.  You will arrive in time for lunch.

The afternoon is dedicated to visiting communities some of which may include Adventure Consults’ conservation partner projects. Alternatively, go for a crater walk, farm walk, short hikes of the nearby hills, take a rim walk or play soccer with the friendly Ugandans.

Meals and Overnight accommodation are included at the Lodge.

Standard inclusions: All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner).
Some lodges include both alcoholic and none-alcoholic drinks with the exclusion of premium drinks.
Standard exclusions at most lodges: All drinks.

Day 5: Chimpanzee Tracking – Kibale Forest NP and Bigodi swamp walk

Breakfast at the lodge or have a packed breakfast (depending on departure time from the lodge you are booked to stay).

The day starts with be a detailed briefing at Kanyancu Park Headquarters. You will then be assigned a guide and enter the forest for an escorted forest walk and search for the elusive Chimpanzees.

The moist evergreen Kibale Forest National Park is home to the highest concentration of primates in the world – 13 species, including the very ‘local-ized’ Red Colobus as well as L’Hoests monkey. 

While in the forest, the guide will give detailed explanations on more than just primates. The forest is endowed with some of the oldest trees in Africa out of which some are medicinal, and others are used by Chimpanzees for communication. Your walk will be interestingly informative and exciting. You don’t have to be a birding enthusiast to enjoy the competition of Chimpanzee calls and bird sounds.

Lunch options: a locally prepared Uganda meal is highly recommended for today’s lunch, and this will be at Tinka’s homestay. Alternatively, drive back to your lodge for lunch (discuss with the guide about lunch preference a day before).

This afternoon, you have an option to relax at the lodge or pick one of the available activities.

One of famous and most interesting community activities is the Bigodi swamp walk for primate and birding adventure. The approximately 4.5 Km round walk takes you through a swamp that shelters over 200 species of birds that include Great Blue Turacos, Papyrus gonolek, Blue, Crowned eagles, Purple-breasted sunbirds, African Pitta, Papyrus Canary, and many more swamp endemics.

During this wetland walk, you are likely to see more primates such as Olive baboons, Black and White Colobus, Red Tailed monkeys, L’Hoests Monkeys, Vervet Monkeys, and Blue Monkeys among others.

You will walk through homesteads as the site guides share exciting details of their lifestyles, history, and culture.

A relaxed afternoon is equally good option as you get an opportunity to enjoy the property facilities, have a swim as you wait for the story telling moments by the local guides and hosts.

Meals and Overnight accommodation included at the Lodge.

Standard inclusions: All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner).
Some lodges include both alcoholic and none-alcoholic drinks with exclusion of premium drinks.
Standard exclusions at most lodges: All drinks.

Day 6: Kibale to Entebbe by road – Connect to international flight.

After breakfast, start the 6 to 7 hours journey to Entebbe Airport. This is one of the most scenic journeys as you drive past the olive baboons and other monkeys on the roadside (Don’t feed them!), lush-green tea plantations, forests, roadside fruit markets, plantations, and marshy swamps.

Lunch stop and then proceed to Entebbe airport.

Depending on your flight schedule, you may need a day room to freshen up, repack, relax and have dinner before your flight. Please talk to our team for advance reservations and related costs.

Alternatively, you may simply have a stop at a restaurant in Entebbe, then after drive straight to the airport in time for check-in and connect to your international flight.

Your departure flight should not be earlier than 1600 hours. Check-in time for international flights is 3 hours in advance.

Accommodation options.

We have long term contracts and partnerships with all hotels and lodges in East Africa. The accommodations are carefully handpicked to suite every traveler’s specification. The listed options are simply a guideline, so please discuss with us for more options.

Uganda’s National parks have got a wide array of accommodation options. Some facilities are inside the park and others all outside but within proximity of park activities. All facilities have unique locations with either magnificent views of the savannah plains, lakes, rivers, mountains, or facing a forest canopy.

Accommodation options in Entebbe/Kampala;

  • Hotel Number 5.
  • Lake Victoria Serena Golf resort and spa.
  • The Boma hotel.
  • Papyrus Guesthouse.
  • Entebbe forest lodge.
  • 2 Friends Beach Hotel.

Accommodation options in Queen Elizabeth National Park

  • Kyambura Gorge Lodge.
  • Elephant Plains Lodge.
  • Honey Bear Bush Camp.
  • The River Station.
  • Mweya Safari Lodge.
  • Katara Lodge.
  • Buffalo Safari Lodge.
  • Ishasha Wilderness Camp.
  • Parkview Safari Lodge.
  • Kasenyi Safari Camp.
  • Ihamba Lakeside Safari Lodge.
  • Ishasha Jungle lodge.
  • Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge.

Accommodation options in or near Kibale Forest National Park

  • Volcanoes Kibale Lodge.
  • Ndali Lodge.
  • Kyaninga Lodge.
  • Chimpundu Safari Lodge
  • Crater Safari Lodge.
  • Primate Lodge Kibale.
  • Turaco Treetops.
  • Kibale Forest Camp.
  • Papaya Lake Lodge.
  • Isunga Lodge.
  • Kibale Forest Lodge.
  • Tabebuia Spa and Safari Resort.
  • Guereza Canopy Lodge.