21 Days Uganda Grand Circuit Safari

Understand Uganda’s rich biodiversity on this journey from the Source of the Nile to Kidepo, the Albertine rift and the mountain gorillas. This 21-day Uganda grand circuit takes you from the shores of Lake Victoria and the Source of the Nile to the cool highlands of Mount Elgon, across the remote landscapes of Karamoja and into the wilderness of Kidepo Valley. From there, the trip comes into Uganda's northern region to Murchison Falls national park and then turns south into the forests, volcanic crater landscapes and savannahs of western Uganda. The final chapter takes you into the Albertine Rift, where chimpanzees live in the forests of Kibale, elephants and lions roam Queen Elizabeth National Park, and mountain gorillas inhabit the misty slopes of Bwindi. The journey continues to Mgahinga for golden monkeys and Batwa cultural experiences and ends with relaxation on the peaceful waters of Lake Bunyonyi and returning to Kampala or Entebbe international airport. At the end, you will have explored six Uganda national parks, spectacular landscapes, wildlife, cultures and local communities from the central to the mountains of the southwest.

Safari highlights

• Explore Entebbe and the Lake Victoria
• Search for the prehistoric-looking shoebill on a canoe excursion through Mabamba Wetland
• Spend two nights in Jinja, Uganda, the adventure capital of East Africa
• Take a boat trip to the Source of the Nile
• Choose a Jinja adventure including white-water rafting, kayaking or horseback riding
• Travel through Mbale into the cool volcanic highlands of Mount Elgon
• Hike the three Sipi Falls
• Experience Arabica coffee with local farmers, from coffee garden to cup.
• Experience a community visit around Nakaperimoru and learn about Karamojong traditions
• Explore Kidepo Valley National Park, one of Uganda's most remote wilderness areas
• Search for species rarely found elsewhere in Uganda, including cheetah and ostrich
• Explore Murchison Falls National Park
• Enjoy a game drive and a Nile boat cruise
• Visit the Top of the Falls and witness the world’s powerful waterfalls
• Explore Kibale Forest, home to 13 species of primates
• Track chimpanzees in their natural forest habitat
• Walk through Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, with opportunities for eight species of primates and excellent bird watching
• Visit a traditional healer and learn about local knowledge of medicinal plants, healing and community life
• Explore Queen Elizabeth National Park for a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel
• Search the Ishasha plains for the tree-climbing lions
• Trek mountain gorillas in one of Bwindi's four trekking sectors, selected according to permit availability
• Visit Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for golden monkey tracking
• Experience the Batwa Trail and learn about the forest heritage of the Batwa people
• Relax on the tranquil waters of Lake Bunyonyi
• Stop at the Equator for photo shoots when returning to Kampala
• Finish with a Kampala city tour experience and depart

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe

Arrive at Entebbe International Airport where you will meet your Firante guide. The first experience can be an excursion to Mabamba Wetland on the western shores of Lake Victoria. Mabamba is a large papyrus wetland and an important habitat for the shoebill and over 200 birds. A traditional canoe with a local guide is used to quietly navigate the narrow channels looking for the shoebill.

Overnight: Entebbe

Meals: Confirmed in your personalised quotation.

Day 2: Entebbe to Jinja

After breakfast, leave Entebbe for Jinja, a historic city on the northern shores of Lake Victoria. Jinja developed as an important commercial and industrial centre around the Nile and the Uganda Railway. Today it is famous as Uganda's adventure capital offering a wide range of activities including white water rafting and kayaking. After checking into your lodge, take time to settle in. Depending on arrival time, you can embark on your first activity. Take a walk around Jinja exploring its historical buildings or a boat cruise to the source of the Nile.

Overnight: Jinja

Meals: Confirmed in your personalised quotation.

Day 3: Adventure on the Nile

Today is dedicated to exploring Jinja and the Nile river. Choose from white-water rafting on the Nile, Kayaking, river tubing, water biking, and horseback riding. Those choosing rafting or kayaking will receive the appropriate safety briefing and equipment and also be accompanied by a photographer on the water. Nile river offers grade 2-5 rapids with some calmer river sections For those wanting a less strenuous experience, the boat cruise to the source of the Nile offers a relaxed way to experience the Nile river. Return to your lodge in the evening.

Overnight: Jinja

Meals: Confirmed in your personalised quotation.

Day 4: Jinja to Sipi Falls, Kapchorwa

Leave Jinja after breakfast and travel further east via Mbale town stopping there for lunch en-route. The road heading to Sipi winds through steep slopes of Mount Elgon highlands.

Arrive in the Sipi area and check into your lodge and relax.

Accommodation: Selected lodge or hotel, confirmed in your quotation.

Meals: Confirmed in your personalised quotation.

Day 5: Sipi Falls Hike and Arabica Coffee Experience

Today you explore the Sipi Falls on foot. Sipi is a series of three waterfalls on the slopes of Mount Elgon. A guided hike takes you between the different falls, winding through farms, and villages. The trails can be challenging due to the nature of terrain. Sturdy shoes are required. After the hike, experience one of Sipi's most unique cultural products, Arabica coffee. With a local guide, visit a local coffee-growing family and learn how coffee is cultivated on the slopes of Mount Elgon. Depending on the season, the experience can include seeing or participating in harvesting, processing, roasting, grinding and brewing, a memorable farm-to-cup experience. Return to your lodge and enjoy the cool mountain evening.

Accommodation: Selected lodge or hotel, confirmed in your quotation.

Meals: Confirmed in your personalised quotation.

Day 6: Sipi Falls to Moroto

After breakfast, leave the Mount Elgon highlands and continue northwards to Moroto, the largest town in Karamoja sub-region. The drive transitions from green highlands to the semi-arid Karamoja plains, which are more open and rugged, with volcanic rocky outcrops and mountains. Arrive in Moroto and check into your accommodation. Depending on arrival time, there may be an opportunity for a short visit at Moroto regional museum subject to opening hours.

Accommodation: Selected lodge or hotel, confirmed in your quotation.

Meals: Confirmed in your personalised quotation.

Day 7: Moroto to Kidepo Valley National Park

After breakfast, continue north to Kidepo Valley National Park along the way, including a community experience around Nakaperimoru, the largest traditional village in Uganda arranged in advance with local hosts. Learn about life in Karamoja, the pastoral traditions, family life, livestock, crafts, architecture, food and how this life is under pressure from modern living. The experience is always community-led and respect for customs on what can be shared and photographed is under guidance. Continue to the remote and wild Kidepo arriving at your lodge and settle in.

Accommodation: Selected lodge or hotel, confirmed in your quotation.

Meals: Confirmed in your personalised quotation.

Day 8: Full-Day Kidepo Valley National Park Safari

Set out for a full-day game drive through areas such as the Narus Valley and Kidepo Valley, depending on conditions and wildlife movements. Being remote and a semi-arid protected area, Kidepo’s savannah plains, permanent and seasonal river valleys are home to unique wildlife species including cheetah and ostrich, Bat-eared fox, striped hyenas. These may be difficult to spot. However, the common sightings in Kidepo include elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, antelopes such as elands, Jackson’s hartebeest, impalas and waterbucks. Lions and leopards may be spotted as well. Kidepo receives relatively low visitor numbers meaning you see fewer or no other vehicles on the same track. Kidepo’s rugged mountain ranges also offer spectacular landscapes for a keen photographer. Return to your lodge in the evening.

Accommodation: Selected lodge or hotel, confirmed in your quotation.

Meals: Confirmed in your personalised quotation.

Day 9: Kidepo Valley to Murchison Falls National Park

After breakfast, begin the long journey southwest to Murchison Falls National Park, as you transition from semi arid into the Albertine rift valley. The Victoria Nile bisects the park and forms the centrepiece of biodiversity including over 77 mammals and 400 species of birds.

Along the way, the road winds through Acholi land countryside. Arrive and check into your lodge located on the northern banks of the Nile river to position you well for the following day's wildlife activities.

Accommodation: Selected lodge or hotel, confirmed in your quotation.

Meals: Confirmed in your personalised quotation.

Day 10: Murchison Falls Game Drive and Nile Boat Cruise and the Falls

Rise early for a game drive on the northern bank traversing the Buligi game tracks characterised by open savannah, woodland and Borassus palms where you may see elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, Uganda kobs, oribi, waterbucks. Predators may also be spotted including lions, leopards, and spotted hyenas. Return to the lodge for lunch and shortly after embark  on the afternoon boat cruise along the Nile towards the base of Murchison Falls. The 16 km stretch of river roundtrip offers an opportunity to spot hippos in the water, Nile crocodiles bask along the banks, and elephants, buffaloes and other animals that often come to drink. The boat will stop 10 meters away from the base of the falls, offering a close up view of the gorge. Return to the lodge after the cruise with game drive en-route.

Accommodation: Selected lodge or hotel, confirmed in your quotation.

Meals: Confirmed in your personalised quotation.

Day 11: Murchison Falls to Kibale National Park

After breakfast, leave Murchison Falls and begin the 5-hour drive journey south via Fort Portal town for lunch en route. Kibale forest, located at the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains is home to 13 species of primates, including chimpanzees, red tailed monkeys, grey cheeked mangabeys, L’hoest monkeys. After lunch, proceed to the Kibale area and check into your forest lodge and prepare for the following day's chimpanzee experience.

Accommodation: Selected lodge or hotel, confirmed in your quotation.

Meals: Confirmed in your personalised quotation.

Day 12: Kibale Forest Chimpanzee experience and nature walk in Bigodi Wetland

Kibale offers 2 unique chimpanzee experiences, the standard chimpanzee tracking experience, that allows you to spend 1 hour with chimps and Chimpanzee Habituation Experience, a longer experience designed around following a chimpanzee community for over 4 hours as it becomes accustomed to human presence. The standard chimp tracking experience is available for morning sessions starting at 8am and the afternoon session at 2pm. After the chimp experience, visit the community Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary home to over 200 birds, eight primate species, sitatunga antelope, butterflies and medicinal plants. The nature walk through the swamp offers a different wildlife experience from the chimp trek. Time allows after the walk, take a village walk experience and visit a traditional healer for his stunning metaphysics. Return to the lodge in the evening.

Accommodation: Selected lodge or hotel, confirmed in your quotation.

Meals: Confirmed in your personalised quotation.

Day 13: Kibale to Queen Elizabeth National Park

After breakfast, continue south to Queen Elizabeth National Park, arriving around midday or early afternoon for a boat cruise along the Kazinga channel. The channel connects Lake George and Lake Edward and attracts a concentration of elephants and buffaloes that gather on its banks to get water along with hippos and Nile crocodiles. The channel is surrounded by an exceptional mixture of savannah, woodland, forest, wetlands, lakes and crater filled lakes. Queen Elizabeth supports over 610 recorded bird species of which most of the water species can be spotted during the cruise such as African fish eagles. When in the park on clear days, you can look towards the snow capped peaks of the Rwenzori Mountains.

Accommodation: Selected lodge or hotel, confirmed in your quotation.

Meals: Confirmed in your personalised quotation.

Day 14: Queen Elizabeth National Park Ishasha Sector

Today explore more of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Begin with a game drive through the park's open plains in search of elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kob, waterbuck, antelope, hyena, lion and, with luck, leopard. Continue towards the Ishasha sector in the southern part of the park. Ishasha is famous for its tree-climbing lions, which are often found resting in the branches of large fig trees. The area feels quieter and more remote than the northern parts of Queen Elizabeth. The Ishasha sector adjoins Virunga National Park in DR Congo and there are forest buffaloes and forest elephants, though they are difficult to spot.

Accommodation: Selected lodge or hotel, confirmed in your quotation.

Meals: Confirmed in your personalised quotation.

Day 15: Ishasha to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After breakfast, continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park , a UNESCO World Heritage Site rich in biodiversity including half of the world's mountain gorilla population, over 300 species of birds of which 24 are Albertine rift endemics. Your main activity will be to track gorillas. Check into your lodge and prepare for the trek. Bwindi is divided into four principal tourism sectors which include Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo. The sector used for this itinerary will depend on gorilla permit availability from UWA.

Accommodation: Selected lodge or hotel, confirmed in your quotation.

Meals: Confirmed in your personalised quotation.

Day 16: Bwindi Mountain Gorilla Trekking Experience

After an early breakfast, head to the gorilla trekking headquarters for briefing on the rules and regulations. You will be accompanied by ranger guides and trackers in search of a habituated gorilla family. The time it takes to find gorillas can range from two to six hours depending on the movement of the gorillas and terrain, with one hour of observation once the family is located. When the gorillas are found, you will be permitted to spend one hour observing how they interact in their natural habitat. After the trek, return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation.

Accommodation: Selected lodge or hotel, confirmed in your quotation.

Meals: Confirmed in your personalised quotation.

Day 17: Bwindi to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Leave Bwindi after breakfast and continue via Kisoro town to Mgahinga, which forms part of the Virunga volcanic mountains, a chain of 8 volcanoes that stretch along the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and DR Congo. Mgahinga alone has 3 volcanoes, covered by bamboo forests and is home to both golden monkeys and gorillas. In this park, you will do a golden monkey trekking and cultural walk.

Day 18: Golden Monkey Tracking and Batwa Cultural Experience

After breakfast, head to Ntebeko park headquarters for a briefing after which you will be accompanied by rangers to track the endangered golden monkeys. These primates dwell in the bamboo forests on the higher slopes of the volcano at about 2,500 to 3,550 meters (8,200 to 11,600 feet) above sea level. As such, it can be a challenging activity due to the nature of terrain. Once golden monkeys are found, you will be permitted to spend 1 hour observing them in their natural environment. Return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation. Later in the afternoon, embark on a cultural tour. The Batwa Heritage Trail, a 4-hour walk, where you will learn about the Batwa relationship with the forest. The Batwa lived in the forest as hunter gatherers before they were evicted in 1991. Today, this trail helps them to reconnect with nature and preserve their forest tradition. Watch as they demonstrate fire making activity, medicinal plants, hunting traditions and the cultural relationship between people and the forest. Return to your accommodation in the Kisoro/Mgahinga area.

Accommodation: Selected lodge or hotel, confirmed in your quotation.

Meals: Confirmed in your personalised quotation.

Day 19: Mgahinga to Lake Bunyonyi

After breakfast, travel to Lake Bunyonyi. The road descends through the spectacular Kigezi highlands to your accommodation on its shores. Lake Bunyonyi is surrounded by steep cultivated hills and has 19 small islands, making for a tranquil place to relax after the intensive trekking experiences in Bwindi and Mgahinga. Relax at the lodge, enjoy the lake views or take an optional canoe excursion between the islands.

Accommodation: Selected lodge or hotel, confirmed in your quotation.

Meals: Confirmed in your personalised quotation.

Day 20: Lake Bunyonyi to Kampala/Entebbe

After breakfast, begin the journey back to Kampala passing via Mbarara town for lunch en route and then continue for another short break at the equator monument for photo shoots. Continue to Kampala and check into your hotel.

Accommodation: Selected lodge or hotel, confirmed in your quotation.

Meals: Confirmed in your personalised quotation.

Day 21: Kampala City Experience and Departure

Your final full day introduces you to Uganda's capital city Kampala as you explore its historical sites. Possible experiences may include visiting the Kasubi Royal Tombs, Mengo Palace, Bulange, Kabaka’s lake. The city offers a final opportunity to understand the people, history and contemporary culture of Uganda. The city tour will only be possible depending on your departure time. Enjoy a final meal and prepare for departure. Your Firante guide will transfer you to Entebbe International Airport for your onward flight. .Your 21-day journey across Uganda comes to an end.

Quotation and booking details

Request a personalised quotation based on your dates, group size and accommodation preference. Your written quotation will confirm the lodges, meal plan, trekking permits, transport, included activities, optional extras and exclusions before booking. No fixed package price is currently advertised.

Trekking duration, wildlife sightings and travel times vary. Final arrangements depend on permit availability, lodge location and local conditions. Where a long transfer or trek falls on your departure day, an additional overnight stay before flying is recommended.

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Planning advice: Gorilla trekking · Chimpanzee experiences · Safari destinations