A cheetah resting on open grassland in warm afternoon light.

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Waterfalls, Wildlife & Mountain Gorillas

A thirteen-day route from Kidepo Valley's remote wildlife through Murchison Falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, a Bwindi gorilla trek and Lake Bunyonyi.

Enquire about this trip See the day by day

Duration13 Days / 12 Nights

Group size2 – 6 travellers

Best monthsDecember – February, June – September

From$5,580 per person sharing

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The Trip in Short

This is the deep version of a Uganda safari, long enough to include Kidepo Valley National Park without turning the itinerary into a rushed dash north and back. Kidepo sits on the Karamoja border with South Sudan, ranked among Africa’s best parks by CNN Travel in 2013, and is the only park in Uganda with cheetah and ostrich, its Narus Valley and Kanangorok hot springs a genuinely different landscape from the rest of the country.

From Kidepo the route runs south through Murchison Falls, Kibale’s chimpanzees, Queen Elizabeth’s Kazinga Channel and Ishasha sector, a Bwindi gorilla trek, and a closing stop at Lake Bunyonyi to unwind before the drive home. Thirteen days is what it actually takes to cover this much of Uganda without the driving becoming the dominant experience.

It suits travellers who have more time than money constraints and who want to see the whole country rather than a single region, accepting that a route this size involves some genuinely long days on the road in exchange.

Park entry fees and gorilla and chimp permits in Uganda are set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Highlights

Rhino tracking at Ziwa Sanctuary
Game drives in Kidepo Valley National Park
Karamojong cultural visit
Murchison Falls boat cruise
Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale, Kazinga Channel cruise
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi, Lake Bunyonyi relaxation

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Where You Go, Stop by Stop

Day 1–2

Ziwa Sanctuary and Kidepo Valley

Day 3–4

Kidepo Valley game drives

Day 5

Transfer to Murchison Falls

Day 6

Murchison Falls game drive and boat cruise

Day 7–8

Kibale Forest National Park

Day 9–10

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 11

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Day 12

Lake Bunyonyi

Day 13

Return to Entebbe

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Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1: Rhino tracking and transfer toward Kidepo

A stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for an on-foot rhino tracking walk, then a domestic flight or the start of the long overland route north toward Kidepo, depending on schedule and preference.

Day 2: Karamojong cultural visit, arrive Kidepo

A stop to meet a Karamojong homestead in the semi-arid country en route, a pastoral culture distinct from anywhere else in Uganda, before arriving at Kidepo Valley National Park in the afternoon.

Day 3: Narus Valley game drives

Morning and evening game drives through the Narus Valley, Kidepo's most productive wildlife area, watching for lion, elephant, buffalo and the cheetah and ostrich found nowhere else in Uganda.

Day 4: Kanangorok hot springs

A longer drive toward the Kanangorok hot springs near the South Sudan border, through drier, more open country, with further game viewing on the return leg into Narus.

Day 5: Transfer to Murchison Falls

A long day's travel south, either flying via Entebbe or driving via Gulu, into Murchison Falls National Park.

Day 6: Murchison Falls game drive and boat cruise

A morning game drive across the northern savannah, then an afternoon Nile boat cruise past thousands of hippos to the base of the falls.

Day 7: Transfer to Kibale Forest

A drive south-west via Fort Portal's tea plantations, arriving at Kibale by evening.

Day 8: Chimpanzee tracking

An early chimp trek from Kanyanchu, followed by an afternoon at leisure or a walk through the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary.

Day 9: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth

A shorter drive south, arriving in time for an afternoon game drive on the Kasenyi plains.

Day 10: Kazinga Channel and Ishasha

A morning Kazinga Channel boat cruise, then an afternoon drive into the Ishasha sector for its tree-climbing lions.

Day 11: Transfer to Bwindi, gorilla trekking

The drive south to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, arriving with the evening free ahead of the following morning's trek, or continuing straight to the trek itself where scheduling allows.

Day 12: Lake Bunyonyi

A short transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for a day of canoeing and rest after a demanding stretch of the itinerary.

Day 13: Return to Entebbe

The long drive back north, with a stop at the equator crossing, in time for an evening flight home.

From

$5,580

Enquire about this trip

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What the Price Covers

Included

12 nights' accommodation, full board
Gorilla trekking permit ($800)
Chimpanzee tracking permit ($250)
Rhino tracking fee at Ziwa
All park entrance fees
Domestic flight sector to or from Kidepo
Private vehicle and driver-guide throughout

Not included

International flights and Uganda visa
Porter fees on the gorilla trek
Alcoholic drinks
Tips
Travel insurance

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Before You Book

Is Kidepo reached by road or by air on this itinerary?

Either is possible; flying cuts a full day or more off the schedule and is generally recommended given how much ground the rest of the trip covers, at an extra cost for the flight sector.

Why does day 11 combine two things some other itineraries split?

This itinerary is already long; where a scheduling window allows arrival and the trek on a tight but comfortable timeline, we combine them rather than adding a fourteenth day, though this depends on trekking permit availability and can be adjusted.

Is thirteen days too long as a single trip?

It is a substantial commitment, but it is built to avoid the feeling of constant transit; most days include either a proper activity or a genuinely interesting stop rather than pure driving.

What should I know about visiting a Karamojong homestead?

It is a guided, consented visit through community liaisons rather than an unannounced drop-in; photography etiquette and a modest visit fee are covered by your guide on the day.

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Where This Trip Goes

Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Uganda · Reserve

A dedicated sanctuary protecting Uganda's reintroduced southern white rhinos, tracked on foot after the species was wiped out nationally by the 1980s.

Kidepo Valley National Park

Uganda · National Park

A remote savannah park on Uganda's border with South Sudan and Kenya, the only place in the country to see cheetah and ostrich, with a fraction…

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Uganda · National Park

331 square kilometres of ancient rainforest holding roughly half the world's mountain gorillas, split into four trekking sectors on Uganda's southwestern border.

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Waterfalls, Wildlife & Mountain Gorillas