Overview
The 8 days Uganda big five safari is an epic adventure in the national parks of Uganda that give you exceptional views of the big five animals. In Uganda, the rhino is the only animal among the big five that became endangered to extinction and is now kept in the sanctuary in Ziwa. Other big five animals like lions, elephants, leopards, and buffaloes can be spotted in national parks such as Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, and Kipedo National Park. Your 8 days Uganda big five safari will start right from the day our professional guide picks you up when you arrive at the airport.
You will be transferred to your booked hotel for dinner and stay for the night. The following morning, you will be served breakfast and our guide will be there ready to pick you up and embark on the journey to Murchison Falls National Park after you have checked out of your hotel. Our guide will then drive you briefly to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where you will observe the endangered white rhino.
You will arrive later at your booked lodge in Murchison Falls National Park in the evening. The next day you will embark on a 2-hour game drive in the park and observe the remaining big four animals and also the Murchison Falls. In the afternoon, you will take part in the boat cruise to the aquatic side of the park on the Victoria Nile where you will see hippos and crocodiles among others. The next day in the morning you will travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park where you will have a lion tracking the following day after arrival and a boat cruise in the afternoon. You will then be transported to Lake Mburo National Park in the final days of your 8 days Uganda big five safari for a morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise. The 8th day which is the last day you will embark on the journey back to the airport for your departure.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival
You will be picked up by our professional guide upon your arrival at the airport in Entebbe and transferred to your hotel in Kampala city. This will mark the beginning of your 8 days Uganda big five safari. You will be served dinner and you rest.
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
The morning of your second day will begin with a breakfast early in the morning and our guide will then pick you up and transfer you to Murchison Falls National Park. On your way to the park, you will pass by Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where you will see the endangered white rhinos. The last rhino to in the park was in Murchison Falls National Park in 1982 and was killed by poachers. You later arrive in the park in the evening and after checking in your lodge, have dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Game drive and boat cruise
The next morning after your breakfast at your lodge, you will be driven to the park to embark on a game drive. While on the game drive, you will encounter four of the big five animals such as lions, leopards, buffaloes, and elephants, and other animals like topis, oribis, waterbucks, giraffes, and hyenas, among others, will be spotted as well. Our guide will then transfer you back to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon when you have had your lunch you will head to the Victoria Nile for a boat cruise.
This is an opportunity for you to observe the aquatic animals of the park like hippos, and crocodiles. You will also see a variety of other land animals like elephants, buffaloes, and waterbucks to mention but a few on the shores of the river cooling off and taking a drink. Later in the evening, you will head back to the lodge for dinner and relaxation.
Day 4: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
You will have your delicious breakfast and our guide will pick you up and hit the road to Queen Elizabeth National Park. While on your way, you will make short stopovers at the tea plantations and the local tea processing factory and see how the local tea beverage is made. You will arrive at the park in the evening right in time for dinner and after dinner, you will rest and prepare for the activities at daybreak.
Day 5: Lion tracking and afternoon boat cruise
In the morning after your breakfast, you will head on an adventurous lion-tracking experience. This activity takes place in the Ishasha region of the park with the help of the rangers equipped with antennas that track the signals from the radio collars of the lions. This activity takes about 3 hours and you will have amazing views of the lions in their natural habitats.
After lunch, you will head to the Kasenyi side of the park for a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. This is a great experience to observe the large schools of hippos and crocodiles and also other animals like buffaloes, elephants, antelopes, warthogs, and waterbucks to mention but a few can be spotted on the shores of the channel.
Day 6: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
The following day you will be transported to Lake Mburo National Park by our guide immediately after your breakfast. On the journey to the park, you will make stopovers at the Igongo Cultural Center where you will visit the museum of the Ankole Kingdom. The ceremonies, dress code, economic activity, and history of the people of Ankole will be enlightening to you while in the museum. You can as well visit the 1520 AD eclipse monument which is adjacent to Igongo Cultural Center about 4 kilometers from the park.
The monument is recognized by UNESCO as a historical site of the eclipse of 1520 AD. In the Ankole Kingdom, this site is recognized as a place where the King of Bunyoro Rwitamahanga I abandoned his loot of cows and slaves from King of Rwanda Umwami Ruganzu II Ndori. Rwitamahanga I had reached that place when darkness broke out and he knew that the people he had killed in Rwanda had come to haunt him. He left the loot and fled. In the evening you will arrive at the park check in at the lodge and rest after your dinner.
Day 7: Game drive and boat cruise
You will be served breakfast at your lodge and our guide will pick you up for the game drive in the park. The game drive is the best way to spot large sums of animals while in the comfort of your vehicle. Some of the animals to spot while on the game drive include buffaloes, zebras, impalas, and warthogs to mention but a few. Lake Mburo National Park is also home to over five lakes. Lake Mburo which that park is named after is the biggest of the five lakes.
The boat cruise takes place on Lake Mburo and during the boat cruise, you spot animals like hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, zebras, and impalas among others. In the evening you will later be transferred to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Departure
On this final day of your 8 days Uganda big five safari, you will begin your day with a delicious breakfast, check out of the lodge. Our guide will then transfer you to the airport for your departure. While on the journey, you will stop at the equator in Kayabwe and take some photos. You will arrive at Entebbe International Airport in the evening for your flight back home.
