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| Elephants in Queen Elizabeth Park |
Uganda is one of those countries that will surprise you as not really much is brought out for first timers to know what they are into except it is one of the places you could see gorillas in the wild which is known to everyone and after visiting, I can wholeheartedly say you will realize it’s one of the most beautiful places ever visited by you and i am sure something about your time here will strike you leaving you longing for a return. From the friendly locals to the lush greenery to the diverse wildlife in the many game parks around. Uganda is a place you absolutely have to put on the top of your bucket list.
How to Get to Uganda the Pearl of Africa
Uganda is located in East Africa, so it can be a bit far from most parts of the world. If you’re coming from the USA, you’re likely going to make a stop either in Europe or the Middle East on your way to Uganda.
To get to Uganda, the best airport to fly into is Entebbe International Airport (airport code: EBB). If you’re doing a trip combination between Uganda and Rwanda or are just planning on visiting the southern part of Bwindi, you can also opt to fly into Kigali International Airport (airport code: KGL) in Rwanda. But, for the purposes of this itinerary, you’ll want to stick with flying into Entebbe.
Best Time of Year to Visit Uganda
Our country Uganda is on the equator, so the temperature is pretty consistent throughout the year. we have rainy seasons in Uganda, which you want to avoid for the most part because too much rain can cut some activities short. I would hate to see somebody travel all the way to Uganda to go gorilla trekking only to have their time completely rained out.
This Uganda itinerary is going to focus on the entire country, so let’s talk about the dry season in the southwest where there are Bwindi Gorillas . There are actually two dry seasons in Uganda : December-February and June-July. You could also visit on the shoulders of these dry seasons to get better pricing. For example, you can come early March and it rains, but the rain is not an issue for it rains for just a few hours sometimes it drizzles this is how good this tropical weather.
How long to spend in Uganda.
Uganda is definitely a place you want to take your time visiting. Not only does it take some time to get around from place to place (this is Africa), but it’s a beautiful country. For your Uganda itinerary, I’m going to recommend at least a week. I think 5-10 days in Uganda is a perfect time. go here for a 5 to 10 Day safari to Africa
If you’re combining a trip to Uganda with a larger East Africa trip, you could do 3-5 days if you’re just trying to go gorilla trekking or chimp trekking. Popping over to Uganda just to see the gorillas is actually fairly common to do, but if you keep reading this itinerary, you’ll see why Uganda is definitely not a place to underestimate when it comes to pure beauty.
If you want to see everything, I would say you’ll probably need 2 weeks. That being said, this Uganda itinerary is going to feature mostly the southern part of the country however the northwest and northern part of the country also has plenty to offer, which is why I think 12 days in Uganda is perfect.
how to get around during your Uganda itinerary
There are a few ways to get around during your Uganda itinerary. The easiest way to get from area to area is going to be with domestic flights. However, this is going to be the most expensive way to get around and while you’re definitely going to see some beauty from the air, you’ll miss a lot of it by flying everywhere.
I absolutely recommend hiring a driver and guide during your trip to Uganda. If you want to get the full experience, it’s necessary to do this. The guides are usually from the area and know exactly where to go and will help you spot wildlife. They’ll help you with national park entrances and it’ll just make the entire experience much more easier.i personally recommend Game ranger tours i absolutely love them.
If you’re looking for a bit more of a budget trip and are comfortable driving on your own, you’re able to rent a car here and drive yourself around. If you opt to rent a car, make sure to purchase the insurance. This option is definitely not for a first time traveler in this region because driving in Africa has its challenges, so make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into if this is the route you choose to take.
The most important thing to remember whether you have a driver or rent a car is that distances in Africa are not always what they seem. What Google Maps might say takes 2 hours could easily take 5 hours in Africa. There are definitely a lot of dirt roads throughout our country in remote villages, but there are roads being paved every day making driving around the country easier. Just sit back and relax and enjoy the views on your drives from place to place!
Other helpful tips while traveling in Uganda.
Traveling through Eastern Africa can sometimes pose challenges, especially if you’re not used to what it’s like. Having a guide with you makes things a lot easier because they’re there to help you along the way. That being said, even if you have a guide with you, here are some helpful tips to know before you arrive in Uganda.
- Language. I found that most people in Uganda spoke enough English to get by. Again, if you have a guide with you, any language barrier kind of goes away because they will likely speak English and translate. You’ll see Swahili spoken sometimes around Uganda and might recognize some words, but you should have no issues with English.
- Money. In uganda we use Uganda shillings currency and it keeps changing according to the currency rate
- ATMs & Credit Cards. ATMs will be very hard to come by if you’re outside of the international airport or major cities. ATMs are virtually non-existent around the national parks, so you’ll want to make sure you have a good amount of cash on you for the times you need it. The good thing is, if you have your Uganda itinerary set up with a driver and guide, a lot of the trip might be paid for ahead of time. You’ll likely only need money for souvenirs, tips, and extra meals. You can often change currency where ATMs are lacking.
- Tipping. It’s standard to tip your driver, guide, and staff at safari lodges. You’ll be able to tip the driver and guide at the end of the trip. You’ll want to tip the Driver $10-$30 a day.if you hire a porter you might as well tip them as well as a guide.
- Food. Since this is a safari, most of your meals are going to be included in your stay at all the safari lodges and camps. Usually there’s a set meal every night and you may have a couple of options. Make sure to tell your guide or the staff at the lodge if you have any dietary restrictions or preferences.
- Water safety. It’s best to not drink the water or use the water for things like brushing your teeth. Make sure to bring a reusable water bottle , that you can fill up at your lodge before heading out. Your guide will likely always have water bottles in the car if you need them on drives.
- Bathrooms. You’ll be spending a lot of your time either in the car or on safari drives, so bathrooms can sometimes be limited. Make sure to keep small currency amounts with you in case you need to pay a small fee to get into toilets at rest areas. You also might have to get comfortable with the idea of a bush toilet when you have to go during safari drives!
- Safety. Uganda is a generally safe country. Safaris are typically set up in a way where you’re with the guide a lot of the time which increases the safety of the country. That being said, nowhere is completely safe so always be cautious while traveling anywhere and be smart.
- Water safety. It’s best to not drink the water or use the water for things like brushing your teeth. Make sure to bring a reusable water bottle, that you can fill up at your lodge before heading out. Your guide will likely always have water bottles in the car if you need them on drives.
- Bathrooms. You’ll be spending a lot of your time either in the car or on safari drives, so bathrooms can sometimes be limited. Make sure to keep small currency amounts with you in case you need to pay a small fee to get into toilets at rest areas. You also might have to get comfortable with the idea of a bush toilet when you have to go during safari drives!
Where to Visit on This Uganda Itinerary.
Upon your arrival in Uganda, you’ll be flying into Entebbe International Airport (airport code: EBB). Despite the fact that you fly into Entebbe, you’re going to spend your first two days in Uganda in Entebbe or Kampala and is about an hour drive away from the airport.
You may have your driver for the entire time in Uganda pick you up at the airport and bring you to your hotel in entebbe , but if not, I recommend arranging a transfer to your hotel.
If you’re needing to cut time, you could easily arrive in Uganda and the next day set off on your safari. However, I recommend taking the extra day in Kampala to kind of reset from the long flight and get ready for the safari ahead. Safaris can involve long days and be rather exhausting, so it’s nice to start off on the right foot.
–Where to Stay in entebbe–
I recommend staying at a nicer hotel upon your arrival in entebbe. You’re going to want to relax during your time here and having a nice hotel with a pool and a spa would be a great way to get yourself ready for the journey ahead. Here are my recommendations for where to stay in entebbe!
As i mentioned a few times, I highly recommend spending your time in entebbe getting ready for the rest of the trip. What I mean when I say that is relax from the long flight, catch up on sleep, and maybe get a massage because why not? You’re on vacation after all!
Take the time you’re in a small city like entebbe to make sure you have some Ugandan shillings to tip your guides and that you have a SIM card.
If you have some extra time, you can head over the Victoria Mall or even relax in the Entebbe Botanical gardens also check out some souvenir shops and maybe grab some snacks for the rest of your Uganda itinerary.
Days 3-4: Kibale National Park
[Fly from Entebbe to Kasese]
Kibale National Park is going to be your second stop in Uganda. It’s possible to drive from Kampala or Entebbe down to Kibale National Park, but I highly recommend taking this as one of the times you opt for a flight instead of driving. The drive to Kibale NP can be quite far and you’ll save yourself precious time by just opting for the flight. This flight costs $283 one way, so it’s definitely not cheap for a 2-hour flight, but it’s worth it for the saved time.
The Kibale National Park is famous for being the best place to go chimpanzee trekking in Uganda. To be honest,many travelers think it is not possible to go trekking with chimps in the wild. But let me tell you, it is an absolutely insane experience that I highly recommend to everybody!
–Where to Stay in Kibale National Park–
The closest city to Kibale National Park is Fort Portal. However, there are some very affordable lodges and camps much closer to Kibale NP. When you visit you could stayed at Ndali Lodge and it is truly one of the most beautiful places to stay. It’s very small and intimate and the perfect spot to stay.
- Isunga Lodge ($)
- Kibale Forest Camp ($)
- Ndali Lodge ($$)
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In order to be visited by people, the chimps have to go through
a habituation experience, which is just a fancy way of saying they’re exposed
to people so they’re not scared by them. That being said, the chimps are still
very much so wild animals.
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Keeping all of this in mind, let’s get back to the two chimp
experiences. You can choose to do the normal chimp trekking experience where
you obtain a permit and a guide takes you through the Kibale National Park
where you’re able to spend no more than 1 hour with the habituated chimps once
you’ve spotted them for the first time. This experience is typically 2-3 hours
long including the time finding the chimps and then the hour you spend with
them.
·
The other option is to visit the chimps who are still being
habituated. This also requires a permit and is a full day experience and a lot
different than the normal trekking. Because it’s a full day experience, you’re
able to spend a couple of hours with the chimps.
· With the Habituated experience you spend more hours hiking
around the jungle to find the chimps while viewing other monkeys ,this is an unforgettable experience because you are able to
spend more time watching these incredible creatures in their natural habitat.
Day 5-7 Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park + ishasha sector
The next stop on this Uganda itinerary is Queen Elizabeth National Park. To start, you’ll want to head to the northern part of Queen Elizabeth. This part of the park is only about 2.5-3 hours drive away from Kibale National Park.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is rather large, so I’d recommend splitting your time in this park with some time in the north of the park and some time in the south of the park, in an area known as Ishasha. Queen Elizabeth National Park is going to be your most familiar safari-esque experience. You’ll do your twice daily game drives for about 3 hours each: once in the morning just before the sun rises and once in the evening just before the sun sets.
–Where to Stay in Queen Elizabeth National Park
I’m recommending spending 3 days in this area spread over 2 areas of Queen Elizabeth National Park, I’ll list places to stay in both areas below. I personally would recommend splitting the time up with 1 night in the northern part of Queen Elizabeth NP and the other 2 nights in the southern part of the park. I particularly enjoy staying at Ishasha Wilderness Camp in the southern part of the park, so definitely stay there during your time in the south. The food served in these hotels is purely continental basically what you eat when you are back home depending on the menu but a local taste is not bad at all its worth trying you will like it.
- Buffalo Safari Lodge ($$)
- Parkview Safari Lodge Kyambura ($$)
- Ishasha Jungle Lodge ($$)
- Mweya Safari Lodge ($$$)
- Ishasha Wilderness Camp ($$$
What to Do in Queen Elizabeth National Park–
Queen Elizabeth National Park is right on top of Lake Edward, Lake George, and Kazinga Channel, which connects the two lakes. During your time in the northern part of Queen Elizabeth NP, I highly recommend doing a water safari. You’ll get on this large barge-looking boat and slowly go down the Kazinga Channel. Viewing the animals from the water gives you a completely new perspective. You’ll be able to see some animals you might not see if you weren’t on the water, like crocodiles and hippos.
After you spend time in the northern part of Queen Elizabeth NP, head down for another night in the Ishasha area. Try to spot the famous tree-climbing lions on your game drives and keep your eyes peeled for some of the incredible birds in the area. Uganda is famous for its bird watching and even if you’re not an avid bird-watcher, they’re pretty beautiful to look at.
Days 8-10: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
[Drive from Queen Elizabeth National Park to Bwindi
Impenetrable Forest]
The last stop on this Uganda itinerary is arguably the best
– Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to go gorilla trekking. Let’s be honest, the
gorillas are the main draw of tourism to Uganda and for a good reason. It’s
honestly one of the most incredible travel experiences enjoyed by tourists.
The drive from Queen Elizabeth National Park to Bwindi is
between 4-6 hours depending on where in Queen Elizabeth NP you’re coming from.
Make sure to keep an eye out for different monkeys and baboons on the side of the road
during the drive!
–Where to Stay in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest–
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a rather large area. For this
itinerary, it makes sense to stay in the northern part of Bwindi and those are
the lodges I’m going to recommend. If you want to see the southern part of
Bwindi, it’s better to fly into Kigali, Rwanda. If you’re lucky, you may even
have some gorillas wander into your hotel’s grounds! but you will have missed the Uganda scenery along the way if you were not to be on a road trip.
- Haven Lodge Buhoma ($$)
- Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodges ($$)
- Mahogany Springs Lodge ($$)
- Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge ($$$)
- Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp ($$$)
–What to Do in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest–
I’m very much so a delayed satisfaction kind of person, so
that’s why we’ve saved the best for last. The absolute highlight to not
only Bwindi, but the entire trip to Uganda, is the opportunity to trek with
mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. This opportunity is what
draws people to Bwindi, especially since the permit to go gorilla trekking in
Uganda is much cheaper than it is in Rwanda.
A Gorilla permit in Uganda as of July 2022 is $400 per person while in Rwanda its $1500 per person this gives you a good reason why you should go for the Uganda permit.Go here for a Gorilla permit inclusive Trip
A Gorilla permit in Uganda as of July 2022 is $400 per person while in Rwanda its $1500 per person this gives you a good reason why you should go for the Uganda permit.Go here for a Gorilla permit inclusive Trip
The 3 main areas to go mountain gorilla trekking are Uganda,
Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Honestly, it’s all the same
forest area, just named something different in each country. I’d
recommend at least 1 day after your trek before you go home just to relax and
recover. Sadly, that means it’s time to travel back to
Entebbe for your flight back home!
It does not cost you more to book with a local advisor like me and you will get unparalleled services.
Are you interested in an African or Uganda safari? Email me: booking@bestwildafrica.com
:+256782118511
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- Describe your dream trip.
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