10-Day Midrange Gorillas and Wildlife Safari
Discover Uganda’s wild beauty on a 10-day midrange safari featuring unforgettable mountain gorilla encounters, thrilling wildlife safaris, scenic landscapes, and authentic cultural experiences.
The Journey
Embark on an unforgettable 10-day journey through Uganda, combining extraordinary wildlife encounters, breathtaking landscapes, and meaningful cultural experiences. From the tranquil shores of Lake Victoria, travel into the heart of the wilderness to explore Lake Mburo, Queen Elizabeth, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks. Enjoy exciting game drives across open savannahs, scenic boat cruises along wildlife-rich waterways, and opportunities to spot elephants, lions, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, hippos, and numerous bird species. The highlight of your adventure awaits in Bwindi, where you will venture into the ancient rainforest for a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Complement your wildlife adventures with authentic cultural interactions, beautiful countryside scenery, and comfortable midrange accommodation carefully selected to enhance your experience. With expert guiding and personalised service from JM Jungle Safaris, this journey offers the perfect balance of adventure, relaxation, and discovery in the Pearl of Africa.
Safari Highlights
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, a JM Jungle Safaris Staff member and an assigned English-speaking Professional Tour driver-guide will receive and welcome you to Uganda —the Pearl of Africa. Thereafter, you will transfer to the booked accommodation. You will check in and take your rest, recovering from jet lag, adjusting to the time difference. #Optional (extra cost): Just in case you reached early and are interested in some activity, you may consider: a). Excursion to the Entebbe Botanical Gardens to see a few primates and birds, b). Excursion to Mabamba wetland in search of the prehistoric shoebill stork. Otherwise, you'll check in and just take your rest. Entebbe is the main air gateway to Uganda. It stands on the lush northern shore of Lake Victoria.
You'll be up early, have breakfast, and drive off to Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Once there, you will proceed for an hour of on-foot rhino tracking. From the rhino tracking, head to Masindi, where you will have a lunch stop. After lunch, you'll embark on the transfer to Murchison Falls National Park. Described as the most exciting thing to happen to the Nile along its 6,000km journey from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean, the 43m-high Murchison Falls is also the centerpiece of Uganda's largest and oldest national park. Here you might encounter four of the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo), along with the world's largest population of the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe.
You'll have your breakfast. Then, you'll depart for an early morning game drive across the rolling plains of Uganda’s largest national park and be on the lookout for wildlife, including lions, leopards (though hard to spot), among others. For any birder, there are several birds to see during the drive. You'll return to the accommodation for some rest time and lunch. After lunch, you will head out for the boat trip to the base of Murchison Falls, where you will also be able to catch sight of more animals, including schools of hippos and crocodiles, and several water birds
After breakfast, JM Jungle Safaris takes you to the top of Murchison Falls, where the mighty Nile is squeezed through a narrow rocky gorge, creating one of Uganda’s most spectacular natural wonders. Take time to admire the powerful cascade and panoramic views before continuing south toward Kibale Forest National Park. The journey is long but wonderfully scenic, passing through charming villages, rolling green countryside, local farms, and lush tea plantations. Along the way, enjoy glimpses of everyday Ugandan life and changing landscapes as we gradually approach the forested landscapes surrounding Kibale.
Today you will track the most famous inhabitants of the Kibale National Park, the chimpanzees. Chimpanzees share 98% of the human genes making them our closest living relatives. They are found in 21 countries throughout Africa but are most easily sighted in Uganda due to their dense populations. Today, in Uganda, there are approximately 5,000 chimpanzees left in the wild. The chimpanzee trekking experience here is done on several well maintained walking trails. There is also a wonderfully diverse concentration of other primates, more than any other forest in East Africa. you will transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
On this morning, you will drive to the famous Queen Elizabeth National Park and embark on your morning game drive. It is time to explore Queen Elizabeth National Park with her 200 kilometers of well-maintained game viewing tracks. With an astonishing 5000 hippos, 2500 elephants and over 10,000 buffalo thriving in its grasslands and shorelines, this park guarantees sightings of some of Africa’s most iconic species such as elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, different species of antelope, predators such as lions, leopards, civets, genals and serval cats, black-and-white Colobus monkeys are easily spotted in the trees, and of course, the boldest species; baboons etc. After the morning game drive, you will go back to the lodge for lunch and then head for a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel.
Be up early and proceed for an early morning game drive in Ishasha sector in search of tree-climbing lions. The chance of spotting these lions is about 70% though sometimes they are hard to spot (most especially when they are down in the grassland looking for prey). Should you get to spot them, the sight is picturesque and memorable. From Ishasha, you'll continue to the accommodation at the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
You'll have breakfast and move to the rangers’ post. You will receive some briefing (from a ranger guide) on the dos and don’ts during trekking. Thereafter, you will enter the Bwindi Forest for your adventure. The time taken and the terrain vary with the movements of these great primates. Once you have located a gorilla group, you will be allowed an hour in their presence. The thrill of spending time observing these gentle but endangered giants is unforgettable. You'll return to the accommodation for refreshment and overstay.
You'll have breakfast and set off to Lake Mburo NP via Mbarara City. You will arrive at the accommodation in Lake Mburo in time and rest before moving out for an afternoon- to-evening game drive. On the game drive, expect to see the gigantic eland antelopes, zebras, topi, impalas, Uganda kob, and Cape buffalo, among others. Later, you'll relax at the accommodation where you will spend the night. #Optional (extra cost 30$): If interested, you may consider the night game drive to encounter nocturnal creatures, which will be a rare sighting compared to the regular daytime sightings.
After an early breakfast, enjoy a final guided nature walk around the lodge, offering one last opportunity to experience the beauty of Lake Mburo National Park. Keep your eyes open for zebras, giraffes, eland, topi, other antelope, and Cape buffalo roaming nearby. Continue along the trail to the hilltop, where breathtaking views stretch across Lake Mburo and the surrounding countryside. From this elevated viewpoint, you may see nine of the twelve lakes surrounding the park—a beautiful farewell to Uganda’s wilderness. Return to the lodge for checkout before beginning your scenic journey to Entebbe, carrying unforgettable memories of your safari with JM Jungle Safaris.
Interactive Expedition Circuit
Explore the journey route, protected national reserves, and featured luxury lodges.
- • All accommodations
- • All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
- • All activities, unless indicated as optional
- • Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section) Taxes / VAT, All transport by road
- • Drinking water (On all days)
- • Park fees, Professional guide
- • Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- • International flights, Personal items (Souvenirs,
- • travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- • Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
- • Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
Gorilla trekking ($800 USD) and chimpanzee habituation permits are secured directly through JM Jungle Safaris' licensed UWA allocation.