Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda

12 DAYS OF WILDLIFE AND ADVENTURE IN UGANDA

12 Days

Starting from

per person

About This Trip

This 12-day journey through Uganda is a blend of breathtaking landscapes, thrilling wildlife encounters, and unforgettable adventures. From the mighty Murchison Falls and game drives teeming with elephants, lions, and giraffes to chimpanzee tracking in Kibale and serene boat cruises along the Nile and Kazinga Channel, every moment is steeped in wonder. You'll explore the lush jungles, traverse the open savannahs, and visit the adventure capital of Jinja for quad biking, packrafting, and discovering the source of the Nile. Each day offers a new treasure, culminating in a reflective farewell in Entebbe, leaving you with a heart full of memories and stories to cherish.

What's Included

Ground transport in a 4x4 land cruiser
Accommodation
Full board meals at the lodge
A professional driver/guide
Entrance fees
Game drives
Visit top of the falls
Chimpanzee tracking
Bigodi swamp visit
Rhino tracking
Quad biking in Jinja
Packrafting in Jinja

What's Excluded

Air ticket & visa
Personal expenses
Tips and Gratitude
Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
Any other activities not mentioned in the itinerary

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe

Arrive at Entebbe International Airport where your WildPulse driver-guide awaits. Transfer to your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala and check in. Enjoy a welcome dinner and an orientation briefing covering the next 12 days of adventure across Uganda's most spectacular parks and landscapes. Overnight in Entebbe.

Day 2: Jinja — Source of the Nile & Adventure Activities

Drive east to Jinja, the adrenaline capital of East Africa, where the White Nile begins its 6,650-kilometre journey to the Mediterranean Sea. Visit the historic source of the Nile on Jinja Bay, a spot first identified by explorer John Hanning Speke in 1862. In the afternoon, choose from a menu of adventure activities including white-water rafting through Grade 5 rapids, kayaking, bungee jumping from a platform over the Nile, or a relaxed sunset cruise. Overnight at a Jinja hotel.

Day 3: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park

Depart Jinja and drive northwest to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda's largest protected area. The drive takes you through Gulu district and offers views of the Karuma Falls on the Victoria Nile. Arrive at the park in the afternoon and check in to your lodge on the northern bank. An evening game drive en route to the lodge often yields sightings of giraffe, elephant, buffalo and Uganda kob. Overnight in Murchison.

Day 4: Murchison Falls — Game Drive & Top of the Falls

Start with an early morning game drive through the northern circuit, where Rothschild's giraffe, lion, elephant, and leopard roam open savanna bisected by the Victoria Nile. After lunch, drive to the top of Murchison Falls — one of the world's most powerful waterfalls, where the entire Nile is compressed through a 7-metre gap in the rock before plunging 43 metres. The mist, noise, and sheer force of the falls are unforgettable. Overnight in Murchison.

Day 5: Boat Cruise on the Nile to the Bottom of the Falls

Board a boat on the Victoria Nile for a cruise to the base of Murchison Falls. The river banks are densely populated with hippos — Uganda is home to over 5,000 — as well as Nile crocodiles up to 5 metres long, African skimmers, and the extraordinary shoebill stork, one of Africa's most sought-after birds. Reach the foot of the falls and feel the spray from 43 metres above. Return downstream for an afternoon at leisure. Overnight in Murchison.

Day 6: Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary & Transfer to Fort Portal

Check out after breakfast and drive south, stopping at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for a guided walk to observe the white rhino on foot — the only place in Uganda where you can do so. Ziwa is the reintroduction base for the species, which was once hunted to extinction in Uganda. Continue the drive to Fort Portal and check in to your lodge. Evening walk around the crater lakes. Overnight at Fort Portal.

Day 7: Kibale Forest Chimpanzee Tracking

Rise early and transfer to Kibale National Park for a chimpanzee tracking experience with a habituated chimp community. After one hour with the chimps, return to the lodge for lunch. The afternoon is spent in the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a community-run reserve at the edge of the forest where guides identify sitatunga, papyrus gonolek, and over 200 bird species. Overnight near Kibale.

Day 8: Crater Lakes Tour

Spend the morning exploring the unique crater lakes of Fort Portal on foot and by vehicle. Each lake sits in a volcanic crater and has a different mineral content, colour, and ecology — some surrounded by tea, others by papyrus swamp. Lake Nkuruba has a community campsite from which you can observe the endemic L'Hoest's monkey. After lunch, transfer south to Queen Elizabeth National Park and check in on the Mweya Peninsula. Evening game drive. Overnight at Mweya.

Day 9: Queen Elizabeth NP — Kasenyi Plains & Kazinga Channel

A full day in Uganda's most biodiverse national park. Morning game drive through the Kasenyi plains, home to large herds of buffalo, elephant, and Uganda kob — prime hunting ground for the park's lions. After lunch, board a boat on the Kazinga Channel, a 32km waterway connecting Lakes George and Edward with one of the highest concentrations of hippos on the continent. Return to the lodge for sundowners on the Mweya cliff with views across Lake Edward to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Day 10: Ishasha Sector & Transfer to Bwindi

Drive south to the Ishasha sector for a morning game drive in search of the famous tree-climbing lions, which rest in the branches of giant fig trees during the midday heat. Continue through the Kigezi highlands — some of the most beautiful agricultural landscapes in Africa — to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Check in, attend a gorilla-trekking briefing, and enjoy an early night. Overnight near Bwindi.

Day 11: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi

The supreme highlight of any Uganda safari. Trek into the rainforest with Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers to find one of Bwindi's 19 habituated gorilla families. Spend an allocated hour in the presence of mountain gorillas — an experience so profound that many travellers describe it as the most moving encounter of their lives. Return to the lodge for a celebratory lunch. The afternoon is free for rest or a village walk. Overnight near Bwindi.

Day 12: Lake Bunyonyi & Return to Entebbe

Drive to Lake Bunyonyi for a lakeside breakfast and a short motorboat excursion among the islands. Continue to Kampala and Entebbe, arriving in time for your departure flight. Your WildPulse guide will assist with check-in and farewells at the airport. The 12-day Uganda safari is complete — 12 days exploring the Pearl of Africa at its wildest and most spectacular.

Trip Location

Photo Gallery

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Destination