7 Days Uganda Wildlife Safari

Your safari begins early in the morning with pickup from Kampala or Entebbe. After breakfast, depart northwestern Uganda toward Murchison Falls National Park.

The journey takes you through Uganda's changing landscapes, passing through towns, villages and rural farming communities. As you move farther north, the scenery becomes more open and increasingly dominated by savannah.

Depending on your chosen route, make a stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for optional rhino tracking before continuing toward Murchison Falls.

After lunch, continue toward the park and enter through one of the main gates.

If time permits, enjoy a short evening game drive as you make your way toward your lodge. You may encounter elephants, Uganda kob, hartebeest, buffaloes and other wildlife.

Arrive at your lodge, check in and enjoy dinner.

Wake up early for a morning game drive through the northern sector of Murchison Falls National Park.

The early morning hours offer excellent opportunities to see wildlife while temperatures are still cool.

Your guide will explore the savannah tracks in search of elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, Uganda kob, Jackson's hartebeest and other antelopes.

The park is also home to lions and other predators, so your guide will keep a close eye on areas where wildlife activity is concentrated.

Return to the lodge for breakfast and some relaxation.

After lunch, head to the Nile River for a boat cruise toward the base of Murchison Falls.

As the boat moves upstream, you can see large concentrations of hippos, crocodiles and wildlife coming to the river to drink. Elephants and buffaloes are often visible along the shoreline.

The cruise eventually reaches the dramatic base of Murchison Falls, where the Nile is forced through a narrow gorge.

Return to your lodge in the evening for dinner.

After breakfast, visit the Top of Murchison Falls.

From the viewpoints above the falls, witness the Nile squeezing through a narrow gorge before plunging down the rocks below. The powerful water, spray and surrounding landscape provide excellent photographic opportunities.

After exploring the falls, continue with another game-drive experience in the park.

This provides another opportunity to search for wildlife that may have been missed on Day 2.

Depending on the route and your lodge location, explore different sections of the park where you may encounter elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, Uganda kob, hartebeest and lions.

Return to your lodge later in the afternoon and enjoy dinner.

After an early breakfast, check out and begin the direct journey from Murchison Falls toward Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Instead of going through Fort Portal for an overnight stop, the route continues south toward western Uganda. The journey passes through changing landscapes, rural communities, farmland and sections of the Albertine Rift region.

This will be a full travel day, so I would not overload it with additional activities. Stop for lunch along the way and continue toward Queen Elizabeth.

Arrive in the park later in the afternoon or evening, depending on road conditions and the exact lodge location.

Check in, have dinner and relax ahead of the wildlife activities planned for the following day.

Wake up early and prepare for your first full wildlife day in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

After breakfast, head into the park for a morning game drive, with the Kasenyi Plains being one of the key areas for wildlife viewing.

The open grasslands are particularly known for Uganda kob and the predators that follow their herds. UWA identifies Kasenyi as one of the primary game-viewing areas in central Queen Elizabeth, with opportunities to see lions among the kob herds.

Your guide will explore the plains looking for elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kob, warthogs, waterbucks and other antelopes.

Keep an eye on the surrounding grasslands for lions and, depending on sightings and conditions, other predators.

After several hours of wildlife viewing, return to the lodge for lunch and some relaxation.

The afternoon can be kept flexible. You can either enjoy some downtime at the lodge or head out for another shorter wildlife drive depending on your interests.

As the sun begins to lower, the savannah takes on beautiful golden tones, creating excellent conditions for photography.

Return to the lodge for dinner and spend the evening relaxing.

Wake up early for another wildlife experience in Queen Elizabeth.

After breakfast, head out for a morning game drive through another section of the park. Because wildlife is constantly moving, this gives you another opportunity to encounter species that may not have been visible during Day 5's drive.

Your guide will search for elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kob, warthogs, waterbucks and lions while also keeping an eye out for other wildlife.

Return to the lodge for lunch and some relaxation.

In the afternoon, head to the Kazinga Channel for one of the park's signature experiences—the boat cruise connecting Lake George and Lake Edward.

The cruise provides a different perspective from the traditional game drive. From the water, you can observe large numbers of hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds while elephants and buffaloes may be seen along the shoreline.

The channel and surrounding wetlands are also important for birdlife, making the cruise particularly rewarding for photographers and birdwatchers.

After the cruise, return to your lodge for your final evening in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Enjoy dinner and reflect on the wildlife experiences from both Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth.

Enjoy breakfast at the lodge before checking out for your final journey back toward Kampala or Entebbe.

If your departure schedule allows, you can begin with a short morning game drive before leaving the park. This gives you one last opportunity to spot wildlife before starting the long drive.

After exiting the park, continue through western Uganda's countryside, passing farms, villages and local trading centres.

Stop for lunch along the way before continuing toward Kampala and Entebbe.

The journey gradually changes from rural landscapes to busier urban surroundings as you approach Kampala.

Travelers with evening international flights can be transferred directly to Entebbe International Airport. Those staying an additional night can be dropped at their hotel in Kampala or Entebbe.