7 Day Murchison Falls Kibale Primate and Wildlife Safari

A 7 Day Murchison Falls Kibale Primate and Wildlife Safari tour that takes you to the Murchison Falls National Park for wildlife viewing through game drives and boat launches, and to Kibale Forest National Park, the primate capital of the world, for a chimp trek and to see various species of monkeys and birds.

You will take a walk in the Bigodi swamp, renowned for its rare bird species, and crown the safari with a visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park for more wildlife viewing via game drives and boat launches.

7 Day Murchison Falls Kibale Primate and Wildlife Safari Highlights

Track Rhinos in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Game drives in Murchison and Queen Elizabeth
Boat cruise on the Victoria Nile
Boat cruise on the Kazinga channel
Chimp trek in Kibale National Park
Nature walks in the Bigodi swamp
Equator experience

Safari Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Uganda

Our safari guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your reserved Hotel in Kampala for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 2: Travel to Murchison Falls National Park (5-6hrs)

Eat an early breakfast and drive to Murchison Falls National Park via the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, where you will trek with rhinos. The sanctuary houses Uganda’s rhino reintroduction project. Trek for 1.5 hours on foot, enjoy lunch, and later continue your drive to Murchison Falls National Park.

The 6–7 hour journey brings you to the Park gate and the “top of the thunderous Murchison Falls.” Here, you will watch the River Nile squeeze through a seven-meter gorge before tumbling 40 meters in a thunderous explosion. The Nile then flows into a peaceful river where a profusion of land animals, water animals, and birds swarm the banks. You will enjoy dinner and an overnight stay at your Lodge.

Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge/ Nile Safari Lodge
Mid range: Fort Murchison (in rooms)/ Murchison River Lodge
Budget: Fort Murchison in tents/ Murchison River Lodge in tents / Red Chilli
Meal Plan: Dinner

Day 3: Game drive and Boat launch on the Nile

You will wake up very early and set off at 6.30 am for a sunrise game drive in the Nyamsika plateau to see the Cape buffaloes, Rothschild’s giraffes, Uganda kob, hartebeest, and waterbucks. You may also spot oribi, bushbuck, shy sitatunga, bush duiker, warthog, and bush pig, as well as large carnivores such as lions, leopards, and spotted hyenas.

Chimpanzees and olive baboons lead the list of six primate species you can find in the Park. You will see crocodiles and hippos along the banks of the Nile. Common bird sightings include the goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelican, bee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant, saddle-billed stork, and the rare shoebill stork.

You will return to your Lodge for a late breakfast and some relaxation before you set off in the afternoon for a boat cruise on the placid Victoria Nile, upstream, to the base of the falls. En route, you will see hippos, crocodiles, waterbuck and a wide variety of birds, like the unusual shoebill stork. The boat stops just tens of meters from the “Devil’s Cauldron” to take pictures of the photogenic, majestic Murchison Falls.

Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge/ Nile Safari Lodge
Mid range: Fort Murchison (in rooms)/ Murchison River Lodge
Budget: Fort Murchison in tents/ Murchison River Lodge in tents / Red Chilli
Meal Plan: Dinner

Day 4: Travel to Kibale Forest National Park

Here you set off on a 9-hour journey to Kibale Forest National Park. The drive is through verdant countryside interpassing traditional homesteads and farms, and via the towns of Hoima and Fort Portal, which rests in the shadow of the fabled Mountains of the Moon. You will have dinner and overnight at the Lodge you booked.

Luxury: Ndali Lodge/Primate Lodge/Kibale forest/Kyaninga Lodge
Moderate: Mountains of the Moon/Kibale forest camp
Budget: Rwenzori travellers/Kibale forest camp/Chimpanzee forest guest house
Meal plan: breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5: Chimp trek and Bigodi swamp walk

After breakfast, track chimpanzees in Kibale Forest National Park, which hosts East Africa’s greatest variety and highest concentration of primates. The chimpanzee, known for its delightful nature, is the most famous of the Park’s 13 species.

It is also home to species such as the rare I’Hoest’s monkey, the black-and-white colobus, the blue monkey, the grey-cheeked mangabey, the red-tailed monkey, and the olive baboon, among others. The walk takes 2-3 hours, after which you will return to your Lodge for lunch.

After lunch, you will go for the Bigodi swamp walk, where you will see a variety of rare bird species and other smaller mammals, and return to your Lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 6: Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park, boat launch

After your morning breakfast, you will travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park following the mystical Rwenzori Mountain Range. As you go through the game Park, you might spot some animals like the Elephant, buffalo, bushbucks, Uganda Kob, Antelopes, Warthogs, among others. After lunch, enjoy the unique 2-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel.

It is a 42-km-long channel that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. This trip passes through what may be the highest concentration of hippos. It offers an excellent opportunity for photography, bird watching and game viewing. The birdlife is prolific, with well over 550 resident species. You will have dinner and overnight at the Lodge you booked.

Luxury Lodge: Mweya Safari Lodge: Katara Lodge/ Jacana Lodge
Mid-range moderate: Bush Lodge (in rooms) / Simba Safari Camp in rooms/ Buffalo Safari Resort/ Enganzi Lodge/ Ihamba Safari Lodge
Budget facility: Kazinga Channel View Lodge/ Simba Safari Camp in tents/ Bush Lodge in tents
Meal Plan: Dinner.

Day 7: Game drive and travel to Kampala

You will wake up early and go for an early morning game drive. The Park’s diverse ecosystem of grassy plains, tropical forest, rivers, swamps, lakes and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife. You will see buffaloes, lions, elephants and other wildlife in their natural habitat, after which you will return to the Lodge for a late breakfast and transfer to Kampala.

You will have a stopover at the Equator, where you will have an opportunity to stand in two hemispheres at the same time and take some photos. Stop at the Mpigi Royal Drum Makers centre to watch artisans craft ceremonial drums using traditional methods passed down through generations.

You will arrive in Kampala in the late afternoon. We will then transfer you either to the airport for your departure flight or to your Hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.