Arrival – Entebbe

Entebbe International Airport - Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, a representative from Sankofa Afrika will greet you and transfer you to Hotel No. 5, where you will check in for your first night in Uganda. Lunch will be at your own expense.

No.5 Boutique Hotel - Located in the leafy suburbs of Entebbe, Hotel No.5 is a chic boutique hotel. Luxurious rooms open onto the garden and swimming pool, offering an intimate and peaceful setting. Relax by the pool, indulge in a spa treatment, or work out in the gym. Enjoy a delightful dining experience paired with an international wine list, all served with attentive guest service. Hotel No.5 is the ideal choice for a restful stay in this vibrant city.

Mabamba Swamp Shoebill Experience

Mabamba Shoebills Watching - After an early breakfast, you will be transferred to the lake to catch a boat to Mabamba papyrus swamps in search of the elusive Shoebill, which often hides in the water weed to feed on fish from the moving water in the swamp. Mabamba swamp is an extension of Lake Victoria connecting the main fishing village of Busi Island. Each wooden boat at Mabamba Swamp will carry at least three people for easy bird watching with a birding guide and a boat captain. The session will last at least three hours, depending on the day’s luck. Later, you will be transferred back to Hotel No. 5. Relax at the hotel in the afternoon and enjoy a boat cruise on Lake Victoria in the early evening, watching the beautiful sunset with wine and cheese.

Fly from Entebbe Airport to Kidepo

Kidepo Valley National Park - After breakfast, meet your Sankofa Africa tours guide in the lobby and transfer to Entebbe Airport for your scheduled domestic flight to Kidepo National Park, departing at 12:30 hrs. Upon arrival at the local airstrip, a guide from Apoka Lodge will meet you and transfer you to the lodge, approximately a 7-minute drive. After checking in and enjoying a delicious lunch, you will have the afternoon to relax by the pool. Later, enjoy an evening game drive in search of giraffes, ostriches, zebras, elephants, and lions. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Kidepo Valley National Park - Apoka Safari Lodge is designed with comfort in mind. Everything is handmade by local craftsmen and is large and spacious. Ten expansive rooms with natural canvas walls surround a rocky kopje with endless views across the savannah. With inside sitting rooms and private verandas, there are plenty of places to relax, read, and unwind. Big hand-hewn beds with soft duvets are draped with mosquito nets, hand-woven woolen carpets, extra-large plush towels, and oversized dressing gowns. You may be as far away from the city as you’ll ever be, but you won’t miss a thing.

Game Drive and Karamojong Community Experience

Morning Nature Walk and Afternoon Game Drive

Drive to Murchison Falls NP

Murchison Falls National Park - After breakfast, depart Kidepo National Park for Murchison Falls National Park. The drive will take you through Kitgum and then Gulu, where you will stop for lunch. Along the way, you will see spectacular views, homesteads, and local communities. Check in at Bakers Lodge, have dinner, and rest for the evening after a long drive.

Murchison Falls National Park - Murchison Falls National Park is the largest protected area in Uganda. The waterfall is the most amazing sight. The southern part of the park is mostly covered by dense woodlands and is a premier site for bird watchers, as well as one of the best and most affordable places to track chimpanzees. The northern part is mostly covered by green grasslands with scattered acacia trees, borassus palms, and riverine woodlands. The world’s longest River Nile is thronged with hippos, crocodiles, waterbucks, and buffaloes. Wildlife includes lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, hartebeests, oribis, Uganda kob, and much more.

Chimpanzee Trekking in Budongo Forest

Budongo Forest Chimpanzee Tracking - Today, the forest opens for a sensational chimp tracking experience. You will start your hike adventure into the forest. En route, your guide will explain more about the forest and its other inhabitants, including other primates and birds. Upon sighting the chimpanzees, you will stay with them for one unforgettable hour as they continue their daily routine – grooming, feeding, taking care of the young ones, and agilely climbing up trees. It is certainly an unforgettable wildlife encounter, and the hour is always over too soon. After your forest walk, return to the lodge for a relaxing lunch and spend the afternoon at leisure. Enjoy dinner set aside the campfire in the evening.

Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison Falls National Park - After an early breakfast, start the day with a game drive on the northern bank of the Nile, with chances of seeing Rothschild Giraffe, elephants, lions, Jackson Hartebeest, oribis, waterbucks, savannah and woodland birds, and if lucky, even the elusive leopard among a multitude of African plains game. In the afternoon, enjoy a Nile launch cruise to the bottom of the waterfalls for game viewing at close quarters. Then, depart at the bottom of the falls and hike up to the top of the falls, where you will be rewarded with amazing views of the Nile.

Kibale Forest

Kibale Forest National Park - Kibale Forest National Park is an extensive biodiversity national park in South Uganda, also known as the “Primate Paradise.” It has one of the greatest varieties and concentrations of primates in Africa, including our famous cousins the chimpanzee, red colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, L’Hoest’s, black-and-white colobus, and olive baboons. There is also a wide array of unique birds and forest elephants.

Kibale Forest Chimpanzee Experience

Kibale Forest National Park - Today, the forest opens its doors for a sensational chimpanzee tracking experience. Following a pre-tracking briefing, you will walk or drive to the trailhead for the start of an unforgettable adventure, hiking in the footsteps of the habituated family of chimpanzees. Your guide will enthrall you with stories and facts about the chimpanzees, the forest, and its other inhabitants, including species of primates, birds, and other big mammals. Return to the lodge for lunch, then in the afternoon, enjoy a guided nature walk through the locally managed Bigodi wetlands.

Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary - The nine new luxury cottages at Primate Lodge feature rooms with large twin or double beds, a spacious bathroom, and a private veranda. Large glass windows and a full-size glass sliding door allow 180-degree views of the beautiful rainforest. The main lodge has a spacious dining room, serving local and international meals, with an adjacent bar lounge area and cozy firepit. Wi-Fi is available in the main area.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park - After an early breakfast, drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park with scenic views of tea plantations, pockets of forest land, and numerous crater lakes. You will take a tour of the beautiful craters and lakes, stopping for photographs, then continue the drive through the surrounding rolling hills and banana farmlands. Proceed south alongside the majestic Rwenzori ‘Mountains of the Moon’ to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Arrive at Elephant Plains Lodge for lunch with a view on the terrace and settle in. In the afternoon, take a game drive on the vast Kasenyi plains, the breeding ground for thousands of Ugandan Kob. Other animals of interest in this area are buffaloes, elephants, giraffes, lions, antelopes, hippos, various reptiles, and many species of birds.

Lion Tracking & Boat Cruise

Murchison Falls National Park - In the morning, become a researcher for the day as you learn to use telemetry to find the different lion prides that roam the savannah of Queen Elizabeth. There is no better way to find and photograph lions in all of Uganda. The lion is one of the most sought-after safari species and one of the most impressive to observe. Living in prides of around 15 individuals, lions adhere to strict social structures. Groups consist of related females and their cubs, who are often born around the same time and raised communally. During the drive, the guides and researchers will discuss human-animal conflict in communities around the park, veterinary issues, and lion family dynamics as part of an in-depth game drive. You will come face to face with the King of the Jungle and have stories for a lifetime. Enjoy a picnic breakfast and return to the lodge to relax.

Kazinga Channel - In the afternoon, take a scenic boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, a 33km long natural and prehistoric canal that joins Lakes Edward and George. Formed by tectonic activity millions of years ago during the formation of the rift valley, a gentle 2-hour boat ride over a 12km stretch of water provides almost guaranteed wildlife sightings, including large pods of hippos, Nile crocodiles, wallowing buffaloes, elephants, a multitude of birds, and numerous other plains game that come to drink at its water’s edge. Return for dinner and overnight at Elephant Plains Lodge.

Ishasha Sector - Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park - After a hearty breakfast, there is an optional chimpanzee tracking experience in Kyambura Gorge. Depart the northern part and drive to the southern section of Queen Elizabeth with a game drive through Ishasha in search of the tree-climbing lions. It is a beautiful route with the Rwenzori Mountains on your right side and the green valley on the left, offering another amazing scenic view. Arrive at Ishasha Wilderness Lodge in time for lunch, with a chance to refresh and rest. In the late afternoon, embark on a game drive in search of elephants and Jackson’s Hartebeest, and of course, catch another glimpse of the famous tree-climbing lions. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest - Wake up to a game drive in the wilderness while enjoying the sunrise that the wild has to offer. After this, check out and head further south to Bwindi National Park, home of the gorillas. Upon arrival, check in at Mahogany Springs Lodge and enjoy lunch on the terrace with views into the forest. After some time to rest, embark on an evening village walk, meeting the locals and engaging in the community. Later, return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Gorilla Tracking

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park - Arise early today and prepare for an amazing adventure; an unforgettable encounter with the gentle giants of Bwindi. Coming face to face with a giant Mountain Gorilla is truly the most breathtaking wildlife experience on earth!

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park - Following breakfast, transfer to the park offices where participants are divided into groups of eight and allocated a gorilla family as well as a tracking guide. After a pre-tracking briefing by your guide (covering general information about the gorillas, your assigned gorilla family, and appropriate safety precautions), drive to the trailhead for the start of your thrilling adventure. Participants can expect to walk long distances in steep and sometimes muddy conditions with rain overhead, which can be tough and require a degree of fitness. It can take anything from two to eight hours to find them, but the thrill of coming face to face with a giant silverback will more than compensate for the effort. Upon sighting the gorillas, you spend the allowed one hour with them as they go about their daily life: feeding, moving, playing, raising their young, and sometimes wrestling by the juveniles. It is a totally unique and unforgettable experience!

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park - Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home of the rare but critically endangered Mountain Gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei), lies on the edge of the Albertine Rift Valley in southwestern Uganda, with a wide altitude range between 1,160m and 2,600m. The forest dates back to the ice age and is Uganda’s oldest and most ecologically diverse, with almost 400 species of plants, 350 species of birds including 23 Albertine Rift endemics, and 120 mammal species including gorillas, baboons, chimpanzees, elephants, antelopes, and smaller species like rodents and bats. Afterward, hike back to base where your driver will be waiting to transfer you to the lodge for a well-deserved shower and lunch or dinner, depending on the time taken on the trek.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park - Please remember to bring your passport for registration, appropriate waterproof hiking boots, and a light raincoat. To protect from stinging nettles, we recommend long pants and long-sleeved tops. A pair of old gardening gloves can help with grabbing onto the vegetation, while most hotels/lodges provide a walking stick that comes in very handy, especially when hiking downhill. A small waterproof backpack is an excellent idea to carry a light snack, bottled water, and protection for your camera.

Buhoma-Nkuringo Walking Safari - Ivy Trail

Second Gorilla Tracking or Visit Batwa Pygmies of Buniga

Batwa Trail - Arise early today and prepare for a second unforgettable encounter with gorillas. After breakfast, transfer to the national park offices where you will be allocated a different gorilla family in groups of eight, as well as a gorilla tracking guide. After a pre-tracking briefing by your guide, you will be tracking in a different area of the forest to find your new gorilla family. The same details apply as from the Buhoma tracking.

Batwa Trail - Alternatively, spend the day with the Batwa people in Buniga. This experience showcases the life of the Batwa native pygmy and their historical nomadic cultures when they occupied the jungles of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest until 1991 when the forest was gazetted as a national park. The Buniga pocket forest is rich with diverse flora; within the forest, you will encounter indigenous plant species with medicinal benefits to the Batwa and the local community, such as the giant lobelias and tree ferns, and species like Syzygium, which provide food to chimpanzees. The tribe was forced out of the park and has since put together this informative experience to help the Batwa community earn a living from tourism. This is truly a learning experience, not challenging at all, but rather interesting and fun.

Fly to Entebbe from Kisoro, Transfer to Jinja on the Nile

Jinja - Jinja is Uganda’s second-largest town and is about 80km east of Kampala, overlooking the point where the source of the mighty River Nile flows out of Lake Victoria. It is this historical landmark that attracts most of the town’s visitors. Being situated on the banks of the River Nile, Jinja has over the years developed into a bustling out-of-town retreat for Kampalans as well as an adventure hub for locals and tourists alike, offering beautifully located lodges, bungee jumping, rafting on the falls of the Nile, kayaking, lake cruises, 4x4 quad biking, camping, golfing, sailing, Kilombera weaving, birding, horse riding, and mountain biking.

Leisure in Jinja

Jinja - After breakfast, choose to either spend the day at leisure or head to the famous white-water rafting (at extra cost). Wildwaters is a perfect platform for viewing some of the more than 1,000 bird species that Uganda is so famous for – from turacos and cuckoos to hawks and eagles – and you might also spot giant otters and monitor lizards in the water.

Day at Leisure in Jinja

Jinja - Wildwaters Lodge provides a great place to relax before your journey home. But for those still wanting to make the most of the last day in Uganda, there are activities on the river in the nearby adventure hub of Jinja town, including bungee jumping and jet boating, as well as gentler activities like horse riding or fishing. You can also enjoy a boat cruise to the source of the Nile, kayaking, or quad biking the river trail to the Bujagali Falls. You can take the pace as fast or as slow as you desire. These activities can be arranged in advance of your trip or depending on availability at the lodge, all at an additional cost.

Transfer from Jinja – Entebbe

Entebbe - Depart Jinja for Entebbe and connect with your flight back home. Pass through Kampala and visit Uganda’s biggest art location.

• VAT for hotels and lodges outside Kampala
• Entrance fees and ranger fees for national parks
• Booklet with map and key areas
• Ground transport per private 4WD safari vehicle
• Lunch
• Dinner
• In-vehicle air conditioning
• Breakfast
• English speaking driver/guide
• Bottled water
• Gratuities
• Meals as described in the itinerary

• Alcoholic Beverages
• Use of snorkeling equipment
• Gorilla Permits
• International Flights
• Visa (USD $50, available online before
• Optional activities
• Items of personal nature
• Tips

This Package is the only one of its kind. 21 days and 22 nights in the pearl of Africa where you are able to have an experience with mountain gorillas, and also the big 5 ( Lion, Leopard, Rhinoceros, Elephant, and African Buffalo. You shall also have a list of a variant of wild life such as zebras, Kobs, Birds, a visit to River Nile, water rafting, over 1000 bird species, local school visit, church visit, local community experience, African traditional dance, a visit to a local community and many other activities that can be tailor made to suit your taste.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.