Murchison Falls Safari: Big 5, Chimpanzees, Gorillas

Embark on a thrilling 13-day wildlife adventure trip to the Pearl of Africa. Encounter the Big 5, explore Murchison Falls, track chimpanzees in Kibale, and experience gorilla trekking in Bwindi.

Duration: 13 days
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights

Arrive Entebbe and overnight at the booked accommodation

Entebbe - Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport you will be received by a Home to Africa assigned driver/guide who will welcome you to Uganda – the Pearl of Africa. Thereafter, you will be transferred to the booked accommodation in Kampala. In case you have had an early landing into Uganda, you may opt for a late afternoon ride around the city of Kampala. Else, check-in and have enough rest awaiting dinner and overnight stay.

Transfer to Murchison Falls NP with rhino tracking Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Murchison Falls National Park - Your driver/guide will pick you from the accommodation and you will head out for Murchison Falls NP. The highlights of this park include: the roaring rapids of the Murchison Falls, the rolling plains of Uganda’s largest National Park where you will have the chance of viewing lions, giraffes, hartebeest, buffalo, and elephants. Then surely you will be fascinated by the concentration of hippos and the Nile crocodiles here.
En route, make a visit to Zziwa Rhino sanctuary. You will have at least one hour of rhino tracking while here. Another stop will be in Masindi in order to enjoy your lunch. Continue to the park and check into your accommodation to relax for the Evening.

Murchison game viewing and the afternoon boat trip to the base of the falls

Murchison Falls National Park - Have your breakfast, depart for an early morning game drive across the rolling plains of Uganda’s largest National Park where you will have the opportunity of viewing lions, giraffes, hartebeest, buffalo and elephants among others. For any birder, this area supports the secretary bird and black chested snake eagle to name a few. Return to your 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 Hippos and Crocodiles and several water birds. Continue with a hike (if you like) to the top of the falls. The hike may be a strenuous one but the thrill on reaching the top is unforgettable. Miss it only if you must. Return to your accommodation and have a relaxed evening.

Exit Murchison and Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

Kibale National Park - After breakfast at your accommodation, depart right away for Kibale Forest National Park. The drive is incredibly scenic, passing through villages, lush green countryside and hills dotted with tea plantations which characterize this part of Uganda.
Kibale NP is popular for its primates like the chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, grey cheeked mangabeys and red tailed monkeys. On your chimpanzee trails, these are regularly seen swinging in the forest trees and others feeding on the wild fruits. You will reach and do little but check into your accommodation where you will have dinner and the overnight rest.

Kibale chimp habituation experience, return to the accommodation and relax

Kibale National Park - Have breakfast at the accommodation and proceed out for a lifetime experience of chimp habituation in Kibale Forest. The activity allows you to accompany Kibale’s research and habituation team on their daily activities. You will spend a greater part of the day in the presence of these amazing human closest relation with the wild and witness them nesting, de-nesting, feeding, playing etc. while getting first hand explanation of the experts on the ground. Later, return to the accommodation for relaxation with spectacular view of Kibale features right in front of you.

Drive to Queen Elizabeth NP, relax and undertake the afternoon game viewing

Queen Elizabeth National Park - Have a relaxed breakfast at the accommodation and drive off to Queen Elizabeth NP. You will reach Queen early enough to relax, have lunch and in the afternoon proceed out for game viewing. During the game drive, look out for wild animals like: reedbuck, bushbuck, kob, warthogs, elephants, lions and buffaloes to mention but a few.
Alternatively, you could choose to go for the Queen’s breathtaking explosion crater drive (instead). The drive is basically sightseeing with very spectacular view of the breathtaking scenery in and around Queen. There is also plenty of wildlife to see along the drive although commonest are sights of Cape Buffaloes plus Elephants. Return to the accommodation for relaxation, dinner and the overnight stay.

tracking plus other game viewing and afternoon boat trip on the Kazinga Channel

Queen Elizabeth National Park - Have breakfast and proceed out for the early morning lion tracking experience. The lions that are tracked have radio collars on them and it’s breathtaking for Wildlife enthusiasts who take part in this rare opportunity while in Queen. However, the groups (to go tracking) are limited in order to reduce stress on these members of the big 5 and increase the quality of the experience for visitors. You will also have the opportunity to encounter other wildlife while on the lion tracking experience. Return to your accommodation for some rest time and lunch. The afternoon adventure entails a launch (boat) trip on the Kazinga Channel – a water stream joining Lake Edward and Lake George. The channel attracts a large school of hippos and Nile crocodiles besides the variety of birds that flock the reed shores like: the pelicans, kingfishers, saddle billed stork and sometimes the crowned cranes. Return to your accommodation in time to relax, enjoy dinner and surely the overnight rest.

Proceed to the southern part of Queen – to the Ishasha area

More Ishasha game viewing and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable NP

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park - Be up and have your breakfast served. Go for more tree-climbing lions’ sighting and thereafter transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi is a big habitat for mountain gorillas in Uganda (harboring an estimated 400 mountain gorillas – roughly half of the world’s population), including several habituated groups, which can be tracked. With a strenuous day ahead, you will do less on arrival but just check-in your accommodation, relax as you prepare for the Bwindi gorilla trekking experience the following day.

Gorilla trekking Bwindi and Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

Gorilla Bookings - Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a highlight for many visitors as this is where they will be visiting the home of the gentle giants. The park lies in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the Rift Valley. Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforests lies on the mist-covered hillsides. This magnificent forest dates back over 25,000 years, even surviving the last Ice Age (most forests disappeared). Bwindi forest has an incredible diversity of flora and fauna and is the only forest in Africa which can make claim to host both mountain gorillas and chimpanzees. In fact, half the worlds’ population of gorillas live here divided over nine habituated family groups. Also 5 other primate species, 120 species of mammal, over 220 butterflies and 360 bird’s species call Bwindi home. This is the place to see the critically endangered mountain gorillas up close for your very own ‘Gorillas in the Mist’ moment.

Discover Lake Bunyonyi many islands in a traditional dug-out canoe and take the afternoon relaxing

Lake Mutanda - Lake Bunyonyi is framed by lush, green-terraced hills that reach a height of (2,200 – 2,478m) with 29 islands of various shapes and sizes scattered across the water that make it most magical — you could admire them all day. You shall have an exciting boat ride on Lake Bunyonyi. In the afternoon you may have optional activities; a Canoe boat ride, a swim in the Bilharzia free lake, you may also explore a nearby village. Residents are happy for you visit and are open to explain their daily lives.

Transfer to Lake Mburo NP and enjoy afternoon (evening) game viewing

Lake Mburo National Park - Have breakfast and set off to Lake Mburo NP. Drive past the intensely terraced Kigezi hill slopes into Mbarara town and finally Lake Mburo NP. Arrive in the park in the early afternoon and take some rest before proceeding out for the late afternoon (evening) game viewing.
On the game drive, expect to see the gigantic eland antelopes, zebras in big numbers, topis, impalas, warthogs, Uganda kob and Cape buffalos among others. Later, relax at the accommodation where you will spend the night.

Mburo park (nature) walk and transfer to Entebbe Airport for your flight out

Entebbe - Enjoy your early breakfast and proceed for the Mburo morning park/nature walk in the presence of an armed Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger/guide. On this early morning guided walk, you often encounter hyenas that are returning to their dens after a night of being on the prowl. Also, you will have the opportunity to encounter (at close range): Zebras, Giraffes and Eland, Topi and other antelopes, Cape buffaloes among others.

Take the Trail to the top of the hills and see Lake Mburo and beyond. From this vantage point, you will have a great view of 9 of the twelve lakes surrounding Lake Mburo NP. Thereafter, return to the accommodation for checkout and then hit the road to Entebbe airport for your flight out. We hope to see you (or any referral) when next, you visit and thanks for choosing Ngoni Safaris Uganda!

What's Included
  • Includes all meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner
  • Roundtrip airport transfer provided
  • Accommodation included for the entire stay
What's Not Included
  • International flights
Additional Information

Embark on a safari to explore Murchison Falls, where you will encounter the Big 5 and take an exciting trip to the base of the falls. The journey continues to Kibale, renowned for chimp habituation, and subsequently to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Here, enjoy more game drives and a voyage on the illustrious Kazinga Channel. Dive deeper into the wild with an unforgettable gorilla experience in Bwindi. After leaving Bwindi, unwind at the serene Lake Mutanda, before heading to Lake Mburo National Park for a pleasant boat ride or park walk. Conclude your adventure with a trip back to Entebbe, ready for your departure flight.

Cancellation Policy

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

Customer Ratings
4.9
(35 Ratings)
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127svenjap
Jul 5, 2024
A trip of a lifetime! - After initial good contact with Sedrick back in 2020, but cancellation due to Covid, we had decided to do our honeymoon with Ngoni Safaris this June. We did not do this 13-day trip but a very similar itinerary. We opted for a 12 days Gorilla, Chimps, Big 5 and nature sighting Safari and what can we say, this trip was incredible. We trusted Sedrick and his team in arranging this trip for us and selecting and booking the accommodations and permits for us. Contact prior to the trip was mainly through WhatsApp, with updates and further info provided upon request. After all, everything went very smooth and this trip exceeded our expectations (first time travelling in East Africa). With the Gorilla trekking being the main reason to come to Uganda, we can now conclude that every day was a highlight. Our guide, driver and new friend Eddy was one of the main reasons for this. Eddy has a lot of knowledge about the country, the culture, national parks and the animals, and was very happy to share his knowledge with us. He knows every speed bump in this country, is an excellent spotter of animals and overall, a very friendly, social and caring person. During this trip we visited Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Murchison Falls NP, Kibale NP for Chimp Trekking, Queen Elisabeth NP, Bwindi NP for Gorilla Trekking, Lake Bunyonyi and Lake Mburo NP for a walking safari. The selected accommodations were great with very attentive staff. At two occasions, a candlelight dinner had been arranged for us which was lovely. Buffalo Safari Lodge in Queen Elizabeth NP was the most spectacular accommodation with elephants coming very close to the cottages and the pool area in their search for water and food. A few short-notice changes were made to our itinerary, but all were made in our best interest. We can 100 % recommend Ngoni Safaris and travelling with Eddy. Hope to see you again very soon!
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C7288eqmikeg
May 23, 2024
Perfect - Perfect took family of 5. James was our guide, atayed in very nice places. Just an amazing family trip. Saw everything very cllse up. Noat rides were amazing
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Departure234350
Mar 2, 2024
Wonderful time in Uganda with Ngoni Safaris - We had a wonderful time, saw many animals and stayed at some great lodges. We added a few days in Kampala & Jinja at the end as these were homes to us as children. Our driver/guide David took vey good care of us, we felt very safe at all times.
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Guide06856363070
Feb 19, 2024
EXCELLENT FABULOUS HOLIDAY WITH NGONI - NGONI SAFARI WERE EXCELLENT, SEDRICK ORGANISED OUR TRIP TO OUR REQUIRED DESTINATION AND ABOVE, WITH EXCELLENT DRIVER DAVID. DAVID WAS VERY HELPFUL, NOTHING WAS ANY TROUBLE, EVEN TAKING EXCELLENT CARE OF MY INJURED WIFE TO THE EXTENT THAT WE COULD BE DROPPED OF AT THE NEAREST PLACE FOR WALKING AND NEAREST ROOMS AT THE HOTEL. 5 STAR FOR DAVID. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS COMPANY TO ANYONE WHO WISH TO DO SAFARI IN EAST AFRICA. CHANDRAKANT PATEL
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Zoesailing
Jan 30, 2024
Fantastic experience! - Our safari with David was fantastic! Highly recommend. Our driver, David, made our experience exceptional. He always made sure we were happy with how everything was going throughout the trip (and it was 14 days)! We mentioned in passing to him that we were celebrating our 30th anniversary, and a few days later the lodge we were staying at had prepared a special event for us and done up our room beautifully! We were very touched by his thoughtfulness and care. As for the safari itself, all the animal encounters were great, and we saw everything (on multiple occasions) that we had hoped to! All in all, truly an exceptional experience that we highly recommend!
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Danielhh1147wr
Oct 11, 2023
Every single day was a highlight - Sedrick was quick to respond back when I first got in touch way back in 2020, and helped me to tailor an itinerary to my needs. Of course, 2020 didn't pan out so well and I ended up needing to cancel my trip due to travel restrictions, so was very grateful when Sedrick honoured my deposit, no questions asked, a full three years later! The tour itself was INCREDIBLE. We did an 11 day trip through Uganda, covering many of the main regions. I'm not exaggerating when I say that every single day of the trip was a highlight - and I say this as someone who has done a few safari trips before (SA, Kenya, Namibia, Botswana). Our guide, Darius, was down to earth, friendly and welcoming, and a great person to spend the trip with. We enjoyed chatting to him and learning about life in Uganda as well as the the sites we visited. Not only did he have comprehensive knowledge about both the animals and birds (including prior experience working at some of the national parks), but he clearly made an effort to focus on what we were interested in. I can't believe how good his eyesight was. For example, Darius spotted a leopard about 100m off the road in a cactus tree which I struggled to even find with binoculars (you can see it in one of my photos below taken at full 600mm zoom - and not the close up, that was a different leopard!). We were the only car of many driving along that main tarmac road that stopped to take a closer look! We loved exploring Uganda, and it was completely different to anywhere else I've been (even neighbouring Kenya) in terms of landscapes, wildlife and culture. The chimp and gorilla tracking were the focal point for me and didn't disappoint - I'm still looking back though those photos often to relive those experiences. There is absolutely nothing like it. On the accommodation side, each place was fantastic and unique in its own way, from an island in a lake to a lodge where elephants wander past in front of you as you have a drink at the end of the day. Similarly, the food was a consistently high standard. Neither of us got sick at any point, although we met people on other tours who had, so probably best to bring some precautionary meds in case. Overall, this was the trip of a lifetime - I would unreservedly recommend Ngoni Safaris to anyone looking to visit Uganda. And if you're not specifically looking to visit Uganda... Maybe reconsider, it's really worth bumping to the top of your list!
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Roam612825
Sep 20, 2023
Ultimate lifetime experience - We did the 13-day-long The Pearl of Africa tour, it was truly an ultimate lifetime experience. Everything was well-organized, the whole tour was running really smoothly. Our guide Charles is an amazing guide, we had a fantastic time with him and enjoyed every moment of the tour. Many thanks for everything, we absolutely fell in love with Africa!
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Pamelanagoni2023
Apr 18, 2023
Nagoni is the BEST - The entire trip from day 1 to day 12 in Uganda was filled with adventure. James was my guide. He was very knowledgeable about the National Parks. He was polite and tried really hard to give me the best safari ever. I would highly recommend Nagoni for anyone who plans to book a safari.
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Arunt810
Aug 15, 2022
Great service at best price - We booked a customized 11 day trip in Uganda covering Kampala, Murchison, Queen elizabeth, Bwindi , Lake Mburo etc The trip was really good & we enjoyed it very much. The driver/guide David took good care of us. A 6 seater Toyota van was with us for 10 days All expenses were taken care of as promised.
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Martindvr
Jan 16, 2024
Adventures in Uganda. - It was a beautiful adventure, our guide tried his best, although he didn't communicate much with us and made some changes that he didn't let us know until he made them. Unfortunately, he did not communicate them with us in advance so that we could approve them or propose an alternative. This is the only but major thing that lowers my rating. Definitely recommend.
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