Why Go on a Uganda Safari?
Soul Stirring Gorilla Encountrs
With the world's highest number of surviving mountain gorillas, it's no wonder that most wildlife-enthusiasts come to Uganda to track and spend time with these critically endangered primates up-close.
World-Class Hiking & Trekking
If you daydream about climbing, hiking, and trekking in the African highlands bush, Uganda is the preeminent destination for an outdoor vacation. There are superb networks of trials that take you into some of the most breathtaking landscapes on the planet.
Exclusive Lodges & Camps
Accommodation in Uganda generally falls into two types: hotels in the capital Kampala, and safari lodges and tented camps situated in Uganda’s parks and reserves, from luxury ranch-style lodges and affordable bush camps to stylish city hotels.
One-of-a-kind Experiences
From gorilla trekking and cultural immersions with the ancient Batwa Tribe to Big Five game viewing in savannah parks, Uganda offers the kinds of experiences found nowhere else on Earth.
Convenient Add-Ons
Regular flights and accessibility make it easy to combine your Uganda safari with other celebrated African destinations from Kenya and Tanzania, and their vast open plains, to the white-sand beaches of Zanzibar.
Excellent Value
Thanks to a very favourable exchange rate, it’s easy to find superb accommodation that offers that extra bit of holiday pampering. Spoilt for choice is an understatement with an option to suit every budget and preference.
Gorilla Trekking, Classic Big Five Game Viewing & Ancient Tribes
If you’ve ever wanted to sit with mountain gorillas in their natural rainforest habitat, then a Uganda safari will deliver on your expectations. Boasting a 90% success rate at finding habituated gorilla family groups in the extraordinary Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, gorilla trekking in Uganda has become one of Africa’s most powerful wildlife experiences.
But don’t think that a Uganda safari is only about gorillas in rainforests: this landlocked East African country is home to a range of diverse national parks and is a strong contender for one of the world’s best bird watching destinations.
Accommodation From $600 USD
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Accommodation From $850 CAD
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Accommodation From $1,350 AUD
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Accommodation From €1,300 EUR
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Accommodation From £1,050 GBP
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Accommodation From R19,000 ZAR
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Top Safari Destinations in Uganda
Here are some of our best packages, all completely customisable to your requirements and travel wishes:
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Don’t be put off by its intimidating name: you’ll be led into Bwindi by naturalist guides and trackers and the reward is worth the effort – this majestic forest is where to go in Uganda for your gorilla trekking experience.
Spend an hour with a gorilla family, observing these gentle giants in their pristine rainforest habitat before slipping away and back to your comfortable jungle lodge.
Highlights
- A UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its incredible biodiversity and mountain gorillas
- Gorilla trekking and coming within feet of this endangered species
- Wildlife encounters with monkeys, chimpanzees & elephants
- Cultural interactions with the ‘Keepers of the Forest’, the Batwa Tribe
- One of only three places in the world for these kinds of gorilla treks
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Combining easily with Bwindi Forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most popular and most accessible savannah reserve and is home to elephant, buffalo, leopard, numerous antelope species and the famous tree-climbing lions of the Ishasha Plains.
Take a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel to spot hippo and crocodile and don’t forget your binoculars: with a staggering 600 recorded bird species, Queen Elizabeth NP is one of the world’s premier bird watching destinations.
Highlights
- Uganda’s largest safari park
- Home to tree-climbing lions, leopards, hippos and over 600 different bird species
- Incredibly varied landscape comprising woodland, savannah and swamps
- Game drives, nature, walks and boat cruises are just some of the activities offered
- Volcanic remnants dotted across the park from crater lakes to cones
Kibale Forest National Park
Rapidly becoming a must-do destination in Uganda, Kibale Forest offers visitors an accessible and enlightening insight into life in a tropical rainforest.
Large mammals aren’t so easily seen but the clouds of dazzling butterflies and gorgeous forest birds more than make up for it, and besides, Kibale is most famous for its primates. Go on guided chimpanzee treks in the majestic forest and see how many of the other 12 primate species you can spot.
Highlights
- Home to the highest diversity and density of primates on the entire continent
- Linked to the Queen Elizabeth National Park by a wildlife corridor
- Home to chimpanzees, leopard, African golden cat, serval & elephants
- One of the last expanses of land in Uganda to contain both lowland and montane forests
- Ideal for hiking, birding and cultural trails that lead to ancient tribes
Consider Adding...
Kenya
Kenya offers a vacation for every traveller. From unforgettable family safaris with child-friendly activities and services to exclusive hideaways for couples and honeymooners, Kenya has it all and then some.
Tanzania
From the classic savannah destinations of the Serengeti, Tarangire and Ngorongoro Crater to the beaches and coral reefs of Zanzibar, a Tanzania safari delivers one massive experience after another.
Zanzibar
The name alone is likely to conjure up images of spice markets, palm-fringed beaches and white-sailed dhows on a turquoise sea – and happily the reality doesn’t disappoint. Lying only a short distance off the Tanzania coast, Zanzibar has long been at the centre of the Indian Ocean experience.
When To Go To Uganda
Dry Seasons: January & February & June to September
Botswana’s dry season is between April and November each year, and this is when you can expect to see clear and near uninterrupted blue skies. June and August are the coolest months when desert temperatures in the Kalahari are known to drop below freezing. The height of the dry season, from September, is when the Okavango Delta has its highest water levels and the most remarkable wildlife sightings. With less land available, the elephants, lions and buffalo will be found in more concentrated pockets than when the water levels are lower.
Wet Seasons: March to May
March, April and May see the heaviest rainfall in Uganda, with shorter rains in October to November. This doesn’t affect your chances of spotting gorillas, although be prepared for a soggy, slippery trek! Waterproofs, and waterproof boots, are essential. It’s also believed that the gorillas linger on the warmer, lower slopes during wetter weather, so your trek may be shorter.
Browse our Uganda resources
Kenya Safari Trip Ideas
Here are some of our best packages, all completely customisable to your requirements and travel wishes:
Adventure Safari:
Uganda’s Fly-In Gorilla Trek
This bucket-list experience takes you deep into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for an eye-opening encounter with highly endangered mountain gorillas.
After landing at the international airport in Entebbe, you will fly to the Kihihi airstrip on the outskirts of Bwindi National Park. Home to roughly 340 mountain gorillas, the park is one of the two remaining protected sites where this subspecies of great ape exist in the wild.
Some of the family groups are habituated to human presence and will allow trekkers to track and observe them from a respectful and mandated distance as they go about their daily lives. Back at your accommodation, which is the tranquil Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, keep an eye open for gorillas strolling right through the camp!
Destinations
Entebbe
Bwindi National Park
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Itinerary FROM $5,950 CAD
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Itinerary FROM $9,500 AUD
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Itinerary FROM €9,050 EUR
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Itinerary FROM £7,250 GBP
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Itinerary FROM R134,000 ZAR
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Fly-in Safari:
Secret Gorillas, Chimps, Serengeti & Crater
One of our most biodiverse itineraries, this 15-day safari delivers some of East Africa’s biggest wildlife experiences. After a comfortable night in Rwanda’s capital Kigali the tour opens with trekking for mountain gorillas in Rwanda’s equatorial rainforests before flying you to Lake Victoria to an exclusive camp on Rubondo Island, home to forest animals such as chimpanzees and the tiny suni antelope as well as more familiar species such as elephant and giraffe.
You then exchange the forest landscape for a savannah one as you fly to the Serengeti and then to the Ngorongoro Crater. You are assured of excellent Big 5 game viewing and – if you are in Migration season – then you will have tens of thousands of wildebeest on the Serengeti grasslands too.
Accommodation on safari is in the form of intimate tented camps with usually no more than 10 tents, making for personalised attention and superior service. Beginning at Kigali in Rwanda and ending in Arusha in Tanzania, this is a tour that is perfect for romantic travel, discerning travellers and those looking for East Africa’s ultimate bucket-list itinerary.
Destinations
Entebbe
Bwindi National Park
Kigali
Serengeti
Ngorongoro Crater
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Itinerary FROM $28,650 AUD
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Itinerary FROM $17,900 CAD
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Itinerary FROM €27,200 EUR
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Itinerary FROM £21,750 GBP
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Itinerary FROM R402,000 ZAR
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How Much is a Uganda Safari?
Rates generally depend on timing (i.e., key travel seasons like holidays) and level of luxury (the type of amenities and exclusivity).
From $600 – $1,250 per person
What Costs Are Included?
Most accommodations are all-inclusive; all your meals, snacks, beverages, alcohol (with some exceptions) are part of your room rate. In addition, your game drives, and other excursions will all be included. To operate in such remote areas at such a high level of hospitality, it takes some serious logistics and often means guest-to-staff ratios of more than 5 to 1. Not to mention many accommodations offer services like laundry, so you can pack light and travel easy.
The only things you’ll have to pay for are gorilla and chimpanzee trekking permits and, in some cases, imported spirits. Beyond that, just gratuities for the incredible staff who will make your stay at each lodge so memorable.
Bonita Cronje
After our briefing, we got in a vehicle and drove for between 30 and 45 minutes before we started our gorilla trek in Uganda. We got the “difficult” gorilla group to track, but we were only in the forest for a total of three hours. The guides try to get you as close to your designated gorilla family as possible. You don’t need to be seriously fit – my fitness level is not great, and I managed quite easily. I think the search and the chase get your adrenalin levels up and help motivate you to keep going."
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