The full Uganda loop: Sipi Falls, Kidepo, Murchison, chimpanzees in Kibale, Queen Elizabeth and gorillas in Bwindi, ending at Lake Bunyonyi.
Fourteen days is long enough to see Uganda properly, and this route does it as a single circuit: waterfalls at Sipi, the wilderness of Kidepo, the Nile at Murchison, chimpanzees in Kibale, lions in Queen Elizabeth and gorillas in Bwindi.
Flights are used where the roads are longest, and the days are paced with easy stretches, so the trip feels like a holiday and not a tour.
Uganda
Luxury safari
Handpicked luxury lodges and camps, chosen for their setting, service and guiding.
Private safari
Your own vehicle and guide for the whole journey, never shared with other travellers.
Made to measure
Change the pace, a lodge or an activity and we rebuild the itinerary around you.
Start any day
Travel on the dates that suit you, subject to lodge and permit availability.
Solo travellers welcome
Priced for one on request, with the single supplement shown under Rates.
Minimum age 15
Gorilla permits are only issued to visitors aged 15 and over.
Pace and fitness
Balanced, fitness: active.
Leave Entebbe and stop at Jinja for a boat trip to the source of the Nile and lunch by the river, then drive on to Sipi River Lodge on the slopes of Mount Elgon.
Overnight
Sipi River Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Stone cottages in a garden beside the main Sipi waterfall, on the slopes of Mount Elgon.
Walk to the three Sipi Falls with a local guide, visit a coffee farm to see the beans from tree to cup, and finish with the view from the lodge.
Overnight
Sipi River Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Stone cottages in a garden beside the main Sipi waterfall, on the slopes of Mount Elgon.
A long day across Karamoja, with the landscape opening into plains and mountains. You arrive at Apoka Safari Lodge in time for dinner.
Overnight
Apoka Safari Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
The only upmarket lodge in Kidepo, among the boulders of the Narus Valley.
Take an early game drive in the Narus Valley, then visit a Karamojong village to learn how the pastoral people of the north live.
Overnight
Apoka Safari Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
The only upmarket lodge in Kidepo, among the boulders of the Narus Valley.
Start with a bush breakfast on the plains, then spend the day on game drives to the Kidepo River valley and the foot of the Morungole mountains.
Overnight
Apoka Safari Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
The only upmarket lodge in Kidepo, among the boulders of the Narus Valley.
Take the light-aircraft charter to Murchison Falls and arrive in time for lunch at Nile Safari Lodge, with an afternoon game drive on the north bank of the Nile.
Overnight
Nile Safari Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Timber bandas on the south bank of the Nile, with a pool above the river.
Start with a morning game drive for giraffe, elephant and buffalo, then take the afternoon launch up the Nile to the foot of the falls, past hippos, crocodiles and fish eagles.
Overnight
Nile Safari Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Timber bandas on the south bank of the Nile, with a pool above the river.
Take the morning launch down the Nile to the delta, where shoebills stand in the papyrus, then drive south to Fort Portal. Kyaninga Lodge sits on the rim of its own crater lake.
Overnight
Kyaninga Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Hand-built log cottages above a crater lake, with the Rwenzoris behind.
Join a ranger in Kibale Forest to find a chimpanzee community, then walk the Bigodi Wetland in the afternoon for monkeys and birds. You sleep at Primate Lodge, inside the forest.
Overnight
Primate Lodge Kibale (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
The only lodge inside Kibale Forest, a short walk from the chimpanzee briefing.
Drive south to Kyambura Gorge Lodge, which overlooks the gorge and the plains beyond. In the afternoon take the launch along the Kazinga Channel, where hippos and waterbirds crowd the banks.
Overnight
Kyambura Gorge Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Converted coffee-store bandas overlooking the Kyambura Gorge and the Rwenzoris.
Search the fig trees at Ishasha, where lions sometimes rest in the branches, then drive on to Bwindi Lodge in time for dinner by the fire.
Overnight
Bwindi Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Eight bandas facing the forest in Buhoma, a short walk from the gorilla trek briefing point.
Walk from the lodge to the briefing and set off with your trackers to find your gorilla family. You spend an hour with them in the forest, and the afternoon is yours.
Overnight
Bwindi Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Eight bandas facing the forest in Buhoma, a short walk from the gorilla trek briefing point.
Drive to Lake Bunyonyi and settle in at BirdNest Resort. Paddle a dugout canoe between the islands as the light turns gold, and let the trip slow down.
Overnight
BirdNest Resort (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
A calm lakeside hotel on Bunyonyi with a waterfront deck and heated pool.
Drive through the hills to Kihihi airstrip and take the scheduled flight to Entebbe, arriving in time for evening connections.
Sipi River Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Stone cottages in a garden beside the main Sipi waterfall, on the slopes of Mount Elgon.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Apoka Safari Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
The only upmarket lodge in Kidepo, among the boulders of the Narus Valley.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Nile Safari Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Timber bandas on the south bank of the Nile, with a pool above the river.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Kyaninga Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Hand-built log cottages above a crater lake, with the Rwenzoris behind.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Primate Lodge Kibale (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
The only lodge inside Kibale Forest, a short walk from the chimpanzee briefing.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Kyambura Gorge Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Converted coffee-store bandas overlooking the Kyambura Gorge and the Rwenzoris.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Bwindi Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Eight bandas facing the forest in Buhoma, a short walk from the gorilla trek briefing point.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
BirdNest Resort (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
A calm lakeside hotel on Bunyonyi with a waterfront deck and heated pool.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Important to know
Rates per person
| Season | Solo | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people | 5 people | 6 people | 7+ people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High season (Jun to Oct, Dec to Feb) | US$13,180 | US$11,170 | US$10,500 | US$10,500 | US$10,500 | US$10,500 | Get quote |
| Low season (Mar to May, Nov) | US$11,560 | US$9,800 | US$9,212 | US$9,212 | US$9,212 | US$9,212 | Get quote |
Prices are per person, in US dollars, and depend on the number of travellers sharing the vehicle and guide. They are sample rates for planning and will be confirmed when you enquire, as lodge and permit prices change each year. Gorilla and chimpanzee permits are included at the current government rate and are subject to availability. The charter flight between Kidepo and Murchison depends on aircraft availability and will be confirmed when you enquire.
Best time for this trip Jun to Sep, Dec to Feb
For gorilla and chimp treks, bring sturdy waterproof hiking boots, long trousers you can tuck into your socks, a long-sleeved shirt, a light rain jacket and gardening gloves for grabbing vines. Porters are available at the trailhead and we recommend hiring one: it helps your trek and supports the local community.
Pack light, neutral colours for game drives, a warm fleece for early mornings, a sun hat and good sunscreen. Light aircraft have a soft-bag limit of 15 kg per person including hand luggage, so leave the hard suitcases at home.
Made to measure
Every Uwera safari is private. Slow the pace, add a night by a lake, swap a lodge or bring the children: tell us in your request and we will rebuild the itinerary around you.
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