Uganda self-drive tour – 21 days

After landing in Entebbe, you will be met by our driver at the airport and driven to your hotel. Depending on your arrival time, you can visit the Entebbe Botanical Gardens or take a boat trip to the Mabamba Swamp.

After breakfast you take over your vehicle and after a thorough briefing you set off on well-maintained roads past Kampala to the northwest of Uganda to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
– Travel time approx. 4-5 hours

After breakfast you have the opportunity to visit the rhinos in the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. You will walk through the bush with an experienced ranger and visit one of the giant rhinos. You should always remain calm. You can observe these magnificent animals, which are otherwise so rare, at close range. After lunch, continue your journey to Murchison Falls National Park.
– Travel time approx. 3-4 hours

Today we set off early in the morning on our first game drive in the park. Murchison NP offers a wide variety of different animals.  Lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, hartebeests, oribis and of course the Uganda kobs are the best known. Your guide will take you to the most beautiful places and will never tire of answering your questions. The vegetation with the savannah and the riverside forest will inspire you. After lunch, you will set off on a boat safari towards Murchison Falls. Crocodiles, hippos and water birds accompany you on your trip on the Nile to the impressive waterfalls. Just before the thundering spray of the waterfalls, the boat moors on a rock, you enjoy the view of the river and take your photos. If you wish, you can hike along a steep path to the top of the waterfalls from where your guide will pick you up. Alternatively, you can return by boat.

After breakfast, you will go on another morning game drive in Murchison National Park. The journey then continues in the direction of Lake Albert. On the way you will come to a wonderful viewpoint where you can take photos of the lake. In the late afternoon you reach the lodge with a view of Lake Albert.
– Travel time approx. 5-6 hours

Today you have the opportunity to go on a nature walk or game drive in the Kabwoya Reserve, explore the landscape and see many wild animals such as the dycker, Uganda kobs and bushbuck as well as warthogs. An experienced ranger will guide you through the reserve and you don’t have to worry about your safety as there are no predators in the reserve. 

In the morning you set off towards Fort Portal, the lively town at the foot of the Rwenzori offers the opportunity to visit the market or have a snack in one of the cafés. You then continue to your lodge, just outside the city.

– Travel time approx. 2-3 hours

Drive from Fort Portal into the surrounding area, where more than 50 crater lakes can be found. There are very beautiful hiking opportunities by the lakes, and in one of the villages you have the opportunity to visit a school. The tour then continues into the Kibale Forest.
– Travel time 2-3 hours

This morning you will head to the Kibale Forest where you will follow the tracks of the chimpanzees in the rainforest accompanied by an experienced guide. The silence is interrupted by the unfamiliar sounds of a few birds. The chimpanzees also report you loudly. With a bit of luck, you will soon spot the first primates! Watch the chimpanzees as they play, eat, louse, cuddle or even mate.

After breakfast, you will travel towards Queen Elizabeth National Park. The hilly crater landscape with its more than 50 lakes and green pastures is reminiscent of the landscape of the Swiss Alps.  The slopes of the Rwenzori Mountains on the right-hand side of the road complete the magnificent picture. Kasese, the last town before Queen Elisabeth National Park, offers the opportunity to do a little shopping, after which your first game drive begins. After an exciting game drive, you will reach your lodge in the evening

Today you start early for a morning game drive in Queen Elisabeth National Park. The extensive park lies at the foot of the Rwenzori Mountains, also known as the Mountains of the Moon. Lake Edward and Lake George are located within the park. In the national park you will go on an adventurous game drive with all that the African animal world has to offer. You will find lions, buffalo, hyenas and also the Kobe antelope, which is native to Uganda. The Kazinga Canal connects the two lakes. Crocodiles and hippos live here, as well as a large number of bird species, some of which can only be found in this area. In the afternoon you go on a boat safari on the canal where you have the opportunity to see these animals at close range.

After breakfast, you will go on another game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Around 3000 elephants live in the park. The tour then continues to the south of the park, to the Ishasha region. This area is known for its tree-climbing lions. Ishasha also provides a habitat for leopards, hyenas and hippos

Today’s drive takes us to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The endangered mountain gorillas live here. The population of animals has increased from around 800 to 1100 in the last 9 years. This is largely thanks to tourism, whose payments contribute to the protection of these unique animals. The gorilla families are carefully guarded and their names such as Otaka, Elsa or Nyakina will soon be familiar to you.

Bwindi Impenatrable NP is home to around 500 mountain gorillas, half of the world’s remaining population.  The primates belong to the endangered animal species despite the number of 1,100 that have now been recorded. Tourism has contributed significantly to the fact that the animals are no longer persecuted by the local population but are protected. After a short briefing, you hike into the densely forested jungle with an experienced guide, a ranger and a few porters. Your guide will show you the  tracks of the animals, answer your questions about the vegetation and soon you will be up close to the mighty animals. You have one hour to follow the primates, observe them and take photos. In the afternoon you are back at your lodge and have time to relax and reflect on the day’s experiences.

After breakfast, we continue on to Lake Bunyoni, even though the distance of the day is only around 120 km. The winding road through the mountainous landscape repeatedly offers fantastic views of the lake and the Virunga volcanoes in the distance. In the afternoon you arrive at your lodge by the lake.
– Travel time: approx. 4 hours

Lake Bunyoni is known for its 19 islands, the landscape is impressive and always offers new great impressions.  Today you have the opportunity to go on a boat tour or dugout canoe tour with a local fisherman. Visit one of the islands, maybe you will see some of the zebras that live on one of the islands. The lake, 900 meters deep, is considered the second deepest lake in Africa. The lake has a depth of 900 meters and is the second deepest lake in Africa. Other possible activities include a hike in the surrounding area or a visit to a Batwa community.

The journey today takes you along winding roads through small villages and towns with a lively atmosphere towards Lake Mburo National Park. After your arrival at the lodge, you can enjoy the view of the park from the swimming pool.

-Travel time about 4-5 hours

Today you set off on your first game drive. In Lake Mburo NP, the Ankole cattle with their horns are particularly striking. Zebras, impalas and reedbucks can often be seen outside the park boundaries. The lake after which the park is named is home to crocodiles, hippos and a large number of rare birds. Here in Lake Mburo National Park it is permitted to go on a foot safari. Together with an experienced ranger, you go on an exploration tour. The guide will show you the footprints and tell you which animal was on the move here. Alternatively, you can go on a boat safari on the lake, where you will be amazed by the many hippos, crocodiles and birdlife. The lodge offers the possibility of a riding safari for an extra charge.

In Lake Mburo National Park, you can go on a boat safari on the lake of the same name. You go on the tour with a ranger and see large groups of hippos, their heads glistening in the sunlight. Not far away, a fisherman balances on a dugout canoe. Around midday you will set off on your return journey to Kampala. Of course you will make a stop at the equator for a souvenir photo. You return the rental car in the evening.

Today, depending on the time of your return flight, you can relax at the lodge or go on a city tour of Kampala with our driver. Our driver will take you to your return flight or to your connecting stay, e.g. in Zanzibar or at Lake Victoria, in good time.