Spend 5 days exploring Murchison Falls National Park, Budongo Forest, and Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch. This trip gives you a chance to see the Big Five animals—lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, and rhino—along with chimpanzees and the rare shoebill stork. You will also visit Murchison Falls along the Nile River.
This tour starts and ends in Kampala or Entebbe. It includes accommodation, meals, transport, guides, and activities. You will travel in a 4×4 safari Land Cruiser or other vehicles such as saloon cars, buses, drones, or minivans.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Kampala
After arriving at Entebbe International Airport, you will be welcomed by your driver-guide. A short briefing about your 5-day safari will follow. You will then be taken to your booked hotel in Kampala. Enjoy your dinner and rest for the night.
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park and evening game drive
After breakfast, your driver will pick you up and begin the journey to Murchison Falls National Park, about 234 km away. You will have scenic views of the countryside and woodlands on the way. Lunch will be served in Masindi town.
On arrival, check in at your lodge, rest briefly, and later head out for an evening game drive. You may see giraffes, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, hartebeests, lions, and warthogs. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 3: Morning game drive, afternoon boat cruise, and transfer to Budongo Forest
After an early breakfast, go for a morning game drive in the northern sector of the park. Look out for animals such as lions, elephants, leopards, hyenas, hartebeests, oribis, and buffaloes. Take photos of the animals and the open landscape.
Return to your lodge for lunch. After checking out, go for a boat cruise on the Nile River starting at 2:00 PM. This trip takes you to the base of Murchison Falls. You may see crocodiles, hippos, and birds such as the African fish eagle and giant kingfisher. After the boat ride, transfer to Budongo Forest. Check in at your lodge, relax, have dinner, and stay overnight.
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking, transfer to Ziwa Rhino Ranch, and rhino tracking
Start the day early with breakfast, then head to Kaniyo Pabidi in Budongo Forest. At around 7:00 AM, attend a short briefing about chimpanzee trekking. You will be guided by trained forest rangers.
As you walk through the forest, you may see other wildlife like olive baboons, vervet monkeys, and black-and-white colobus monkeys. Once you find the chimpanzee group, spend one hour observing and taking photos. The entire trek takes about 2 to 5 hours.
After the trek, return to the starting point and begin your transfer to Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch in Nakasongola. Lunch will be taken in Masindi town. On arrival at the ranch, go for a guided rhino tracking walk.
Along the way, you might also see giraffes, Uganda kobs, bushbucks, and waterbucks. Some birds to watch for include the grey crowned crane and the Abyssinian ground hornbill. After the tracking, go to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5: Shoebill watching and transfer to Kampala
Wake up at 5:00 AM and head to Lugogo Swamp. This is one of the best places to spot shoebills in the wild. The guided canoe trip starts around 6:00 AM and takes about 4 hours. Paddle through papyrus plants and keep an eye out for the shoebill. You may also see other birds like grey crowned cranes, white egrets, and African grey hornbills.
After bird-watching, return to your lodge for breakfast, then check out. Begin the journey back to Kampala, about 167 km away, with a stop for lunch along the way.
You will be dropped off at your hotel or, if needed, at Entebbe International Airport for your departure flight.
End of your 5-day Murchison Falls, Chimpanzee, Ziwa Rhino, and Shoebill safari.
Experience the best of Uganda’s wilderness with our 7-Day Murchison Falls & Kidepo Safari
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