This 6-day safari takes you to Murchison Falls and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks in Uganda. Book this trip for boat cruises, game drives, chimpanzee tracking, and gorilla trekking in one itinerary. In Murchison Falls National Park, you see four of the Big Five: buffalo, lion, leopard, and elephant, along with a visit to the falls themselves.
You also visit Kibale National Park for chimpanzee tracking, home to around 1,450 chimpanzees. Later, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park brings a gorilla trek and cultural experiences with local communities.
This trip starts and ends in Kampala or Entebbe. You travel in a 4×4 safari Land Cruiser or other available vehicles such as saloon cars, vans, buses, or drones, led by experienced English-speaking driver-guides. The package includes meals, accommodation, park entry, and listed activities.
6-Day Murchison Falls & Bwindi Safari Highlights
- Visit Murchison Falls and Bwindi Impenetrable National Parks
- See four of the Big Five in Murchison Falls: lion, leopard, buffalo, and elephant
- Take a boat cruise to the base of Murchison Falls and spot hippos, crocodiles, and birds
- Go on a morning game drive in Murchison Falls National Park
- Track chimpanzees in Kibale National Park and visit the Bigodi community
- See gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Visit the Batwa community and learn about their culture and traditions
- Travel in a 4×4 safari Land Cruiser or other vehicles with an experienced guide
- Start and end the safari in Kampala or Entebbe
- Package includes accommodation, meals, park entry, guides, and all listed activities
Brief 6-Day Murchison Falls & Bwindi Safari Itinerary
- Day 1: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park and afternoon boat cruise
- Day 2: Morning game drive and transfer to Kibale National Park
- Day 3: Chimpanzee trek and Bigodi community visit
- Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi and Batwa community visit
- Day 5: Gorilla trekking
- Day 6: Return to Kampala or Entebbe and departure
Detailed 6-Day Murchison Falls & Bwindi Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park and Afternoon Boat Cruise
Your driver-guide meets you at your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe for a short briefing, then the journey to Murchison Falls National Park begins, covering about 235 km northwest. After a 4 to 5-hour drive, you arrive at the lodge and check in.
After lunch, you get ready for a boat cruise at around 2:00 p.m. along the Nile River, taking you to the base of Murchison Falls. Along the way, you see crocodiles, hippos, buffaloes, and many birds. The round trip takes 2 to 3 hours. After the cruise, you return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2: Morning Game Drive and Transfer to Kibale National Park
After breakfast, you check out and join a morning game drive, with sightings of lions, leopards, buffaloes, elephants, giraffes, and antelopes. The journey southwest to Kibale National Park follows, taking about 5 hours through Hoima and Kyenjojo, with a lunch stop along the way.
On arrival in Kibale, you check in at your lodge, relax, and have dinner before overnight stay.
Day 3: Chimpanzee Trek and Bigodi Community Visit
After breakfast, you head to Kanyanchu Visitor Centre to register and attend a briefing from a ranger on tracking chimpanzees safely.
You then enter the forest with a ranger and a tracker to find a habituated group of chimpanzees. Once found, you spend one hour observing them and taking photos. The full trek takes about 2 to 5 hours. You return to the lodge for lunch and rest.
In the afternoon, a visit to the Bigodi community covers basket, mat, and bag making, with crafts available to buy in support of local women. You also learn about local herbal medicine and take a nature walk in the Bigodi Wetland, a good spot for the shoebill and animals like the sitatunga and monkeys. You return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 4: Transfer to Bwindi and Batwa Community Visit
After breakfast, you check out and begin the drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The journey takes about 7 to 8 hours, with a lunch stop along the way. On arrival, you check in at your lodge and prepare for a cultural visit.
The Batwa community visit covers the traditions of these former forest dwellers, including music and dance performances, how they made fire, hunted, and lived in the forest, and stories shared by the elders. You return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5: Gorilla Trekking
After an early breakfast, you go to the park offices by 7:00 a.m. for a briefing about gorilla trekking, where rangers explain the rules and assign you to a gorilla group.
With your group and ranger, you enter the forest to track the gorillas, with monkeys, birds, and other wildlife visible along the way. Once the gorillas are found, you spend one hour observing and taking pictures. The trek usually takes between 2 and 6 hours, depending on where the gorillas are located.
After the trek, you return to the starting point to receive a certificate. Your driver takes you back to the lodge to freshen up, rest, and reflect on the experience before dinner and overnight stay.
Day 6: Return to Kampala or Entebbe and Departure
After breakfast, you check out and begin the journey back to Kampala, taking about 10 hours with a lunch stop in Mbarara and a further stop at the equator in Kayabwe for photos and crafts.
Once in Kampala or Entebbe, your driver drops you off at your hotel or the airport for your flight.
Book this 6-day Murchison Falls and Bwindi safari to combine Big Five game viewing, chimpanzee tracking, and gorilla trekking in one complete trip.
