Our Short Uganda Safaris or short safari tours in Uganda are Uganda tour packages that run for not more than 6 days. They include gorilla trekking tours, wildlife safari game drives, safari boat cruises, nature walks and hiking, chimpanzee trekking, rhino tracking, bird watching, city tours, and white water rafting.
These short Uganda safaris tours are perfect for anyone in need of a bit of excitement but struggling to make time for an epic safari trip. They are also perfect if you want to travel with friends, family, or a group of fellow enthusiasts, and we’re able to create a tailor-made adventure just for you.
Our short Uganda Safaris are also suitable for both international and national visitors with less time yet desire to explore some of Uganda’s iconic safari destinations. They are the without doubt the perfect for visitors on business, conference, or event trips to discover the beauty of Uganda before they depart.
Here are some of our best short Uganda safaris packages.
One Day Short Uganda Trips
If you’re in Uganda’s capital, Kampala or Entebbe and have just a day to spare for a Uganda tour, know that you can still experience some of the best adventures and wildlife experiences Uganda offers in one day.
Here are a sample of our one-day Uganda trips options that you can do and still make it back to Kampala before nightfall or to the airport for your evening departure flight.
Two Days Short Uganda Safaris
Several amazing Uganda national parks and other destinations can also be visited on a 2-day safari starting and ending in the capital Kampala or nearby Entebbe.
If you are an active traveler who doesn’t want to spend too much time driving, a great choice for you is a white-water rafting trip on the Nile River in Jinja, which is located about a 2-hour drive east of Kampala.
Other adventurous options include chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park, a 5-hour drive west of Kampala. For a more conventional safari to see African savannah animals, three options can be done in a 2-day short safari in Uganda. Closest to Kampala, some 3-hour drive southwest, is Lake Mburo National Park, which has good numbers of hippo, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, and antelope, but no lions or elephants.
These days, thanks to recent road upgrades, it does not take much longer to drive to Murchison Falls National Park. This is a more exciting destination where unforgettable boat safaris on a wildlife-rich stretch of the Nile River can be supplemented with game drives in search of elephants, buffalo, lions, and leopards.
The third option is Queen Elizabeth NP, which offers a broadly similar experience to Murchison Falls but is about a seven-hour drive from Kampala or Entebbe. Here is a sample of our 2 day Uganda tours:
Is it possible to see the Big Five Animals in Uganda in 2 days?
Technically, it is possible to see all the Big 5 gems on a short 2-day Uganda safari tour, but you would need to plan it well and be very lucky. A 2-day Uganda safari itinerary that gives the possibility of seeing all African Big 5 is an overnight stay in Murchison Falls Park, with a stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary en route from Kampala or Entebbe.
You can be confident of seeing white rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, whereas Murchison Falls National Park is home to other four members of the Big Five. Of these, elephants and buffalo are often seen on afternoon Nile River boat cruises to the base of Murchison Falls and morning game drives. Lion and leopard are also both present, but the odds of seeing them on one game drive are not very high.
Is 2 days enough time to see the gorillas in Uganda?
It is possible to see gorillas on a 2-day safari in Uganda depending on your starting point. However, what would not be realistic is to try to squeeze a gorilla-trekking adventure into a 2-day driving safari that starts and ends at Kampala or Entebbe. This is because the drive between Entebbe/Kampala and Bwindi or Mgahinga Gorilla, the two Uganda gorilla safari parks, takes about 9 hours in either direction.
The minimum duration for a gorilla tour from Entebbe or Kampala is thus not 2 days but 3 days. This is because you need to spend the night immediately before and after you trek at a lodge or camp or lodge close to the relevant park.
A more realistic starting point for a 2-day gorilla-trekking tour in Uganda is Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. The drive from Kigali will take around 5 hours. You can easily drive to Uganda on day one, track gorillas the next morning, and then return to Kigali afterward. Of course, it is also possible to do gorilla trekking in Rwanda, so you might reasonably ask why anyone would cross into Uganda to do the same activity.
The simple answer is that it is cheaper: gorilla trekking permits in Uganda cost US$700 per person as opposed to US$1,500 for a gorilla permit in Rwanda.
Three Days Short Uganda Safaris
There are many 3-day safaris on offer in Uganda, so you do have choices on what you can fit into your safari. As you will be away for only 2 nights, I would recommend sleeping both nights in the same location. The most-popular option is the 3-day gorilla trekking tour to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Other great options include 3 Day Queen Elizabeth safari, 3 Day Murchison Falls National Park, and 3 Day Lake Mburo Tour.
Four Days Short Uganda Tours
Uganda offers some of the best safaris available, and there is plenty you can see and do on a well-planned 4-day safari. On the 4 day safari in Uganda, you can explore the rainforest forests to see gorillas, chimpanzees and savannah animals. Budget permitting, a fly-in safari will make the most of your precious time spent in the bush. However, driving to your destination will give you a chance to see the Uganda way of life in the villages and towns along the way. Here are a sample of our 4 days Uganda tours:
Five Days Short Uganda Safaris
Yes, you might face some difficult choices when it comes to deciding which highlights to include in a short 5-day Uganda safari itinerary, but whatever you choose, you won’t be disappointed by this truly amazing country.
The most popular 5-day itinerary heads southwest from Entebbe or Kampala to combine Bwindi Impenetrable and Queen Elizabeth National Parks with any of several chimp trekking destinations, and possibly Lake Mburo.
For those who don’t want or can’t afford to track gorillas, a popular option for a 5-day safari is scenic Murchison Falls National Park. Murchison Falls is easily combined with Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and/or chimp trekking in Budongo Forest. An off-the-beaten-track alternative to Murchison Falls is a 5-day day safari to Kidepo Valley National Park, which also hosts lion, leopard, elephant, and buffalo, and could be combined with a stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
Six Days Short Safari Tours In Uganda
Most 6-day Uganda safari itineraries to the southwest pair Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with Queen Elizabeth National Park. Many 6-day Uganda safaris to the southwest also include a chimpanzee trekking tours in Kalinzu Forest, Kyambura Gorge, or Kibale Forest National Park.
Another popular stop is Lake Mburo, which lies roughly halfway to Bwindi coming from Entebbe. If gorillas are not on your Uganda wish list, then our top recommendation for a 6-day Uganda safari would combine Murchison Falls National Park and Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary with chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest. A more remote alternative is Kidepo Valley National Park, which can also be combined with Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
