In very safe and friendly Uganda we have planned a dream 18 days Uganda family safari holiday where you and your children will feel like Tarzan or Jane.
Did you know that the original Tarzan films were shot in Uganda? That is of course not without reason. Nowhere else in Africa will you find such a diverse landscape full of rainforests, savannahs, rivers and waterfalls, where all kinds of adventures can be experienced.
You will have an opportunity to be a zookeeper at the zoo and go on safari with a biologist to look for wild lions. You will also take many safari boat cruises past massive crocodiles, hippos, buffalos, and bathing African elephants. You will track wild rhinos on foot and venture into the rainforests in search of chimpanzees, gorillas, birds, and rare monkeys.
You will also go on safari among giraffes, impalas, and giraffes by mountain bike! At Sipi Falls you can look for the colourful chameleons and shower under one of the three waterfalls and the real daredevils can go rafting or tubing on the historic Nile River. What an adventure!
During this 18 Days Uganda family safari holiday, you’ll spend the nights in comfortable family- friendly accommodation situated in the most beautiful places in Ugandan nature. The 18 days safari holiday in Uganda described is for inspiration. We can tailor the safari totally, so that the tour fits your family exactly.This way we can change the route, add or remove days, incorporate extra activities or add a beach holiday extension. It is completely up to you!
Highlights
- The ultimate Africa trip for active families
- Zookeeper at Entebbe Zoo/Uganda Wildlife Education Center
- Beautiful lodges in the middle of nature, often with a swimming pool
- Tubing on a large inflated tire on the world’s longest river – Nile
- Hike past chameleons, waterfalls, and local rural villages in Sipi Falls
- Chimpanzee tracking and gorilla trekking adventure
- Rhino tracking on foot in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
- Safari by car, boat, by foot and/or by mountain bike
Summary
Day 1: Welcome to the Pearl of Africa!
Day 2: Zookeeper at Entebbe Zoo and Drive to Jinja
Day 3: Tubing on the Nile River
Day 4: Travel to the Beautiful and Less Visited Sipi Falls, Coffee Tours
Day 5: Scenic Hike to Sipi Waterfalls
Day 6: Transfer to Kampala; Explore the City on a Guided Tour
Day 7: Drive to Murchison Falls National Park via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Day 8: Enjoy another Day in Uganda’s Most Wildlife-Rich Park
Day 9: Morning Boat Safari to Lake Albert Delta & Relaxation
Day 10: Visit the Top of the Falls & Drive to Kibale National Park
Day 11: Chimpanzee Tracking and Swamp or Village Walk
Day 12: Safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park, game drive
Day 13: Half Day Game Drive & Relaxation
Day 14: Lion Tracking and Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise
Day 15: Tree-Climbing Lions And On To Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Day 16: Gorilla Trekking and Batwa Pygmies Cultural Experience
Day 17: On To Lake Mburo National Park: Optional Night Game Drive
Day 18: Mountain Biking Among the Wildlife & Return to Entebbe
Details
Day 1: Welcome to The Pearl Of Africa!
Your 18 Days Uganda family safari introduces you to various attractions of Uganda.
On arrival at Entebbe international airport, our company representative will greet and escort you to the hotel in Entebbe. Check-in and refresh.
Here you can have a drink under the African starry sky, dinner and a well-deserved night’s sleep.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Hotel No.5/Protea Hotel Entebbe/ Lake Victoria Serena Resort & Spa
Mid-range: The Boma Hotel in Entebbe/ 2 Friends Beach Hotel Entebbe
Budget: Airport Guesthouse Entebbe
Meal plan:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 2: Zookeeper At Entebbe Zoo And Drive To Jinja
This morning you will meet your guide who will give you a briefing about your 18 Days Uganda Family Safari.
After that, you visit Entebbe Zoo, where you can help the zookeepers feed the animals. The official name of Entebbe Zoo is Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Center.
It is a perfect place to see the diverse animals of Uganda and the ecosystems they live in, and learn about how they live, play, eat, and behave.
Entebbe Zoo was originally established in 1950 to care for seized and injured wildlife.
Nowadays, it is primarily concerned with information and nature education. With the incomes from tourism activities, they offer many educational projects (school trips) for local schools, to involve the youngest generation in nature conservation and animal welfare.
Under the guidance of the zookeepers, you will not only receive explanations about the care of the animals, but you will also be given the chance to meet and feed the animals.
Learn how the health of the animals is monitored, what behavior the animals exhibit and how to report this. It will be a very educational and interesting experience for young and old!
After that, you can have lunch at Lake Victoria.
If interested, you eat a pizza on the beach at Entebbe (At Correti’s). Then you drive through colorful markets and beautiful nature to the historic town of Jinja in eastern Uganda on shore of Lake Victoria. Jinja was a small fishing village before the arrival of the Europeans.
During the 19th century, many explorers went looking for the source of the Nile. Ultimately it was John Speke who found it in Jinja.
Today, Jinja attracts travelers who enjoy the many activities available. There are several lodges in Jinja, many of which have a beautiful view of the Nile. YouÔÇÖll spend the afternoon relaxing, enjoying nature and the beautiful view.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Lemala Wildwaters Lodge/Jinja Nile Resort
Mid-range: Haven Lodge Jinja/2 Friends Hotel Jinja
Budget: Source of the Smile Guesthouse
Meal Plan: Breakfast
Day 3: Tubing On the Nile River
On this day three of your 18 Days Uganda family safari, you are going to do something really fun!
In large inflated tires, float on the Nile and enjoy the breathtaking landscapes and the colorful birds along the side.
The small rapids are fun without being overwhelming; class I, II and III rapids.
There is whitewater action, but also time to sit back, relax and enjoy the surroundings. All in all, this is a cheerful day out with family or friends on the Nile.
The activity lasts a total of 2 ½ hours and is great fun for both young and old. Anyone from 8 years old can do in this activity.
Then you have time to enjoy your accommodation or go on more excursions in Jinja.
Instead of tubing on the Nile, you can also choose a family rafting (from 4 years), regular rafting (from 16 years), kayaking, quad biking (from 12 years), mountain biking, or horse riding (depending on experience).
The options depend on the age or experience of your children.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Lemala Wildwaters Lodge/Jinja Nile Resort
Mid-range: Haven Lodge Jinja/2 Friends Hotel Jinja
Budget: Source of the Smile Guesthouse
Meal Plan: Breakfast
Day 4: Travel To Beautiful And Less Visited Sipi Falls
After a leisurely breakfast at around 10 am, you will embark on a 3-hour drive to the foot of Mount Elgon – Uganda’s second highest mountain. The streams, waterfalls, flowers and 40 shades of green contribute to the feeling that the Garden of Eden must have looked something like this.
The Sipi Falls area in Eastern Uganda comprises three waterfalls. The waterfalls are situated on the edge of Mount Elgon National Park on Uganda-Kenya border.
The Sipi River and the Sipi Falls are named after the ‘Sep’ a native plant on the banks of the river, a medicinal plant used by locals against flu and measles.
The area is characterized by coffee farms, rivers, waterfalls, chameleons, a wild vegetation, traditional African rural villages and beautiful views of the Karamoja Plains.
This afternoon you’ll have a nice coffee tour. Fantastic high-quality Arabica coffee is grown in Sipi area. Many farmers with small plots of land form a cooperative together.
Their delicious coffee beans are sold worldwide. You will experience the entire process from picking to drying, grinding with a large wooden mortar to cooking and drinking the coffee, all with a local farmer, who also gets a little extra from it.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Sipi Heritage Lodge/Sipi Valley Resort
Mid-range: Sipi Heritage Lodge/Rafiki Lodge
Budget: Lacam Lodge/Moses Homestay
Meal plan:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Scenic Hike To Sipi Waterfalls
Today you will go on a nature walk through this beautiful area. You can determine how long you want to walk in consultation with your guide.
You can choose a full day walk. You will walk in a company a local English-speaking guide.
As you walk through this lush area, you alternate massive waterfalls with the local village life of the Ugandan countryside.
You will also walk along streams and enjoy the beautiful views and colourful flowers.
This is what the Garden of Eden must have looked like! During a full day of nature walk you can tour the 3 waterfalls and en route you can spot chameleons in the coffee plantations.
It is fun to swim in one of the streams and even take a cooling shower under a waterfall. So bring your swimming clothes and towel!
You can also choose to walk shorter in consultation with your guide. You are going out all day. Along the way you will enjoy a local Ugandan lunch.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Sipi Heritage Lodge/Sipi Valley Resort
Mid-range: Sipi Heritage Lodge/Rafiki Lodge
Budget: Lacam Lodge/Moses Homestay
Meal plan:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6: Transfer To Kampala for a City Tour
Today you will set off on a four-hour transfer to the capital city of Uganda, Kampala.
After checking in at your new hotel, venture out on a guided tour of the city, starting at the Uganda Museum. Explore the artifacts and exhibits showcasing the Uganda’s diverse culture, history, and wildlife. After an educational museum visit, you will go for lunch at a local restaurant, but along the way, you can stop at a streetside vendor to try the Ugandan Rolex.
Hopefully, it doesn’t fill you up too much, so you can enjoy luwombo, a traditional Ugandan dish made of meat, peanuts, and beans wrapped in a banana leaf.
Continue your city tour at Kabaka’s Palace, the residence of the Buganda Kingdom’s king since 1885. Here, your guide will teach you about the palace’s rich history.
You can also enter Idi Amin’s torture chambers, though, to learn about the former president’s brutal regime in the 1970s. Explore the dank cells to understand the shocking acts of torture and oppression that occurred here.
Pay your respects to Amin’s victims, and then end this tour with a trip to a local craft market, where you can browse the handmade goods and look for the perfect souvenirs to take home.
Day 7: Drive to Murchison Falls
After an early breakfast today, head out of Kampala city before the morning traffic starts. Hit the road for the 3-hour drive to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, where you can stretch your legs and get up close and personal with Uganda’s only wild rhinos on a 2-hour walking tour.
From there it should only take you another hour or so to get to Murchison Falls NP, one of the most popular and the largest National Park in the country and home to the famous Murchison Falls, the most powerful waterfalls in the world.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Nile Safari lodge/Paraa Safari Lodge
Mid-range: Pakuba Safari Lodge/Murchison River Lodge
Budget: Hornbill Safari Lodge
Meal plan:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8: Enjoy Another Day in Uganda’s Most Wildlife-Rich Park
After an early breakfast, you will enjoy a sunrise game drive towards the delta area.
It is still chilly but this is best time for a game drive across the savannah plains. En route, you’ll stop at the Nile, where hundreds of hippos are bathing in the sun.
Murchison Falls is home to 75 mammal species, including lions, giraffes, buffalos, leopards, elephants, hippos, and hyenas, so with a bit of luck there should be plenty to excite you. You will return to your lodge for lunch and relaxation.
In the afternoon, you will take a relaxing boat cruise. This boat safari goes to base of Murchison Falls – the world’s strongest water fall.
You will slowly sail across the Nile River under the watchful eye of hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, buffalos and monkeys. Elephants and other wildlife are regularly spotted, coming to quench their thirst along the River banks. The tour eventually takes you to the foot of the 45 meter high and famous waterfall. The trip takes around three hours.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Nile Safari lodge/Paraa Safari Lodge
Mid-range: Pakuba Safari Lodge/Murchison River Lodge
Budget: Hornbill Safari Lodge
Meal plan:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9: Morning Boat Safari Delta Lake Albert & Relaxation
On day 8 of your 17 Days Uganda Family Safari, you have another full day to enjoy all that Murchison has to offer.
After a good breakfast today, you will take a boat cruise through the delta area of the park. The delta area is situated in the part where the Nile flows into Lake Albert.
It a looks like a smaller version of the famous Okavango Delta in Botswana and is full of wildlife, such as crocodiles, hippos, and bathing elephants.
This boat tour is also a dream for bird lovers. Special birds such as the Saddle-billed Stork, Giant Kingfisher and the prehistoric-looking Shoebill are often spotted. After the boat tour, you will spend the rest of the day at leisure.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Nile Safari lodge/Paraa Safari Lodge
Mid-range: Pakuba Safari Lodge/Murchison River Lodge
Budget: Hornbill Safari Lodge
Meal plan:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 10: Top Of The Falls Visit & Drive To Kibale
After your breakfast you drive to the top of the waterfall, from which this park takes its name. Here, you’ll take a walk to view this natural spectacle from various points.
You can see the falls up close and feel the power of River Nile as it plunges into the depths with enormous force through an 8 meter rock gap. If time allows, you can walk down a bit to see the entire waterfall, a beautiful sight!
After that, you’ll drive south to Kibale. You’ll pass villages, rainforests, tea plantations and crater lakes towards Fort Portal. In clear weather you can see the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains and upon arrival in Kibale you enter a completely different world; a primate world!
Kibale National Park is one of Africa’s most primate-rich rainforests.
The lush forest hosts 13 primate species, including the chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, black-and-white colobus, red colobus monkey and Blue monkeys. In addition to the primate species, there are also over 375 bird species.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Crater Safari Lodge/ Primate Lodge Kibale
Mid-range: Kibale Forest Camp/Chimpanzee Forest Lodge
Budget: Kibale Forest Camp/Chimpanzee Forest Lodge
Meal Plan
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 11: Chimpanzee Tracking And Swamp Or Village Walk
It’s chimpanzee day! Be at the park visitor centre at 8 am for your briefing, and then head out into the forest with your guide for this incredible chance to see chimpanzees in the wild.
You and a ranger will search for these noisy primate using broken branches, food remains and sounds. The question is always how you’ll encounter the chimpanzees, but coming face to face with a great ape that looks very much like us is a fascinating experience.
The minimum age for the chimp trekking is 12 years. With a signed letter from the parents, we can request dispensation for children who are at least 10 years old. If you or your child doesn’t go on a chimpanzee ride, you can knock $200 USD off the prize.
In the afternoon after lunch and relaxation, you will take a walk around the area, or if you’re still hungry for more wildlife, head into the Bigodi Swamp for a nature walk and a chance to see more monkeys and the special Great blue turaco; one of Uganda’s most beautiful birds.
Luxury: Crater Safari Lodge/ Primate Lodge Kibale
Mid-range: Kibale Forest Camp/Chimpanzee Forest Lodge
Budget: Kibale Forest Camp/Chimpanzee Forest Lodge
Meal Plan
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 12: Safari In Queen Elizabeth National Park
It is only 3 hours driving from Kibale to Queen Elizabeth NP, so have a lie-in and a leisurely breakfast, and then get on the road again.
When you arrive, check in to your lodge, enjoy lunch and relax for a bit before heading into the park for an afternoon game drive. Queen Elizabeth NP covers almost 2000 km. It is located in the rift valley and borders the Rwenzori Mountains to the north.
Centrally located in this park is the Kazinga channel, which connects the Edward and George lakes. West of the Kazinga channel there is a landscape with beautiful volcanic craters.
The Kyambura gorge is a huge crack in the savannah landscape, where there is a rainforest and where chimpanzees live. Queen is home to elephants, buffalos, topis, lions, leopards, hippos, crocodiles and more. More than 600 bird species live there.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge/ Kyambura Gorge Lodge/Elephant Plains
Mid-range: Enganzi Game Lodge/Bush Lodge/Park View Lodge
Budget: Bush Lodge/Pumba Safari Lodge
Meal Plan:
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 13: Half Day Game Drive & Relaxation
Yesterday was pretty chilled, so today it’s another pre-dawn start for a half day game drive in the park. Animals are more active in the morning, so there’s a good chance you’ll see hyenas, hippos, elephants, and maybe even lions.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge/ Kyambura Gorge Lodge/Elephant Plains
Mid-range: Enganzi Game Lodge/Bush Lodge/Park View Lodge
Budget: Bush Lodge/Pumba Safari Lodge
Meal Plan:
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 14: Lion Tracking And Boat Cruise
Today is all about nature in Queen Elizabeth NP. In the morning you’ll make a special safari, where you’ll go out with a biologist from the park.
This biologist investigates the behavior and movements of many lion prides and a number of individual leopards. This allows you to look through the eyes of biologists and learn about the king of the Jungle in a unique way!
The lion prides and leopards are followed by a radio collar, so you’ll encounter the lions at all times. Leopards are not guaranteed. Because you go with the biologist, you’re allowed to drive off-roads. The income from this activity is used to finance the research.
After the activity, you’ll return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation. In the afternoon, go for one of the most spectacular boat safaris in Africa.
This Kazinga Channel boat tour is exclusively for your family. It will be one of the absolute highlights of your 18 days Uganda family safari. You see many hippos, huge crocodiles, bathing buffalos, elephants and countless waterbirds.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge/ Kyambura Gorge Lodge/Elephant Plains
Mid-range: Enganzi Game Lodge/Bush Lodge/Park View Lodge
Budget: Bush Lodge/Pumba Safari Lodge
Meal Plan:
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 15: Tree-Climbing Lions And On To Bwindi
Back on the road again for the short drive to the southern sector of Queen and a chance to see the famous tree-climbing lions.
Spend a few hours tracking and hopefully watching these rare creatures, before leaving the park behind and heading on to the mysterious hills of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The relatively small park is home to almost 50% of all mountain gorillas that live in the wild.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Gorilla Forest Camp/Buhoma Lodge
Mid-range: Gorilla Mist Camp/Haven Lodge Buhoma
Budget: Trekkers Tavern Cottages
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 16: Gorilla Trekking
Time for the number one attraction in all of Uganda and what may well turn out to be the highlight of all highlights: gorilla trekking adventure.
Put on your sturdy hiking shoes and pack a waterproof just in case, and then meet at the park offices to be allocated your gorilla family.
It can take anything from 2 to 7 hours to find them, and then you are allowed to spend just one hour watching. But I guarantee it will be one of the most memorable hours of your life.
The minimum age for gorilla trekking is 15. With a signed letter from the parents, we can request dispensation for children who are at least 13 years old.
If you have time, in the afternoon a local guide can take you to visit one of Bwindi’s Batwa pygmy communities. The Batwa pygmies used to live a traditional hunter-gatherer life inside the forest until the national park was created and they were kicked out.
Accommodation:
Luxury: Gorilla Forest Camp/Buhoma Lodge
Mid-range: Gorilla Mist Camp/Haven Lodge Buhoma
Budget: Trekkers Tavern Cottages
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Day 17: On To Lake Mburo National Park
Today, leave Bwindi behind you and embark on a drive to Lake Mburo via the road that connects Rwanda with Kampala and Kenya. You’ll arrive at your lodge in the afternoon, where you can enjoy the swimming pool and the beautiful surroundings for the rest of the day.
Lake Mburo is Uganda’s smallest savannah park and the only park in western Uganda where the impalas, zebras, and elands live. It is also home to hippos, crocodiles and many bird species. Just before dinner you’ll have an option to take an exciting night safari where you will look for galagos, hyenas and also have a good chance of seeing a leopard!
Accommodation:
Luxury: Mihingo Lodge
Mid-range: Rwakobo Rock
Budget: Eagles Nest Mburo
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 18: Mountain Biking Among The Wildlife
In the morning you can choose between a mountain bike tour and a walking safari through the park. Because there are no elephants or lions in this park, this can be done safely.
Both activities are a great way to explore this park and its wildlife in an intimate way. After your morning activity and a late breakfast, you drive across the equator back to Entebbe. You’ll be dropped off at the airport in the early evening for your return flight home.
Meal plan: Breakfast
