Day-by-day itinerary

What the operator has planned, day by day, across 4 days.

1. Day 1

   Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park and Kazinga Channel Launch Cruise

   An early breakfast is followed by the transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, with the Rwenzori range in view for much of the drive. The afternoon is given to a two-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, the waterway linking Lake George and Lake Edward, where you sail past what may be the densest concentration of hippos anywhere along with other animals drinking at the shoreline. The cruise doubles as a photography, birding and game-viewing platform, and the channel supports well over 550 resident bird species. Driving time is around seven hours, the meal plan is full board, and lodging is at Mweya Safari Lodge (luxury), Kyambura Game Lodge or Katara Lodge (mid-range) or Enganzi Lodge (basic).

2. Day 2

   Morning Game Drive and Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

   A very early game drive opens the day inside Queen Elizabeth, with lions, elephants, topis, leopards, bushbucks, Cape buffaloes, Defassa waterbucks, giant forest hogs and Uganda kob among the animals on the list. You then set off for Kibale National Park, and the road towards Fort Portal gives clear views of the Rwenzori, the range known as the Mountains of the Moon. Driving time is about three hours and the meal plan stays full board. Accommodation options are Ndali Lodge (luxury), Primates Lodge (mid-range) or Chimps Nest (basic).

3. Day 3

   Chimpanzee Tracking and Birding in Bigodi Swamp

   Straight after breakfast you head into the forest to look for primates. The activity starts at 8.00am and takes about half the day, spent tracking chimpanzees and watching for grey-cheeked mangabeys, l'Hoest's monkeys, red colobus, blue monkeys and red-tailed monkeys moving through the dense canopy, along with birds, insects and butterflies; the safari guide explains the primates and the surrounding plant and animal life as you go. Lunch is followed by a walk in the Bigodi swamp eco-tourism site, home to some uncommon plants and animals. The swamp is good ground for birds such as the great blue turaco, little bulbul, Rwenzori turaco and Narina trogon. Lodging and full-board meals are as on the previous night.

4. Day 4

   Forest Nature Walk and Return to Kampala

   After breakfast there is a morning nature walk in the forest to look for the less common species living there. Lunch is taken on the drive back to Kampala. The meal plan for the day covers breakfast and lunch.