8 Day Uganda safari Tour Overview

8 Day Uganda safari tour-Explore the highlights Uganda has to offer in 8 Days. Queen Elizabeth National Park features a grassland savannah teeming with wildlife and Bwindi Forest is full of interesting endemic flora and fauna. All of this is on top of all main highlights like gorilla tracking, chimpanzee tracking and the boat safari on the Kazinga Channel. This 8 Day Uganda safari tour through Uganda is the perfect combination of nature, culture, animals & fun!

What to Expect

• • Day 1: Arrival in Uganda

• • Day 2: Travel to Kibale forest

• • Day 3: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi wetland sanctually

• • Day 4: Travel to Queen Elizabeth National park

• • Day 5: Game drive and boat safari Kazinga Channel

• • Day 6: To Bwindi Forest NP

• • Day 7: Gorilla Tracking

• • Day 8: Travel back to Entebbe

DAY 1 WELCOME TO UGANDA!

Your guide will pick you up from Entebbe airport and transfer you to ViaVia Guesthouse, just a 10-minute drive away. You will meet your Laba Africa guide the next morning after breakfast to begin your tour. Depending on your arrival time, you can explore Entebbe by visiting attractions like the Botanical Gardens or the Ugandan Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC).

ViaVia Guesthouse offers cozy accommodations with self-contained rooms and private terraces overlooking the garden. Guests can relax in hammocks, enjoy the hot tub, and dine at the restaurant, which serves an international and local menu.

Accommodation: ViaVia Guesthouse
Journey time: 10 minutes
Meal plan: No meals included

DAY 2 KIBALE FOREST

On today’s leg of your 8-day Uganda safari, you will travel to the lush Kibale Forest. The drive is a picturesque journey through tea plantations and the vibrant green landscapes typical of Uganda. Upon reaching Kibale Forest, you’ll step into a whole new world filled with exciting primate activity and encounters with nature.

Kibale Forest National Park, located near Fort Portal, is a tropical rainforest known for its high primate population, making it a highlight of Uganda. Visitors can enjoy memorable encounters with habituated chimpanzee groups, as well as spot rare species like the red colobus, black-and-white colobus, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, blue monkeys, and L’Hoest’s monkeys. The park offers an immersive experience in nature, surrounded by birds and butterflies.

At your lodge, you’ll enjoy a unique jungle setting on the border of the park, with views of the forest canopy and the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains. The quiet, modern lodge provides great opportunities to spot monkeys like the red colobus and grey-cheeked mangabeys while enjoying delicious meals in the restaurant and lounge.

Journey time: 6 hours
Accommodation: Kibale Bweza Lodge
Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner

DAY 3 CHIMPANZEE TREKKING

Chimpanzees share 98% of human DNA, making them our closest living relatives. While they inhabit 21 African countries, Uganda offers some of the best opportunities for sightings due to its dense chimpanzee population, with around 5,000 remaining in the wild. The Chimpanzee Trekking experience takes place on well-maintained trails through Kibale Forest, which boasts the highest diversity of primates in East Africa. Besides chimpanzees, you may spot species such as red colobus, red-tailed guenon, white-nosed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and black-and-white colobus monkeys, as well as olive baboons, bush babies, and nocturnal pottos.

The goal of your trek, led by a professional guide, is to spend 1 hour observing the chimpanzees up close, though sightings cannot be 100% guaranteed due to their wild nature. Following the trek, you’ll visit the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary, home to 8 primate species, over 200 bird species, and various reptiles. The 2-3 hour walk offers a chance to see diverse wildlife, with the Great Blue Turaco being a highlight. Funds from this walk support local community projects like schools and hospitals.

Accommodation: Kibale Bweza Lodge
Meal plan: Breakfast and dinner

DAY 4: TO QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK

On Day 4 of your 8-day Uganda safari, you’ll explore Queen Elizabeth National Park, known for its diverse landscapes and rich wildlife. The park is located in southwestern Uganda, between Lake Edward, Lake George, and the Kazinga Channel, with stunning views of the Rwenzori and Virunga Mountains. Your game drive will cover 200 kilometers of tracks, offering excellent wildlife viewing opportunities.

You’ll stay at Bush Lodge, featuring eco-friendly safari tents with open-air showers and breathtaking views. Enjoy meals made from local ingredients and relax by the pool or campfire.

Journey time: 4 hours
Accommodation: Bush Lodge
Meal Plan: Dinner and breakfast

DAY 5 PARK GAME DRIVE & BOAT SAFARI

After your breakfast, you will set off to an early lion tracking experience where you are guaranteed to encounter lions before a game drive. You will also encounter other animals like buffaloes, elephants, waterbuck, Uganda Kob, and other types of antelopes. Then go back for lunch.

Afternoon, go for a 3 hours launch cruise along the Kazinga Channel into Lake Edward, this cruise will let you pass through a place of the highest concentration of hippos and you may also see many animals drinking at the water’s edge. The cruise also offers a good platform for photography, bird watching, and games. Dinner and overnight stay at as above

DAY 6: TO BWINDI FOREST 

On this day of your 8-day Uganda safari, you’ll journey to Kisoro, located in the stunning southwestern region of Uganda near the borders of Rwanda and the Congo. This scenic drive takes you through a breathtaking landscape often called the “Switzerland of Africa,” offering panoramic views of rolling countryside, lush bamboo forests, and the majestic Virunga Mountains. As you approach your destination, the awe-inspiring beauty of the Bwindi Forest unfolds before you.

Accommodation: Bweza Lodge
Meal Plan: Dinner and breakfast

DAY 7: GORILLA TRACKING AND LAKE BUNYONYI

Today is the highlight of your Uganda safari—an unforgettable encounter with Bwindi’s rare Mountain Gorillas. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, one of Africa’s oldest rainforests, is home to half of the world’s mountain gorillas. Trek through the lush forest, following signs of gorilla activity, before spending an hour observing these majestic creatures up close. The trek can take between 2 and 7 hours, but the experience of coming face-to-face with these gentle giants is truly humbling and unforgettable.

Journey Time: 1 ½ hours
Accommodation: Heritage Lodge Habuharo Island
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

DAY 8 BACK TO KAMPALA/ENTEBBE

On the final day of your 8-day Uganda safari, after breakfast, you’ll begin the journey back to Kampala or Entebbe, with a stop at the equator for souvenir shopping. Your guide will either drop you off at your accommodation in Kampala/Entebbe or at Entebbe Airport (for flights departing at 10 pm or later). Accommodation for tonight is not included, but can be arranged upon request. This marks the conclusion of your safari.

Journey time: 10 hours
Accommodation: Not included
Meal Plan: Breakfast