12-Day Gorillas, Big 5 and Kidepo, Private Overland Style

Game safari through Lake Mburo, featuring a cooked breakfast at Kazuma Lookout with spectacular views over the park.
Depart Lake Mburo heading southwest to Kabale - the "Switzerland of Africa" - for a scenic lakeside drive and late lunch at Lake Bunyonyi, one of the deepest and most beautiful lakes in Africa with a rich and mystical history.
Continue into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest on spectacular mountain trails to Buhoma to camp at Ruhondeza Lodge with dinner, drinks, campfire, and prep for the gorilla trek early next morning.

Transfer to Buhoma Gorilla HQ for briefing, cultural dancing, and then a trek through the forest to see the mountain gorillas. This is an unforgettable experience to spend an hour with our close cousins in their natural habitat.
Returning from the trek, rejoin the truck and continue on the forest trail for a guided game drive at Ishasha Wildlife Reserve, part of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Abundant wildlife including elephants, kob, topi, hippos, and water buffalos, and home to the unique tree-climbing lions.
Camp in the park with a ranger down by the hippo pools on the Ishasha River.

Dawn game drive through Ishasha and then journey on to the Kazinga Channel at the heart of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Relaxing boat safari along the Kazinga Channel, a great way to see the wildlife, aquatic and birdlife along the banks including elephants, water buffalos, and hippos as well as kingfishers, weaver birds, and fish eagles.
Lunch at the community boat dock then walk it off with a short trek between the magnificent twin crater lakes at Kichwambiya, with afternoon tea at the viewpoint.
Late afternoon game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park and check-in to luxury banda at Bush Lodge, overlooking the Kazinga Channel.

Short transfer to Kyambura Gorge for a chimpanzee trek. Head down into the gorge with trained guides and track the chimpanzees as they play and forage for food along the river banks or in the tree canopy above.
Depart Queen Elizabeth heading north for lunch at Fort Portal and continue through tea plantations and undulating hills to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
Camp for the night in the Ziwa campground with a campfire, dinner, and drinks. If you're lucky, the rhinos will graze around the (reinforced!) campground fence in the evening or early morning.

Morning rhino tracking with a trained guide. You'll walk with the rhinos and learn about the inspirational program to reintroduce the white rhino into the parks of Uganda.
Depart Ziwa and transfer to Murchison Falls National Park. Visit the top of the falls, the most powerful on earth, with the River Nile squeezed through a narrow 7-meter wide gap. Late lunch overlooking the Nile rapids.
Short hop from the falls to the Red Chili Restcamp to camp for the night. Chill out in the bar and restaurant with a lodge fire overlooking the Nile basin.

Breakfast at Red Chili followed by a relaxing boat safari to the base of the powerful Murchison Falls. Spectacular wildlife on the Nile banks include elephants, hippos, water buffalos, and birdlife: kingfishers, weaver birds, and fish eagles.
Short transfer to the famous Paraa Lodge for lunch and a relaxing midday break around the pool overlooking the Nile.
Depart mid-afternoon for a game safari with ranger through savannah plains towards the Nile Delta with Lake Albert. Sight the camp and proceed for an evening drive through the hunting grounds - a great opportunity to see lion and leopard at work.
Return to camp for BBQ and drinks around the campfire. This is wild camping: but we have a hot shower and a folding toilet seat! Welcome to Africa!

Dawn game drive, returning to the hunting grounds and stop for breakfast by the Nile.
Continue across the park on tracks especially renowned for elephant. Depart heading for Gulu for lunch and a quick re-supply.
Continue across the north of Uganda to the remote and wonderful Kidepo Valley National Park, rated by CNN as the second-best park in the whole of Africa. This is a great journey by road and then track, through remote villages and an ever-changing landscape to finally arrive for a relaxing lodge night at Kidepo Savannah Lodge —a luxury safari banda overlooking the valley with a spectacular hilltop restaurant to relax and unwind.

Depart to explore the Kidepo Valley. Apart from the magnificent scenery and the sense of truly vast African skies, this is perhaps the richest populated wildlife park in Uganda offering abundant antelopes, zebras, giraffes, elephants, and water buffalos as well as lions and a possibility of leopards and cheetahs.
Arrive at Apoka, the park HQ for lunch, then continue to Kakine Lookout for a wild camp with a 360 view over the savannah plains of Kidepo Valley below. Relax in the late afternoon, taking in the scene and preparing for a wonderful sunset. Dinner and drinks around the campfire under some of the brightest stars in Africa.

Break camp at dawn for early morning game drive to depart Kidepo. Head south into the Karamoja region and the tribal lands of the Karamajong. Magical landscapes with rock outcrops and volcanoes rising out of the savannah plains and everywhere the villages and ornate bomas of the Karamojong. Short detour to Nakaperumoru to meet the people of the Jie warrior tribe.
Lunch stop by Mount Moroto at the Karatunga Foundation, a community enterprise supporting the Karamoja region.
Continue south to Pian Upe Wildlife reserve to camp by the caves at the Karatunga Eco Camp.

Short trek to the ceremonial caves of the Upe tribe, adorned with cave paintings. Feel the presence of ancient tribal gatherings.
Depart Pian Upe and transfer to Sipi Falls, ascending the slopes of Mount Elgon, one of the highest mountains in Africa, an extinct volcano with the largest caldera in the world.
The Sipi River descends Mount Elgon over three spectacular waterfalls. You will lunch at the beautiful Lacam Lodge overlooking the lower falls. Complete the day with a visit to a community coffee processing facility, a fascinating opportunity to learn the key stages of coffee production and understand it's vital contribution to the local economy.
Spectacular final camp on the edge of the Mount Elgon escarpment overlooking the plains below and with views to the Lower Falls. Campfire on the edge with the twinkling lights of the settlements below merging with the bright stars above.

Descend Mount Elgon and commence the return leg of the journey. Stop at Jinja for lunch and a short boat trip to the source of the Nile.
Depart Jinja to return to your hotel in either Kampala, around 6.00pm, or Entebbe, around 7pm.