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9-Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking & Safari Tours

4.4/5  –  404 Uganda Reviews

Uganda is the ideal safari destination for active travelers. Many of its national parks offer physically undemanding game drives, but several others protect forested or mountainous habitats that can only be explored on foot. This allows you to combine game drives and boat trips with more energetic activities such as gorilla trekking and chimp trekking. You can also enjoy day hikes into the Rwenzori and Virunga Mountains, and white-water rafting and kayaking on the tumultuous Nile River. Uganda boasts Africa’s most varied safari circuit, and whether you’re super active or prefer a sit-down approach, a 9-day package will allow you to make the most of it.

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6 Questions About 9-Day Uganda Safaris

1. Is 9 days a good amount of time for a trip in Uganda?
2. Where should I go on a 9-day safari in Uganda?
3. Which animals can I expect to see?
4. What is the best time of the year for a Uganda trip?
5. How much will a 9-day Uganda safari cost?
6. What beach extensions could be added to a Uganda trip?
 
 

6 Questions About 9-Day Uganda Safaris

Answered by Philip Briggs

Is 9 days a good amount of time for a trip in Uganda?

“Yes. You can see much of what Uganda has to offer on a 9-day safari, including a good sampling of its wildlife and its sensational tropical landscapes. However, if you are considering a tour package that combines gorilla and chimp trekking in the southwest of the country with Murchison Falls National Park and Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch in the north, 9 days is the minimum realistic amount of time for this itinerary. It will feel far less hurried if you extend it to 10 days or longer.”

1

Where should I go on a 9-day safari in Uganda?

“A typical 9-day Uganda safari will focus on a quartet of exceptional national parks in the southeast. These are Bwindi Impenetrable (gorilla trekking), Mgahinga Gorilla (gorilla and golden monkey trekking), Queen Elizabeth (plains and aquatic wildlife) and Kibale (chimp trekking, forest monkeys and birds). Many safaris compress the main attractions of these four parks into 6 to 8 days, so 9 days provide an opportunity to see a bit more. One option is to head farther north to Murchison Falls and Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch, which is feasible in 9 days, but a little rushed. The other option would be to stick to the southeast but add a few lesser-known activities to your itinerary. For hikers, there’s the challenging climb to the lofty peak of volcanic Sabyinyo in Mgahinga, while birders will enjoy a guided forest walk in Bwindi. Alternatively, you could add on a side trip to the Semliki Valley (hot springs, shoebills), Lake Mburo (giraffe, zebra and other wildlife absent elsewhere in the southwest) or Rwenzori Mountains (day hikes in the forest). If you don’t want to see gorillas, a more off-the-beaten-track option for a 9-day Uganda safari might focus on the north and east. The main highlights here are Murchison Falls and Kidepo Valley, both of which offer a great plains safari experience. You could also schedule stops at Ziwa to track rhino, Budongo Forest to track chimps and Karamoja to do a cultural tour. In addition, you could go hiking at Sipi Falls and white-water rafting on the Nile River near the city of Jinja (on the shore of Lake Victoria).”

2

Which animals can I expect to see?

“Wherever and however you travel in Uganda, you can expect to see plenty of wildlife in the national parks. Exactly what you see will depend largely on which parks you visit and what activities you do. But it will also depend partly on luck, as it always does on an African safari. If you choose to track gorillas, chimps and golden monkeys, the success rate on these outings is very high. It’s close to 100% for gorillas and golden monkeys, and better than 80% for chimps. If your itinerary includes Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls or Kidepo Valley, you would be very unlucky not to see lion, elephant and buffalo (three of the Big Five). You should also see a fair variety of antelopes and other ungulates (hoofed mammals). For the remaining Big Five, Uganda’s last few rhinos are confined to Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch, where they can be tracked on foot with a success rate close to 100%. Leopards, by contrast, are widespread throughout the country. But although there are a few habituated individuals in Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and Lake Mburo, you would be lucky to spot one in the course of a 9-day safari. A great feature of Uganda is that several parks (including Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth and Lake Mburo) have lakes or rivers where you can do boat trips and see hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds. Uganda is also unique among African safari destinations in its diversity of forest primates. In addition to gorillas and chimps, it is home to Uganda mangabey, Uganda red colobus, Ruwenzori colobus and L’Hoest’s monkey.”

3

What is the best time of the year for a Uganda trip?

“The Dry seasons, which run from June to August and December to February, are the best time to be in Uganda for a safari. The reasons for this are fairly obvious. Tracking wildlife in the rainforest is tough going at any time of year, but conditions are easier in the drier months. During the rains, it is particularly difficult because trails become muddy and slippery. Also, during the rainy season, you’re more likely to have activities disrupted by tropical downpours. If you can’t make it to Uganda during the Dry seasons, the next best option is the cusp months of September and October. The month you want to avoid is April, which has the highest rainfall in many parts of the country.”

4

How much will a 9-day Uganda safari cost?

“Budget and mid-range 9-day safaris that include gorilla and chimp trekking cost around US$2,700 to US$3,700 per person (inclusive of the costly gorilla trekking permit). You might pay double that for a safari that includes domestic flights, more than one gorilla trekking excursion and/or top-end luxury accommodations. Itineraries that don’t include gorilla trekking are much cheaper because they don’t need to factor in the cost of a permit. Although safari prices are usually all-inclusive, they generally exclude drinks and tips.”

5

What beach extensions could be added to a Uganda trip?

“Uganda is not much of a beach destination. This is because it lacks any ocean frontage and most of its lakes are infested with the parasitic worms that cause bilharzia disease, along with crocodiles and/or hippos. A notable exception is Lake Bunyonyi, which has a beautiful highland location close to Bwindi and is free not only of bilharzia but also of any wildlife larger than an otter. For a genuine Indian Ocean getaway, however, you’d be better flying to the gorgeous spice island of Zanzibar or any beach on the mainland of neighboring Tanzania or Kenya.”

6

Uganda Reviews

4.4/5 404 Reviews
Expert
Mark Eveleigh  –  
United Kingdom UK

Mark is a travel writer who grew up in Africa and has written over 700 titles for Condé Nast Traveller, Travel Africa, BBC Wildlife and others.

Fantastic Wildlife and Some of the Friendliest People in Africa Make Uganda Unbeatable
5/5

I spent a month travelling around Uganda with a self-drive, expedition-prepared Landcruiser and visited almost every national park in the country. Uganda was a revelation! I had not expected such a richness of wildlife nor such great...

Full Review

Expert
Mike Unwin  –  
United Kingdom UK

Mike is an award-winning wildlife writer, former editor of Travel Zambia magazine and author of the Bradt Guide to Southern African Wildlife.

Two Worlds in One
4/5

Uganda has a modest profile among Africa’s top safari destinations. With no parks of the size or popularity of Kruger, Chobe, Serengeti or other such A-listers, its main wildlife drawcard has become the mountain gorilla. Alongside Rwanda,...

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Astrid EM  –  
South Africa ZA
Reviewed: Jan 20, 2025
A quick visit with amazing experiences to friendly, beautiful Uganda
4/5

Only having 3 days to see as much as possible, I opted for 1 day of relaxing on the shore of Lake Victoria where I enjoyed the view, discovered a multitude of birds (I am a birder) and met very friendly people. The next day I puttered along...

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Henrik  –  
Germany DE
Reviewed: Jan 11, 2025
It's definitely worth a visit
5/5

Great tour filled with unforgetable moments. Doing the 3 day gorilla trekking means that you will spend a lot of time in a car getting to and back from Bwindi National Park (road conditions in Uganda are unpredictable), but both the gorilla...

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Abhi Varshney  –  
Australia AU
Reviewed: Jan 1, 2025
Uganda delivered amazing wildlife, unmatched friendliness and beautiful scenery.
5/5

Tubale Safaris, and Arthur in particular, were simply amazing. Nothing was too much trouble for Arthur. We felt welcome and safe the entire trip. The wildlife that we saw was beyond our wildest expectations - we saw the big 5, plus so...

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Malte Lukas  –  
Germany DE
Reviewed: Dec 27, 2024
The friendliest and colourful wildlife I have ever seen!
5/5

I went on safari with my girlfriend in Uganda in December. It was definitely the best way to explore the animals and the landscape there. We were able to see much more and much closer to the wildlife than we expected. The accommodation met...

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All 404 Uganda Reviews