A Uganda safari itinerary needs careful thought because the country’s best wildlife destinations are spread across a large area — gorilla trekking in Bwindi in the far southwest, chimpanzees in Kibale Forest in the west, game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and the dramatic Murchison Falls in the north. Getting from one to another takes time, either on long road transfers or by charter flight. This guide presents tried and tested Uganda safari itinerary options for 7, 10, and 14 days, with honest advice on routing, timing, and what to leave out if your time is short.

Key Uganda Safari Itinerary Decisions Before you Plan

Gorilla Permits First

Gorilla trekking permits are the immovable anchor of any Uganda safari itinerary. Permits are limited, date-specific, and must be booked months in advance for peak season (June–August, December). Build your Uganda itinerary around your permit date  not the other way around. A permit costs USD 800 in high season and USD 600 in low season (April, May, November). See our full Uganda safari cost guide and gorilla permit guide for booking strategy.

Fly or Drive?

Bwindi is 8 to 10 hours by road from Entebbe, a genuinely long journey even on the best days. Charter flights to Kisoro or Kihihi airstrip (45 minutes) are strongly recommended for short itineraries. A sensible approach for 7 to 10 day trips: fly at least one leg to/from Bwindi and road transfer one way, breaking the drive with a park stop. For 14-day itineraries, a mix of road and charter is both practical and adds to the experience.

When to Travel

The best overall Uganda safari conditions are in the dry seasons (June–August and December–February). Gorilla trekking is possible year-round but dry-season trails in Bwindi are significantly more manageable. Low season (April, May, November) offers cheaper permits and lodge discounts, and the forest is extraordinarily lush. For full seasonal advice, read our best time to visit Uganda guide.

7-Day Uganda Safari Itinerary

Gorillas & Queen Elizabeth: The Essential Uganda

Seven days is the minimum for a meaningful Uganda safari. This itinerary covers Uganda’s two headline experiences — gorilla trekking and savannah game drives — without rushing.

• Day 1: Arrive Entebbe. Night at Entebbe lakeside lodge. Optional Ngamba Island chimpanzee sanctuary afternoon visit
• Day 2: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Equator crossing (5–6 hrs). Afternoon game drive on the Kasenyi plains — lion, buffalo, elephant, Uganda kob
• Day 3: Full day Queen Elizabeth. Morning game drive. Afternoon Kazinga Channel boat cruise — hippo, crocodile, and extraordinary birdlife at close range
• Day 4: Morning drive to Ishasha sector for tree-climbing lions in the fig trees. Afternoon drive southwest to Bwindi (3 hrs). Night Bwindi forest lodge
• Day 5: Gorilla trekking day. Early morning briefing, trek (2–8 hrs depending on gorilla family location), one hour with the gorillas. Afternoon rest
• Day 6: Drive to Lake Mburo – Evening Game drive
• Day 7: Departure

10-Day Uganda Safari Itinerary

The Great Apes Circuit: Gorillas, Chimps & Game

Ten days is the sweet spot for Uganda. This itinerary adds Kibale Forest chimpanzee trekking — making Uganda the only country in the world where you can track both great ape species on the same trip.

• Day 1: Arrive Entebbe. Transfer to Fort Portal area or fly direct. Night near Kibale
• Days 2–3: Kibale Forest National Park. Day 2: morning chimpanzee trek (one of Africa’s most reliable chimp encounters). Afternoon: Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary walk for primates and birds. Day 3: optional second chimp trek or crater lakes nature walk
• Days 4–5: Drive south to Queen Elizabeth NP (2.5 hrs). Two days: Kasenyi plains game drives, Kazinga Channel boat cruise, Ishasha tree-climbing lions
• Days 6–7: Drive southwest to Bwindi (3 hrs from Ishasha). Two nights: gorilla trekking on Day 6, rest or community walk Day 7
• Day 8: Charter flight from Kisoro to Entebbe. Optional Ssese Islands afternoon or Kampala city visit
• Days 9–10: Optional add-on — Lake Mburo National Park (3 hrs from Kampala) for zebra, impala, hippo, and easy game drives. Drive to Entebbe for evening departure

14-Day Uganda Safari Itinerary

The Complete Uganda: North to South

Two weeks opens up Uganda’s north — Murchison Falls National Park, the Nile, and the extraordinary Kidepo Valley — alongside the western primate circuit. This is one of Africa’s best multi-destination safari itineraries.

• Day 1: Arrive Entebbe. Night Entebbe
• Days 2–4: Fly or drive north to Murchison Falls National Park. Three days: game drives (lion, elephant, giraffe, buffalo), Nile boat cruise to the base of the falls (one of East Africa’s most dramatic boat experiences), launch trip for shoebill stork. Delta sector drives for lions
• Day 5: Charter flight to Kidepo Valley National Park — Uganda’s most remote and arguably most spectacular park, in the far northeast near the South Sudan border. Vastly different landscape: open semi-arid savannah, rocky inselbergs, extraordinary remoteness
• Days 6–7: Two full days in Kidepo — lion, elephant, cheetah, eland, roan antelope, and Karamojong cultural interactions. One of Africa’s genuinely off-the-beaten-track safari experiences
• Day 8: Charter south to Kibale Forest. Night near Kibale
• Days 9–10: Kibale Forest chimpanzee trekking. Bigodi Wetland walk. Crater lakes
• Days 11–12: Drive to Queen Elizabeth NP. Kasenyi game drives, Kazinga Channel, Ishasha tree-climbing lions
• Days 13–14: Bwindi gorilla trekking. One full gorilla day plus rest day or community walk. Charter flight back to Entebbe for departure

Uganda + Rwanda: Double Gorilla Trekking

Many travellers combine Uganda and Rwanda on a single trip — both countries share the Virunga volcano range and gorilla trekking, and crossing between them through Kisoro and Cyanika border is straightforward. A Uganda + Rwanda combination of 10 to 14 days gives you gorilla treks in both countries (very different family groups and forest settings), Bwindi, Volcanoes National Park, and Kigali — one of East Africa’s most rewarding combined itineraries. See our guide to gorilla trekking Uganda vs Rwanda for the full comparison.

Uganda Safari Practical Tips

• Minimum nights at Bwindi: 2 nights minimum. Arriving the evening before your trek and leaving the morning after is the most common pattern, but 3 nights allows a second trek or a relaxed day in the area
• Permit booking: Book gorilla permits as early as possible — the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) accepts bookings up to 12 months ahead. Peak season permits (June–August) sell out many months in advance
• Porter hire: Always hire a porter for the gorilla trek. USD 15–20, practically mandatory, directly supports the local community, and makes a hard trek significantly more comfortable
• Packing: Read our Uganda safari packing list — gorilla trekking requires specific gear that differs from open savannah packing
• Visa: USD 50 single entry or USD 100 East Africa Tourist Visa (covers Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda). Apply online. See our Uganda visa requirements guide
• Health: Yellow fever vaccine required if arriving from endemic countries. Malaria prophylaxis recommended. Altitude awareness for Bwindi (above 1,600m)

Contact Superfine Safaris to plan your Uganda safari itinerary. We will match your permit dates, preferred lodges, and budget to the right circuit , whether you want gorillas only or the full Uganda great apes and game experience.

Uganda Safari Itineraries by Duration