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Popular Safari itineraries | What can I do during a Uganda safari? | Uganda | Primates in Uganda | Birding in Uganda | Mountain hiking in Uganda | East Africa Combination Safaris | Uganda safari itineraries | Get to know Mamaland Safaris | A word from our visitors | How is it to be on safari in Uganda with Mamaland Safaris? | Practical tips for a Uganda safari
Popular Uganda safari itineraries
Short Uganda safaris
3 days gorilla trekking
Come meet the Mountain Gorillas of Uganda during this 3-days safari. Trek through the jungle and spend one unforgettable hour with the Mountain Gorillas.
3 DAYS Murchison Falls
Get the chance to tick off “the big 5” during this 3 days safari. You search for lion, elephant, buffalo and leopard in Murchison Falls NP + trek rhinos at Ziwa.
4 DAYS Uganda Safari
Trek in the jungle for chimps and gorillas as well as look for tree-climbing lions in Ishasha and experience a cruise to see hippos and more on Kazinga channel.
7 DAYS Uganda Safari
Trek chimps & Mountain Gorillas in the jungles. As well as search the savannah of Queen Elizabeth NP for lions & Lake Mburo NP for zebras and giraffes.
Longer Uganda safaris
10 DAYS Uganda Safari
Meet the great primates of Uganda with trekking of both chimpanzees and mountain gorillas. Mixed with the savanna to search for lions, elephants and more.
12 DAYS Uganda Safari
Search for the Big 5 (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant & rhino) and trek for mountain gorillas as well as chimps in the jungles of Uganda during this safari.
16 DAYS Uganda safari
Uganda from North to South. Experience the remote wilderness of Kidepo Valley NP and then head south for more game-drives + jungles with chimps and gorillas.
21 days Experience Uganda
Get the beauty of the Eastern route northwards with Sipi Falls and Karamoja en-route to Kidepo Valley NP. Plus Rwenzori mountains, chimps, gorillas and more.
East africa combination safaris
8 DAYS Uganda Rwanda
Start in Uganda for Kazinga channel boat-cruise, tree-climbing lions and Gorillas. Then continue to Rwanda for Golden Monkeys, Lake Kivu & chimps.
11 days UGANDA & TANZANIA
Experience highlights of East Africa with Mountain Gorillas & Chimps trekking in Uganda plus game-drives in Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater in Tanzania.
10 days Uganda & Rwanda
Focus on primates! If your goal is to trek Mountain Gorillas in both Uganda and Rwanda this is a great option for you. You will also trek chimps & golden monkey.
14 days Kenya & Uganda
Start the safari off in Kenya with game-drives in Masai Mara as the highlight. Then continue over to Uganda for trekking of chimps & Mountain Gorillas.
All our itineraries can be adapted to fit your wishes.
What can I do during a Uganda Safari?
Uganda has a varied nature and wildlife. Here you find primates in the jungles, lions on the savanna, interesting birds in the wetlands and high mountain peaks to explore. All this comes in combination with a rich culture and very friendly people that will add to your experience of a safari in Uganda. This adds up to the possibility to have a varied itinerary during a holiday to Uganda. Primate trekking in the jungle can be mixed with game-drives on the savannah, boat-cruises to look for animals on the banks, village walks to learn about the culture, hikes in the mountains with beautiful scenery and relaxation by peaceful lakes.
With us you can go for anything from a short 3 days Gorilla trekking safari to a 21-days Uganda safari letting you get the most out of our beautiful country. For the one who wishes the safari can have a special focus like primates, birding, mountain hiking, photography or culture. The itinerary can be adapted to fit your specific wishes.
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Uganda
Uganda was called “the Pearl of Africa” by Winston Churchill and we can only agree with this statement. Here you find beautiful nature sceneries, fascinating wildlife and interesting cultures.
Weather
Located by the Equator the climate is quite stable through the year. Which makes Uganda a perfect holiday destination any time it fits your schedule. We have dry seasons and wet seasons, which coincides with the high season and low season. But honestly wet season in Uganda is also a lovely time to travel since it normally doesn’t rain more than an hour a day. The bonus you get during wet season is that the parks are beautifully green and animals more active.
National Parks
Uganda has 10 National Parks that protects different types of fauna and wildlife. There are four National Parks with savannah landscape; Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, Murchison Falls National Park and Kidepo Valley National Park. Jungles with primates are protected in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Kibale Forest National Park. In Semuliki National Park we have a forest landscape rich in birds. In Rwenzori Mountains National Park and Mt. Elgon National Park impressive mountains are found.
Culture
When it comes to culture, Uganda is actually a mix of 56 tribes. Each of these has their own language and traditions (note though that English is the official language and widely spoken). Visits to different communities can bring an extra dimension to your safari. You can for example learn about how the Karamojong people live as cattle herders in the north of Uganda. See how the Sebei tribe process coffee around Sipi Falls. Participate in a Batwa experience to learn how this tribe used to live in the jungles of Uganda. Or simply make a stop at a market along the way to get a feeling of life in Uganda’s countryside.
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Primates in Uganda
The trekking of habituated mountain gorillas is without a doubt the activity that sparks most visitors’ interest in going to Uganda. Trekking through the jungle and then spending an hour with these fascinating primates is an unforgettable experience. The habitat of the Mountain Gorillas is found in the south of Uganda, in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Uganda is home to 20 primate species. This includes our close cousins the chimpanzees that are possible to trek in several locations in Uganda. Depending on how your itinerary looks chimps trekking can be done in Kibale Forest National Park, Kyambura Gorge, Kalinzu Forest or Budongo Forest. Since Uganda is so rich in primates it is even possible to trek a third species here, the golden monkey. These smaller primates are found in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in the south of Uganda.
Read more:
- Gorilla trekking Uganda – A deep dive in Mountain Gorillas and how gorilla trekking in Uganda works.
- Primates in Uganda
- A chimps trekking experience in Kibale Forest
- Kibale Forest National Park | Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Itinerary tips:
Birding in Uganda
Uganda is truly a birding paradise with over 1025 different species and several IBA’s. The varied nature here makes it so that we have diverse habitats like wetlands, savannah, jungle, mountains, lakes and woodland. Top ticks include the prehistoric looking Great Shoebill Stork, Great Blue Turaco, African Green Broadbill, Nkulengo Rail as well as the elusive Papyrus Gonolek.
Mamaland Safaris has the experience to put together a birding itinerary based on your specific wishes (target ticks or habitats). Thanks to our knowledge about birding in Uganda we can then execute your birding safari in a professional way. You travel with a specialised birding guide and get a birding checklist.
Read more:
- Birding in Uganda – A deep dive into all about birding in Uganda.
- Uganda birding itineraries
Mountain hiking in Uganda
For the one into hiking Uganda has a lot to offer. The top destinations for hiking are Rwenzori Mountains National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
Rwenzori Mountains is a 120 km long mountain range in the west of Uganda. Here you can adapt the length of the hike to your preference. You can chose to go for a day hike in the foot hills of the mountains to get a taste of the scenery. With a 3 day hike you get to experience more of the mountains. If you wish for a big adventure you can do the 7-day hike taking you all the way up to Margerhita peak at 5 102 m.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is in the south of Uganda bordering Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Here you can hike up scenic volcanoes like Mt Mgahinga and Mt. Muhabura. Hiking to the top of one of these takes a day.
East Africa Combination Safaris
If you wish to tick-off more of East Africa in one safari we can arrange a combination safari. During an East Africa combination safari you visit Uganda for the highlight of Mountain Gorilla trekking plus some more activities depending on time. Then we add on Kenya for Masai Mara, Tanzania for Serengeti & Ngorongoro Crater or Rwanda for more primates. East Africa is truly a dream destination for many so to see more of it in one holiday is a great option.
An East Africa combination safari can be tailor-made to fit your specific wishes. We can include as many of the countries as you like. We are happy to tailor-make the itinerary that fits you and we have the experience to make it run smoothly.
Be inspired by our top Uganda safari itineraries
Get to know Mamaland Safaris
At Mamaland Safaris we are experts in safaris to Uganda, because this is what we have been doing for years (the company was founded in 2005). You can trust us to arrange an unforgettable experience for you. Offering our visitors an easy planning and booking process that then continues with a hassle free safari is our ultimate goal. Relax as we handle all!
Tony Byarugaba who is the owner and founder of Mamaland Safaris is passionate about safaris in Uganda as well as birding. With a background as a safari guide he knows this business from the bottom-up. Tony’s experience benefits you with well planned itineraries and endless knowledge about your destination. As the company has grown Tony has built up a professional team to his assistance. Both in the office with the tour consultant that will attend to your request and with the safari guides that will take you to the field. Mamaland Safaris is a local operator with the knowledge and experience to make your Uganda tour a memory for a lifetime.
Impact
An important part for us is that the impact of your tour to Uganda is shared by more people than us. At Mamaland Safaris we wish to spread the benefits of tourism to the communities around the parks. We do this for example by being involved in a project with reformed poachers in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth NP. The other impact we wish to have is to contribute to building up Uganda’s tourism infrastructure through our lodge chain Woodland Lodges. With our lodges we create work opportunities to both our staff and suppliers in the areas of the lodges. Read more
A word from our visitors
Thousandmil, Oct 2022, TripAdvisor
“I have to say that Uganda with Mamaland safari is simply great. Everything worked from A to Z. We had incredible experiences. What Mamaland and Mr. Kočvara said and planned was fulfilled to the letter. Very nice guide Don, who tried to show us as much as possible. If you are planning to visit Uganda, don’t hesitate and feel free to order.”
Read more reviews: TRIPADVISOR | SAFARIBOOKINGS
Uganda safaris tailor-made to your wishes
How is it to be on safari in Uganda with Mamaland Safaris?
At Mamaland Safaris we are specialised in private safaris so you will be travelling in a private 4×4 vehicle with your own safari guide. All our vehicles have a pop-up roof for game-viewing on the savannah. Your tour guide will take care of all practical aspects during the safari so you can relax and enjoy your holiday to Uganda.
We like to take our visitors on a journey through Uganda. By this we mean that you are not just taken from activity to activity, additionally you will go home having a feeling that you have actually experienced Uganda as well. When time allows we encourage stops in villages, scenic locations and markets along the way as well as trying of local food.
The tempo of your Uganda safari is set by you in the planning stage of the safari. Our Uganda tours can be adapted to the tempo you wish. If you wish to have some free afternoons and slow mornings we plan for that. If you prefer to see as much as possible during the time here we give the safari a higher tempo.
You might have the picture of dusty roads and tuff conditions when you think of a safari in Africa. But the fact is that the infrastructure in Uganda has improved a lot in the last few years. Most longer drives are on comfortable roads where a longer distance can be covered without problem. Within the parks and when going off the beaten trek in Eastern Uganda we will encounter more basic road conditions though. In these situations you can still feel secure we only operate with 4×4 vehicles that are maintained to manage these conditions.
Practical tips for a safari to Uganda
Ones you have your tour in Uganda booked there are a few things to think about before you travel.
- Visa, to enter Uganda you most likely need a tourist visa, which you apply for in advance via Uganda Immigrations online portal.
- Renew your passport if needed. It has to be valid for 6 months
- Check your immunisations. Note that you need to show proof of having taken Yellow Fewer vaccination at entry to Uganda (i.e. bring your yellow card).
- Plan for cash exchange
- Arrange for a travel insurance
- Make a packing list to avoid forgetting anything important
- The fun part of reading up about your destination
Read more:
- Practical safari tips (more details on all the points above)
- What to wear on safari
- Tipping on safari in Uganda
COME FOR TAILOR-MADE Uganda SAFARIs WITH US!
Uganda Safari Lodges
With our lodge chain Woodland Lodges we offer friendly service at comfortable safari style lodges in close to nature locations in Uganda. Woodland Lodges’ lodge by Queen Elizabeth NP is Pumba Safari Cottages, Topi lodge is the lodge by Ishasha, Hornbill Bush Lodge is the lodge by Murchison Falls NP and Tilapia Lodge is our safari lodge by Entebbe.
