Uganda One Week Safari
Discover the ultimate guide for your one week safari in Uganda, a trip filled with unforgettable experiences. Nestled in the heart of Africa, Uganda is renowned for its stunning landscapes, diverse wildlife, and rich cultures. A one-week safari here offers an incredible journey that lasts up to seven days. A week’s safari in Uganda guarantees countless adventures in enchanting destinations.
Our comprehensive guide offers a detailed overview of a one-week safari itinerary, travel advice, potential accommodation options, and the top destinations at budget-friendly prices in Uganda.
Top destinations to explore in Uganda on a one-week safari
Uganda offers holidaymakers various enriching destinations, including national parks and cultural sites. You have a wide range of options from which to choose the best places to visit in just one week. In terms of the magnificent national parks, Uganda boasts up to 10 national parks.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Located in the far southwestern region of Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is renowned for its exciting gorilla trekking experiences. Visitors can have memorable encounters with mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. The park features approximately 24 habituated gorilla groups available for trekking, with excursions starting from four sectors: Ruhija, Rushaga, Buhoma, and Nkuringo.
In addition to gorillas, Bwindi is home to diverse wildlife such as olive baboons, blue monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, chimpanzees, forest elephants, red-tailed monkeys, and black-and-white colobus monkeys. The park also boasts over 350 bird species, including Doherty’s bush shrikes, Grauer’s broadbills, Rwenzori turacos, handsome spur fowl, black bee-eaters, regal sunbirds, cinnamon bee-eaters, Egyptian geese, knob-billed ducks, white-backed ducks, bar-tailed trogons, Mackinnon’s shrikes, and rock pigeons.
Other bird species found in Bwindi include the white-naped pigeon, scaly spur fowl, crested francolins, helmeted guineafowl, wattled lapwing, three-banded plovers, flufftails, Gabar goshawk, Cassin’s hawk eagle, and Wahlberg’s eagle.
Murchison Falls National Park
Situated in the northwestern region of Uganda, Murchison Falls National Park is renowned for its stunning and mighty Murchison Falls, enriching game drives, boat cruises, sport fishing, and bird watching opportunities. A guided game viewing tour in Murchison Falls Park allows visitors to encounter four Big Five game: Cape buffalo, Rhinos, elephants, leopards, and lions. The ‘Big Five’ refers to the five most difficult African animals to hunt on foot. Still, today the term is more commonly used to describe the most sought-after animals to see on a safari, making sighting these animals a thrilling experience for any wildlife enthusiast.
Murchison Falls National Park is home to an impressive total of 451 bird species, including shoebill storks, long-toed plovers, African darters, giant kingfishers, African fish eagles, secretary birds, black-headed lapwings, Abyssinian ground hornbills, African jacanas, saddle-billed storks, blue-breasted kingfishers, and more.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park is ideal for a week-long safari in Uganda. Here, you can witness the park’s remarkable wildlife, such as tree-climbing lions, leopards, buffalo, hyenas, elephants, and various primates. The primate species you’ll encounter include red-tailed monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, blue monkeys, and black & white colobus monkeys.
Exciting experiences await you at Queen Elizabeth Park during your safari, including guided game drives, boat or launch cruises, nature walks, forest hikes, birdwatching, and lion and chimpanzee tracking.
Lake Mburo National Park
Located in western Uganda, Lake Mburo National Park is a top choice for your one-week tour. With over 68 mammal species, Lake Mburo Game Park stands out as a unique protected area. Notable mammals include elands, impalas, buffaloes, zebras, oribis, duikers, topis, reedbucks, hyenas, leopards, hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, jackals, bushbucks, and klipspringers.
Lake Mburo Park is also home to about 350 bird species, including papyrus gonoleks, African fin-foot, black-collared barbet, bare-faced go-away bird, red-headed lovebirds, mosque swallows, lilac-breasted rollers, Carruthers’s cisticola, brown-chested lapwing, blue-breasted kingfishers, Ross’s turacos, Ruppell’s starlings, papyrus yellow warblers, and hairy-breasted barbet. A Lake Mburo National Park tour highlights include guided walking safaris, horseback riding, cycling, game drives, birdwatching, and boat cruises.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Located in the Kisoro district of southwestern Uganda, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is renowned for its remarkable golden monkey treks and gorilla trekking experiences. This compact park is home to a rich variety of wildlife, including cape buffaloes, serval cats, elephants, golden monkeys, side-striped jackals, golden cats, bush pigs, giant forest hogs, bushbucks, and more.
The avian life in Mgahinga features Albertine rift endemic and localized forest species. Notable birds include the Kivu ground thrush, Archer’s robin chat, regal sunbird, handsome francolins, Alpine swift, African hill babblers, moorland chat, Grauer’s swamp warblers, African olive pigeon, blue-headed coucals, and strange weaver birds. Additionally, you can spot other birds like the Rwenzori nightjars, red-faced woodland warblers, stripe-breasted tit, scarlet-tufted malachite sunbird, Rwenzori batis, regal sunbird, and the white-necked raven.
Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo stands out as a unique destination. Visitors can anticipate diverse wildlife species not commonly found in other Ugandan parks. Among the wildlife in Kidepo are caracals, leopards, lions, giraffes, zebras, and approximately 475 bird species.
The avian population in Kidepo features ostriches, Verreaux’s eagles, Abyssinian ground hornbills, secretary birds, Kori bustards, red and yellow barbets, dark chanting goshawks, rose-ringed parakeets, Karamoja apalis, and more.
The highlight of Uganda’s 7 Days safari.
A week-long safari in Uganda lets you explore Murchison Falls National Park, Kibale National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. An enjoyable one-week Uganda safari features gorilla trekking, game drives, rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, a scenic boat cruise, and a Batwa cultural tour. The Batwa cultural tour is a unique opportunity to learn about the traditional way of life of the Batwa people, also known as the ‘Pygmies’, who have lived in the Bwindi forest for generations.
Best time to visit Uganda for a safari
A safari in Uganda can be enjoyed year-round, although the dry months are the most favorable. The ideal dry season lasts from June to September and December to February. During these months, expect minimal rainfall and accessible routes for safari activities. In contrast, the wet season, marked by heavy rain and muddy conditions, occurs from March to May and October to November.
Essential gear and packing list for your 7 Days Uganda safari
Pack crucial items such as a safari hat, long-sleeved shirts, trousers, a daypack, a camera, insect repellent, and a first aid kit as you prepare for your one-week safari. Also, it’s wise to include energy snacks, gardening gloves, bottled water, and other essential supplies for your journey.
Planning your one-week safari itinerary
To plan a successful one-week safari in Uganda, could you identify the top experiences to include? You can contact your safari expert at Native Africa Tours for guidance. The most unforgettable activities for your safari consist of primate adventures (such as gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, golden monkey tracking, gorilla habituation, chimpanzee habituation, and golden monkey habituation), game drives, and boat cruises, all of which can be paired with cultural experiences.
Where to stay during a one week safari in Uganda
When you plan a safari to Uganda, please don’t worry about your accommodation options. Visitors have a range of choices, including budget, midrange, and luxury safari lodges. These options are spread across various destinations. If you intend to go gorilla trekking in Bwindi, in that case, you can spend the night at Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Nshongi Camp, Mahogany Springs Lodge, Chameleon Hill Lodge, Buhoma Lodge, and others.
