Vacations to Uganda
These vacations to Uganda offer wildlife encounter of every shape and size – with game drives, boat cruises, bush walks and – of course – tracking gorillas and chimps on foot through dense forests.
Source of the Nile in Jinja Sezibwa Falls Mabira Forest Murchison Falls National Park Game drives & river cruises Kibale Forest Chimpanzee tracking Bigodi Swamp community project Queen Elizabeth National Park Kazinga Channel cruise Bwindi Impenetrable National Park Gorilla tracking Lake Bunyonyi Lake Mburo National Park Entebbe Birding swamp tour
Price
£4695To£5165 excluding flights
More info
Price includes: Accommodation • transfers • guiding (We ONLY use LOCAL GUIDES) • GORILLA PERMIT INCLUDED • most meals • Maximum group size 12 people • ABTA and ATOL bonded • Single Supplement - From £555-599
Description of Vacations to Uganda
Discover Churchill’s “Pearl of Africa” on this 11-day small group vacation to Uganda, taking in the incredible wildlife, culture and landscapes all found within the borders of this diminutive African country.
Head off in search of the source of the Nile, then track buffalo, elephant and lion across the vast, palm-dotted savannah of Murchison Falls, Uganda’s oldest and largest national park. Traveling on through Kibale Forest, you can track excitable chimps on foot, before arriving in Queen Elizabeth. This is Uganda’s most diverse national park – with landscapes ranging from forests to lakes, rivers to swamps, all against a dramatic mountain backdrop. Here, boat cruises reveal hippos in their thousands, alongside Nile crocodiles, marabou storks and thirsty elephants.
The highlight of vacations to Uganda is still to come: tracking mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, along densely forested hillsides. Spending an hour in the company of one of our closest relatives is nothing short of spellbinding. If an hour isn’t quite enough, you can take an optional extension into Rwanda to track gorillas there, or head north to the arid Kidepo Valley National Park, to encounter more big game in this most remote of regions.
Map
Price information
£4695To£5165 excluding flights
Price includes: Accommodation • transfers • guiding (We ONLY use LOCAL GUIDES) • GORILLA PERMIT INCLUDED • most meals • Maximum group size 12 people • ABTA and ATOL bonded • Single Supplement - From £555-599
Check dates, prices & availability
Travel guides
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Safe, small and with a perpetually springlike climate, Uganda is a real treat when it comes to African travel. But it packs a lot in for its size. Ten...
Reviews
2 Reviews of Vacations to Uganda
4.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed on 29 Aug 2022 by Dolly Chen
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Wildebeest Migration, Rhinos, Chimps and .Gorillas.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
Go to Africa to enjoy the nature and wildlife.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes!
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
Adventure in a lifetime.
Reviewed on 10 Feb 2017 by Hazel Dykes
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?
Not surprisingly the gorilla tracking. However the whole trip was amazing. The chimpanzee tracking and swamp visit to see shoebill storks was also fantastic. The staff in the hotels and lodges were excellent. The settings of the lodges were fantastic. The guide was very good. All in all it was a wonderful trip.
2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?
To make sure that they were up to the traveling and the tracking. One member of our group, an elderly gentleman from the USA was most certainly on the
wrong trip and wasted his tracking permits as he was far from able to walk any distances let alone track through forests. He also monopolised the guide and
needed a lot of help. I am not sure how he ended up on this trip as it was not suited to his abilities or interests.
3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
From discussion with the guide it would appear that this type of trip benefits local people. I understand that 30% of permit costs and entrance fees go to
villagers where animals and points of interest are located. This is excellent and encourages the Ugandan people to welcome tourism as they have a direct
benefit.
The cost of the tracking permits supports conservation of endangered species.
Lodges all had an economic friendly approach. Would suggest that swamp visit at end of trip, currently provided as an option, be included in the itinerary as it is another great experience.
4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?
The vacation was simply fantastic. The local tour company provided an excellent itinerary and guide. Everything ran very smoothly (except the road surfaces!!!).
I would recommend this trip to anyone interested in seeing the wildlife of Uganda as well as the opportunity to see a good bit of the country.
My only negative comment is that I was very disappointed that the Rwanda extension was not offered, even although I indicated that I was interested in this
on my initial inquiry but was told no one else wanted to do it. Three of the other members of the group would have been interested if they had known it was available. I missed out on the chance plus your company missed out on the sale of 4 extensions.
Read the operator's response here:
Thank you for your feedback and we are delighted that you enjoyed Uganda. The extension to Kidepo National Park in Rwanda is something that we try and offer to all clients but it is a relatively new option. It may be in this case some clients had booked the Uganda tour before the extension was available and we did not advise them of the option. This is something that we will learn from for the future.
Responsible Travel
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we've screened this (and every) vacation so that you can travel knowing it will help support the places and people that you visit, and the planet. Read how below.
Planet and people
The main attraction for many visitors to Uganda is the opportunity to visit the Bwindi National Park, home to the mountain gorilla. It is managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).The UWA's mission is to conserve and sustainably manage the wildlife and protected areas of Uganda in partnership with neighbouring communities and stakeholders for the benefit of the people of Uganda. The payment of trekking fees goes directly to the UWA to support their mission.
In order to minimise the impact of our clients, exposure to the gorillas is well controlled by local leaders. Group size is limited to a maximum of 8. Time spent with the gorillas is limited to one hour and a distance of 7 metres is maintained between the group and the gorillas at all times. Every effort is made to ensure the gorillas are not exposed to human bacteria – if you are suffering from a cold then you are not allowed to visit the gorillas, and touching the animals is strictly prohibited. You can be confident that your vacation is helping preserve these magnificent creatures in their natural environment.
At the end of the journey travelers may donate any unwanted clothing, medicine and books, which are distributed to appropriate local charities.
We only employ local staff and unlike many operators we believe that to send a foreign Tour Leader along to accompany your trip is an unnecessary burden on your wallet and our carbon footprint. We believe that locals know best. Our local operators only use locally owned accommodation. This means your money stays in the area to benefit the local community. When possible we use local transport, (i.e. rail or bus) and we always use local restaurants, markets and shops. In doing this your travels are supporting and encouraging the development of local services.
We only work with operators who are as committed as we are to putting something back into the communities we visit. This may include giving a percentage of the profits from each tour to a foundation to help street children or local conservation projects. Furthermore, in order to allow our clients to make an informed decision on where a greater proportion of their money should be spent, we avoid including pre-paid full board meals where possible. Local restaurants and cafes then benefit.
Our groups average only six clients, and many tours operate on a private basis with just two travelers. This has much less impact when traveling through rural areas, reducing our environmental and social affects. Finally to emphasis our commitment to Responsible Tourism all clients will receive a copy of our Travelers Code of Conduct with their travel documents.
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An incredible adventure into the heart of Africa
