5-Day Affordable Flying Safari in Uganda

You are up early for breakfast, then out on a morning game drive in the Kasenyi Plains.

Early morning is among the best times to see wildlife, because the animals are active before the day heats up. Elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, warthogs, lions and many other species live on these open plains.

You come back for lunch and then begin the scenic drive south to Ishasha, the remote southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

The country changes as you go, from open savannah to woodland and forest. Ishasha is famous for its unusual tree-climbing lions, often seen resting in big fig and acacia trees that look out over the plains.

Once you have checked in at your lodge, you set out on an afternoon and evening game drive to look for the lions and other wildlife.

The day closes with an African safari sundowner as the sun sets over the Ishasha wilderness.

Dinner and the night are at the lodge.

Ishasha Wilderness Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Another early start and breakfast, followed by a morning game drive in Ishasha.

It is a second chance to find the tree-climbing lions. Elephants, buffaloes, topi, Uganda kob, antelopes and a range of birds may also appear.

After the drive you leave Ishasha for Buhoma, on the northern edge of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

The journey is a highlight in its own right, through the spectacular highlands of south-western Uganda. Terraced hills, villages, farms and thick green vegetation line the road as the Bwindi forest draws near.

You arrive in Buhoma, check in at your lodge and have lunch.

The afternoon is free for you to rest and get ready for the gorilla trek tomorrow. If you have the time and the inclination, take a short walk in the local community or call at a craft centre.

Buhoma Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today is the high point of your Uganda gorilla trekking safari.

After an early breakfast you go to the Buhoma park headquarters to register and to be briefed by rangers and guides of the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

You then walk into the ancient Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to find a habituated family of mountain gorillas.

A gorilla trek is an adventure, through dense vegetation, up steep slopes and across beautiful rainforest. It can take several hours, depending on where the family is.

When you find the gorillas, you spend your allotted viewing time watching how they behave and taking photographs from a safe and respectful distance. Seeing these critically endangered great apes at home in the wild is something you never forget.

Back from the forest, you have lunch and time to rest.

Later there is a Batwa cultural visit, where you hear about the traditions, stories and music of the Batwa people and their historical ties to the forest.

You return to Buhoma Lodge for dinner and the night.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After breakfast at your lodge you set off from Buhoma to Kihihi Airfield.

The road runs through the lovely hills and farmland of south-western Uganda, a last look at the landscapes and communities of the region.

You reach Kihihi Airfield in time for your scheduled domestic flight back to Entebbe.

Enjoy the view as you fly over the green country of western Uganda.

When you land in Entebbe, your 5-day affordable flying safari in Uganda is over.

Meals: Breakfast