7-Day Uganda Self-Drive Safari Itinerary

The route

1. Day1

   Kampala to Fort Portal

   300 km5 hrs

   Depart Kampala by 6 am via the Kampala–Masaka road then north to Mubende and west to Fort Portal. The drive through the tea estates approaching Fort Portal is one of the most scenic in Uganda. Arrive Fort Portal by noon — afternoon rest and briefing for the following morning's chimp trek.

   Overnight: Fort Portal town (Ruwenzori Travellers Inn or similar)

2. Day2

   Kibale Forest Chimp Trek

   35 km from Fort Portal

   Depart Fort Portal by 7 am. Arrive Kanyanchu visitor centre (Kibale NP) by 7:45 am for the 8 am chimp trek briefing. Trek with a ranger in the forest — typically 1.5 to 3 hours to locate and then spend 1 hour with the habituated chimpanzee community. Return to the visitor centre by noon. Afternoon drive south toward Queen Elizabeth NP (150 km, 2.5 hrs).

   • Chimp permit: USD 200/person (book in advance)
   • Kibale park entry: USD 45/person

   Overnight: Mweya Safari Lodge campsite or Jacana Lodge

3. Day3

   Queen Elizabeth NP — Kasenyi Plains and Kazinga Channel

   Full day at Queen Elizabeth NP. Dawn game drive (6 am) on the Kasenyi plains north of the Kazinga Channel — Uganda kob herds, lion, and buffalo are the main targets. Return to Mweya for breakfast then the 9 am Kazinga Channel boat trip (2 hours, USD 35/person) — hippo, crocodile, water-edge elephant at very close range. Afternoon return to Kasenyi for the evening lion activity.

   Overnight: Mweya campsite

4. Day4

   Queen Elizabeth — Ishasha Sector

   90 km south2 hrs

   Depart Mweya by 7 am south through the park to the Ishasha sector. The Ishasha fig trees along the Ishasha River hold tree-climbing lion prides — check the trees on the afternoon circuit (lions climb to avoid the ground heat from midday onward).

   • Queen Elizabeth park entry: USD 40/person/day
   • Key wildlife: tree-climbing lions, elephant, hippo, Uganda kob

   Overnight: Ishasha Wilderness Camp or UWA bandas

5. Day5

   Ishasha to Bwindi — Buhoma Sector

   90 km3 hrs via Kihihi

   Depart Ishasha by 7 am via Kihihi town to Buhoma — the northern sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Arrive by 10 am. Check in at the UWA Buhoma Community Campsite. Afternoon walk in the village adjacent to the park boundary (the Bwindi Community walk is a recommended half-day orientation to the Bwindi ecosystem). Evening briefing on the gorilla trek procedure.

6. Day6

   Bwindi — Gorilla Trekking (Buhoma Sector)

   8 am briefing at the Bwindi UWA Buhoma trailhead. Ranger-guided gorilla trek — duration varies from 1 hour to 6 hours depending on gorilla family location. 1 hour with the gorilla family once located — observe silverback behaviour, young gorillas playing, family feeding. Return to trailhead and back to camp. Afternoon rest.

   • Gorilla permit: USD 800/person (book via ugandawildlife.org)
   • Bwindi park entry: USD 50/person/day

   Overnight: Buhoma

7. Day7

   Bwindi to Kampala

   420 km7 hrs

   Early departure — 5:30 am from Bwindi for the long drive back to Kampala via Kabale, Mbarara, and the Kampala highway. The Kabale to Mbarara road through the Kigezi highlands (the "Switzerland of Africa") is the most scenic part of the return drive. Arrive Kampala by 1 pm.