18 Day Uganda Wildlife and cultural safari

This 18 Day Uganda Wildlife and cultural safari offers a rewarding Uganda safari experience where you will get immersed in the local culture, scenery, wildlife and nature of Uganda.

This Uganda safari takes you to the source of River Nile, sipi falls for amazing scenery and hiking. Proceed to Moroto for fascinating interactions with the local culture. In Kidepo national park and Murchison falls national park, you will enjoy the amazing scenery and wildlife. Lake Bunyonyi offers amazing serenity of the hills and islands and finally to Lake Mburo national park for unforgettable wildlife sightings.

18 Day Uganda Wildlife and cultural Safari Highlights

• Source of The Nile
• Sipi falls
• Cultural tours
• Game drives
• Boat cruises

Detailed Itinerary 

Day 1: Arrival

On arrival, a representative from Select Adventure Safaris  will be waiting to receive you at the airport. You will then be transferred to your preferred hotel either in Kampala or Entebbe depending on your time of arrival. After a short briefing, you will retire to your lodge.

Day 2: Transfer to Jinja- Source of the Nile and sipi falls

On the first day of your 18 Day Uganda Wildlife and cultural safari, you will have an early start to avoid traffic. We will take a 1 hour jinja where we will get to explore the source of the Nile. We will take a boat on the Nile to the exact point where the Nile departs from Lake Victoria. Birds like Amalekite King Fisher, open billed storks and African fish eagles can be seen on the river. After the cruise, we will continue our journey to Sipi falls. We will have lunch in Mbale town before proceeding to Kapchorwa. On arrival at Sipi falls, we will relax and enjoy the view and crushing sounds of the falls.

Day 3: Hike to Sipi falls and Coffee tour

After a restful night, we will have a nice warm breakfast before embarking on the day’s safari activities. We will visit the 3 different water falls that make up Sipi falls. We will hike up to he falls and explore the caves laying behind the falls. On the last waterfall, we will abseil down the longest waterfall. The 100 meter high fall offers thrilling moments as you abseil down to the bottom. We will hike to back to the lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon, we will venture out to the local community for a coffee tour. On this tour, the local farmers will take us through the process of planting, harvesting, processing and finally making a cup of coffee. We will be able to make our own cup. After the tour, we will venture out for a sunset walk. This walk will take us to a plateau which offers amazing scenery of the lowlands. The sight of the sunset on this plateau is a sight to behold. We will return to the lodge and retire for the night.

Day 4:  Transfer to Moroto

On day 3 of this Uganda safari, we will have a lake breakfast before proceeding to Moroto.  The journey offers scenic views of the hills and flat lands of Karamoja. We will drive through Pian Upe game reserve where if lucky we will stop a few wildlife like eland. On arrival in Moroto, we will check into our hotel and relax for the evening.

Day 5: Life in a Karamajong village ( Manyatta)

After breakfast, we will visit the Karamajong villages and get to explore their culture. We will get immersed in the different day to day activities like milking, preparing meals, beading, harvesting, traditional games and dance. All these activities take place in their community, so you will get to experience their homesteads. After the long day, we will return to our lodge for the evening and night.

Day 6: Visit to Karamoja Cultural Museum

Today, we will be visiting the local museum which hosts the most treasured Karamajong cultural collections. The museum has a rich cultural heritage of the Karamoja region and values the scientific co-operation of Ugandan and French researchers in the field of paleontology. After the tour, we will have a relaxing evening at the lodge.

Day 7: Transfer to Kidepo National park

On this day of your Uganda wildlife and cultural safari, we will transfer from Moroto to Kidepo valley national park. Named as the hidden gem by CNN in 2026, the park offers amazing scenery and amazing wildlife. The drive is scenic offering amazing pictorial moments. This drive will take up to 6 hours and on arrival, we will check into the lodge and enjoy the magnificent views.

Day 8:  Game drive in Kidepo National Park

After an early breakfast, we will embark on our morning game drive. This game drive is mainly done in Narus valley. On this game drive, we hope to see amazing wildlife like lions, leopards, hyenas, zebra, elephants, cheetah and rare bird species like ostriches and secretary bird. This national park is famous for its massive herds of buffalo. After the drive, we will return to the lodge for lunch. In the evening, we will go out for another game drive but in another section of the park. This will avail us with differently amazing terrain and more wildlife sightings. We will return to the lodge for the night.

Day 9: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park 

On this day of this Uganda safari, we will depart Kidepo valley national park for Murchison falls national park. We will make a stop at Aru falls to explore and have a swim. Lunch will be in Gulu and we will continue to Murchison falls. On arrival, we will check into the lodge for the evening.

Day 10: Game drive and Boat cruise

We will have a very breakfast as we prepare for a game drive on the savanna plains of Murchison falls national park. On this game drive, we hope to see elephants, giraffes, kobs, Jackson’s hartebeests, oribi, buffalo, lions, leopards, hippos, hyenas and so many more. This drive will take us to the delta of the Albert Nile for a picnic as we watch the hippos. We will return to the lodge for an early lunch in preparation for the afternoon boat cruise.

This cruise will take us to the bottom of Murchison falls. On the cruse, we will have close encounters with elephants as they come to quench their thirst by the banks of the river. We will be able to see hippos and crocodiles. At the bottom of the falls, we will disembark and hike alongside the falls to the top. This hike takes up to 45 minutes and is not difficult. We will have magnificent views of the Murchison and Uhuru falls on this hike. At the top, we will be met by the sounds of the roaring falls and the spectacle of the falls is breathtaking. Here, the Nile is forced between a 7 meter gap and falls 47 meters into the Albert Nile. The force of the falls create a spray that goes 100 meters up. With the sun out, you will enjoy a spectacular rainbow. We will explore and takes photos and videos of the falls. The guide will transfer you back to your lodge for the night.

Day 11: Transfer to Fort Portal

Following a restful night, we will embark on our journey to Fort Portal. We will have a scenic drive through the Albertine region where we will enjoy amazing views of Lake Albert and escarpments. We will have lunch en route and enjoy more scenery of the tea plantations. On arrival, we will check into our hotel and rest for the night.

Day 12: Visit Amabere caves and Fort Portal town tour 

Today, we will venture out for yet another scenic and cultural day in Fort portal town. We will visit the Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru caves. This a cultural site and offers amazing and intriguing. We will then hike to the crater lakes in the region. This offers magnificent views of the 3 crates lakes and Rwenzori Mountains. We will then do a city tour of fort portal town before retiring to the lodge for the night.

Day 13: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

After an early breakfast, you will embark on your journey from fort Portal to Lake Bunyonyi. This drive offers amazing scenery. The Rwenzori Mountains are visible on your drive through Kasese, tea plantations in Bushenyi and the rolling hills of Kabale. On arrival in Lake Bunyonyi, you will check into your hotel by the lake and have a relaxing evening.

Day 14: Boat ride and island visiting

On this day of your Uganda safari, you will have a relaxing canoe ride as you explore the 29 islands that are found in the lake. On this canoe ride, you will enjoy the sights of the terraced hills and the beautiful birds hence the name of the lake Bunyonyi (many birds). We will then venture out to the local community where we will interact with the local people, learning about their culture through their stories, dances and artifacts. We will return to the lodge, relax and enjoy the views on this 18 Day Uganda Wildlife and cultural safari.

Day 15: Transfer to Lake Mburo National park 

On this day of your Uganda safari, we will depart Lake Bunyonyi for Lake Mburo national park. The rolling hills of Kabale offer a magnificent drive. We will have at Igongo cultural center before proceeding to Lake Mburo national park. On arrival, we will check into the lodge and relax for the evening.

Day 16: Game drive and Boat Cruise

Proceeding an early breakfast, we will embark on a morning game drive for game viewing. We hope to see impressive herds of impala and zebra, eland, giraffes, topi, water bucks, warthogs, buffalo and leopards. This game drive will last up to 4 hours. We will have lunch at the lodge and then go for an afternoon boat cruise on Lake Mburo.

This afternoon boat cruise offers a relaxing time as you view hippos, crocodiles, buffalo and plenty of birds on the shores of the lake. We will return to the lodge enjoying the wildlife. We will retire for the night.

Day 17: Transfer to Kampala via Equator

After a late breakfast, we will depart Lake Mburo national park for Kampala. We shall make a stop at the equator monument for some photos and experiments before proceeding. On arrival, we will have a relaxing evening by the hotel. An optional night out can be arranged.

Day 18:  City tour and departure.

Depending on your time of departure, we will do a city tour of Kampala. This tour takes us to the historical and cultural places in Kampala. These include; the Kabaka’s palace, the Namugongo shrine, Baha’i temple, the Gadhafi mosque and the craft market where you can buy some souvenirs. The guide will transfer you to the airport in time for your flight. This will mark the end of your 18 Day Uganda Wildlife and cultural safari.