20 Days Self-Drive, Rooftop Tent Camping Tour in Uganda

Explore everything Uganda has to offer on this 20-day Uganda adventure itinerary. Visit vibrant Jinja, spot game in Kidepo, Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth and Lake Mburo National Parks; explore the Sipi Falls, Bwindi impenetrable forest and Kibale National Parks as well as the stunning beauty of Kampala city.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1. Arrival- Transfer to Jinja (2hours)

Welcome to Uganda! You will be picked up from the airport/hotel by a guide and you start your camping tour to Jinja. The drive toward the east shall commence with a guided forest walk in Mabira forest, proceed to Ssezibwa Falls and to Jinja where you will check in a hotel or campsite and relax after a flight.

Day 2. White water rafting or Horse Back Riding and Boat cruise to the Source of the Nile

Early breakfast and then head for the first adventure of this safari, we can enjoy a full-day white-water rafting adventure or take a boat cruise to both the Speke Monument and to a point where you may vividly see where the waters of the Nile separate from the Waters of Lake Victoria. Break for lunch and then proceed for horseback riding. Be prepared for a day of great experiences with speed and excitement. When the experience is over your guide will drop you back to your hotel or campsite for dinner and overnight.

Day 3. Transfer to Sipi Falls (3-4 hours)

Departing from Jinja we head East towards Kapchorwa. A landscape characterized by mountains, panoramic passes, valleys, rivers, waterfalls and forests. We spend the night in Rafik Safari Lodge or Moses Campsite

Day 4. Hike on the Sipi Falls

This morning after breakfast, you will transfer to the starting point of hiking on Sipi Falls where will be marvelling the different attractions and experiencing the hike up. It’s better to start with the first and the second waterfall then take a lunch break or relax then continue to the last one, proceed for a community walk in the nearby villages and, after return to your accommodation for overnight.

Day 5. Transfer to Moroto

Breakfast followed by a picnic drive to Moroto, dinner and overnight at Kara-Tunga Safari Camp.

Day 6. Karamajongo Cultural Tour, Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park

Breakfast is followed by a cultural tour around the Karamoja region, or we can climb Mount Moroto. After lunch, hit the road to Kidepo Valley National Park, known as one of the least-tasted wildernesses in Africa. Dinner and overnight at Kidepo Savannah Resort or Ng’amoru Wilderness Camp.

Day 7. Game Drive and Cultural Experience in Kidepo Valley National Park

Get up early and enjoy a morning game drive to the Kanangorok hot spring area. It is intended that you bisect the park such that you obtain more chances of encountering animals like the Hunting dog, Bat-eared Fox and other animals endemic to Kidepo National Park like the cheetah and the striped hyena. After the game drive, you will have a cultural interaction with the Karamajong people at one of the homesteads. You will meet the local elders and have an opportunity to interact with them as you see how they live and learn about their culture.

Day 8. Game Drive or Visit The Ike tribe

Another game-drive along the Narus Valley where you may be able to spot lions, buffaloes, Jackson’s hartebeest, giraffes, reedbucks, zebras, elands, elephants and oribis. Or we can hike to the Morungole Mountains to interact with the endangered Ike tribe.

Day 9. Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park (5-7 hrs)

Rise and make your way southwards to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest national park and home to over 400 birds species. The park is also endowed with several attractions including mammal species with four members of the big five, the lion, the leopards, the elephants, and the Buffaloes. Other species include bushbucks, Uganda kob, waterbucks, warthogs, giraffes, Jackson’s hartebeest, hyenas, hippos and crocodiles among other resident creatures.

You will start the day in the morning and transfer from Kidepo Valley. You will continue the drive through the flat scenic landscape with local villages while enjoying the Ugandan countryside. You will arrive at Murchison Falls National Game Park in the afternoon and check in Red-Chill Rest Camp, or Fort Murchison Lodge among others.

Day10. Game Drive and Boat Cruise in Murchison Falls National Park

Today you will begin your exploration of the park with a game drive in the northern circuit of the park. There you will encounter beautiful rolling plains. While in these plains you may view Lions, Giraffes, Hartebeest, Buffalos, Elephants, Bushbuck, Spotted hyenas, Wild cats, leopards as well as many of the other mammals of the park. For the birders, this area supports the Secretary Bird, Black Chested Snake Eagle, Tawny and Marshal Eagles Carmine and Swallow-Tailed Bee-Eaters among others. In the afternoon, you will go for a boat trip to the bottom of Murchison Falls where you will view the Nile as it thunders through a small 7-meter gap down to the delta.

This experience is breathtaking and should not to be missed! The banks of the Nile are home to many species. You may see huge Nile Crocodiles, Hippos and other wildlife that may come down to drink from this mighty river. You may see the pre-historic shoebill, saddle-billed stork and many other birds.
Disembark from the boat and take a hike to the top of the falls where you can see the Nile’s beauty perfected!! Marvel at the Nile, return to the lodge for an evening of relaxation.

Day11. Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park (5-7hrs)

The journey takes a long drive out heading to Kibale Forest National Park. Estimated transit time is 7 hours with frequent stops to stretch your legs. The drive takes you through little towns and villages as you observe the African rhythm of life. On arrival, check-in at Isunga Lodge or Kibale Forest Camp for dinner and overnight.

Day 12. Chimpanzee Tracking or Habituation, transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park (2-3hrs)

Be woken up by the sounds of the jungle and get ready for chimpanzees tracking experience in Kibale National Park. This is a rare occasion for you to follow the path of evolution as you track “Man’s closest cousins”; chimpanzees. After having lunch, hit the road to Queen Elizabeth Wildlife Park, dinner and overnight at Bush Lodge or Kasenyi Safari Camp.

Day13. Game Drive and Boat Cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park

This morning you wake up early, meet our guides and board our 4×4 game viewing vehicle before setting off for a day of game driving to see the wildlife in the Queen Elizabeth National Park. Being one of Uganda’s largest wildlife reserves, Queen Elizabeth offers an immense variety of animals from the mongoose to the famed Big Five.

There is also prolific bird life. We spend the day seeking out the different animals such as lion, leopard, giant forest hog, Cape buffalo, elephants, de fassa waterbuck, Uganda Kob, Topi and bushbuck. With a break over the lunch period and in the late afternoon, we head back for a boat cruise that offers an excellent platform for photography and game viewing. The birdlife is colourful and abundant. You will be privileged to see schools of hippos and Nile crocodiles sunbathing and opening wide their saw-like jaws. Return to your accommodation facility for overnight.

Day 14. Tree Climbing Lions in Ishasha and transfer to Bwindi National Park

Breakfast and hit the road to Bwindi National Park (Home to the Mountain Gorillas) with en-route game drive through the Ishasha sector, a home to the tree-climbing lions alongside other animals such as elephants, buffaloes and many antelope species, continue as you have scenic stopovers for photography and lunch. Enjoy the changing landscape as the car slowly climbs up towards the misty mountains of the gorillas. On arrival check-in and rest, overnight at the lodge.

Day 15. Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi National Park

Rise for breakfast before assembling for a briefing by the ranger guide. Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime experience of trekking mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Once you spot them you are allowed to spend an hour watching your closest long-lost cousin, the thrill of spending time observing these gentle and endangered giants is an awesome, Unforgettable and exciting experience to be long-savoured. Many find it to be a rare and moving opportunity. Return to your lodge, and check out heading to the stunningly beautiful Lake Bunyonyi.

Day 16. Relax by Lake Bunyonyi

Today, explore the spectacular beauty of Lake Bunyonyi as you take a canoe ride to experience the islands. Have lunch and hike (optional) or swim and relax by the pool. Overnight at your accommodation.

Day 17. Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park (4-6hrs)

This morning after breakfast, we head along the highway as we travel to Lake Mburo for approximately 4-6 hours. On arrival, you can rest or refresh and proceed for an evening or night game drive (optional). Overnight at the Hyena Hill Lodge or Leopard Rest Camp.

Day 18. Safari Walk and Game Drive in Lake Mburo National Park

Wake up to the rhythm of nature, attend a briefing by a ranger-guide and then embark on a safari walk to a salt-lick area called Rwonyo. Get the experience of being one with nature as you see the animals close by during the walk. Thereafter return to the lodge and relax a bit before lunch. After lunch in the afternoon, proceed for a game drive in the park, where you can see impalas and zebras. Get back to the lodge to enjoy your last evening in Uganda’s national parks on this totally Uganda experience.

Day 19. Transfer to Kampala

Have a relaxed breakfast and then start the journey to Kampala. Make a stop along the way for lunch and photography at the Equator and take the chance to stand with one foot on either side on the southern and northern hemispheres. After the last part of the drive to Kampala, your guide takes you to the hotel for a relaxed afternoon/evening.

Day 20. Kampala City Tour

In case your departure flight is in the evening, you will have a morning city tour around Kampala; visit the Uganda Museum, Uganda Martyrs shrine in Namugongo, Baha’i Temple, Gadafhi mosque, Nakasero Market, and much more. Enjoy a guided shopping and transfer to Entebbe Airport for your departure flight. This trip can be modified to fit your special areas of interest.

End of the Tour