African Budget Tours

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, a Vedoro Safaris representative will meet and welcome you to Uganda, the Pearl of Africa. Our representative is also the tour's driver guide and speaks English. From here, you will transfer to the booked accommodation, where you will check in and rest to recover from jetlag and adjust to the time difference.
#Optional (extra cost): If you arrive early and are interested, you may consider an excursion to the Entebbe Botanical Gardens to see a few primates and birds or an excursion to the Mabamba Wetland in search of the prehistoric shoebill stork. Otherwise, check in and enjoy your rest.

After breakfast, the assigned driver guide will pick you up and hit the road to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Once in Ziwa, you will proceed for an hour of rhino tracking. From there, head to Gulu City. Gulu City was born after Joseph Kony's rebels were forced out of northern Uganda. This once war-ravaged city is now bustling with activities. As you will see, the beauty of life here plays from dawn to dusk, extending deep into the night. You get the sense of people who have moved past their pain and want to enjoy life as best as they can. Enjoy your time in Gulu City before we head for our overnight accommodation at a booked hotel.

After breakfast, we drive off to Kidepo Valley National Park, where we will arrive in time to rest before lunch. After lunch, we will go out for a game drive. During the game drive, we will look for game in the Narus valley in the south sector of Kidepo Valley National Park. Narus is the sector of Kidepo Valley National Park that has savannah grasslands mixed with acacia woodland. It is also the park's area with permanent water sources, which means that most of the animals are in this part of the park. Be on the look for large herds of buffaloes, elephants, many zebras, antelope species, lions, and elusive leopards. You will return to the accommodation for dinner and an overnight stay.

Enjoy breakfast before you embark on a sunrise game drive, where you will have the opportunity to encounter the area's wildlife. Look out for lions, herds of buffalos, elephants, zebras, and the elusive leopard, among others. After the game drive, you return to the lodge for lunch and afternoon relaxation. After a good rest, we depart for the Karamojong community, where we will have a cultural experience. You will spend a wonderful afternoon (evening) with the Karamojong people and gain an insight into their way of life and beliefs. Your dinner and overnight stay are at the booked accommodation.

After breakfast, we move out to explore the African savannah on foot. Accompanied by an armed ranger guide, you will venture along dry river beds, rocky outcrops, and bushland to track the resident wildlife. When you reach the Kidepo River Valley, a stroll on its wide bed of white sand or the Borassus palm forest, which feels like an oasis in the Sahara, is a fascinating attraction. Later in the afternoon, we will return to the Narus Valley for more African wildlife encounters.

We will enjoy a relaxed breakfast at the lodge and, after that, transfer to Murchison Falls National Park. The highlights of this park include the roaring rapids of the Murchison Falls and the rolling plains of Uganda’s largest national park, where you will have the chance to view lions, leopards, giraffes, hartebeest, buffalo, and elephants. The concentration of hippos and Nile crocodiles will fascinate you! At about 3:00pm or 4:00pm, we will move out for wildlife sightings until about 6:30pm or 7:00pm.
#Optional (extra cost 40$): You may consider a breathtaking night game drive to have a rare encounter of the nightlife in the wild.

After breakfast, depart for an early morning game drive across the rolling plains of Uganda’s largest National Park to look for wildlife, including lions and leopards (though hard to spot). For any birder, there are quite a number of birds to see during the drive. You will return to the accommodation for some rest time and lunch. After lunch, you will head out for the boat trip to the base of Murchison Falls, where you will catch sight of more animals, including hippos and crocodiles and several water birds.
#Optional (extra cost 15$): If interested, continue with a hike to the top of the falls. The hike may be strenuous, but the thrill of reaching the top is unforgettable.

We will have breakfast and then drive to the top of the falls to truly appreciate the beauty and magnificence of the Murchison Falls. From the top, we shall embark on a transfer that will see us overnight at the edge of Kibale National Park. The drive is quite long but incredibly scenic—passing through villages, lush green countryside, and hills dotted with tea plantations that characterize this part of Uganda. The beautiful scenery will amaze you all the way! Upon arrival at the accommodation, check-in and just relax.
#Optional (extra cost 15$): If interested, you can proceed with the crater lakes excursion. You will enjoy the beauty of the numerous small lakes, surrounded by gentle hills, and the stunning views all over.

After breakfast, we proceed to the Bigodi Wetlands excursion. The Bigodi Wetland boasts extensive biodiversity, including several primate species like the black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, L'Hoest's monkeys, and baboons. The Bigodi Wetlands is also a paradise for bird watchers. Among the major bird species within the area is the great blue turaco. From Bigodi, we shall embark on a transfer (about 2 hours) to Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will reach Queen Elizabeth National Park early enough to have lunch, rest, and proceed for game viewing. During the game drive, look out for wild animals like reedbuck, bushbuck, kob, warthogs, elephants, lions, and buffaloes, to mention but a few. Alternatively, you could view the breathtaking volcanic crater. Finally, you will return to the accommodation and enjoy some rest.

We will get up early, have breakfast, and drive to the nearby Kalinzu Forest Reserve. The forest is home to habituated chimpanzees and other primates, including baboons, monkeys, and bird species. Today, you will spend the early part of the day tracking chimpanzees, and after that, return to the accommodation for some rest time and lunch. After lunch, you will go for a 2-hour boat trip on the Kazinga Channel that connects Lakes George and Edward. During the journey, the sight of giant hippos, elephants, and crocodiles, among others, will fascinate you! You will also see many varieties of birds on the water shores. After the boat trip, you can proceed for a brief late afternoon game drive and return to the lodge.

We will get up early and proceed for an early morning game drive on the Kasenyi plains. Be on the look for Cape buffalos, herds of elephants, lions, and leopards (though hard to spot), among others. From here, we return to the lodge and check out, then head to the Ishasha sector in search of tree-climbing lions. The chance of spotting these lions is about 70% though sometimes they are hard to spot (especially when they are down in the grassland looking for prey). Should you get to spot them, the sight is picturesque and memorable. From Ishasha, we shall continue to the accommodation at the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

After breakfast, we move to the rangers' post, where you will receive a briefing from the ranger guide about the do's and don'ts during trekking. After that, you will enter the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for your adventure! The duration and terrain vary as you trek the movements of these marvelous primates. Once you have located a gorilla group, you will be allowed an hour in their presence. The thrill of spending time observing these gentle, endangered giants is unforgettable! From here, we will return to the accommodation and enjoy well-deserved rest.
#Optional (extra cost 20 $): If interested, consider a late afternoon-to-evening encounter with the local community to experience firsthand the indigenous lifestyle in this part of the world.

After breakfast, we set off to Lake Mburo National Park via Mbarara City. You will arrive at the accommodation in time and rest before moving out for an afternoon-to-evening game drive. On the game drive, expect to see the gigantic eland, antelopes, zebras, topi, impalas, Uganda kob, and Cape buffalos, among others. Later, relax at the accommodation where you will spend the night.
#Optional (extra cost 30 $): If interested, consider the night game drive to encounter nocturnal creatures, which will be rare compared to regular daytime sightings.

Enjoy an early breakfast and proceed for the Lake Mburo National Park morning bush walk with an armed Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger guide. On this early morning guided walk, you will have the opportunity to encounter (at close range) zebras, giraffes and eland, topi and other antelope, and Cape buffaloes, among others. Take the trail to the top of the hills and see the entire Lake Mburo National Park and beyond. From this vantage point, you will have a great view of nine of the twelve lakes surrounding Lake Mburo National Park. After that, return to the accommodation for checkout and then hit the road to Entebbe International Airport to catch your flight.
Thank you for choosing Verdoro Safaris!