Uganda is bigger than it looks on the map, and its roads wind through hills and forests. The most common mistake we see is trying to fit too much in. Here’s what you can comfortably do with different amounts of time, and the routes we recommend.
The quick answer
- 3 days: gorillas only, or Murchison Falls only.
- 5 days: gorillas plus one more highlight.
- 7 days: the classic trio of gorillas, chimps and savanna.
- 10 days: Uganda’s greatest hits at a relaxed pace.
- 14 days: the full country, including a remote park or a mountain.
3 days
Option A: gorillas from Kigali. Fly into Kigali, drive about four to five hours to Bwindi’s southern sectors, trek, and drive back. It’s the fastest way to see gorillas at Uganda’s permit price. See our guide to gorilla trekking in Uganda from Kigali.
Option B: Murchison Falls. Track white rhinos on foot at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary on the way north, then spend two days on game drives, a Nile boat trip to the falls and the hike to the top.
5 days
Entebbe → Lake Mburo → Bwindi → Entebbe (with a flight)
Break the long drive at Lake Mburo, with zebras, walking safaris and boat trips, then continue to Bwindi for your gorilla trek. Fly back to Entebbe from a nearby airstrip to save a day on the road.
Or, from Kigali: two nights near Rushaga or Lake Mutanda for gorillas, then golden monkeys in Mgahinga, before heading back to Rwanda.
7 days
Entebbe → Kibale → Queen Elizabeth → Bwindi → Entebbe or Kigali
This is our most popular length. Track chimpanzees in Kibale, take a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel and game drives in Queen Elizabeth, look for tree-climbing lions in Ishasha, then trek gorillas in Bwindi. Finish by flying from a local airstrip, or by crossing into Rwanda to fly home from Kigali. Our three primate routes show a few variations.
10 days
Entebbe → Ziwa → Murchison Falls → Kibale → Queen Elizabeth → Bwindi → Lake Bunyonyi or Lake Mburo → Entebbe
Ten days lets you add Murchison Falls, for the falls themselves, the Nile and the big herds of the northern bank, and still have time to rest. End with a quiet night on Lake Bunyonyi or at Lake Mburo on the way back to Entebbe. This route also covers four of the Big Five, plus rhinos at Ziwa.
14 days
Two weeks lets you see nearly everything, or go deeper. Take the ten-day route, then add one of these:
- Kidepo Valley. Uganda’s wildest park, in the far north-east. Most visitors fly in, and it needs at least three nights. Rhinos returned to the park in 2026.
- Eastern Uganda. Jinja and the source of the Nile, then Sipi Falls and the slopes of Mount Elgon.
- The Rwenzoris. A foothill trek, or swap part of the safari for a full summit climb, which usually takes around seven to nine days on its own.
- A second gorilla trek, or the Gorilla Habituation Experience in Rushaga.
Driving times to keep in mind
- Kampala to Murchison Falls: about 5 to 6 hours
- Kampala to Fort Portal (for Kibale): about 5 to 6 hours
- Kibale to Queen Elizabeth: about 2 to 3 hours
- Kampala to Bwindi: a full day, 8 to 10 hours
- Kigali to Rushaga or Nkuringo: about 4 to 5 hours
Practical tips
- Build in a spare day near the gorilla trek. It takes the pressure off if a flight is late.
- Mix road and air. A flight between parks turns a long drive into an hour.
- Two nights per stop is more relaxing than a new lodge every night.
- See our sample itineraries for more ideas.
Tell us how many days you have and what you most want to see, and we’ll design a route that makes the most of every day, without rushing the moments that matter.
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