10-day Uganda safari: Murchison, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi and Lake Mburo

Murchison Falls is reached through Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary rather than by driving straight to the park. Your guide will collect you in Kampala or Entebbe, brief you on the route and continue north toward the sanctuary. At Ziwa, join a guided rhino tracking walk and learn about Uganda's rhino reintroduction programme. Lunch is taken in Masindi before the drive continues to the Top of the Falls, where the Nile narrows to about 7 metres and drops roughly 45 metres downstream.

The northern bank of Murchison is the morning's game-drive area. Lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes and several antelope species occur here, but the exact route is chosen around recent sightings, road conditions and available time. The Nile takes over after lunch. A boat cruise runs to the base of Murchison Falls, with hippos, Nile crocodiles and waterbirds such as African fish eagles possible along the river and a very different view of the falls from below.

Today's drive leaves the savannah for Kibale's greener highlands. Tea-growing areas, crater-lake country and rolling hills line the route, with lunch in Fort Portal and possible views of the Rwenzori Mountains in clear weather. Bigodi Wetlands breaks up the afternoon after check-in. The community-run sanctuary supports red colobus and black-and-white colobus monkeys, many other primates and birds such as the Great Blue Turaco.

Chimpanzees come before the road transfer today. Following the park briefing, trackers lead you into Kibale Forest to search for a habituated community, with L'Hoest's monkeys, red-tailed monkeys and grey-cheeked mangabeys among the other primates that may be encountered. Queen Elizabeth National Park is reached later, after lunch. The day ends around the Kazinga Channel and surrounding savannah rather than with another scheduled activity.

Kasenyi Plains is best used early, so the game drive starts before the day warms up. Uganda kobs, buffaloes and elephants are regular possibilities, while lions depend on current movement and are never guaranteed. A Kazinga Channel boat cruise follows in the afternoon. Hippos and Nile crocodiles are a major part of the channel's wildlife, with elephants, buffaloes and waterbirds also possible along the banks.

Maramagambo Forest changes the pace from the previous savannah days. A guided walk looks for baboons, red-tailed monkeys and black-and-white colobus monkeys, and the route includes the Bat Caves where pythons are known to prey on bats. Kyambura Gorge comes later. The forested gorge, formed by faulting in the East African Rift Valley, supports a small chimpanzee community as well as other wildlife and birdlife.

Ishasha is not a separate overnight stop here; it is used as the wildlife section of the drive toward Bwindi. Your guide will search the fig-tree areas for the sector's tree-climbing lions before continuing south to the forest.

Gorilla trekking takes priority over everything else today. The park briefing is followed by a ranger-led search for a habituated family in Bwindi, and the permitted hour begins only once the group has been located. Later in the afternoon, the itinerary includes a Batwa community visit focused on traditional forest-based livelihoods, including hunting, gathering and music.

The journey back toward central Uganda is broken at Lake Mburo National Park. After lunch, take a boat cruise and look for hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds, with the park's zebras and impalas forming part of the wider landscape.

One last game drive comes before the road back to Kampala or Entebbe. Zebras, giraffes and warthogs are among the likely targets, while leopard remains a less predictable sighting. The return journey includes lunch and an Equator stop before final drop-off.