Affordable 10-Day Self-Drive Uganda Safari Itinerary Road Trip Itinerary and Cost

This is your first long drive. Get Up Early morning like at 5AM, have breakfast then you head north toward Murchison Falls National Park.

It takes about 5 to 7 hours depending on stops.

Optional stop: Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. This is the only place in Uganda where you can see rhinos in the wild. You can pass by and track Rhinos. This takes about 3 hours.

The last part of the road into the park can be rough. Drive slowly.

Arrive in the evening. Check into your lodge

On the 3rd of 10-Day Self-Drive Uganda Safari, Wake up early. This is your first real safari morning.

You will Drive through the northern sector of the park. If you prefer, you can hire a guide to accompany you in the car and help you find better routes and the best wildlife sightings. A guide typically costs between $30 and $50 per day.

You may see:

• Elephants
• Giraffes
• Buffalos
• Antellopes and hartebeests
• Lions if you’re lucky and different bird species

In the afternoon, take a boat cruise along the Nile.

You move toward the bottom of the falls. Hippos in the water. Crocodiles along the banks. Different birds species

Then you see the falls. Water forced through a 7 meter gap. Loud and Strong.

It’s one of the most powerful sights in Uganda.

This is one of the longest drives of the trip.
After leaving Murchison Falls, you’ll begin the long journey southwest toward Kibale National Park. The drive typically takes 6 to 8 hours, depending on road conditions and how often you stop.

Along the way, the scenery shifts dramatically — from open savannah and scattered villages to rolling hills, tea plantations, and lush, greener landscapes as you approach the Kibale region. It’s a beautiful transition that shows just how diverse Uganda’s terrain can be.

You’ll arrive near Kibale in the late afternoon or early evening, giving you time to settle into your lodge and prepare for the next day’s chimpanzee tracking adventure.

This morning starts early.
You’ll head into the forest for your chimpanzee tracking experience — one of the highlights of visiting Kibale. Unlike a traditional safari where you stay in the vehicle, this adventure takes place entirely on foot.

You walk quietly beneath the tall canopy, listening for rustling leaves, distant hoots, and the sharp calls that echo through the forest. Your ranger guides you by sound more than sight, following clues as the chimps move through the trees. They can be fast, and you may need to keep up, stepping over roots and weaving through thick vegetation.

But when you finally find them, the moment is unforgettable. You’re close — close enough to watch them groom, chant, feed, play, and interact with each other. It feels raw, real, and incredibly active, like stepping into their world for a short time.

After the trek, you’ll return to your lodge for lunch and a well‑earned rest.
The afternoon is yours: relax, enjoy the forest surroundings, or take a short drive to explore the nearby crater lakes.

After breakfast, you’ll begin the drive south toward Queen Elizabeth National Park. Compared to previous travel days, this is a shorter and more relaxed journey, giving you time to enjoy the changing scenery as you leave the forests of Kibale and approach the open plains of Queen Elizabeth.

You’ll arrive in the park around midday or early afternoon, giving you two great activity options:

• Head out for a game drive across the Kasenyi plains, where you can look for lions, elephants, Uganda kob, and large herds of buffalo.
• Take a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, one of the highlights of the entire trip. The channel is famous for its dense concentration of wildlife, including:
  • Hippos (hundreds of them)
  • Elephants along the shoreline
  • Large groups of buffalo
  • Plus crocodiles and countless waterbirds

The cruise offers some of the best close‑up wildlife viewing in Uganda, especially in the late afternoon when animals gather to drink and cool off.

You leave Queen Elizabeth and head toward Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

The road becomes more challenging here.

Expect:

• Dirt roads
• steep sections
• Slow driving

Bwindi has different sectors. Rushaga is often the easiest for permit availability, but Buhoma and Nkuringo are also used.

Arrive and prepare for the next day.

NB: We help you secure a gorilla permit which goes for $800 per permit

This is the day many travelers dream about — the moment that brings people from all over the world to Uganda.

You start early, entering the forest while the air is still cool and the mist hangs low between the trees. The terrain can be challenging: steep slopes, thick vegetation, and muddy paths that remind you this is true wilderness, not a staged experience.

The time it takes to find the gorillas varies. Sometimes it’s just two hours. Sometimes it’s longer. Your ranger leads the way, following fresh tracks, broken branches, and nests from the night before. Every step brings a sense of anticipation.

And then — you see them.

A family group, calm and powerful, moving slowly through the foliage. Some feed quietly. Others watch you with the same curiosity you feel toward them. Infants cling to their mothers. A silverback sits nearby, massive and unbothered, the true king of this forest.

You spend one full hour with them. No rush. No noise. Just presence.

That hour feels longer than it is — deep, unforgettable, and unlike anything else on the trip. When it ends, you walk back through the forest carrying a memory that stays with you long after the journey is over.

After your gorilla trek, you’ll make the scenic drive to Lake Bunyonyi, one of the most peaceful places in Uganda. The road winds through terraced hills and small villages, eventually opening up to views of the lake’s many islands scattered across the water.

Life slows down here.

There’s no big activity schedule, no rush, no pressure to do anything. This day is designed for rest — a gentle pause after several days of long drives and intense trekking.

You can choose to:

• Take a canoe ride across the calm waters
• Walk around the lakeshore or nearby villages
• Sit back and do nothing, simply enjoying the quiet and the cool breeze

Today marks the beginning of your journey back toward Entebbe. After breakfast, you’ll leave the highlands and make your way east, passing through Lake Mburo National Park — the perfect halfway point on this long return drive.

As you enter the park, you have the option to stop briefly or take a short game drive. Lake Mburo is known for its open savannah dotted with acacia trees, and it’s one of the best places in Uganda to see:

• Zebras
• Impalas
• Elands
• Giraffes
• and playful warthogs grazing near the road

It’s a gentle, scenic break before continuing the final stretch toward Entebbe.

From here, the road leads you back toward the shores of Lake Victoria. If time allows, you can spend a relaxed final evening near the lake — enjoying the breeze, reflecting on the journey, and preparing for your flight the next day.