Explore the best of Uganda - 15 day roadtrip

Discover the best of Uganda during this 2-week self-drive adventure. Our 'Uganda's Finest' is an all-time favourite trip, and among our most popular self-drives in Uganda.

  • Trek the gorillas and chimps in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Kibale rainforest.
  • See the mighty river Nile explode in Murchison Falls.
  • Enjoy plenty of wildlife spotting on your self-drive safaris in Lake Mburo, Queen Elizabeth and Murchison.
  • Go on a walking safari in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and discover the only place in Uganda where you can spot the white rhino.  

Scroll down below to see the day-to-day itinerary with route descriptions and travel tips for Uganda. The trip includes car rental, accommodation (available in four price categories), gorilla and chimp permits and rhino trekking (optional).  

Day-to-day itinerary | Uganda's Finest

Day 1

Day 1 of 15

Destination: Entebbe

Drive: 10 km | 0.5 hour

Welcome to Uganda! As soon as you enter the airport you will be embraced with a pleasant temperature and the charming smile of a Ugandan immigration officer. Take this day to relax from your trip. Entebbe is a small town, with a pleasant lakeside, some good restaurants and large swimming pool at Laiko Hotel.

A glimpse of our lodge selection: 

Budget / Comfort: Via Via Guesthouse

Semi-Luxury: The Boma Hotel

Day 2

Day 2 of 15

Start: Entebbe

Destination: Lake Mburo National Park

Drive: 244 km | 6+ hours

Time to hit the road and start your adventure! The journey from Entebbe to Lake Mburo in Uganda is a unique experience marked by the crossing of the equator.

A glimpse of our lodge selection:

Budget / Comfort: Hyena Hill Lodge

Semi-Luxury: Rwakobo Rock 

Day 3

Day 3 of 15

Enjoy: Lake Mburo National Park

Enjoy a day in the park. Lake Mburo National Park is ideal for walking, biking or taking a horseback safari as there are no dangerous predators such as lions. Additionally, Lake Mburo is one of the few parks in Africa that allows night game drives, giving you the opportunity to witness some of the rare nocturnal animals such as mongoose, hyena, leopard, and serval cat.

Day 4

Day 4 of 15

Start: Lake Mburo National Park

Destination: Lake Mutanda

Drive: 313 km | 7+ hours

Drive to the Kigezi Highlands, perhaps the most fertile and scenic region of Uganda: a landscape of expansive blue lakes and steep terraced slopes bordering the rainforest of Bwindi National Park.

A glimpse of our lodge selection:

Comfort / Semi-Luxury: Mutanda Lake Resort

Day 5

Day 5 of 15

Enjoy: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Ready for the experience of a lifetime? Today you will track the rare mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi’s dense forest protects approximately 320 mountain gorillas, roughly half of the global population. This includes 11 habituated groups which can be tracked by limited groups of people. You will be departing from either Rushaga or Nkuringo.

Day 6

Day 6 of 15

Enjoy: Lake Mutanda

Lake Mutanda is a great place to stick around for a few days. The resort offers a wide range of activities for guests to enjoy. The freshwater lake is safe to swim in. Go SUP boarding, enjoy a ride in a dugout canoe as the local fishermen do, go on a birding trip, nature hike or cultural village walk and finish off the day with a sunset boat cruise. 

Are you a bird-lover? Consult our Birding in Uganda blog for more info and tips about the best birding destinations. 

Day 7

Day 7 of 15

Start: Lake Mutanda

Destination: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Drive: 269 km | 7+ hours

Drive to Queen Elizabeth N.P., Uganda’s oldest national park. From open savannas to green rainforests, from dense papyrus swamps and crater lakes to the vastness of Lake Edward, it is little wonder that Queen Elizabeth N.P. boasts one of the highest rates of biodiversity of any game park in Africa.

A glimpse of our lodge selection:

Budget / Comfort: The Bush Lodge

Semi-Luxury: Marafiki Safari Lodge 

Day 8

Day 8 of 15

Enjoy: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Enjoy a safari in Queen Elisabeth National Park. Boat trips on the Kazinga Channel offer great game viewing, as do game drives around Mweya Lodge and the Northern Circuit. 

Day 9

Day 9 of 15

Start: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Destination: Kibale National Park

Drive: 103 km | 3 hours

Drive to Kibale Forest, near the pleasant town of Fort Portal. Kibale is a 800 km2 tropical rainforest, home to 13 primate species and an impressive range of birds. 

A glimpse of our lodge selection:

Budget / Comfort: Kibale Forest Camp

Semi-Luxury: Turaco Treetops

Day 10

Day 10 of 15

Enjoy: Kibale National Park

Kibale Forest is a nature lover’s paradise, with its sublime bird watching and chimpanzee tracking, as well as opportunities for viewing a wide range of other primates. Chimpanzee trekking is a half-day activity starting either early in the morning or just after lunch and needs to be reserved in advance. A field of beautiful crater lakes lies between Fort Portal and the forest, which are perfect for a swim or hike.

Day 11

Day 11 of 15

Start: Kibale National Park

Destination: Murchison Falls National Park

Drive: 7-8 hours, depending on whether you stay in a lodge near the Northern or the Southern gate.

A glimpse of our lodge selection:

Comfort: Bwana Tembo 

Semi-Luxury: Murchison River Lodge

Day 12

Day 12 of 15

Enjoy: Murchison Falls National Park

Most of the wildlife is in the northern section of the park. Yet the southern section is also worth a visit, as visiting the top of the waterfalls is a spectacular experience. You can make a boat trip to the base of the falls or, if you are into birding, take a smaller boat downriver from Paraa towards the Nile River delta, which flows into Lake Albert. Enjoy a refreshing break at Paraa Lodge, situated at the heart of the park, with excellent river views.

 

Day 13

Day 13 of 15

Enjoy: Murchison Falls National Park

Enjoy a day of game drives and relaxing by the pool. As animals are most active in the early morning and late afternoon, these are the best hours for your Uganda self-drive safari in Murchison Falls N.P. 

Day 14

Day 14 of 15

Start: Murchison Falls National Park

Destination: Entebbe

Drive: 337 km | 7 hours

An excellent newly surfaced road takes you to Entebbe. Halfway, we highly recommend having a stop at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. It's the only place in Uganda where you can track the white rhino on foot. Trekking takes an hour. 

For those who book a budget tour, you can also choose to spend 2 nights in Murchison and 1 night at the Ziwa Sanctuary. There is a basic guesthouse and a campsite at the sanctuary. When you're lucky you can even spot rhino's from your tent. 

A glimpse of our lodge selection: 

Budget / Comfort: Via Via Guesthouse

Semi-Luxury: The Boma Hotel

Day 15

Day 15 of 15

Most international flights depart in the evening from the international airport in Entebbe. Entebbe is a lovely town to finish off your trip and relax by the shores of Lake Victoria and the pool of your lodge.

If you're looking for a change of pace after a few days in the wilderness, Kampala is a great option. The city boasts a lively nightlife and dining scene with a friendly atmosphere. We can recommend some excellent places to eat and drink if you'd like. 

Explore the best of Uganda. Watch our Uganda's Finest road movie

2 weeks in Uganda | This is what you need to know

Travel time and road conditions

We recommend 15 days / 13 car rental days for this Uganda itinerary, spending two to three nights at each location. On an average travel day, you'll drive for around 5 hours. Keep in mind that with photo and picnic stops, this can still make a full travel day. Is time not on your side? Shorten your Uganda roadtrip with a day at Bwindi. 

Road conditions are good: asphalt with the occasional pothole and speed bumps. The most adventurous part is driving from Kisoro to Lake Mutanda (volcanic and dirt road), from Hamurwa to Ishaha (off-road) and from Masindi to Murchison Falls. More driving tips can be found in our on-the-road section.  

Uganda's Finest is possible to travel year-round. 

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Find your budget & travel style

Our Uganda's Finest trip can be booked in four price categories:

Budget: Some mid-range lodges offer 'Lazy Camping' (glamping), where you sleep in an already set-up tent. There's a sanitary block that you share with other campers. Adding  'Lazy Camping' nights in your Uganda tour works favourably for your budget, while you can still enjoy the lodge facilities. 

Comfort (mid-range): This is your best option for comfortable, self-contained ('en suite') accommodations set in stunning locations which do not cost a fortune. 

Semi-Luxury: If you opt for luxury, we select barefoot luxury resorts which are intimate, have lots of privacy and high-quality service. Not every stop in Uganda allows for a stay in this segment, therefore we rather call it a semi-luxury trip.

Combo - Campsites & Lodges: Experience the best of both worlds: travel with camp gear and alternate camping in the bush and combine it with stays in lovely lodges. 

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Experiences from fellow Roadtrippers

A 2-week self-drive adventure through Uganda

Tobias (Germany) - Self drive tour with accomodation

The itinerary that Okke created for us was perfect. All accommodations fit exactly to our needs and wishes as well as our budget! The lodges were the perfect starting point for our various adventures like Gorilla and Chimp tracking, boat cruises o...
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Our trip to Uganda exceeded all expectations

Shannon (USA) - Private guided tour with accomodation

Okke, Marin and Robin were soooo patient with my changes in itineraries. They booked our chimp and gorilla trekking permits with the UWA as well. We booked a troopy with a driver for 14 days. Our driver Josh truly made our trip amazing. Uganda is...
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Easy, nice and seamless!

Esther (France) - Couple on a self drive trip

Perfect way to plan for your self-drive road-trip in Uganda! friendly and helpful team with good recommendations; perfect car. Everything was perfect; thanks!
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Included in your Uganda roadtrip

Included

  • Gorilla trekking permit $ 700
  • Chimp trekking permit $ 200
  • Bed & Breakfast
  • Car rental with unlimited mileage. Fuel own expense
  • Car delivery to airport or hotel
  • Car insurance
  • 24/7 roadside assistance
  • Uganda driving manual, Bradt Travel Guide, Roadmap

Optional

  • Driver - Guide
  • Electrical fridge
  • Rhino trekking permit

Create & book your 2-week adventure in Uganda

Book Uganda's Finest with stays in budget, mid-range or luxury lodges - or adjust it to your liking. 

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Uganda's Finest | Indicative prices

Low season | March - April + Nov - 21 Dec

RAV4

Landcruiser

Hilux

Budget

€ 2,200

€ 2,520

€ 2,590

Comfort

€ 2,570

€ 2,890

€ 2,960

Semi - luxury

€ 3,600

€ 3,930

€ 3,990

Combo

€ 2,150

€ 2,510

€ 2,580

Peak season | July - Sept + 22 Dec - February

RAV4

Landcruiser

Hilux

Budget

€ 2,520

€ 2,910

€ 2,980

Comfort

€ 2,890

€ 3,280

€ 3,350

Semi - luxury

€ 3,930

€ 4,320

€ 4,380

Combo

€ 2,480

€ 2,900

€ 2,970

Rest of year

RAV4

Landcruiser

Hilux

Budget

€ 2,390

€ 2,720

€ 2,780

Comfort

€ 2,760

€ 3,090

€ 3,150

Semi - luxury

€ 3,790

€ 4,120

€ 4,190

Combo

€ 2,350

€ 2,710

€ 2,770

The price is per person based on 2 people sharing a car and includes 14 hotel nights, 13-day car rental, airport pick up, gorilla ($ 700 pp) and chimp ($ 200 pp) permit. 

Easy and secure online payment to our Roadtrip Africa Bookings office in the Netherlands. 

Prefer a guided road trip? Travel with a driver-guide (€40/ day). This is an option you can select in the online booking form. 

Planning to visit Uganda during peak season? Book your tour several months in advance!