Uganda Primate Adventure & Tree Lion Safari | 7 Days

Day 0: Arrival at Entebbe

Arrival meets and greet our representative & transfer to your hotel in Entebbe City for your 7 Days Uganda Primate Adventure & Tree Lion Safari.

Day 1: Entebbe – Kibale Forest National Park

Today you will transfer to Kibale forest national park as you start your 7 Days Uganda Primate Adventure & Tree Lion Safari. This is a very beautiful journey with stunning diverse landscapes and the hills and mountains you will drive through will become greener and greener until you come to the tea plantations of Fort Portal! Along the way to Kibale forest, you’ll stop for a demonstration on tea harvesting by locals. Did you know that the majority of Ugandans drink more tea in their homes than coffee? Fort Portal and the Kibale area produce some of Uganda’s finest tea. You could choose some optional activities like a night walk or simply rest at your hotel:

• Night walk in the forest outside the park – (Optional & Subject to availability) – Approx 1.5-2 hours. Walk through the forest in search of nocturnal residents like bushbaby, potato, and night jar ($25 per person)
• Approximate driving time: 6 hrs
• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included at your accommodation.

Day 2: Kibale Forest National Park

Today morning at 7 am, we transfer to– Kanyanchu gate Kibale Forest National Park. Kibale National park is an extension of the great rainforests of central Africa. It is inhabited by three large “communities” of chimps, with over 120 individuals.

In Kibale, here you will find one of the largest populations of chimpanzees in Africa – about 1450 individuals. Today you will do Chimpanzee ‘tracking’.

Chimp walking time: 2 to 3 hours.

What to carry: Remember to carry bottled drinking water, rain gear, and walking/ hiking boots plus a backpack

It will be the perfect opportunity to listen to the chimps as they grumble and feed. Only one community is allowed to be visited by tourists. Chimpanzees live in communities. Each community has a complicated social structure. The big adult males dominate the group and defend the community territory against other male intruders; the females usually wander in small family groups. Rangers locate the chimps by listening to their pant-hooting calls and following their eating trails.

There are chances of seeing other primates namely; the Guereza colobus monkey, red-tailed monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey, and olive baboons as well as the Red colobus monkey considered endangered and the rare L’Hoest’s monkey that is considered Vulnerable and…plentiful of forest bird life.

Today afternoon you will be to explore the Bigodi swamp & community in a village walk (3 hours). Together with a local guide, you’ll search for other primates including I’hoestes, red colobus, blues, red-tailed and gray–cheeked mangabey, bird species like the Great blue Turaco, bees’ eaters, and many more. Experience how primates and birds live with the community, amazing farm life & community life experiences like basket weaving, learning how to roast coffee beans, and tasting coffee prepared by yourself in a traditional coffee brewing tour. you can also opt to join a local cooking class and learn Ugandan recipes. You could also learn how to process banana beer/ gin the local African way.  Later head back to your lodge.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included at your accommodation.

Day 3: To Queen Elizabeth National Park – Boat cruise on Kazinga channel

Today early morning transfer to Queen Elisabeth NP. Check-in at the lodge, in Queen Elizabeth NP viewing the Rwenzori Mountains. At 2 pm we will go for a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel (2 hours approx.). Look out for the hippos, great herds of buffalos, and lots of water birds by the channel side. Time permitting head out on a 2-hour evening game drive; from 5 pm to 7 pm. look out for the lions, buffalos, elephants, and large numbers of Uganda Kobs and other antelopes.

• Approximate driving time: 3 hrs
• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included at your accommodation.

Day 4: In Queen Elizabeth National Park – Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

In the morning you will transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National park, via Ishasha south section of Queen Elizabeth for game viewing. You will drive to Ishasha (2 ½ hours approx.). Ishasha is famous for tree-climbing lions. With a bit of luck, there are chances of finding lions in the trees by the roadside. Please note that there is no guarantee but our guide will maximize all regular hot spots to increase the chances of a sighting. We drive through as we look out for the lions, buffalos, Topi, and large numbers of Uganda Kobs and other antelopes. After lunch, we transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park.

Depending on the park gate of gorilla permits available at the time of booking, we will proceed to one of the following three sectors: Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija, and Kisoro/ Mgahinga gorilla gate.

Approximate driving time to Bwindi: 3 to 6 hours depending on location/gate of gorilla permit reserved at time of booking.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

Please note the choice of lodging today will be determined by the location of the Gorilla family available at the time of booking!        

Day 5: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park/Mgahinga gorilla park – Gorilla Trekking

Breakfast and take a short transfer to the Bwindi National Park office, where you will meet up with excellent local rangers and trackers, who will give a talk on the etiquette of gorilla trekking. Thereafter, hike into the forest with your packed lunch. After this exciting experience, it’s time to relax at the lodge and view your photos.

In Bwindi NP (Uganda), there are 23 habituated gorilla families that can be viewed by tourists.

In Mgahinga NP (Uganda), there is 1 habituated gorilla family for tourist viewing.

Each of the families can be visited by a maximum of 8 people daily and the viewing lasts only 1 hour.

The trekking can take from 2 to 9 hours and climb to altitudes in excess of 7,500 feet.  After finding gorillas, you will spend a maximum of 1 hour viewing them. The terrain can get tough and at times muddy.  Although the hike is physically demanding the beauty of the forest and surrounding scenery make the trekking worthwhile. Once the gorillas are located all fatigue is forgotten, as the experience is often described as being the most profound natural history experience in the world. It can rain at a few minute’s notice; hence waterproof clothing is a good essential including zip-lock bags for cameras.  It is important to take plenty of water. After trekking head back to your lodge. This evening it is possible to reconnect with local people in a community tour ( optional).

Day 6: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

Today on this 7 Days Uganda Primate Adventure & Tree Lion Safari, you will transfer by a road trip to Lake Mburo National Park, one of Uganda’s smallest parks where you can get up close to animals on foot walking. You will have a game drive in the park. Expect to see antelopes like Impalas, Elands, giraffes, and Zebras not seen anywhere on this Uganda trip. The Lake Mburo National Park forms a mosaic-like habitat with rocks, dry slopes, open and wooded savannas, forests, and swamps increases. This diversity of habitats has a diversity of bird life with over 300 bird species recorded in the park, including beautiful Rollers, Bee-eaters, and starlings. You will be led by experienced guides through the trails.

• Approximate driving time: 3 hrs
• Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7: To Entebbe – Departure

Today morning, there are opportunities for optional extra activities:
It is possible to do an on-foot game walking safari with a ranger – 1 hour (optional). You will get in close contact with grazing antelopes like Impalas, Elands, Topi, and zebras, and also so many colorful birds. You will return to the lodge for breakfast. Thereafter you start your journey and transfer to Entebbe. We will stop at the Equator for lunch. This is an opportunity to have a photo moment and do souvenir shopping. After your guide will transfer you to your hotel or if you prefer direct to Entebbe airport. This will be the end of your 7 Days Uganda Primate Adventure & Tree Lion Safari.

• Approximate driving time: 210 Km, 4 hrs
• Meals: Breakfast, lunch

End of 7 Days Uganda Primate Adventure & Tree Lion Safari

HOT TIPS TO KNOW:

Add an extra day in Entebbe and go shoebill excursion at Mabamba bay on Lake Victoria

You’ll meet your private guide at 7 am at your hotel. Transfer by private car to Lake Victoria. Pass by townships and local suburbs on mixed surfaced and fairly maintained dirty roads, arriving at the Mabamba bay landing site. Located at least 57 km from Kampala city. It takes an hour’s drive from Entebbe city to Mabamba bay – a massive papyrus swamp.

Canoe ride: You will board wooden boats with engines and there after traditional peddle canoeing in search of mainly the Shoebill which usually hides in the mash to look for fish. Getting on a motorized canoe in search of this pre-historic bird is a great experience.

At 2424 hectares, the Mabamba swamp is one of the few remaining on Lake Victoria. Mabamba swamp is characterized by small channels of marsh-filled water and lagoons and is a habitat for the shoe bill. The shoebill’s feet and claws look very similar to many dinosaur fossils, including two that it is believed these birds came from. Recent sightings indicate Mabamba boasts of 9-15 shoebills and are a must-visit place for birders who come to Uganda. Duration: 3 hours.

You could add an extra day/night in Queen Elizabeth (South) – Ishasha to search for lions in trees and replace/forego one night in lake Mburo national park. By choosing this option you could also consider a one-way internal flight back to Entebbe at extra cost and avoid 9-10 hours of driving from Bwindi’s impenetrable national park to Entebbe.

Alternatively, you could also opt to transfer by road, cross Uganda/Rwanda border – 5 hours to Kigali City and connect with your outbound international flight at Kigali airport. Please note that at the moment flying out through Kigali is subject to covid19 restrictions including vaccinations & Covid19 PCR tests.

1 night at Guineal Fowl Entebbe.

2 nights at Isunga Lodge at edge of Kibale Forest National Park.

1 night at Twin Lake Safari Lodge, viewing rift valley in Queen Elizabeth NP.

2nights at Ride4woman viewing Bwindi impenetrable national park.

1 night at Hyena Hill lodge, viewing Lake Mburo National park.

Meals-Full Board: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner included

Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour can be arranged for extra cost!

Lodging mentioned depends on availability of rooms at the time of booking. in event of unavailability, we’ll inform you and suggest a similar lodge in the class. Reservations will only be made after your confirmed booking with us.