Uganda Gorilla trek Safari – 8 Days

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe Airport.

Arrival at airport, meet with our representative  at Entebbe airport. You will be transferred to your hotel. If flights arrive early morning, this afternoon you could choose to explore Mabamba swamp on Lake Victoria for shoebill adventure by canoe ( optional)

Day 2: To Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Early breakfast at your hotel and  transfer to Entebbe airport for flight to Kisoro airstrip – Bwindi. Departure Entebbe: 07.00  (check in latest  1 hour before your flight departure). Flight 1 hour and 20 minutes. On arrival at Kisoro airstrip, you will be picked up by our representative. You will be transferred for an hour and half to the lodge.
You will transfer by road to your accommodation at a Lodge in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Road type: Both Paved and rough sections, dirt in national  park.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Day 3: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Gorilla Trekking.

Breakfast and take a short drive to Bwindi park office. Here 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.

HOT TIP: Hire a porter at the briefing point. Your porter will carry your backpack and help you as you traverse the forest and is so completely worth it. You’ll be supporting a local family and this allows them to continue being part of community gorilla protection cooperation, which is essential in Mountain gorilla conservation. 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.

The trekking can take from 2 to 8 hours round trek 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 minutes’ notice; hence waterproof clothing is a good essential including zip lock bags for cameras.  It is important to take plenty of water. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner included.

Day 4: To Queen Elizabeth National Park – Ishasha.

Today morning you fly to Kihihi airstrip on your way to Queen Elizabeth National park south –  Ishasha. Continue check in your lodge. This afternoon head out for a game drive in search of the famous tree-climbing lions and the large herds of game. There are chances of finding lions in the trees by the trail head. Please note that our guide and ranger will maximise all regular hot spots to increase chances of sighting. You will again head out for evening game drive with a sundowner in the park.

TIP. if you like to experience more of the countryside, combined with impressive landscapes and check how Ugandan people are, you could choose to transfer by road – 4 hours. Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 5: To Queen Elizabeth National Park – North Sector – Boat cruise safari

Activities:   Boat cruise safari on Kazinga Channel at 2pm

Today early morning we’ll drive  2 hours to Queen Elizabeth North. Check into your lodge have lunch. Today at  2pm you head out on boat ride 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. This launch cruise offers an excellent platform for photography, bird watching and game viewing.

The park is home to over 95 mammal species and over 600 bird species. Time permitting head out a 2-hour evening game drive . look out for the lions, buffalos, elephants, and large numbers of Uganda Kobs, waterbucks and other antelopes. Our guide will transfer you to  your lodge.

• Road type: Both Paved and dirt in Nat park.
• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 6: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

Today we transfer  to Kibale Forest National Park. We look out for spectacular crater lakes around this route. We check into the lodge. There is a good forest walk in search for primates around the lodge. Drive distance and time: 110 Km, 2.5 hrs. Accommodation at the Edge of Kibale Forest park.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner

Day 7:  Kibale Forest National Park – Chimpanzee Tracking

Activities: Chimpanzee tracking & Bigodi wetland Sanctuary Community Walk

Today you will head out for chimpanzee tracking in Kibale forest national park. This activity can take between 2 to 4 hours. In Kibale forest you will find one of the largest populations of chimpanzees in Africa – about 1450 individuals. Today you will do Chimpanzee ‘tracking’. Chimpanzee walking time: 2 to 4 hours.

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

It will be perfect opportunity to listen to the chimps as the 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 for their pant-hooting calls, following their eating trails.

At 3pm you will continue exploring Bigodi swamp & community in a village walk (2 hours). The guided circular trail through the swamp is also one of the best guided bird trails in East Africa as well as offering a realistic opportunity to see up to six different primate species in a space of a few hours. This walk is excellent for viewing bird life and seeing primates at close quarters. 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 experiences; basket weaving, farm life, Coffee tour.

Day 8: Fly to Entebbe Airport.

Today our guide will transfer you  to Kasese airstrip where you take a local internal flight – 1 hour back to Entebbe Airport for your outbound international flight.

Alternatively, today early morning, if you want to explore road adventure you could choose to be transferred  by road to Entebbe airport.

Drive distance and time: 350 Km, 6 hrs Road type: Paved all the way.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch.

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. Reservations will only be made after your confirmed booking with us.