Safari Overview
Enjoy a full week expedition in Uganda exploring more about mountain gorillas, chimpanzees and wildlife in their natural habitats. This extra-ordinary itinerary encompasses gorilla trekking in the jungles of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park, and game drives and boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Expected encounters include the big game (elephants, buffaloes, lions -tree climbing lions, leopards), chimps, gorillas and antelopes plus diversity bird species.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive at Entebbe and transfer to your hotel
At the Entebbe Airport, meet your driver guide for a warm welcome into Uganda. First, get insight about your safari and after, exit Entebbe Airport (EBB) for relaxation and dinner at the hotel within Entebbe city. Entebbe is one of the biggest cities in Uganda and is where State House is found. It is suitably located offering access to some of the country’s iconic tourist sites including Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, Botanical Gardens, Mabamba Wetlands and reptile village, etc.
Day 2: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park the home of primates (Visit the tea plantations and crater lakes)
Meet our company representative early morning at the hotel in Entebbe city. Board your 4WD car ready to start the 5-6 hours’ drive road trip to Kibale via Fort Portal tourism city. This exciting road trip includes lunch break en-route (at Fort Portal city) and after, you will continue to the park to check in at the lodge for relaxation.
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Have a heavy breakfast at the lodge and after, join other chimp trekkers for briefing about chimpanzee tracking guidelines. The official from the park will assign guides to accompany you on actual search for chimpanzee troops. The trek begins at Kanyanchu Visitor Centre and expect to take between 2 and 4 hours navigating through the rainforest looking for a troop of chimps. A maximum of an hour will be permitted for you to explore in depth about behaviors of chimpanzees.
The advantage about trekking Kibale chimps is that you stand a chance to look out for other primates including colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons and more. From the jungles of Kibale, begin trekking back to the briefing point or catch up with the driver guide where he dropped you off.
At the lodge, enjoy a delicious lunch meal and later, set off for Queen Elizabeth National Park through Kasese. En-route, you will have excellent view of the legendary Rwenzori Mountain range and surrounding Crater Lakes.
Day 4: Game drive and boat cruise
After a hearty breakfast, set off on a 2-3 hour expedition through Kasenyi Plains on search for the diverse fauna. At Kasenyi, your encounters include elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards and antelope families plus birds. Kasenyi forms the Northern circuit of Queen Elizabeth Park and comprises of vast savanna grassland thus guaranteeing you exceptional sightings. After the game drive, return and lunch will be provided plus some refreshments. In the afternoon, you will be heading to Kazinga channel for a boat cruise. At the comfort of your boat, enjoy views of the hippos, Nile crocodiles and aquatic birds.
Day 5: Travel to Bwindi National Park (by car)
Head off from the Northern section of Queen Elizabeth Park to the Southern side where you will have a short game drive through the Ishasha sector. At Ishasha, the expected sightings include the tree climbing lions and this is also an ideal location to find topis. Have bush lunch and after, continue to the lodge at Bwindi National Park.
Day 6: Gorilla trekking and Batwa cultural experience
Wake up early, enjoy your cup of tea/coffee, and then join others at Bwindi NP offices for briefing about gorilla trekking guidelines. Bwindi is truly mountain gorilla highland with 20 habituated gorilla groups, each of which is visited by a maximum of 8 visitors. Trekking through Bwindi Forest takes 2-6 hours and this includes an hour for you to observe how gorillas behave and taking photos.
After the magical interaction with a family of Bwindi gorillas, begin trekking back to the lodge or briefing point first for you to be provided a gorilla trekking certificate. In the afternoon, lunch will be provided at the lodge and in the evening, you will be escorted to the Batwa community to learn in depth about the Batwa pygmies.
Day 7: Transfer back to Entebbe –end of tour
After breakfast, begin your safe drive back to Entebbe city in Central Uganda. The long 8-9 hours’ drive journey covers en-route lunch in a hotel in Mbarara and photography at the Equator crossing at Kayabwe.
End of tour