DETAILED TOUR ITINERARY FOR UGANDA CHIMPANZEE, WILDLIFE & GORILLA TREK SAFARI - 7 DAYS

Day 1: Start from Kampala/ Entebbe to Fort Portal - Kibale National Park,  Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary

On this Uganda safari, our first call shall be the chimpanzees in Kibale National Park. Our representative shall be meeting you in Entebbe or Kampala at your hotel to start the tour. Normally we aim at setting off to Kibale at 8 am for a journey of about 5 hours on mostly surfaced roads. 

Our journey shall be going through virgin farmlands on most of the most fertile places in Africa. Through the villages, you shall see people at work tending their traditional crops of millet, sorghum, beans, and maize.

Fort Portal is the base city for most of the tourism activity in the region, including the chimpanzee trekking in Kibale.  Our accommodation is closer to Kibale National Park so that you can easily be able to access the forest for any optional activities you might want to engage in.

Your afternoon is spent visiting Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary in the east of Kibale National Park where you can view several primates and bird species along a guided walk. The sanctuary is a local community conservation initiative. As the many monkeys were ravaging their croplands, the locals opted to set apart part of their land as a sanctuary for the primates so that while in there, the monkeys can enjoy all the wilderness they need. Meanwhile, as you visit, the money derived from your entrance fees goes a long way to sustain the community's livelihoods. You will expect birds like the great blue turaco, blue monkeys, baboons, otters, mongoose, bushbucks, and bush pigs, among others.

Choice Accommodation options in Kibale National Park

Upper Luxury: Kyaninga Lodge | Crater Safari Lodge  | Ndali Lodge

Luxury: Kyaninga Lodge | Crater Safari Lodge  | Ndali Lodge

Moderate: Isunga Lodge | Kibale Forest Camp | Chimp Forest Lodge

Low Budget: Tents at Kibale Forest Camp | Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse

Meals today: Breakfast, Lunch, and dinner only.

Driving time: ±5 hours

Day 2: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale National Park (or top-up $50 for the chimps habituation experience)

We shall be going chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest today. Trekking into the wilderness in search of primates is such an inspiring activity but sighting the chimps is more breath-taking. 

We shall have you at the Kibale park office at 8 am for the pre-trek briefing where a lot of information regarding the chimpanzees and the primates in the park. You will also learn how to conduct yourself when you encounter chimpanzees in the forest. Because chimpanzees are man’s closest relatives, they know quite a bit about you and this briefing is vital for all people tracking them.

We shall then trek into the jungles of Kibale to search for the chimps. The trek should normally be 1-2 hours before we meet with them. As you are part of the trekking team, you are expected to be vigilant as to the location of the chimps, just like the Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger team leading you. You should be able to locate the closest chimps' troupe by the very loud hooting in the forest's tree canopies. When you finally reach their location, you will be guided to the safest viewing locations, but not less than 6 meters from the chimps. As you watch them, the rangers will be sharing more information about their ecology and conservation. After 1 hour with the chimpanzees, you will start trekking back to the park office. 

As you walk through the forest, there are other mammals and primates you might encounter. These include pottos, bushbabies, red-tailed monkeys, and colobus. You might also meet elephants and buffalo as you trek back.

Choice Accommodation options in Kibale National Park

Upper Luxury: Kyaninga Lodge | Crater Safari Lodge  | Ndali Lodge

Luxury: Kyaninga Lodge | Crater Safari Lodge  | Ndali Lodge

Moderate: Isunga Lodge | Kibale Forest Camp | Chimp Forest Lodge

Low Budget: Tents at Kibale Forest Camp | Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse

Meals included today: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Driving time: ±30 minutes

Day 3: Wildlife Safaris in Queen Elizabeth National Park - looking for lions, elephants, buffalo, hippos, leopards, hyenas, etc

This morning, after breakfast, we have some time to explore the beautiful landscapes of the Fort Portal area. We shall be driving through the crater lakes regions, and the local tea plantations before routing our way to Queen Elizabeth National Park. This journey should take us about two hours in driving.

As we enter Queen Elizabeth National Park, prepare to have a game drive in the northern area. The game seen will depend on the season; the Kasenyi plains are good for lions and the Mweya peninsula for a variety of animals. You will expect to see teeming herds of impala-like Uganda kob, as well as topi, elephant and lion, giant forest hog, and Cape buffalo. 

Overnight options:

Upper Luxury: Kyambura Gorge Lodge | Kasenyi Safari Camp

Luxury:  Mweya Safari Lodge | Katara Safari Lodge

Mid-range: Buffalo Safari Lodge | Twin Lakes Safari Lodge| Bush Lodge

Budget price: Tents at  Bush Lodge or Simba Safari Camp | Pumba Cottages

Meals included today: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 4: Game Drive Safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park, more wildlife viewing experiences; Boat Trip on Kazinga Channel

The thickets and bushes of Kasenyi plains in the north of Queen  Elizabeth National Park are known to be teaming with abundant wildlife. There are big herds of antelopes, cape buffalos in their hundreds, and elephants. This is a great place for carnivores too. With all this prey, lions, leopards, and hyenas find it the best place to be on earth. Game drives to this region target to catch the interesting interaction of these two groups -  the grazers and the carnivores all racing to out-compete the other in order to see the next day. 

As predators are more active in the early morning hours, our game drive activities aim to commence at 6:30 am from your accommodation. When you reach the Kasenyi plains, your tour guide shall drive slowly combing every other thicket for you to sight as many predators as possible. Of course, there is no guarantee to seeing them in hunting action but it is not an uncommon thing to see lions or leopards hunting Uganda kobs here.

After the initial game drive, we shall be going for a launch trip along the Kazinga Channel. The boat trip along this 80km stretched channel gives you the opportunity to view wildlife up close: hippo’s huff and spray at a mere foot away from the boat, buffalo linger in the shallows. The shores of the channel are also home to an array of birds including pink-backed pelicans, pied and malachite kingfishers, saddle-billed storks, and many others.

Overnight options:

Upper Luxury: Kyambura Gorge Lodge | Kasenyi Safari Camp

Luxury:  Mweya Safari Lodge | Katara Safari Lodge

Mid-range: Buffalo Safari Lodge | Twin Lakes Safari Lodge| Bush Lodge

Budget price: Tents at  Bush Lodge or Simba Safari Camp | Pumba Cottages

Meals included today: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 5: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Tree climbing lions' game drive in Ishasha for tree-climbing lions, elephants, etc

We shall be having one more game drive in the park before exiting to drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the southern direction. If the season is good and the roads allow, we shall take aim for game drives in the Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The sector is largely famous for its tree-climbing lions but there is much to see here than just that.  This less-traveled expansive savannah grassland plain also has large herds of elephants, buffalo, and antelopes among other wildlife. A wildlife safari game drive in this place is recommended if you have enough time before your transfer to Bwindi.

The drive to Bwindi shall take us about 5 hours, depending on how much time is spent in Ishasha and how good the roads are that day. So most likely, your safari guide shall book for your lunch at a good restaurant along the (if you don't have a packed lunch already). 

When we finally reach our day's destination Bwindi, we shall be in good time for a bit of relaxing and dinner afterward.

Suggested Bwindi Accommodation options available (all on a full board basis)

Upper Luxury: Gorilla Forest Camp | Trackers Safari Lodge | Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge | Bwindi Lodge

Luxury: Four Gorillas Lodge | Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge| Buhoma Lodge | Mahogany Lodge | Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge 

Moderate: Lake Mulehe Lodge | Engagi Lodge | Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Low Budget: Gorilla Conservation Camp | Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodge | Ruhija Gorilla Friends Camp

Meals included today: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Driving time: ±5 hours

Day 6: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

This is going to be a day of unforgettable memories indeed. It is everyone's lifetime dream to meet with a family of mountain gorillas as there are just about 1065 of them on earth with Bwindi hosting over half of them. Gorilla trekking is also an exciting adventure both for the young and old. 

Your dedicated Uganda safari guide will be meeting with you at your accommodation at about 7 am to drive to the park offices for briefing and accrediting before your gorilla trek. The Uganda Wildlife Authority conducts this and visitors get information about the mountain gorilla, Bwindi, and other wildlife species in the park. You will also learn how to conduct yourself when you encounter a mountain gorilla.

We then set off to enter the forest in search of the mountain gorillas. Bwindi being an afro-montane rainforest has thick undergrowth hence its name, Impenetrable. When tracking gorillas, most of the paths we use are wedged on that day. We track the gorillas by first hiking to where they spent the previous night and then commencing our search from there. Earlier in the day, a team of trekkers usually treks before your team to establish the exact location of the gorillas to avoid any unwanted surprises on you. 

Typically, the time you take to reach the gorillas cannot be predicted but most trekkers go for between 1-3 hours before seeing them. There are several wildlife species you might encounter along in the forest as you track the gorillas. It is a very common thing for example to cross paths with baboons, L'Hoest's, red-tailed and blue monkeys, and black and white colobus, but also you might come across some of the wild chimpanzee troupes here.  Forest elephants and buffalo are also often seen while trekking the gorillas.

Avid birders will enjoy this gorilla tracking experience as there are at least 350 bird species in Bwindi,  seven of which are IUCN red data listed and 90% of all Albertine rift endemics, species that are difficult or impossible to see in any other part of East Africa.

When you reach the gorillas, you will be allowed to get to as close as 6 meters from them and the rangers do help in clearing the bushes so that you can have much clearer viewing and photographing. The family of mountain gorillas you will be tracking is habituated and has had human visitations for at least 4 years on a daily basis. Although they are in their wild home, they are not that "very wild". You should be able to safely view them as they go about their normal with no fear. The standard gorilla viewing time is 1 hour and when this is done, the rangers shall be requiring you to prepare for departure. 

As you descend down the forested hills of Bwindi, keep an eye on the other species in the park.  Bwindi's vegetation has been weaving itself into tangles over at least 25,000 years, in the process accumulating a lengthy species list. This includes 310 species of butterfly, 51 reptiles, 200 trees, 88 moths among many others yet to be discovered

Suggested Bwindi Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)

Upper Luxury: Gorilla Forest Camp | Trackers Safari Lodge | Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge | Bwindi Lodge

Luxury: Four Gorillas Lodge | Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge| Buhoma Lodge | Mahogany Lodge | Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge 

Moderate: Lake Mulehe Lodge | Engagi Lodge | Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Low Budget: Gorilla Conservation Camp | Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodge | Ruhija Gorilla Friends Camp

Meals included today: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Driving time: ±30 minutes

Day 7: Depart to Entebbe (or Kigali - 4 hours); optional daily flights available to Entebbe as well.

Today we embark on our last drive as we depart from the mountain gorillas sanctuary back home. Early breakfast before embarking on our return to Entebbe, driving down the grassed and terraced escarpments of southwestern Uganda while taking in the breathtaking sights of the hills of the region dubbed ‘the little Switzerland of Africa’.

This area is a highly fertile, mountainous region with steep-sided hills covered from top to bottom in neatly terraced cultivated rows. Not to miss as we traverse Mbarara are the impressing longhorn Ankole cattle. A remarkable highlight of this journey is the Equator line and surely you will cross it as we have a brief stop here.

We will be in Entebbe in the evening before your flight back home.

Meals today: Breakfast  & Lunch only.

Driving distance: ±8 hours to Entebbe.

Top Recommended Accommodation for the Uganda Chimpanzee, Wildlife and Gorilla Trek Tour

Upper Luxury:

Night 1&2: Kyaninga Lodge or Crater Safari Lodge or Ndali Lodge

Night 3 & 4: Elephant Plains Lodge | Kyambura Gorge Lodge | Kasenyi Safari Camp

Night 5 & 6:  Gorilla Forest Camp | Trackers Safari Lodge | Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge | Bwindi Lodge

Luxury accommodation:

Night 1&2: Ndali Lodge |  Crater Safari Lodge | Kyaninga Lodge | Primate Lodge Kibale

Night 3 & 4:  Mweya Safari Lodge or Katara Lodge

Night 5 & 6: Buhoma Lodge or Mahogany Springs Lodge or Four Gorillas Lodge or Bwindi Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge 

Midrange (Moderate) accommodation:

Night 1&2:  Isunga Lodge or Chimpanzee Forest Lodge or  Kibale Forest Camp or Turaco Treetops Lodge

Night 3 & 4: Buffalo Safari Lodge or Bush Lodge or Twin Lakes Safari Lodge

Night 5 & 6: Lake Mulehe Lodge | Mutanda Lake Resort  | Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge 

Lower Budget accommodation:

Night 1&2: Sheltered and furnished tent at Kibale Forest Camp or Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse

Night 3 & 4: Sheltered and furnished tent at Bush Lodge or Simba Safari camp or Pumba Cottages 

Night 5 & 6: Gorilla Conservation Camp | Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodge 

• Gorilla permits (each at US$700)
• Chimpanzee viewing permits
• Guided swamp walks at Bigodi
• Meals indicated on the program
• Services of an experienced tour guide cum driver
• Accommodation as per the program
• Park fees for the various parks
• Private/exclusive transportation using 4x4 safari vehicles
• Arrival airport transfers
• Entrance fees for tours mentioned in the program
• Boat rides as on the program

4WD Customized Safari Toyota Landcruiser

Our safari Landcruiser is for some,  the ultimate safari vehicle in Africa. It's 4wd, spacious, high up and strong. 

It has a lift-up or pop-up roof for excellent safari game-viewing. The windows are wide opening for enhanced wildlife and scenery photography.

For your comfort, all vehicles have air conditioning and charging facilities.

Our safari land cruisers can take 3, 4, 6 and 8 persons.