6 Day Gorillas, Chimps & Wildlife Safari

From
US $2,214 Per Person

Tour Overview

Uganda is best known for its mountain gorillas, and for good reason. Seeing a silverback gorilla in the wild is one of the greatest wildlife experiences on Earth. But Uganda has so much more to offer. This beautiful country is home to tropical rainforests, open savannahs, rolling hills, crater lakes, and some of Africa’s richest wildlife. It is also one of the best birdwatching destinations in the world, with over 1,080 bird species, alongside more than 345 mammals, including the famous Big Five and an incredible variety of primates.

This 6-day safari takes you to some of Uganda’s most iconic national parks. Track chimpanzees in Kibale Forest, enjoy a boat safari and game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, come face to face with mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and finish your adventure in the beautiful landscapes of Lake Mburo National Park. It is the perfect trip for travellers looking to experience Uganda’s most unforgettable wildlife in just six days.

Highlights

Itinerary IN dETAIL

Discover your route below. This itinerary is the starting point, tailor your adventure with the specific experiences.

Your adventure begins with a pick-up from your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala, or directly from Entebbe International Airport. After a short safari briefing, you will start your journey west towards Kibale National Park. 

The drive takes about 5 hours and offers a wonderful introduction to Uganda’s beautiful countryside. Along the way, you will pass green hills, local villages, farms, and lively towns. Around midday, you will stop in Fort Portal for lunch. This beautiful town sits beneath the Rwenzori Mountains, also known as the Mountains of the Moons. It is also the heart of Uganda’s tea-growing region.

After lunch, continue to Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a community-run conservation area near Kibale Forest. A guided nature walk takes you through lush wetlands filled with colourful birds, butterflies, and playful monkeys. Keep your eyes open for the spectacular great blue turaco, one of the area’s most famous bird species.

Later, continue to your lodge near Kibale National Park, one of Africa’s best places to see primates. Covering 776 km², this ancient rainforest is home to one of the highest concentrations of primates in the world, including around 1,500 chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, black-and-white colobus monkeys, and many other species.

The forest is also incredibly rich in plant life, with more than 350 recorded tree species. Connected to Queen Elizabeth National Park by a wildlife corridor, Kibale forms an important habitat where elephants and other animals move freely between ecosystems. Arrive at your lodge in the late afternoon, relax, and enjoy your first evening surrounded by the sounds of the African rainforest.

Accommodation Options:

Midrange: Kibale Forest Camp – Self Contained Tents

Midrange: Turaco Treetops – Standard Cottage

Semi Luxury: Turaco Treetops – Luxury Cottage

Luxury: Crater Safari Lodge

Meal Plan: Lunch & Dinner

Today brings one of the most exciting experiences of your safari: chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest. After breakfast at the lodge, head to the Kanyanchu Tourism Centre for a briefing by experienced park rangers. At 8:00 AM, you begin your trek into the forest in search of Kibale’s famous chimpanzees. 

Kibale is one of the best places in Africa to see these intelligent primates. The trek usually takes 2–4 hours, depending on where the chimpanzees are found. Once you locate them, you will spend one unforgettable hour watching them feed, play, communicate, and move through the forest canopy. Seeing these close relatives in their natural environment is a truly special experience.

Beyond chimpanzees, Kibale Forest is full of life. With some luck, you may spot monkeys, bushbucks, forest hogs, colourful butterflies, and many other forest creatures. The park is also a paradise for bird lovers, with over 325 bird species, including several rare Albertine Rift species.

After the trek, enjoy a packed picnic lunch before continuing your journey south to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The drive takes around 2 hours and offers beautiful views of Uganda’s countryside. Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of Uganda’s most diverse wildlife destinations. Its landscapes include open savannah, forests, wetlands, and crater lakes. The park is home to elephants, buffaloes, lions, hippos, leopards, over 600 bird species, and many other animals.

In the afternoon, you can choose a game drive or an optional private boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. This peaceful waterway connects Lake George and Lake Edward and offers some of the best wildlife viewing in Uganda. Cruise close to large pods of hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes, and hundreds of waterbirds along the shoreline. After this incredible day, continue to your lodge and relax as you prepare for more wildlife adventures ahead.

Accommodation Options:

Simple: Bush Lodge – Self-Contained Tent

Midrange: Bush Lodge – Banda

Semi Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge – Safari Tent

Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge Deluxe Room

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Wake up early and enjoy breakfast before heading out for a morning game drive through the beautiful Kasenyi Plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This open savannah is one of the best places in the park for wildlife viewing, especially in the early morning when animals are most active.

As the sun rises, keep your eyes open for elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, bushbucks, warthogs, hippos, and other wildlife moving across the plains. With some luck, you may also spot predators such as lions, leopards, and spotted hyenas. The golden morning light, wide grasslands, and dramatic scenery make this a wonderful safari experience.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is also a paradise for bird lovers, with more than 600 recorded species. Your guide will help you look for some of the park’s most fascinating birds, including the shoebill, African skimmer, great blue turaco, grey crowned crane, and many colourful forest and water birds.

After your game drive, continue south through the remote Ishasha sector, famous for one of Africa’s most unique wildlife sightings: tree-climbing lions. These lions are often seen resting high in fig trees during the heat of the day, offering a rare and unforgettable safari moment. Ishasha is also home to other special species, including topi and the elusive sitatunga.

Leaving Queen Elizabeth National Park, continue towards Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, with a stop for lunch along the way. The scenery changes beautifully as you enter the Kigezi Highlands, with rolling hills, small farms, and breathtaking landscapes.

By late afternoon, you arrive at your lodge near Bwindi Forest. This ancient rainforest is one of Uganda’s greatest natural treasures. Covering 321 km², Bwindi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest forests in Africa. Its name means “impenetrable,” reflecting the thick vegetation and steep terrain that make the forest so unique.

Bwindi is best known as home to more than half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. But the forest is much more than gorillas. It also protects hundreds of bird species, forest elephants, primates, butterflies, and countless plants. It is a truly magical place and the perfect setting before tomorrow’s unforgettable gorilla trekking adventure.

Accommodation Options:

Simple: Ride 4 A Woman Guest House

Midrange: Gorilla Mist Camp

Semi Luxury: Buhoma Haven Community Lodge

Luxury: Buhoma Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today is the moment you have been waiting for, one of the greatest wildlife experiences on Earth: gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

After an early breakfast, you will head to the park headquarters for a briefing from experienced ranger guides. At around 8:00 AM, your adventure begins as you enter the ancient rainforest and follow forest trails in search of a mountain gorilla family.

Bwindi is home to around 540 mountain gorillas, almost half of the world’s remaining population. The trek can take anywhere from a short walk to several hours, depending on where the gorillas are located. The terrain can be steep and challenging, but every step through this magical forest is worth it.

Then comes the unforgettable moment, standing quietly near a gorilla family in their natural habitat. Watching them feed, rest, play, and interact just a few metres away is an emotional experience that stays with you forever. You will have one precious hour to observe these incredible animals and capture memories through your camera.

Although gorillas are the stars of Bwindi, the forest is full of life. Along the way, you may encounter other primates such as black-and-white colobus monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and many colourful forest species.

After your trek, return to the starting point to receive your gorilla trekking certificate and enjoy a well-deserved picnic lunch. Later, return to your lodge to relax and take in the peaceful surroundings. If you wish, you can spend the afternoon exploring the local community. A village walk or a visit to the Batwa people offers a deeper understanding of the culture and history of the people who have lived around this ancient forest for generations.

Accommodation Options:

Simple: Ride 4 A Woman Guest House

Midrange: Gorilla Mist Camp

Semi Luxury: Buhoma Haven Community Lodge

Luxury: Buhoma Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After a relaxed breakfast, you will leave Bwindi and begin the scenic drive to Lake Mburo National Park, the final park on your safari. Along the way, stop at the Igongo Cultural Centre for lunch. This popular stop is known for its excellent restaurant, craft shops, and one of Uganda’s best cultural museums.

After lunch, continue to Lake Mburo National Park, entering through the Sanga Gate. Just outside the park, you’ll see the famous long-horned Ankole cattle, an iconic symbol of western Uganda and a perfect photo opportunity.

Lake Mburo may be Uganda’s smallest savannah national park, but it is full of wildlife and beautiful scenery. The park is known for its rolling hills, acacia woodland, open grasslands, lakes, and wetlands. It is also the only national park in Uganda where you can easily see impalas and large herds of plains zebra.

On arrival, enjoy an afternoon game drive as you make your way to the lodge. Keep an eye out for zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, elands, topis, waterbucks, warthogs, hippos, and, with a bit of luck, leopards or hyenas. Lake Mburo is also a wonderful destination for birdwatchers, with more than 350 recorded bird species.

Arrive at your lodge in the late afternoon and take time to relax while enjoying the peaceful surroundings. As the sun sets over the savannah, enjoy your final dinner of the safari and reflect on the unforgettable experiences you’ve shared in the Pearl of Africa.

Accommodation Options:

Simple: Eagles Nest Mburo

Midrange: Rwakobo Rock

Semi Luxury: Rwakobo Rock

Luxury: Mihingo Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

After an early breakfast, embark on a nature walk, your final safari activity. Guided by a knowledgeable local expert, this walk takes you through some of Uganda’s most scenic savannah landscapes, dotted with iconic Acacia trees. Along the way, you may encounter primates, a wide variety of birds, and antelopes such as Common Eland, Waterbuck, Impala, Topi, Bushbuck, and Klipspringer. Larger wildlife like Spotted Hyena, African Buffalo, Giraffe, Plains Zebra, and Common Warthog may also make an appearance.

After the walk, begin the transfer back to Entebbe, a journey of about 4–5 hours. Along the way, stop at the Ugandan Equator at Kayabwe, a fun and unique opportunity to stand with one foot in the Northern Hemisphere and the other in the Southern Hemisphere. 

Capture memorable photos and browse for souvenirs to take home as a keepsake from your incredible Ugandan safari. Arrive at Entebbe International Airport, where you will say farewell to your guide before departing on your onward or homeward flights, taking with you memories of a truly unforgettable adventure.

Accommodation: Not included (End of tour)

Meal Plan: Breakfast

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6 Day Gorillas, Chimps & Wildlife Safari