9 Days Ultimate Gorilla and Primate Safari
This 9 Days Ultimate Gorilla and Primate Safari takes you on an exploration adventure of the Uganda’s prime attractions, enjoy incredible sightings of wildlife including four of the Big Five (lions, leopards, cape buffaloes and elephants) and trek the playful chimpanzees and the endangered mountain gorillas.
Highlights of 9 Days Ultimate Gorilla and Primate Safari
- Day 1 – Arrival & Transfer to Kampala
- Day 2 – Transfer Kibale National Park
- Day 3 – Trek Chimpanzees in Kibale Forest
- Day 4 – Kibale to Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Day 5 – Explore Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Day 6 – Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Day 7 – Gorilla Tracking Day
- Day 8 – Travel Back to Kampala
- Day 9 – Kampala City Tour – Departure
Detailed itinerary of 9 Days Ultimate Gorilla and Primate Safari
Day 1 – Arrival & Transfer to Kampala
On arrival at Entebbe International Airport you will be warmly welcomed by our representative – your driver guide and transfer you to your pre-arrange hotel in Kampala – the capital of Uganda. Spend the rest of day at leisure.
Overnight at Sheraton Hotel
Meal Plan: Dinner
Day 2 – Transfer Kibale National Park
After early breakfast, you will start your journey to Kibale Forest National Park “Africa’s Primate Capital”. The journey takes you past Mubende and Fort Portal in western Uganda, scenic views of the Rwenzori Mountains, large green tea estates and while in Fort Portal, you will get to visit the Toro Palace.
Arrive at the lodge in time for lunch, in the afternoon you will take a guided in the Bigodi Swamp Sanctuary where you will spot colourful birds and several primates including black and white colobus monkeys. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Overnight at Kibale Forest Camp
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 3 – Trek Chimpanzees in Kibale Forest
At 795 sq.km, Kibale Forest National Park is home to 13 primates including chimpanzees that is why it is called the Primate Capital of Africa. After breakfast, you will meet your guide and head to the park headquarters in Kinyanchu for briefing about chimpanzee trekking. A UWA guide will take you through rules and regulations to follow and how to conduct yourself, enter into the forest looking for chimpanzees.
The trek takes 3to 6 hours depending on the movement of the chimpanzees, during the trek through the forest lookout for various bird species and more primates like black and white colobus monkeys among others. You are allowed to spend only hour in the presence of chimpanzees, watch them play from on tree branch to another, groom each other, pick fruits and take amazing photos.
Return to the park headquarters, meet your guide and head back to your lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, visit Bigodi Community for an interaction with the locals, then proceed to Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary for a guided walk. This swamp offers excellent sightings of several bird species including flycatcher, scarlet-chested bird, grey-crowned crane, herons among others
Overnight at Kibale Forest Camp
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 4 – Kibale to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, you will checkout of your lodge and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park – the most popular wildlife park in Uganda. The park is famous for diverse ecosystems which including sprawling savannah, shady humid forest, wetlands and crater lakes.
With en-route game drive in the savannah plains, you will head to your lodge for check-in and lunch. In the afternoon you will go for a game drive on which you will see several animals including bushbucks, elephants, warthogs, hippos and more. Later return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Overnight at Bufalo Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 5 – Explore Queen Elizabeth National Park
Spend a full day exploring Queen Elizabeth National Park on a game drive and boat cruise on Kazinga Channel. A morning game drive in the Kasenyi Plains offers you a sight of several animals including waterbucks, impalas, Uganda kobs, warthogs, buffaloes, hippos, elephants among others.
Have lunch at your lodge and in the afternoon go for a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel, the channel connects Lake George to Lake Edward and is home to a huge concentration of hippos. As you slowly cruise on the calm waters, be on the lookout for hippos, crocodiles in the waters and buffaloes, elephants and several bird species along the banks. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Overnight at Bufalo Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 6 – Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After a leisurely breakfast, you will have a transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through the southern Ishasha Sector renowned for the rare tree climbing lions resting on tree branches. Continue to Bwindi with en-route lunch, arrive in the evening, check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Overnight at Silverback Lodge.
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 7 – Gorilla Tracking Day
Have an early breakfast, head to the park headquarters for briefing about gorilla trekking and the right way to behave while in the presence of the endangered mountain gorillas. After the registration and briefing, you will be assigned a gorilla family to trek in groups of 8 people.
Venture into the impenetrable forest looking for mountain gorillas, the trek takes approximately 2 to 6 hours depending on the movement of the chimpanzees and where they spent their previous night. With the help of your ranger guides who are in constant communication with trackers, you will be able to locate the gorilla family. You are only allowed to spend one hour in their presence, watch them feed, groom and take amazing pictures of them.
In the evening you may opt to rest at your lodge for go for a community tour where you will meet and interact with the Batwa –pygmy people, learn about their way of life such as hunting skills, medicinal knowledge, cuisines, art and crafts and many more interesting aspects of their life.
Overnight at Silverback Lodge.
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 8 – Travel Back to Kampala
After breakfast, checkout of your lodge and depart Bwindi for Kampala. You will have lunch-stopover in Mbarara for lunch and another stop at the Equator for pictures. Continue to Kampala city and upon arrival, you will be dropped off at the hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
Overnight at Sheraton Hotel
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 9 – Kampala City Tour – Departure
Have a leisurely breakfast, meet your guide and go for a half day tour of Kampala City and souvenir shopping. Thereafter, you will be transferred to the airport for your international flight back home.
End of 9 Days Ultimate Gorilla and Primate Safari
Inclusions
- Park fees
- Gorilla Permit
- All activities (unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodation as stated in the itinerary
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation (unless labeled as optional)
- All Meals (as specified in the day-by-day section)
Exclusions
- Tips (tipping guideline US$20.00 pp per day)
- Personal items (souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
- Alcoholic drinks
- Services not mentioned in the program
- Travel insurance and medical repatriation
- Items of a personal nature
