7-Day Ugandan Gorilla and Chimp Trekking Safari

• You'll be collected from the airport.
• Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Entebbe - Kibale Forest National Park

Today we drive west toward Fort Portal and Kibale Forest National Park (about five hours). Traveling on both asphalt and unpaved roads, you’ll pass through traditional Ugandan villages where people tend their crops of millet, sorghum, beans, and maize. The lush rolling hills of this region offer excellent photo opportunities. As you approach Fort Portal in the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains, you enter Uganda’s famous tea plantation region. A carpet of green stretches before you, providing a striking contrast to the countryside you have just passed. After arriving in Fort Portal, you’ll continue toward Kibale Forest, one of Africa’s great rainforest research reserves. Years of scientific study have habituated many of its animals to human presence. The forest is well known for its variety of primates and is also an excellent area for birdwatching.

Main Destination:

Kibale National Park (Chimps)

Best Time To Visit January to February and June to July (Chimp trekking is easiest)

High Season June to September (Peak time for Uganda)

Best Weather January to February and June to July (Least rain)

Wildlife in Kibale NP

ChimpanzeeCommon

ElephantOccasional

BuffaloOccasional

LionVery Rare

LeopardVery Rare

HippoRare

Show more

GiraffeNone

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

CheetahNone

ZebraNone

WildebeestNone

Accommodation:

Kibale Forest Camp (Safari Tent)

• Mid-range tented camp located just outside Kibale NP (Chimps)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Kibale Forest National Park

Assemble at Kanyankyu River Camp at 0800 hours for the most popular activity in this park: chimpanzee tracking. Chimpanzees are humans’ closest relatives, though they are among the most threatened primate species. Other primates such as black-and-white colobus monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, red-tailed monkeys, bush babies, and pottos can also be seen, along with many bird species like the yellow-spotted nicator, rumped tinkerbird, little greenbul, green-breasted pitta, crowned eagle, and black bee-eater, as well as mammals such as elephants. Kibale National Park, averaging about 3,300 feet in elevation, is an extension of the great rainforests of Central Africa. It is home to three large chimp communities, each with more than 100 individuals. Each community has a complex social structure, with dominant adult males defending the territory against intruding males, while females usually move in small family groups.

Main Destination:

Kibale Forest National Park (Chimps)

Accommodation:

Kibale Forest Camp (Safari Tent)

• Mid-range tented camp located just outside Kibale NP (Chimps)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Kibale Forest National Park - Fort Portal - Queen Elizabeth National Park

After breakfast, we will drive to Fort Portal and visit the Amabere Caves in the Nyakasura area. This is the traditional home of the Bachwezi, who were believed to be demi-gods. The area still contains historical regalia of the Bachwezi, offering insight into the lives they led while on earth before their mysterious disappearance. You will then take a nature walk to the ancient crater lakes, whose history is also linked to the Bachwezi. You will be amazed by the lakes' beauty. Afterwards, we drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park through Fort Portal town, turning south and entering the park early in the afternoon. The park is dominated on its northern border by the snow-capped 16,000-foot Rwenzori Mountains—the famed “Mountains of the Moon.” This 767-square-mile conservation area is bordered on the northeast by Lake George and on the southwest by Lake Edward, with its western boundary adjoining the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Parc du Virunga.

Main Destination:

Fort Portal (Town)

Accommodation:

Mweya Hostel

• Budget guest house located inside Queen Elizabeth NP

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Queen Elizabeth National Park

We will set out early in the morning for a game drive in the northern part of the park along the Kasenyi Track in search of lions, elephants, and solitary buffaloes. This is the best time to spot cats in action due to the large population of Uganda kobs. There is an excellent chance to see many animals at close range. In the afternoon, we will take a launch trip along the Kazinga Channel, offering an opportunity to view wildlife up close. Hippos huff and spray near the boat, buffalo linger in the shallows, and elephants gather to drink, along with many other animals. About 80% of the wildlife in Queen Elizabeth National Park can be found along this channel. The shores are also home to numerous bird species, including pink-backed pelicans, pied and malachite kingfishers, saddle-billed storks, and many others.

Main Destination:

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Best Time To Visit January to February and June to July (Dry seasons)

High Season June to September (Peak time for Uganda)

Best Weather June to July and January to February (Less rainfall)

Wildlife in Queen Elizabeth NP

ChimpanzeeOccasional

ElephantCommon

LionCommon

BuffaloCommon

HippoAbundant

LeopardOccasional

Show more

GiraffeNone

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

CheetahNone

ZebraNone

WildebeestNone

Wild DogNone

Accommodation:

Mweya Hostel

• Budget guest house located inside Queen Elizabeth NP

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Queen Elizabeth National Park - Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

We will drive through the Ishasha sector in search of the tree-climbing lions. Nowhere in Africa offers a better chance of seeing them than in the large, low-limbed fig trees of Ishasha. This game drive en route provides an opportunity to spot animals you may have missed during earlier drives in Kasenyi and Queen’s Mile. Afterwards, we will continue toward the breathtaking Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Main Destination:

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)

Best Time To Visit June to August and December to February (Gorilla trekking is easiest)

High Season June to September (Gorilla permits are scarce)

Best Weather June to July and December to February (Less rainfall)

Wildlife in Bwindi Impenetrable NP

GorillaCommon

ChimpanzeeRare

ElephantRare

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionNone

Show more

GiraffeNone

LeopardNone

CheetahNone

BuffaloNone

ZebraNone

WildebeestNone

HippoNone

Accommodation:

Gorilla Valley Lodge

• Mid-range lodge bordering Bwindi Impenetrable NP (Gorillas) without fences

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After breakfast, you will participate in a morning briefing before beginning the highlight of the trip: gorilla trekking, which may last the entire day. Accompanied by a guide and trackers, you will trek through the rainforest and bamboo-covered slopes in search of a mountain gorilla family. The walk can be long and challenging at times, but once you catch a glimpse of the magnificent silverback, any discomfort will quickly be forgotten. When the gorillas are found, visitors are guided to within six meters of them and spend one hour observing these incredible animals up close.

Gorilla trekking is unpredictable, and it is difficult to know in advance how long the hike will take. The trek can last from two to eight hours, often covering steep and muddy terrain, sometimes in the rain, before encountering the gorillas. Good physical condition is recommended. For conservation reasons, the time spent with the gorillas is limited to one hour.

Main Destination:

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)

Accommodation:

Gorilla Valley Lodge

• Mid-range lodge bordering Bwindi Impenetrable NP (Gorillas) without fences

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park - Kampala

Enjoy an early breakfast before beginning the return journey to Kampala, driving down the grassy and terraced escarpments of southwestern Uganda while taking in the breathtaking views of the region known as the “Little Switzerland of Africa.” This area is a highly fertile, mountainous region with steep hills covered from top to bottom in neatly terraced and cultivated rows. As we pass through Mbarara, you will also see the impressive long-horned Ankole cattle. A memorable highlight of the trip is crossing the Equator, where we will make a brief stop. We will arrive in Kampala in the evening, in time for your flight back home.

Main Destination:

Kampala (City)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

• Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
• You'll be dropped off at the airport.