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3-Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking & Safari Tours
There’s so much to see in Uganda, so much scenic variety and wildlife diversity, that the biggest dilemma when booking a 3-day safari can be choosing which highlight to visit. Or perhaps not! Actually, for anyone who places gorilla trekking near the top of their travel bucket list, the choice is probably a no-brainer. Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks are the most budget-friendly places in Africa to see wild mountain gorillas, and both form popular goals for a 3-day tour. But there are other great options in Uganda too, from chimp trekking in Kibale National Park to Big Five safaris in Murchison Falls National Park, and here we explore the pros and cons of them all.
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Best Seller
3-Day Queen Elizabeth Wildlife Safari Holidays
$657 pp (USD)
Uganda: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Entebbe (Start), Queen Elizabeth NP, Kyambura Gorge (Chimps), Entebbe (End)
Beautiful Safaris Uganda
5.0/5 – 36 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Short Uganda Tour Package Including Big 5 Sighting
$718 pp (USD)
Uganda: Private tourBudgetTented Camp
You Visit: Entebbe (Start), Murchison Falls NP, Entebbe (End)
Home To Africa Tours and Travel
4.9/5 – 278 Reviews
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3-Day Safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park
$880 pp (USD)
Uganda: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Entebbe (Start), Queen Elizabeth NP, Entebbe Airport (End)
Lulu Safaris Uganda
5.0/5 – 76 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Refreshing Your Mind in Murchison Falls NP
$880 pp (USD)
Uganda: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Entebbe (Start), Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch, Murchison Falls NP, Kampala (City), Entebbe (End)
NGONI Safaris Uganda
5.0/5 – 140 Reviews
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3-Day Bwindi Gorilla Trek from Kigali Rwanda
$1,419 pp (USD)
Rwanda & Uganda: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Kigali (Start), Bwindi NP (Gorillas), Kigali (End)
Kaara Adventures
5.0/5 – 44 Reviews
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3-Day Gorilla Tracking Mgahinga Gorilla NP Thru Rwanda
$1,430 pp (USD)
Rwanda & Uganda: Shared tour (max 8 people per group)
Mid-range HotelYou Visit: Kigali (Start), Mgahinga Gorilla NP (Gorillas), Kigali (End)
Safari 2 Gorilla Tours
4.8/5 – 47 Reviews
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3-Day Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable NP
$1,650 pp (USD)
Uganda: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Entebbe (Start), Bwindi NP (Gorillas), Lake Bunyonyi, Entebbe (End)
Kajie Safaris
5.0/5 – 108 Reviews
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3-Day Queen Elizabeth National Park and Chimp Trekking
$803 pp (USD)
Uganda: Private tour
Mid-range BandaYou Visit: Entebbe (Start), Queen Elizabeth NP, Entebbe (End)
Moroka Expeditions
4.8/5 – 11 Reviews
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Best Seller
3-Day Bwindi NP & Lake Bunyonyi Mid-Range Tour
$1,470 pp (USD)
Uganda: Shared tour (max 6 people per group)BudgetLodge
You Visit: Entebbe (Start), Lake Bunyonyi, Bwindi NP (Gorillas), Kampala (City), Entebbe (End)
Bugoli Adventures
5.0/5 – 10 Reviews
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Top Rated Operator
3-Day Tour to Queen Elizabeth National Park
$1,045 pp (USD)
Uganda: Shared tour (max 10 people per vehicle)BudgetLodge
You Visit: Entebbe (Start), Queen Elizabeth NP, Entebbe (End)
East African Jungle Safaris
5.0/5 – 136 Reviews
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3-Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari from Kigali
$1,419 pp (USD)
Rwanda & Uganda: Private tour
Mid-range Lodge & ResortYou Visit: Kigali (Start), Bwindi NP (Gorillas), Lake Bunyonyi, Kigali (End)
Frena Adventures
4.8/5 – 91 Reviews
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3-Day Primate and Murchison Falls Exciting Adventure
$913 pp (USD)
Uganda: Private tour
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Entebbe (Start), Murchison Falls NP, Kaniyo Pabidi (Budongo Forest), Entebbe (End)
Yaneta Safaris
4.7/5 – 42 Reviews
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3-Day Fly in Gorilla Trekking in Uganda
$2,841 to $2,978 pp (USD)
Uganda: Private tourBudgetLodge
You Visit: Entebbe (Start), Bwindi NP (Gorillas), Entebbe Airport (End)
Legit Holidays and Travels
5.0/5 – 6 Reviews
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3-Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking & Lake Bunyonyi
$1,595 pp (USD)
Uganda: Private tourBudgetLodge & Resort
You Visit: Entebbe (Start), Bwindi NP (Gorillas), Lake Bunyonyi, Entebbe (End)
Native Africa Tours
5.0/5 – 16 Reviews
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3-Day Uganda Budget Gorilla Safari
$1,551 pp (USD)
Uganda: Private tourBudgetLodge
You Visit: Kampala (Start), Bwindi NP (Gorillas), Kampala (End)
Bujo Safaris Uganda
5.0/5 – 13 Reviews
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3-Day High-End Gorilla Trekking Tour in Uganda
$2,334 pp (USD)
Uganda: Private tourLuxuryLodge
You Visit: Entebbe (Start), Bwindi NP (Gorillas), Lake Bunyonyi, Entebbe (End)
Trots & Safari Uganda
4.8/5 – 16 Reviews
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3-Day Gorilla Trekking and Wildlife Safari in Uganda
$1,485 pp (USD)
Uganda: Private tourBudgetLodge
You Visit: Entebbe (Start), Bwindi NP (Gorillas), Entebbe (End)
Gorilla Tour Booking Safaris
5.0/5 – 53 Reviews
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3-Day Murchison Falls National Park Wildlife Safari
$1,278 pp (USD)
Uganda: Shared tour (max 4 people per vehicle)
Mid-range LodgeYou Visit: Entebbe (Start), Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch, Murchison Falls NP, Entebbe Airport (End)
Bamboo Ecotours
5.0/5 – 101 Reviews
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3-Day Discover the Mountain Gorillas
$1,639 pp (USD)
Uganda: Shared tour (max 27 people per group)BudgetLodge
You Visit: Kampala (Start), Bwindi NP (Gorillas), Entebbe Airport (Entebbe), Kampala (End)
Bright Safaris Uganda
5.0/5 – 47 Reviews
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3-Day Gorilla Tracking Bwindi in Uganda
$1,905 pp (USD)
Uganda: Private tourBudgetLodge
You Visit: Kampala (Start), Bwindi NP (Gorillas), Entebbe (End)
Simba African Expeditions
4.9/5 – 60 Reviews
5 Questions About 3-Day Uganda Safaris
Answered by
Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs is an Africa-specialized travel writer who first visited Uganda in 1988 and has returned on numerous occasions to research his Bradt Guide to Uganda (first published in 1993 and now in its 9th edition) and to lead wildlife tours and bird-watching safaris.› More about Philip
5 Questions About 3-Day Uganda Safaris
Is 3 days enough time to see gorillas in Uganda?
“Yes, it is. Assuming you travel by road rather than using domestic flights, 3 days is the minimum duration of a gorilla trekking safari out of Kampala (Uganda’s capital) or nearby Entebbe (site of its main international airport). This is because it’s a 10-hour drive from Kampala/Entebbe to Bwindi/Mgahinga, so you need to spend 1 night at a lodge close to the trekking trailhead on either side of your gorilla visit. That said, while it is perfectly possible to track gorillas on a 3-day road safari out of Kampala or Entebbe, it will be quite a rushed trip that involves a lot of driving. If you don’t fancy spending the best part of 2 full days traveling from and to Kampala/Entebbe, you could think about flying, which is more costly but cuts down the travel time. Alternatively, you could look at extending your itinerary to incorporate visits to Queen Elizabeth and/or Kibale National Parks. Quite a number of Uganda gorilla safaris now start and end in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. This is because the drive from Kigali to Bwindi/Mgahinga is shorter – between three and six hours, depending on where exactly you’ll be trekking – but gorilla trekking permits in Uganda are far cheaper than in Rwanda (US$600 per person as opposed to US$1,500).”
1Where should I go on a 3-day safari in Uganda?
“Although gorilla trekking in Bwindi/Mgahinga is the most popular 3-day Uganda safari itinerary, there are plenty of other worthwhile options. A top choice for those hoping to see the Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino) in 3 days is a safari combining 2 nights in Murchison Falls National Park with a lunchtime stop to track white rhinos at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. A highlight of Murchison Falls is a boat trip to the base of the falls along a stretch of the Nile inhabited by hippos, crocodiles and plenty of tropical birds. Elephant, buffalo and giraffe are often seen from the boat or on game drives north of the river, where you also stand a fair chance of encountering lion and – if you are very lucky – leopard. Another popular option for a savannah safari is Queen Elizabeth National Park, which also hosts four of the Big Five. Overall, however, Queen Elizabeth’s location makes it better suited to being twinned with nearby Bwindi on a longer itinerary than to being the subject of a stand-alone 3-day visit. If you want to see great apes, but gorilla trekking stretches your budget, an excellent option would be chimp trekking in Kibale National Park, which is also notable for its beautiful crater lakes and diversity of forest monkeys and birds. Finally, if wildlife ranks lower on your priorities than adventure activities and walking, a great 3-day combination would be white-water rafting on the Nile near Jinja and a visit to Sipi Falls on the foothills of Mount Elgon.”
2What kind of accommodations can I expect?
“Uganda has accommodation to suit most tastes and budgets. If you’re looking to cut costs, the most affordable option is generally camping, which can be done at organized campsites in and around most national parks and other tourist attractions. When it comes to lodges, these range from comfortable and unpretentious midrange tented camps to exclusive state-of-the-art installations that positively exude bush chic. While the quality of your accommodation will generally reflect the cost of your safari, you’ll almost invariably be booked on a full-board basis that includes all meals.”
3What is the best time of the year for a trip in Uganda?
“The best time to travel in Uganda is during one of the two Dry seasons, which run from June to August and December to February. Travel conditions are also reasonably good in September and October, but less so during the main rainy season, from March to May (April is the wettest month in most parts of the country). Travel during the rains is most arduous if you’re going to be tracking gorillas or chimps. This is because the rainforest floor tends to be very muddy and slippery during the rains, and there’s also a higher chance of storms disrupting the experience (though this can happen at any time of year). Rain is less of a consideration overall if you’ll be traveling to a savannah reserve such as Murchison Falls or Queen Elizabeth.”
4How much will a 3-day safari in Uganda cost?
“A 3-day Uganda safari might cost anything from US$650 per person to more than US$4,000, inclusive of all park and activity fees, accommodation, meals, transport, and services of drivers and guides as required. That’s a pretty wide price span, admittedly, but it reflects the varied options available for 3-day safaris. The first big factor in determining the price of a tour package will be whether or not it includes gorilla trekking. If it does, then the price will have to incorporate a trekking permit, which costs US$600, meaning that the very cheapest 3-day gorilla safaris work out at around US$1,200 to US$1,400 per person. By contrast, a 3-day budget safari to somewhere like Murchison Falls will work out far more cheaply, typically around US$650 to US$900 per person. Other big factors that influence the cost of a safari are the quality of accommodation you’re booked into, and whether or not any domestic flights are involved.”
5Uganda Reviews
Mark is a travel writer who grew up in Africa and has written over 700 titles for Condé Nast Traveller, Travel Africa, BBC Wildlife and others.
Fantastic wildlife and some of the friendliest people in Africa make Uganda unbeatable
I spent a month travelling around Uganda with a self-drive, expedition-prepared Landcruiser and visited almost every national park in the country. Uganda was a revelation! I had not expected such a richness of wildlife or such great...
Sue is an award-winning writer who specializes in African travel and conservation. She writes for national newspapers, magazines, Rough Guides and Lonely Planet.
Great apes, great landscapes, great adventures
Most people understandably come to Uganda for its gorillas. Almost half of the world’s population of around 1,060 mountain gorillas lives in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla national parks, and spending that precious...
A country with a rich diversity of landscapes, people, and wildlife.
I explored Uganda for 12 days with Buyaga Safaris. The country is very diverse the culture, landscape, and wildlife can change a lot when traveling from one region to the next. The biggest highlights for myself as a wildlife photographer...
Absolutely gorgeous with amazing wildlife and friendly people.
I booked a two day solo tour to Murchinson Falls National Park through Immersion . My guide Andrew was so friendly and knowledgeable. He picked me up at my Airbnb in Kampala and was an excellent driver on some very busy and rustic roads. We...
Uganda has the most beautiful natural sceneries, the "big five" & a variety of birds
The safari with Yaneta was an amazing experience. If you want to see the big five, then Uganda's National parks such as Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth amongst others are the best places to visit and explore. Even birdlovers will be...
Trip of a lifetime!
Ronnie with Dav Safaris was awesome. The people and weather was great. We always felt safe. Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking was amazing. We paid extra to spend time with the chimps that were less acclimated to people. Don’t do that...