7 Days Uganda wildlife and primates safari
7 Days Uganda wildlife and primates safari (Kibale, Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi impenetrable national park)
This 7 days Uganda wildlife and primates safari is an interesting safari which will take you to Kibale national park also known as the primate capital in western Uganda where you will be able to spend time with chimpanzees in their environment. The safari will also take you to Queen Elizabeth national park where you will enjoy great views of abundant animals including elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs among others during the game drive and boat cruise on Kazinga channel. You will wrap up your 7 days Uganda wildlife and primates safari with a gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi impenetrable national park where you will have a face to face interaction with the endangered mountain gorillas in their habitat.
Highlights of the 7 days Uganda wildlife and primates safari
Day 1: Transfer to Kibale national park
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 4: Morning game drive/ lion tracking and afternoon boat cruise
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 6: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 7: Departure to Kampala
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Kibale forest national park,
Depending on your location on day 1 of the 7 days Uganda wildlife and primates safari, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then start the journey to Kibale national park in western Uganda. The journey takes about 5 to 6 hours drive and on the way you will enjoy stunning views of the traditional homesteads, local people, beautiful scenery, views of the Rwenzori Mountains, crater lakes, tea and banana plantations among others. You will have lunch in Fort Portal town and then continue to the park. Upon arrival you will continue to check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Chimpanzee trekking,
After an early breakfast on day 2 of the 7 days Uganda wildlife and primates safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a chimpanzee trekking briefing. After the briefing you will be grouped into 6 people, allocated a chimpanzee family to trek and a park guide who will lead you into the forest during trekking. Chimpanzee trekking is an interesting activity that starts at 8:00am and takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food especially during the dry season. During trekking you will be able to see other primates like red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, vervet monkeys, view some bird species, mammals, plants species among others. Once the chimpanzees are found you will be able spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn about their behaviors, habits, watch them feed, play, fight, hunt, mate, take photos and record the moments. After the one hour with the chimpanzees you will trek back to the park headquarters where meet up with your driver guide and return to the lodge for lunch.
Bigodi swamp walk
After lunch you will go for an exciting nature walk in Bigodi swamp where you will be able to view mammals like bushbucks, sitatungas, otters, different primate species such as black and white colobus monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, olive baboons, l’hoest monkeys, vervet monkeys, red tailed monkeys, different bird species including hornbills, kingfishers, parrots, grey crowned cranes, turacos, colorful butterflies, different plant and tree species among others. After the nature walk you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
On day 3 of the 7 days Uganda wildlife and primates safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park which is the second largest national park in Uganda. On the way you will be rewarded with spectacular views of the beautiful scenery and upon arrival you will check into the lodge for lunch. After lunch you will relax at the lodge and later go for an evening game drive where you will enjoy great views of the sundowner, view animals like elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, warthogs among other going back to their resting places. After the game drive you will drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive/ Lion tracking experience
After an early breakfast on day 4 of the 7 days Uganda wildlife and primates safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive or lion tracking experience in Kasenyi plains. During the game drive you will have great views of animals like buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, giant forest hog, elephants, bushbucks, lions, leopards, hyenas, views of different bird species among others. After the fascinating game ride you will return to the lodge for lunch.
Afternoon boat cruise,
After lunch you will go for an exciting boat cruise which is carried out on Kazinga channel a 40km long water channel that connects Lake Edward and Lake Gorge. During the boat ride which starts at around 2:00 pm an you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos and crocodiles in water, views of elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, antelopes along the shores, water birds like kingfishers, fish eagles, hornbills, cormorants, bee-eaters among others. After the boat cruise which takes about 2 hours you will drive back to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
After breakfast on day 5 of the 7 days Uganda wildlife and primates safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park in south western Uganda. The journey takes about 3 to 4 hours drive and on the way you will have a stopover at Ishasha sectors in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park. Ishasha sector is famously known for harboring tree climbing lions which will be seen lying up in fig/ acacia tree branches during the game drive. You will also be able to see other animals like Uganda kobs, buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs, elephants among others. After the game drive you will have en-route lunch and after continue the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park which harbors half of the world’s mountain gorilla population. Upon arrival you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking,
After an early breakfast on day 6 of the 7 days Uganda wildlife and primates safari, you will carry packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking. After the briefing you will be grouped into 8 people, allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek and a park guide who is knowledgeable about the mountain gorillas and also conversant with trails in the jungle. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park starts at around 8:00am and takes about 30 minutes to 8 hours depending on where the gorillas slept the previous night. During trekking you will have views of bird species, other primates like chimpanzees, l’hoest monkeys, red tailed monkeys, different plant and tree species among others. Once the mountain gorillas are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their environment where you will be able to watch them feed, breastfeed, groom young ones, play, observe their behaviors, take photos and record the breathtaking moments. After the face to face encounter with the mountain gorillas you will trek back to the starting point where you will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking, meet up with your driver guide to return back to the lodge for late lunch.
After lunch you will go for an optional cultural tour where you will visit the Bakiga and Batwa people in the surrounding community. The Batwa/pygmies are the old people who used to live in the forest before it was gazetted into a national park. During the cultural tour you will be able to learn about their culture, history, way of living, learn how to cook their traditional dishes, listen to their ancient stories, enjoy their traditional entertainments among others. After the cultural tour you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Departure to Kampala
After a relaxed breakfast on the last day of the 7 days Uganda wildlife and primates safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kampala. On the way you will have great views of the Kigezi hills, terraced farmlands, traditional homesteads and en-route lunch in Mbarara town. After lunch you will proceed the journey to Kampala with another stopover at the Equator in Kayabwe to take photos and buy souvenirs. Upon arrival in Kampala your driver guide will drop you off at Entebbe international airport for your departure flight or drop off at any place of convenience.
End of 7 days Uganda wildlife and primates safari
Tour includes
- Gorilla trekking tour
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Park entrance fees/ game drives
- Boat cruise fees
- Cultural tour
- Professional English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Ground transfers (in a 4WD vehicle)
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled water
Tour excludes
- International air flight tickets
- Visas
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Life insurance
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.
