This 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari will take you to Queen Elizabeth national park where you will enjoy great views of animals like elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, hippos, waterbucks, bushbucks, Uganda kobs, hyenas, crocodiles, view different bird species among others during the game drive and boat cruise on Kazinga channel. The Uganda safari will also take you to Kibale forest national park and Bwindi impenetrable national park where you will be able to spend one hour with the endangered chimpanzees and mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.

 Highlights of the 8 days Uganda primates safari

Day 1: Transfer to Kibale forest national park

Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk

Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park

Day 5: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park

Day 6: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park

Day 7: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

Day 8: Departure to Kampala

Detailed itinerary

Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Kibale forest national park,

Depending on your arrival time at Entebbe airport on the first day of the 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife 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 6 to 7 hours’ drive and on the way you will have en-route lunch and enjoy stunning views of the traditional homesteads, local people, beautiful scenery, views of the Rwenzori Mountains, crater lakes, tea plantations among others. Upon arrival in the park you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk

Chimpanzee trekking,

After an early breakfast on the second day of the 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari, you will 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 you will meet up with your driver guide and return back 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

After a relaxed breakfast on the third day of the 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari, you will check out of the lodge and start the journey to Queen Elizabeth national park which is the second largest national park in Uganda. The journey to Queen Elizabeth national park takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive and on the way you will enjoy great views of the beautiful landscape, scenery among others. Upon arrival in the park, you will check into the lodge for lunch where after you will relax and then go for an evening game drive where you will be able to view different animals like elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bush bucks, warthogs among others. After the game drive, you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and after noon boat cruise

Game drive/ lion tracking experience,

After an early breakfast on the fourth day of the 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari, you will meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive or lion tracking experience which is commonly done in Kasenyi plains. During the game drive you will be able to view animals like elephants, lions, leopards, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, giant forest hogs, bird species like grey crowned cranes, yellow throated long crow, red throat spur fowl, African white backed vulture, African wattled plover, black bellied bustard, black headed gonolek among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.

Boat cruise,

After lunch you will go for an amazing boat cruise on Kazinga channel a water body that connects Lake George and Lake Edward. The scheduled boat cruise starts at 2:00pm and takes about 2 to 3 hours, during the boat cruise you will be able to cruise near large concentration of hippos and crocodiles in water, animals like elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs on the shores of the lake, bird species like saddle bill stork, long tailed cormorant, African shoebill, yellow billed stork, pink backed pelican, black crake, view fishermen preparing their fishing gears among others. After the boat cruise you will drive to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park

On the fifth day of the 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari, you will have breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park in southwestern part of Uganda. You will pass via Ishasha sector where you will view the tree climbing lions lying up in acacia, fig tree branches staring on the antelopes which will be feeding in the open savannah plains. After the game drive in Ishasha sector you will go for lunch and then continue with the journey to Bwindi forest which takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive. Upon arrival in the park you will check into the lodge, have dinner and overnight.

Day 6: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park

Gorilla trekking,

After an early breakfast on the sixth day of the 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife 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 6 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 go for an optional cultural tour where you will be able to interact with the batwa people who used to live in Bwindi forest before it was gazetted into a national park, learn about their culture, history, visit their homesteads, enjoy their traditional performances among others. After the cultural tour, you will return back to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Day 7: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

After breakfast on the seventh day of the 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale. The journey takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive and upon arrival you will go for an amazing boat cruise which is done in a wooden dugout canoe. During the boat cruise you will be able to take beautiful photos, explore some of the 29 Islands on Lake Bunyonyi such as the punishment island, view traditional homesteads, terraced farmlands, beautiful scenery, local people, some animal species, birds like herons, egrets, pied crow, grey crowned crane among others. After the boat ride you will drive to the lodge for lunch.

Community tour,

After lunch you will go for an evening community tour in the neighboring communities around the lake such as the Batwa or pygmies and the Bakiga. During the community tour you will be able to interact with the local people which gives you an opportunity to visit their homesteads, farmlands, market centers, learn more about their ways of life, culture and traditions, take part in their traditional songs, dance and drama, taste their local food among others. After the community tour, you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 8: Departure to Kampala

After a relaxed breakfast on the last day of the 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife 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 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari

Tour includes                        

• Gorilla trekking permit
• Chimpanzee trekking permit
• Park entrance fees/ game drives
• Boat cruise fees
• Lion tracking experience
• Bigodi swamp walk
• Community tour
• Services of a professional English speaking driver guide
• Full board accommodation
• Ground transfers (in a 4WD vehicle)
• Vehicle and fuel
• Bottled drinking 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.