9 Days Uganda gorilla and wildlife safari
The 9 days Uganda gorilla and wildlife safari is an amazing safari that will take you to Queen Elizabeth national park where you will view different animals like elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, giraffes, hippos, waterbucks, bushbucks, Uganda kobs, warthogs among others during the game drives and boat cruise on Kazinga channel. The 9 days Uganda gorilla and wildlife safari will also take you to Kibale Forest National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park where you will be able to spend time with the chimpanzees and endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.
Highlights of the 9 days Uganda gorilla and wildlife safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Entebbe
Day 2: Transfer to Kibale forest national park
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Day 4: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 5: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 6: Flight to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 8: Nature walk and relaxation
Day 9: Departure flight to Entebbe
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Entebbe
Depending on your arrival time at Entebbe international airport on the first day of the 9 days Uganda gorilla and wildlife safari, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then transfer to the hotel in Entebbe for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Transfer to Kibale national park
After breakfast on day 2 of the 9 days Uganda gorilla and wildlife safari, you will check out of the hotel and meet up with your driver guide to transfer 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 3: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Chimpanzee trekking,
After an early breakfast on day 3 of the 9 days Uganda gorilla 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 allocated a chimpanzee family to trek and a park guide who is conversant with trekking trails. 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, view some bird species, plants species among others. Once the chimpanzees are found you will be able to 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.
After lunch, you will go for an interesting Bigodi swamp walk where you will be able to view different bird species, primates, animals among others. After the swamp walk, you will drive back to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park-evening game drive
On day 4 of the 9 days Uganda gorilla and wildlife safari, you will have breakfast at leisure, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park. On the way you will enjoy great views of the crater lakes, tea plantations and upon arrival you will check into the lodge for lunch where after you will relax at the lodge and later go for an evening game drive in the park where you will be able to spot different animals including elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, Uganda kobs, warthogs, bush bucks, lions, leopards among others. After the game drive, you will drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Morning game drive/Lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise
Game drive
After an early breakfast on day 5 of the 9 days Uganda gorilla and wildlife safari, you will meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive where you will be able to view animals like elephants, lions, leopards, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, giant forest hogs, bird species 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, 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 6: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
On day 6 of the 9 days Uganda gorilla 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 south western part of Uganda. On the way, you will have a stopover in Ishasha sector where you will be able to spot the tree climbing lions if you are lucky and other animals like buffaloes, elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs among others. After the game drive in Ishasha sector, you will have en-route lunch and then continue with the journey to Bwindi forest national park. Upon arrival in the park you will check into the lodge, have dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking,
After an early breakfast on day 7 of the 9 days Uganda gorilla and wildlife safari, you will carry packed lunch and meet up with your driver to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations of gorilla trekking. Gorilla trekking takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are located. During trekking, you will have views of colorful bird species, animals, primates, plant and tree species among others. Once the mountain gorillas are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural environment which gives you an opportunity to watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, breast feeding, playing, ask questions, learn more about their behaviours, habits, take photos and take pictures.
After the encounter with the endangered mountain gorillas, you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking and then meet up with your driver guide to transfer back to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Guided nature walk and Batwa cultural tour
After an early breakfast on day 8 of the 9 days Uganda gorilla and wildlife safari, you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to go for a guided nature walk in the park where you will get up-close and personal with different wildlife species, enjoy views of the waterfall, listen to sweet sounds of bird species among others. After the nature walk, you will return to the lodge for lunch
After lunch, you will go for an interesting Batwa cultural tour where you will be able to interact with the Batwa people, learn about their culture, way of living, visit their homesteads, enjoy their traditional performance among others. After the cultural tour, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Departure flight to Entebbe
After an early breakfast on the last day of the 9 days Uganda gorilla and wildlife safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kihihi airstrip for your domestic flight to Entebbe international airport.
End of 9 days Uganda gorilla 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
- Guided nature walk
- Domestic flight fee (one way)
- All activities included in the itinerary
- An English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Pick up and drop off
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled water
Tour excludes
- Air flight tickets
- Visas
- personal insurance
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, cigarettes, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others
