08 Day Best of Uganda Gorillas, Chimpanzees, and Wildlife Safari

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, your driver guide will pick you up and brief you before heading out to Murchison Falls which is in the northern part of Uganda. Along the way, you will make a stop at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola if time arrows or you will do it on the day of transfer to Kibale forest NP.  Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is where rhinos are being reintroduced to the wild in Uganda. This will help you have a complete feel of the African Big Five mammals, as it is the rhinos, out of the Big Five that are missing in Murchison Falls National Park. You will go for a trek around the sanctuary on foot. You will have lunch at the sanctuary and some relaxation for an indefinitely short time. You will then embark on an exciting road trip to Murchison Falls, arriving in the evening. After checking in at the lodge, your safari guide will lead you for the game drive in Murchison Falls National Park in the lookout for the nocturnal and night grassers like lions, hyenas, and leopards among others. Afterwards, proceed back to the lodge for relaxation and dinner.

After an early morning warm-up tea/coffee, you will transfer for a game drive to the northern bank in searches of animals like lions, giraffes, oribis, elephants, Jackson’s hartebeests, Uganda kobs, buffaloes among other animals and bird species. You will then return to the lodge in time for lunch and relax preparing for yet an exciting activity in the afternoon. After lunch, transfer for a three hours boat ride on the Nile River to the bottom of falls where you will have the opportunity to view animals. Crocodiles and hippos are in the water while buffaloes, waterbucks, and elephants are often seen on the river bank grazing and drinking water. You will then have to hike to the top of the falls for a clear view of the falls. Return to your lodge for a relaxed evening, dinner, and overnight stay.

After a healthy breakfast, you will be transferred to Kibale Forest National Park, the capital world of primates such as chimpanzees, baboons, and monkeys, with en-route lunch meals. Upon arrival, you will check-in at your lodge for relaxation. Later in the day, you shall transfer to the Bigodi Wetlands, situated on the eastern edge of the forest. You shall have a light walk in the wetlands to observe plenty of wildlife including birds and many monkey species. You will retire for the day at lodge.

Assemble at the park headquarters for a briefing and then go for the most popular activity in this park - chimpanzee tracking. Chimpanzees are man’s closest cousins, though they are one of the most threatened primate species. More primates like the black and white colobus monkey, L’Hoest's monkey, grey-cheecked mangabey, red-tailed monkey, bushbaby, and potto. Many bird species like the yellow-spotted nicator, rumped tinker bird, little greenbul, green-breasted pitta, crowned eagle, black bee-eater and mammals like elephants can be seen on this walk. Have lunch and relax at your lodge. Later, transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park where you will view wild animals en-route as you transfer to the lodge for relaxation.

Have an early morning breakfast then go for a morning game drive within the park. Anticipate seeing the famous Big Five including buffalos, elephants, lions, and other mammals such as giant forest hogs, bushbucks, kobs, hyenas, and waterbucks. In the afternoon hours, you will partake in a launch cruise along the Kazinga Channel. You will appreciate the high scores of elephants, hippos, buffalos, and crocodiles. A number of bird species will also be seen including the rare shoebill. Dinner and your overnight stay are at the lodge.

Transfer through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park on the way to Bwindi. This area is known for its tree-climbing lions. In Ishasha, we will drive off in this adventurous vast savannah area with topis, African elephants and hopefully get to see the tree-climbing lions high in the fig tree branches. Continue the transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Here, you will experience a change in the landscape from flat savanna, via cultivated hills to jungle-covered mountains.

On this day, early in the morning your safari guide will meet you up from the lodge and have a short transfer to the briefing point at 7 am before you start your gorilla trekking activity. Upon arrival at the briefing point, you will be warmly welcomed by the Bakiga women who will entertain you with cultural performance until the time of the briefing. You will be assigned to the ranger guide and they will allocate you to the gorilla family in a group of 8 guests and finally start your gorilla trek in the forest of Bwindi. Sometimes gorilla trekking takes a lot of time being the fact that they can be located in a long-distance so you are advised to hire a porter to help you carry your backpacker and give a hand on the steep slippery path. Later, after gorilla trekking you will be transferred to Lake Bunyonyi for optional canoe riding, touring the lake and nature walk.

After breakfast, start on the long drive back to Entebbe / Kampala with the memory of the great rare mountain Apes. Lunch en route and a stopover at the equator line for experimentation, arriving late in the evening to be dropped at the Entebbe international Airport. We recommend to book your flight beyond 20:00 hours.