Trekking African mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is the ultimate highlight of this 5-Day Uganda Gorillas & Wildlife Safari.
Our remarkable Uganda Lodge Safari includes:
An affordable and unforgettable wildlife, scenic and cultural experience in unique Uganda!
This Uganda Lodge Safari departs from Kampala after breakfast on day one. From the capital of Uganda, Kampala, we travel through the papyrus swamps and dense jungles of the Nile Delta area, making our way to Kibale National Park.
Arriving at Kibale, located at the foot of the Ruwenzori Mountains, we head off on a guided afternoon walk. We explore the crater lakes of the national park on our walk and experience the local culture.
Then we have dinner at our accommodation.
Our day starts with an early breakfast before meeting our guide for a briefing on chimpanzee trekking in the Kibale forest. We then head off on foot to track the chimpanzees of Kibale National Park, home to an impressive 500 chimpanzees. The dense jungles of Kibale Park are considered the best place to view chimpanzees in Africa.
The chimpanzees are commonly found feeding on fig tree fruits in the game park and have been habituated to humans since 1992. The guided walk offers a great opportunity to learn more about chimpanzees and other primates, along with the various creatures of the jungle. Kibale National Park covers 795 km² of mostly equatorial rainforest terrain. This national park is home to numerous forest wildlife species, boasting one of the highest concentrations of primates in the world. The 13 primate species include the rare I’Hoest’s monkey, black-and-white colobus and Uganda red colobus, red-tailed and blue monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey and bushbabies.
After our guided chimpanzee trek we travel south to the Queen Elizabeth National Park, taking in the sights and looking out for game as we drive. In the evening we embark on a two-hour boat trip on the Kazinga Channel, getting up close to hippos, buffalos and other wildlife. The boat trip offers excellent bird watching opportunities, as well as the chance to see elephants, warthogs and Kobs. The banks of the channel are home to a rich variety of birds, including Pink-backed Pelicans, Pied and Malachite Kingfishers and Saddle billed Stork.
The Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda's most popular protected area and covers about 1978 km². The park is scenically located on the rift valley floor between Lake Edward and Lake George flanked by towering mountains in the distance. The game park is set among hills and lakes and consists mostly of euphorbia tree-studded savannahs or grasslands. The varied habitats within Queen Elizabeth National Park host 95 mammal and 612 bird species.
Tonight we enjoy dinner at our accommodation near Queen Elizabeth National Park.
After coffee we set off on an early morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth Park, exploring the area along Kasenyi and Queens Mile.
Wildlife sightings include elephants, lions, buffalo, Ugandan kob, waterbuck, warthogs and various birds. Next our journey takes us along the impressive craters of the western Rift Valley escarpment and the Ishasha section of Queen Elizabeth National Park. We take a game drive en route, looking out for wildlife, especially the tree climbing lions found in this southern part of the game park.
Following our rewarding game drive we travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, arriving in the evening. Bwindi National Park is home to the endangered African Mountain Gorillas, along with a rich diversity of wild animals and plants. Inhabitants include various other primate species, such as the blue and red tailed monkeys.
We enjoy dinner and stay over near Bwindi.
Today we set off on the once-in-a-lifetime experience of trekking mountain gorillas in the wild. The day starts with an early morning breakfast, before meeting up with our guides from the Uganda Wildlife Authority for a briefing on the gorilla trek.
We then head off into the dense vegetation of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, best known for endangered gorilla trekking, considered the highlight of visiting Uganda. This gorilla walk can take up to six hours, so a reasonable degree of fitness and a sturdy pair of walking shoes are required. The thrill of encountering these gentle primates in the wild is well worth the sometimes challenging trek through the thick undergrowth.
The adventure trek through the jungle takes us in search of a group of gorillas. Once we find the African Mountain Gorillas we spend some time watching them feed and interact with each other. We get to hear the gorillas communicating with one another and marvel at the sheer size of the dominant adult male gorillas, called Silverbacks. Encountering these giant apes is one of Africa’s most poignant wildlife experiences. Each gorilla encounter is unique, offering its own rewards. We generally get up close to the adult gorillas to watch them feeding, grooming and resting, as well as witnessing the young gorillas at play.
In the afternoon we explore a local community on foot, to gain insight into the ways of the Ugandan people living near Bwindi Park and support this local initiative. After our walk in Buhoma village we have a drink together, recounting our unforgettable adventures with the African Mountain Gorillas. Then it is time to relax and recuperate at our accommodation enjoying the peaceful setting in nature.
Located in southwestern Uganda Bwindi Impenetrable National Park covers part of the diverse Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is best known for its primate populations, being home to about half the world’s mountain gorillas. There are only about 1000 endangered mountain gorillas in total in the wild. The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest ecosystem is exceptionally high in biodiversity, with rich flora and fauna species. This lush forested area hosts some of the richest tree, small mammal, bird, butterfly, reptilian, and moth populations.
Bwindi is a birding paradise, home to 348 bird species. This area is one of Uganda’s best bird-watching destinations supporting nearly all of the Albertine Rift endemic species found in Uganda, along with several Red Data Book species.
The Bwindi Forest of Uganda is an ancient rainforest, said to have survived the last ice age. A recently proclaimed World Heritage Site, Bwindi is one of the most biologically diverse areas in the world hosting unique and precious floral species. There's also a substantial chimpanzee population and research shows that Bwindi is the only forest in Africa where these two apes live together.
We enjoy an early breakfast on day five and then return to Kampala, visiting Igongo Cultural Village en route. Here we learn about the Bahima and Ankole cultures of Uganda, glimpsing the history of these interesting people.
Along the way we cross the equator, stopping to take photographs and to have lunch. We arrive back in Kampala and Entebbe (airport drop-off can be arranged) in time to catch evening flights, bringing this Uganda Gorilla Safari to a close.
This tour offers a choice of accommodation ranging from budget to mid-range and high end. For more information please see the full pricing information.
This tour does take children.
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