The highlight of this 6-day Uganda Safari is mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, known for its high biodiversity and excellent birding!
This Private Uganda Tour includes:
On this Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari, you have a choice of accommodation options including budget, mid-range and luxury lodges. You will be led by trained safari guides on the gorilla trek in Bwindi Forest and the services of a driver and guide are included in the Uganda tour price.
The Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari Adventure departs from Entebbe, where you are collected from your pre-tour accommodation. Setting off northwest we take a scenic drive through the renowned Luwero Triangle area. We proceed to Masindi via the Ziwa Rhino Project, stopping to visit the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. At the rhino sanctuary, we go rhino trekking - a highlight of our Uganda Safari.
After lunch, we visit a community project, empowering the Boomu women, and then we head to Murchison, set at the top of the Murchison Falls with panoramic views of the Victoria Nile River section of the White Nile. At the Falls the river plummets 45 metres into the gorge below! We admire the Nile River as it passes through a seven-metre canyon at the roaring falls, forming rainbows in the misty spray above.
Murchison Falls National Park is one of Uganda’s oldest conservation areas and the largest game park in Uganda, covering 3,893 km². The national park consists mostly of untamed African Savannah bushveld and lies in the northern Albertine Rift Valley, where the Bunyoro escarpment meets the vast plains of Acholiland. The Murchison Falls National Park is bisected by the mighty River Nile with its impressive Murchison Falls.
From the falls we drive to our accommodation, admiring the sunset as we drive.
Day two of our Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari starts with a fresh cup of African coffee. We then embark on a game drive in the Murchison Falls National Park.
Your guide takes you in search of Africa's wildlife, including elephants, lions, buffaloes, Rothschild's giraffes, hyenas and numerous crocodiles and hippos. The national park is also home to various antelopes, such as hartebeest, waterbuck, Oribi, bushbuck, and reedbuck. If we are lucky we may even spot the elusive leopard in the park. We return to the lodge for breakfast and a rest.
After lunch, we embark on a boat cruise on the calm waters of the Victoria Nile. Along the way, we keep an eye out for wallowing hippos and crocodiles from our boat. We may also see other wild animals as we go, including elephant, waterbuck and Ugandan Kob, found along this 17 km stretch of river. This riverine area also hosts numerous bird species, from the Goliath heron, rare shoebill stork and pelican bee-eater, to the kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant and Egyptian goose.
Our boat cruise takes us to the base of the Murchison Falls, stopping tens of metres away from the "Devil's Cauldron". We see the falls from a new perspective, admiring the world's longest river as it courses through the narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment.
Overnight and dinner at the same accommodation.
Today is spent driving south to the market town of Fort Portal via Hoima. We pass through the lush countryside of farms and traditional homesteads on the Albertine Rift escarpment. Fort Portal is located at the base of the fertile Rwenzori Mountains, also known as the Mountains of the Moon in Uganda.
Meals and overnight near Kibale Forest and the fabled Mountains of the Moon.
Our day starts early, with chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park, home to an impressive 500 chimpanzees. The chimpanzee trek is conducted by a knowledgeable guide who tells us all about the local fauna and flora.
The dense jungles of Kibale Park are said to be 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. Kibale National Park covers 795 km² and consists mostly of a vast tract of equatorial rainforest. 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 bush babies.
In the afternoon we travel south to the Queen Elizabeth National Park, taking in the sights and looking out for wildlife as we drive. This scenic drive passes wetlands, crater highlands and forested hills where a diversity of creatures are found.
Our next destination is Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to the endangered African Mountain Gorillas, along with a rich variety of wild animals, insects and plants. Inhabitants include various other primate species, such as blue and red-tailed monkeys.
Dinner and overnight stay amid the forests and lush hills of Bugambira.
Day five starts with an early morning breakfast, before meeting up with our official guide from the Uganda Wildlife Authority for a brief on gorilla trekking. Then we embark on the once-in-a-lifetime experience of trekking mountain gorillas in the wild forests of Uganda.
We head off into the dense vegetation of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, best known for endangered gorilla trekking, which is considered one of the most remarkable wildlife encounters in the world.
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.
This rewarding 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 rarest and 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 feed, groom, and rest, as well as witness 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. See what rural life is like in this part of Africa, meet the locals and support the Buhoma community in the process. After our walk in Buhoma village, we return to the intimate lodge and have a drink together, recounting our unforgettable adventures with the African Mountain Gorillas.
Dinner and overnight stay near Bwindi.
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 in 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 are both found.
We enjoy an early breakfast on day six and then return to Kampala and Entebbe, visiting Igongo Cultural village en route. Here we learn about the Bahima and Ankole cultures of Uganda, getting a glimpse into the history of these interesting people.
Then we cross the Equator, stopping to take photographs and to have lunch along the way. We arrive back in Kampala and Entebbe in time to catch evening flights (airport drop-off can be arranged on request), bringing this Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari Adventure to a close.
This Uganda Safari offers a choice of accommodation options 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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