8 Days Chimpanzee Wildlife and Gorilla Safari

Playful young chimpanzees atop a tree in Kibale National Park

Visit Uganda for the amazing 8 days chimpanzee, wildlife and gorilla safari. This combined and well assorted chimpanzee wildlife and gorilla safari is one of the most favorite safaris in Uganda, since it gives visitors the biggest chances of meeting the rarest primates in Uganda.

Be ready for chimpanzee trekking and an excellent guided walk in in Kibale National Park, then a visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park, for an amazing wildlife safari, and finally, an amazing gorilla trekking tour in Bwindi Impenetrable National – well known for the rare mountain gorillas.

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Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival Entebbe Airport-Kampala

Upon arrival at the airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our guide who will then take you to either Serena Kampala Hotel (high-end), Cassia Lodge (mid-range) or Forest Cottages Kampala (budget-end), for an overnight stay and dinner. Meal Plan: Dinner.

Day 2: Kampala – Kibale National Park

After breakfast, you will depart from Kampala for a fascinating drive through papyrus swamps and thick jungle of the Nile delta to Kibale National Park just below the Rwenzori Mountains. Then get on an afternoon guided walk through the crater lakes area for outstanding views.

Meals and overnight stay at Kyaninga Lodge (luxury facility), Primate Lodge / Forest Cottage (mid-range) or Chimpanzee Guest House (budget facility). Meal Plan: B, L & D

Day 3: Chimpanzee Trekking Kibale

After breakfast you will be transferred to Kibale Headquarters for a briefing before setting off for another forest walk in search for chimpanzees. The guided forest walk provides information not only on chimpanzees and primates but also on other forest species, thus making it interesting.

The walk will reward you with other primates like Grey cheeked Mangabeys, Colobus monkeys, Red-tailed monkeys, and L’Hoest’s Monkey, so you don’t have to miss it.

After tracking the chimps, you will then go for a nature walk through the Bigodi swamp, to see unique flora and fauna, in the afternoon.

Meals and overnight stay at Kyaninga Lodge (luxury facility) or Primate Lodge/Forest Cottage (mid range) or Chimpanzee Guest House (budget facility). All with stunning location overlooking dramatic crater lakes and the fabled “Mountains of the Moon” in the background. Meal plan: L & D

Day 4: Kibale National Park – Queen Elizabeth Park

Begin your morning with a visit to the Nyakasura Falls (Amabeere ga Nyinamwiru) in Fort Portal, and thereafter drive to the south into Queen Elizabeth National Park, with amazing sightseeing and game viewing en route.

Dinner and overnight stay: Mweya Safari Lodge/Jacana Safari Lodge (luxury facility) or Enganzi Lodge (mid range) or Ihamba Safari Lodge Bandas (budget facility). Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 5: Queen Elizabeth Park

Dawn a game drive in Uganda’s best park, where all the big game can be seen in abundance. Queen is famous for tree climbing lions, giant African elephants and various antelopes like kobs. Expect to see some rarer animals like giant forest hogs, waterbucks and some bushbucks. There are more than 638 recorded bird species in the park!

Hippos racing with a Nile crocodile along Kazinga Channel

After lunch, enjoy a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel which connects Lakes Edward and George, with large numbers of buffaloes, hippos, bird species and other species on its bank.

Dinner and overnight stay: Mweya Safari Lodge/Jacana Safari Lodge (Lodge Facility) or Enganzi Lodge (Mid Lodge) or Ihamba Safari Lodge Bandas (Budget Facility). Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 6: Queen Elizabeth – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Today’s drive is through what is probably East Africa’s most spectacular scenery, the highland rainforests, which reach the volcanoes in which the mountain gorillas live. A visit to the bat cave close to Maramagambo forest or a glance of Kyambura gorge is a must!

Make a game drive at Ishasha on your way to Bwindi in search of the tree climbing lions. And later on drive to Bwindi via the beautiful scenery of the tea plantations. This is the lushest highland rain forest on earth, filled with primates and exotic birds.

The afternoon shall be spent on a foot safari with the local communities living around the park.

Dinner and overnight stay at either Buhoma Lodge/Mahogany Springs/Gorilla Safari Lodge (high end lodge) or Sliverback Lodge/Chameleon Hill Lodge (mid range) or Buhoma Community Bandas/Wagtail Eco Camp (budget facility). Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 7: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi

Begin the day with breakfast ready for gorilla trekking, which begins at 8:00am after a briefing from the Uganda Wildlife Authority staff. Ensure that you carry a rain jacket, drinking water, snacks and jungle boots among other gears, because of the forest experience ahead.

A closer up of a feeding Mountain gorilla in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Credit: BucketListly.blog

The guides will lead you inside the jungle to see the shy primates for a group you have been booked for. Do not forget to take your lunch boxes and all the necessary gear to track the rare mountain gorillas, because this tracking may take between 2 to 6 hours, but its well worth the effort.

Dinner and overnight stay at either Buhoma Lodge/Mahogany Springs/Gorilla Safari Lodge (high end lodge) or Sliverback Lodge/Chameleon Hill Lodge (mid range) or Buhoma community Bandas/Wagtail Eco Camp (Budget facility). Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 8: Bwindi – Kampala/Entebbe

After this chimpanzee and gorilla safari, you will return to Kampala, then Entebbe, with lunch en route. Get a stopover at Igongo Cultural Centre, to explore the life style of the Ankole and Bahima. Thereafter, proceed to the Equator crossing before your evening departure back home. Meal Plan: B & L.