9 Days Ultimate gorilla and primate safari

This 9 Days Ultimate gorilla and primate safari offers you the most exciting Uganda primate safari experience, on this tour you will witness mountain gorillas and primates up-close, learn about their behavior and their way of life in their nature habitat. 

Places to visit on this Uganda primate safari include Kampala City, Kibale Forest National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. 

HIGHLIGHTS OF 9 DAYS ULTIMATE GORILLA AND PRIMATE SAFARI

Day 1: Arrival & Transfer to Kampala

Day 2: Depart Kampala City for Kibale National Park

Day 3: Adventure in the Primate Capital of Uganda

Day 4: Kibale to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 5: Explore Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 6: Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Day 7: Gorilla Tracking Day

Day 8: Travel Back to Kampala City

Day 9: City Tour of Kampala City

DETAILED ITINERARY OF 9 DAYS ULTIMATE GORILLA AND PRIMATE SAFARI

Day 1: Arrival & Transfer to Kampala

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be welcomed by our representative and transfer to your hotel in Kampala City. Spend the rest of the day at leisure, have dinner and spend the night.

Accommodation: Fairway Hotel Kampala 

Meal Plan: Dinner  

Day 2: Depart Kampala City for Kibale National Park

After breakfast, you will start your journey to Kibale National Park the primate capital of Uganda, along the way you will drive past Mubende and Fort Portal with scenic views of the Rwenzori Mountains, large green tea estates and the Toro Palace and people of Fort Portal. 

You will have lunch in Fort Portal and proceed to the park arriving in late afternoon. Spend the rest of the day at leisure, have dinner and stay overnight.

Accommodation: Kibale Forest Camp 

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner 

Day 3: Adventure in the Primate Capital of Uganda

After breakfast at your lodge, you will head to Kibale Forest National Park for a chimpanzee trekking experience, you will join other trekkers at the park’s headquarters for briefing about the way to behave while in the forest and presence of the chimpanzees. 

Kibale National Park at a size of 795 square kilometers is home to over 351 tree species which are over 200 years old, the park is famous for 13 primate species including chimpanzees, 70 mammal species and over 375 bird species.

Trek into the forests of Kibale Forest looking for chimpanzees, the trek takes approximately 2-4 hours and you will be able to see various bird species and primates like black and white colobus monkeys among others. After finding the chimpanzee group you are trekking, you will spend on hour in the presence of the chimpanzee taking pictures and observing the amazing behavior of the chimpanzees. 

Return to the lodge for lunch and in the afternoon, you will go for a Bigodi Community where you will freely interact with the locals, then proceed to Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary where you will spot various species of birds such as African hobby, great blue turaco, Black kite, Swamp flycatcher, Scarlet-chested bird, Grey-crowned crane, Herons, Weaver birds and primates such as black and white colobus monkeys. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay. 

Accommodation: Kibale Forest Camp 

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 4: Kibale to Queen Elizabeth National Park

After breakfast, you will checkout of the lodge and start off your journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park, along the way you will have a stopover at the equator then head to your lodge for check-in, lunch and short leisure. 

In the afternoon, you will go for a game drive exploring the savannah plains and enjoying sights of animals including bushbucks, elephants, warthogs, hippos and many more. At sunset, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Accommodation: Buffalo Safari Lodge 

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 5: Explore Queen Elizabeth National Park

Have a tasty breakfast, you will head to the park’s Kasenyi Plains renown for being a breeding site for the antelopes attracting predators such as lions and leopards which you will watch during the game drive.  Some other animals you will watch include elephants, buffaloes, hippos, impalas, waterbucks, kobs, warthogs and many more. 

Return to the lodge for lunch and in the afternoon, you will go for a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel where you will spot many birds like African fish eagle, pelicans, flamingos, Hammerkop, egrets, the African finfoot, pied kingfishers, marabou storks, vultures, kites and many more and many animals like hippos, buffaloes, warthogs, crocodiles, waterbucks as they cool off. In the evening, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay. 

Accommodation: Buffalo Safari Lodge 

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 6: Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After breakfast, you will transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with a game drive in the Southern Ishasha Sector offering you a chance to see the tree climbing lions, this is the only place where you can see the tree climbing lions in Uganda. 

On arrival in Bwindi, you will have lunch and spend the rest of the relaxing at the lodge or go for a visit the local communities situated along the borders of the park. Have dinner and stay overnight.

Accommodation: Silverback Lodge 

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 7: Gorilla Tracking Day

After early breakfast, you will head to the park’s headquarters for briefing at exactly 08:00 am, the briefing is conducted by a senior ranger who will take you through the rules and regulations to follow during the trekking, in groups of 8 people you will head in to the forests of Bwindi looking for a gorilla family assigned to you. 

Gorilla trekking is a very captivating and unforgettable experience on which you will encounter the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, you will spend one hour in the presence of the gorillas taking pictures and observing their amazing behavior. 

Return to the park’s headquarters to pick your trekking certificates and either head to the park’s headquarters or to the Batwa community for an interaction with the Batwa people, learn about their way of life such as hunting skills, medicinal knowledge, cuisines, arts and crafts and many more interesting aspects about their life. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay. 

Accommodation: Silverback Lodge 

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 8: Travel Back to Kampala City

After an early breakfast, depart Bwindi for Kampala, along the way you will have a lunch stopover in Mbarara then proceed to Masaka where you will have a stopover at the equator for photo opportunity. Proceed to Kampala city, check into your hotel for dinner and overnight stay. 

Accommodation: Fairway Hotel Kampala  

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 9: City Tour of Kampala City

After breakfast, you will have a half day tour of Kampala City and souvenir shopping, you will be transferred to the airport for your outbound flight back home. 

END OF 9 DAYS ULTIMATE GORILLA AND PRIMATE SAFARI  

 INCLUSIONS

 Park fees

 Gorilla Permit

 All activities (unless labeled as optional)

 All accommodation as stated in the itinerary

 A professional driver/guide

 All transportation (unless labeled as optional)

 All Meals (as specified in the day-by-day section)

 EXCLUSIONS

 Tips (tipping guideline US$20.00 pp per day)

 Personal items (souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)

 Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees

 Alcohol drinks

 Services not mentioned in the program

 Travel insurance and medical repatriation

 Items of a personal nature