14 Days Uganda Gorilla Tracking Safari
14 Days Uganda Gorilla Tracking Safari
Our 14 Days Uganda Gorilla Tracking Safari will take you from central to the south and then to the Northern parts of Uganda giving you a chance to explore the major safari destinations of Uganda. On this 14 Days Uganda Gorilla Tracking Safari you will have an opportunity to trek and see all the prime primates of Uganda including Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi and Chimpanzees in Kibale Forest National Park, you will as well have time to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo National Park and Ziwa Rhino sanctuary for Big game Safari to see all the Big 5 animals. This 14 Days Uganda Gorilla Tracking Safari is an all-inclusive tour that will start and end in Kampala/Entebbe and includes return airport transfers.
Tour Highlights:
Pick up from Kampala/Entebbe and Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Gorilla tracking experience and optional community walk
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park for an evening game drive
Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga Channel.
Morning game drive and transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi wetland walk
Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park via a visit to the top of the falls and an en-route game drive to your lodge for overnight.
Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise to the bottom of the falls
Morning Delta cruise and afternoon game drive
Transfer to Kidepo National Park for an evening game drive
Full day Game drives in Kidepo National Park
Full Day Game drives in Kidepo National Park
Travel in detail:
DAY 01:
Pick up from Kampala/Entebbe and Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
You will either be picked up from Entebbe international airport or from your hotel/guest house in Kampala/Entebbe and drive south to Bwindi, you will have a stop visit at the Equator and a stopover for en-lunch, you will then proceed to Bwindi impenetrable national park arriving in the evening at the Lodge for check-in dinner and overnight.
Drive time: 8-9 hours drive
Lodging: Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge/Rushaga Gorilla Camp
Meal plan: Full Board
DAY 02:
Gorilla tracking Experience and community walk
After breakfast at the lodge, you will drive to the park headquarters for briefing from the Uganda wildlife Authority ranger guides who will allocate you a gorilla family group you will trek that day. Once you have your group confirmed 8 people, the 2 ranger guides will lead you into the thick impenetrable forest to start your search for the endangered rare species of Mountain Gorillas. The gorilla search always continues from the place where they were last seen the previous day. Upon reaching the area where these famous species are, you will only be allowed to interact with them for only one hour and you should always keep maximum silence while with these Gorillas. You are allowed to take photographs and so on. 14 Days Uganda Gorilla Tracking Safari
Gorilla tracking can sometimes be strenuous depending on the trek that day which is normally determined by weather and the movement of the gorillas in the forest but given the fact it is very well organized activity you have 99% chances of seeing the gorillas on your trek. The trek is guided by advanced trackers who monitor the mountain gorilla movements all day in the forest with this they will know where they nested for the last night and that’s where you start from looking for them. The 2 ranger guides will lead you all through the trek clearing trails, creating new trails and sharing with you information about the mountain gorillas and Bwindi forest. After the trek you will retrieve back to the starting point to pick your certificates as a sign of successful tracking of mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
Accommodation: Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge/Rushaga Gorilla Camp
DAY 03:
Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast you will drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park arriving in the afternoon at the park, you will have an en-route and stops along the way for sightseeing. On arrival at the hotel you will be warmly welcomed and check-in for relaxing, later you will go for an evening game drive to search for late grazers and after return to the Lodge for overnight.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is the most popular and diverse conservation area with a variety of habitats ranging from grassland, acacia woodland, forests, wetlands and open water this sustains a wide range of mammals with the major ones the Big 4 animals and a remarkable tally of bird life boosting to over 604 bird species.
Lodging: Elephant Hab Lodge/Pumba Safari Lodge
DAY 04:
Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Cruise on Kazinga Channel
After your breakfast you will drive to Kasenyi plains for a morning game drive to search for early bird wildlife. Some of the animals you will see include are elephants, large herds of buffalos, leopards, lions, bushbucks, kobs, antelopes, bushbucks and more.
The morning game drive will take you approximately 2-3 hours and then after you will drive to Mweya peninsula for hot lunch, relax and go for an afternoon boat cruise safari on Kazinga Channel, this boat ride is something worth it and considered as a highlight of your safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park, you will have a chance to see various wildlife as they enjoy the shores of the channel, hippos enjoying the swim and various bird species. After the cruise return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay.
Lodging: Elephant Hab Lodge/Pumba Safari Lodge
DAY 05:
Morning Drive/Visit Katwe Salt Lakes and Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
Have a morning game drive through the Mweya Peninsula with all your belongings in the Car. After the 3 hour game drive, you continue with the Journey back to Kigali. If not game drive, you can visit Katwe Salt Lakes after you will drive to Kibale National Park with a stopover for lunch enroute on your way to the National Park. On influx you will have a nature walk through the Bigodi Swamp awesome sightseeing of the resident monkeys and birds.
Kibale Forest National park is home to 13 species of primates and over 335 bird species making it a popular destination for birders and primates lovers.
Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee guest house, mountain of the moon hotel, primates lodge kibale.
DAY 06:
Chimpanzee Tracking
After breakfast at your lodge you will drive to Kibale National Park Headquarters to meet your guides for the day and begin your chimpanzee tracking experience. Experienced guides, researchers and trackers will accompany your party on an early morning trek into the forest to view wild chimpanzees as well as several other species of primates in their natural habitat. You will have an opportunity to be within meters of these amusing and very social apes for four hours, sharing in their daily lives and experiencing their day-to-day activities and they will take you through the whole tracking process. Chimpanzees, our closest cousins, are extremely endangered with only an estimated 5000 remaining in Uganda.
Please note: tracking may be fairly strenuous as the chimpanzees are highly mobile as they search for food throughout the forest. Also, chimpanzees are wild animals and, as such, sightings cannot be guaranteed. Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee guest house, mountain of the moon hotel, Primates lodge kibale.
DAY 07:
Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park via a visit to the top of the falls and an en-route game drive to your lodge for overnight
Today you will meet your guide and drive to Murchison Falls National park for overnight at Pakuba safari lodge, you will have an en-route visit to the top of the falls and an evening game drive to search for late grazers then you will proceed to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison falls National Park is the largest National Park and conservation area in Uganda with an area of 3840 kms. The River Nile divides the park into the north and south sectors and forms fall where it flows over the western rift valley escarpment. Here, the river is forced through a 6-metre gap in the rocks and cascades into a boiling pot 40 meters below. A boat cruise up-stream to the falls provides an unforgettable experience! Visitors are able to watch a variety of animals. These include elephant, buffalo, giraffe, lion, hippo, crocodile, several antelope species and many species of bird life along the Nile as the boat travels along.
Drive time: Approximately 6-7 hours drive
Overnight: Pakuba Safari Lodge or Murchison River Lodge
Meal Plan: Full board
DAY 08:
Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise to the bottom of the falls
After breakfast , you will go for your morning game drive that will provide you an opportunity of spotting wild game that includes, giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes, hippos and if lucky cats such as lions and leopards. Return to the lodge for a lunch break before proceeding to the pier for your two hour boat cruise to the bottom of the falls to witness how river Nile squeezes itself in a narrow gorge before exploding out producing an experience of a lifetime, during your cruise you will as well encounter various wild animals elephants, hippos as they enjoy the banks for river Nile, reptiles and birds.
Overnight: Pakuba Safari Lodge or Murchison River Lodge
Meal Plan: Full board
DAY 09:
Morning Delta cruise and afternoon game drive
This morning embark on a cruise downstream with breakfast on-board on the cool, calm morning water. Home to a wide variety of wetland and papyrus endemic bird species, including the elusive shoebill stork, this three to five hour cruise offers a unique opportunity to spot rarely found birds and animals such as hippo, elephants and large crocodiles. Traveling through the center of Murchison Falls National Park, guests can experience the constantly changing scenery of the Nile River as it winds its way to Lake Albert. 2nd Game Drive – North Bank After lunch, or if you wish in the late afternoon, head out for one more game drive to try and spot any species you missed the first time around.
Overnight: Pakuba Safari Lodge or Murchison River Lodge
Meal Plan: Full board
DAY 10:
Transfer to Kidepo National Park for an evening game drive
Today you will connect to the largest park in Uganda, Kidepo National. And you may find some seasonal springs and rivers often crossed by bridges and you might also start seeing Karamajong people arriving in Kidepo in the evening and relax at the Lodge or go for a mini evening game drive.
Kidepo Valley National Park.
Kidepo Valley National Park lies in the rugged, semi-arid valleys between Uganda’s borders with Sudan and Kenya, some 700km from Kampala. Gazetted as a national park in 1962, it has a profusion of big game and hosts over 77 mammal species as well as around 475 bird species. Kidepo is Uganda’s most isolated national park, but the few who make the long journey north through the wild frontier region of Karamoja would agree that it is also the most magnificent, for Kidepo ranks among Africa’s finest wildernesses.
From Apoka, in the heart of the park, a savannah landscape extends far beyond the gazetted area, towards horizons outlined by distant mountain ranges. During the dry season, the only permanent water in the park is found in wetlands and remnant pools in the broad Narus Valley near Apoka. These seasonal oases, combined with the open, savannah terrain, make the Narus Valley the park’s prime game viewing location.
Overnight at Kidepo Savannah Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 11:
Full day Game drives in Kidepo National Park
Today you will have game drives in the valleys of Narus and Kidepo since they have difference in the animals they inhabit. Narus Valley Narus Valley is a rolling, grassland plain enclosed by distant mountains. The valley has permanent water, and for much of the year the park’s wildlife congregates here. Thus, the area is well provided with game tracks, with four loop circuits exploring the valley around Apoka. Many creatures such as lions, Jackson’s hartebeest, buffaloes, giraffes, oribis and reedbucks can be seen in the valley.
Less commonly seen are cheetahs and leopards. The Narus dam and the water hole near the Tourism Centre are perfect observation points for game, especially during the dry season. At the southern end of the Katurum loop, Katurum kopje (the site of a derelict lodge) is an attractive destination with superb views north across the valley towards the Morungule mountain range. Kidepo Valley For most of the year, a lack of surface water means that little wildlife is found in Kidepo Valley, though it is still worth the drive to visit the dry Kidepo River to stroll along its 50m wide bed of white sand between banks covered with Borassus palms.
Overnight at Kidepo Savannah Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 12:
Full Day Game drives in Kidepo National Park
You will go for your second-day full day game drives in Kidepo valley national park. You will have a chance to search for missed animals the previous day.
Overnight at Kidepo Savannah Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
DAY 13:
Visiting Karamajog villages to explore the local cultures and Transfer to Gulu for overnight to break the journey for the next day
After early morning breakfast, you will drive back to Narus valley to enjoy a morning game drive. Try to look out for the same animals and may be able to meet other species as you continue with the drives. You will proceed to Kidepo River as you pave your way to the Karamajong community. The valley is surrounded by hills which makes the scenery very stunning. The Karamajogo people. The Karamajongo are very famous as cattle keepers who love their cattle. Visit their home steads known as the Manyatas, they will dance for you and explain their culture to you and then drive to Gulu for dinner and overnight.
Overnight at Church Hill Hotel
Meal plan: Full board.
DAY 14:
Drive back to Kampala/Entebbe via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for on foot Rhino tracking and lunch after proceeding to end your 14 Days at Uganda Gorilla Tracking Safari
Today your last day on this 14-day Uganda Safari you will meet your guide and drive back to Kampala/Entebbe via the Rhino Sanctuary for on-foot rhino tracking and hot lunch after you will Proceed for drop off to end your safari. 14 Days Uganda Gorilla Tracking Safari
Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Ziwa rhino sanctuary is a popular destination and most of the safari travelers traveling from Murchison towards Kampala/Entebbe include a stop at the sanctuary as a permanent part of their itineraries. Feedback from visitors is extremely positive, and our visitor numbers continue to grow.
A security force of 80 Rangers of which many with arms, patrol the fence, guard the gates, and monitor the rhinos 24 hours per day. The sanctuary is not only home to the rhinos but also to approximately 20 other species of wildlife as well as 300 different bird species highlighting Uganda’s unique biodiversity and emphasizing the importance of conserving it. The conservation effort is proving successful as we see the numbers of wildlife growing within the sanctuary. While here you will also go in search of the elusive shoebill one of the Great birds and one not to miss while on safari in Uganda. 14 Days Uganda Gorilla Tracking Safari
End of the 14 Days Uganda Gorilla Tracking Tour
Safari Vacations and Travel Services is a Local tour operator based in Uganda with its head offices in Entebbe. Moreover, Safari Vacations and Travel Services is a business for a Ugandan native, we specialize in life-changing experiences and sustainable tours and holidays to all East African countries. We are members of the Association of Uganda Tour Operators and with registration from the Uganda Tourism Board. We have a good and long working relationship with Uganda Wildlife Authority making it easy to book your gorilla permits and gorilla trekking safari. Safari Vacations and Travel Services is also high in Trip Advisor reviews.
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