7 Days chimpanzee and gorilla trekking safari
7 Days chimpanzee and gorilla trekking safari
This 7 days chimpanzee and gorilla trekking safari is one of the extraordinary safaris that will take you to Kibale National Park which harbors 13 primate species including chimpanzees, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, l’hoest monkeys among others. You will also visit Queen Elizabeth National Park the second largest protected area in Uganda harboring abundant wildlife species like the Big Four mammals and the misty Bwindi impenetrable national park where you will engage in gorilla trekking activity that will allow you to spend time with the gorillas as you learn more about their lifestyle and behaviors.
Highlights
- Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Kibale National Park
- Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
- Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Day 4: Game drive and boat cruise
- Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
- Day 6: Gorilla trekking and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
- Day 7: Departure to Kampala
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Kibale National Park
Depending on the time of arrival, your driver guide from Safari Vacations and Travel Services will welcome you. He will give you a short briefing about your safari and then start the journey. You will pass via Masaka-Mbarara road with a stopover at the Equator for snacks and photographs. On your way, you will have an en-route lunch in Mbarara and then continue with the journey to Kibale National Park. Upon arrival, you will check into the lodge, have dinner, and overnight.
Lodging: Kyaninga Lodge/Chimpanzee Guesthouse/ Isunga Lodge
Meal plan: Half board
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
After an early breakfast, you will meet up with your driver guide. Transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules, regulations, and expectations of chimpanzee trekking. After the briefing you will be allocated a chimpanzee group to trek and a park guide who will be sharing relevant information about the chimpanzees and also well conversant with the trails in the jungle.
Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park starts at around 8:00 am and takes 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on the location of the chimpanzees and once found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural environment. During the one hour, you will be able to learn more about the chimpanzee’s lifestyle, behaviors, and habits, take photos, and record the moments to show people back home. After the encounter with the chimpanzees, you will trek back to the park headquarters. Meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the lodge for lunch.
Bigodi swamp walk
after lunch you will go for a guided nature walk in the Bigodi swamp where you will pass through the lush vegetation in the sanctuary. Nature walk in Bigodi swamp takes about 3 hours walking through the forest boardwalks, and pathways and allows you to view various bird species like the great blue turaco, hornbills, kingfishers, primates like red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, blue monkeys, grey checked mangabey and some animals like bushbucks, otters among others in a top tree house in the canopy. After the nature walk you will meet up with your driver guide and drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Lodging: Kyaninga Lodge/Chimpanzee Guesthouse/ Isunga Lodge
Meal plan: Full board
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
You will have breakfast, check out of the lodge, and meet up with your driver guide for the Crater Lakes tour. You will have spectacular views of the explosion craters, landscape, Rwenzori mountains, tea plantations, Kichwamba escarpments, Lake George, and Kibale National Park among others. After the crater lakes tour, you will start the journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park. This takes about 3 3-hour drive with en-route lunch on the way. After lunch, you will continue with the journey to the park where you will have great views of the animals as you drive to the lodge. Upon arrival, you will check-in, have dinner, and overnight.
Lodging: Mweya Safari Lodge/Parkview Safari Lodge/Pumba Safari Cottages
Meal plan: Full board
Day 4: Game drive/lion tracking and boat cruise
After an early breakfast, you will meet up with your driver guide. Go for a morning game drive or lion tracking experience. Game driving is the most popular activity in Queen Elizabeth National Park. It’s commonly done in Kasenyi plains because it harbors abundant wildlife species including lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, bushbucks, waterbucks, and Uganda kobs among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.
Boat cruise
After lunch, you will go for a boat cruise activity on the Kazinga Channel. This water body connects Lake George and Lake Edward. The boat cruise starts at 2:00 pm at a landing site near the luxury lodge Mweya safari lodge and takes about 2 hours to ride. During the boat cruise, you will cruise near animals like hippos and Nile crocodiles in the water, elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, and warthogs along the water shores drinking water, and water birds like the cormorants, herons, kingfishers, fish eagles among others. After the boat cruise, you will head to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Lodging: Mweya Safari Lodge/Parkview Safari Lodge/Pumba Safari Cottages
Meal plan: Full board
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Have breakfast, check out of the lodge, and meet up with your driver guide. Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park which is located in southwestern Uganda. On your way, you will pass via the Ishasha sector in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Have an opportunity to view the tree-climbing lions lying up in the fig, and acacia tree branches. After the game drive in the Ishasha sector, you will have lunch. Continue with the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park where you will check into the lodge upon arrival, have dinner, and overnight.
Lodging: Mahogany Springs Hotel/Buhoma Haven Lodge/Buhoma Community Rest amp
Meal plan: Full board
Day 6: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
After an early breakfast, you will carry a packed lunch. Meet up with your driver guide, and transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about gorilla trekking rules, regulations, and expectations. After the briefing, you will be grouped into 8 people and allocated a gorilla family to trek. You will have a park guide who is well-conversed with the trails in the forest. Grouping of individuals is done according to age, physical fitness, and personal preferences. Therefore in case you are not physically fit you are advised to communicate with your guide so that they allocate you a gorilla group that is near to trek.
Trekking of gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park starts at around 8:00 am and takes 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on the location of the gorillas. Once you find them, you will spend one hour with the gorillas in their natural habitat. This allows you to take photos, record videos, and learn more about their habits, behaviors, and lifestyles among others. This gives you fascinating experiences. After the one-hour encounter with the gorillas, you will trek back to the park headquarters. Here you will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking. After meeting up with your driver guide, transfer to the lodge for a late lunch.
Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
You will check out of the lodge, and meet up with your driver guide. Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale where you will engage in canoeing on the deepest lake in Uganda. It is also the second deepest lake in Africa. During the boat ride, you will explore some of the 29 islands on Lake Bunyonyi. Have beautiful scenery of the landscape, terraced farmlands, and surrounding communities, and enjoy the sunset among others. After the boat cruise, you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Lodging: Birdnest Resort/ Bunyonyi Eco Resort/Bunyonyi Overland Resort
Meal plan: Full board
Day 7: Departure to Kampala
You will have a relaxed breakfast, and check out of the lodge. Meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kampala. You will pass via Kabale town, Ntungamo, and Mbarara town where you will have en-route lunch at Igongo cultural center. After lunch, you will proceed with the journey to Kampala. Your driver guide will drop you off at any place of convenience or Entebbe airport in case you have a flight to catch.
Tour includes
- Bottled drinking water
- Fuel and vehicle
- English speaking guide
- Meals
- Accommodation
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Chimpanzee trekking permt
Exclude
- Alcoholic drinks
- Laundry
- Items of a personal nature
- International airfares
- Travel Insurance
- Tips and gratuities
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 Ugandan natives. We specialize in life-changing experiences, sustainable tours, and holidays for all East African countries. Also, 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 the Uganda Wildlife Authority. We are making booking your gorilla permits and gorilla trekking safari easy. Safari Vacations and Travel Services is also high in Trip Advisor reviews.
