9 Days Uganda Primates and Hiking Adventure Trip

February 4, 2024

9 Days Uganda Primates and Hiking Adventure Trip

This 9-day Uganda Primates and Hiking Adventure Trip will allow you to trek all the primates of Uganda. These include Golden monkeys in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and mountain Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You will also trek chimpanzees in Kibale NationalParkk and a community visit. You will also have time to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park for a wildlife Safari to see the Big 4 animals. On this 9-day Uganda Primates and Hiking Adventure Trip, you will also do the Nkuringo-Buhoma hike/walk to explore the Bwindi forest. This is an all-inclusive trip that will start and end in Kampala/Entebbe.

Brief Itinerary

Day 1: Pick up from Kampala/Entebbe and transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

On Day 2: Golden Monkey tracking and transfer to Nkuringo for overnight

Day 3: Nkuringo to Buhoma Bwindi Forest walk

On Day 4: Gorilla tracking experience and Batwa Cultural Experience

Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park for an evening game drive

On Day 6: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga Channel.

Day 7: Morning game drive and transfer to Kibale Forest National Park for overnight.

On Day 8: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi wetland walk

Day 9: Transfer back to Kampala/Entebbe to end the 9-Day Uganda Primates and Hiking Adventure Trip

Travel Days

Day 01: Pick up from Kampala/Entebbe and Transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

Your Safari Vacations driver/guide will pick you up from the airport or your hotel in Kampala/Entebbe and drive South to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. You will have a stopover at the Equator at Kayabwe and a stopover for lunch in Mbarara. You will then proceed to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

Dinner and overnight: Lake Chahafi Resort or Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge.

Day 02: Golden tracking and Transfer to Nkuringo/Rushaga for overnight

Have morning breakfast and assemble at the park headquarters for a briefing from the park rangers about the dos and don’ts while tracking golden monkeys. You will proceed with the memorable exercise in the forest, an activity that may take 1-7 hours. The time depends on the movement of these human cousins. Meet and stay with them for a maximum of one hour. You will afterwards drive to Kisoro town for a coffee,e and you will then proceed to Nkuringo/Rushaga for the night.

Drive time: 1-2 hours drive

Lodging: Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge/Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge

Day 03: Hike from Nkuringo to Buhoma through the Bwindi forest

Today, after breakfast at your lodge, you will drive to the starting point to start your walk from Nkuringo to Buhoma. Your driver’s guide will drop you here,e and he will drive to Buhoma and wait for you where you will have an overnight. The Nkuringo-Buhoma walk is worth it and adventurous, where you will walk through the Bwindi forest. You will have a chance to spot various birds, and depending on luck,y youprimates, including gorillas, will cross rivers, pass by waterfalls, and learn about Bwindi Forest.
Lodging: Rushaga Havens Gorilla Lodge/Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge

Day 04: Gorilla trekking in Buhoma and Batwa Cultural Experience

>>After breakfast at the lodge, you will head to the headquarters of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for a briefing conducted by rangers from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. During this session, you will be assigned to a specific gorilla family and grouped with up to eight trekkers. Accompanied by experienced ranger guides, you will then enter the dense rainforest to begin your search for the endangered mountain gorillas.

>>The trek starts from the area where the gorillas were last seen the previous evening, guided by trackers who monitor their movements daily. Depending on weather conditions and the gorillas’ location, the trek can be physically demanding, but it is well organized and offers a very high chance of successful sightings. Along the way, the rangers will clear paths when necessary and share valuable information about the gorillas, the forest ecosystem, and conservation efforts.

>>Once the gorilla family is located, you will spend one magical hour observing them in silence, taking photographs, and appreciating their natural behavior. After the trek, you will return to the starting point, where you will receive a certificate recognizing your successful gorilla tracking experience.

Lodging: Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge/Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge

Day 05: 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 into your room. Later, you will go for an evening game drive to search for late grazers and then return to the Lodge for overnight.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is the most popular and diverse conservation area in Uganda. It has a variety of habitats ranging from grassland, acacia woodland, forests, and wetlands. The park has open water, which sustains a wide range of mammals. The major ones are the Big 4 animals and a remarkable tally of bird life, reaching over 604 bird species.

Drive time: 4-5 hours drive

Lodging: Elephant Hab Lodge/Pumba Safari Lodge

Day 06: 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 elephants, large herds of buffalo, leopards, warthogs, hippos, lions, bushbucks, kobs, antelopes, and more.

The morning game drive will take you approximately 2-3 hours. And then after, you will drive to the Mweya peninsula for a hot lunch, relax, and go for an afternoon boat cruise safari on the Kazinga Channel. This boat ride is something worth it and is considered 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. You will view hippos enjoying the swim and crocodiles basking in the sun. Buffaloes on the banks and local fishing villages are another highlight. After the cruise, return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner, and an overnight stay.

Lodging: Elephant Hab Lodge/Pumba Safari Lodge

Day 07: 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. If not a game drive, you can visit Katwe Salt Lakes after you drive to Kibale National Park. You’ll have a stopover for lunch en route on your way to the National Park. On the influx, you will have a nature walk through the Bigodi Swamp. This will reward you with awesome sightseeing of the resident monkeys and birds like the great blue turaco.
>>Kibale Forest National Park is home to 13 species of primates and over 335 bird species, making it a popular destination for birders and primate lovers.

Drive time:2-3 hours drive

Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee Guest House, Mountain Of The Moon Hotel, Primates Lodge.

Day 08: Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale National Park

Subsequently, you will have an early breakfast, and the guide will guide you to the Kanyanchu head offices. You will go for a briefing about the track that you will be carrying out in a couple of hours. From there, you will start the Chimpanzee tracking but that is not the only species you will be seeing that day. You will be able to see 12 other different primate species like vervet monkeys, gray-cheeked mangabeys, baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, and many others.

Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee Guest house, Mountains of the Moon hotel, Primates lodge