Safari Overview
The 5-Day Uganda Gorilla and Queen Elizabeth Wildlife Safari combines Uganda’s famous mountain gorillas with game viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Beginning and ending in Entebbe or Kampala, this private safari features savannah game drives, the Kazinga Channel boat cruise, a journey through the Ishasha sector and gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Travellers can look for elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, hippos, crocodiles and Uganda kobs before entering Bwindi’s rainforest for an unforgettable encounter with a habituated mountain gorilla family. Budget, mid-range and luxury accommodation options are available.
Trip Highlights
- Cross the Equator at Kayabwe
- Game drive across the Kasenyi Plains
- Cruise along the Kazinga Channel
- Drive through the Ishasha sector
- Search for tree-climbing lions
- Gorilla trekking in Bwindi
- Travel in a private 4×4 safari vehicle
Your driver-guide will collect you from Entebbe, Kampala or another agreed location after breakfast. Begin the journey towards western Uganda, travelling through rural communities, farmland and changing landscapes.
Stop at the Equator in Kayabwe for photographs, a geographical demonstration and an opportunity to browse the nearby craft shops. Continue to Mbarara for lunch before proceeding towards Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Arrive at your lodge in the late afternoon or early evening. Depending on your arrival time and lodge location, you may enjoy a short introductory game drive or relax while overlooking the surrounding savannah.
Meal plan: Lunch and dinner
Driving time: Approximately 7–8 hours
Accommodation: Enshama game lodge(budget) Buffalo Safari lodge(midrange) Mweya safari lodge( luxury)
After an early breakfast, explore the Kasenyi Plains on a morning game drive. The open grasslands support Uganda kobs, buffaloes, elephants, warthogs, waterbucks and bushbucks. Predators such as lions, leopards and spotted hyenas may also be encountered, although wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed.
Return to the lodge for lunch before travelling to the Mweya Peninsula for an afternoon boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel. This natural waterway connects Lake George and Lake Edward and attracts abundant wildlife.
During the cruise, look for hippos, Nile crocodiles, buffaloes, elephants and monitor lizards. The channel is also an excellent birdwatching area, with pelicans, African fish eagles, kingfishers, cormorants and African spoonbills frequently observed.
Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Activities: Kasenyi game drive and Kazinga Channel boat cruise
Accommodation: Enshama game lodge(budget) Buffalo Safari lodge(midrange) Mweya safari lodge( luxury)
After breakfast, leave the northern section of Queen Elizabeth National Park and travel south through the Ishasha sector.
Ishasha is known for its tree-climbing lions, which are occasionally seen resting in the branches of large fig trees. Your driver-guide will explore the sector while looking for lions, elephants, buffaloes, topis and Uganda kobs.
After the game drive and lunch, continue towards Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The landscape gradually changes from open savannah to cultivated hills and dense rainforest.
Arrive at your lodge near the assigned gorilla-trekking sector in the late afternoon. Enjoy dinner and prepare your equipment for the following morning.
Meal plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Activities: Ishasha game drive and transfer to Bwindi
Accommodation: Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge (budget) Gorilla Leisure Lodge( midrange) Burunga gorilla Lodge( luxury)
After an early breakfast, your driver-guide will transfer you to the appropriate Bwindi park headquarters. Attend a compulsory briefing conducted by Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers before being assigned a habituated gorilla family.
Enter the rainforest with experienced guides, trackers and armed rangers. The trek can last between one and six hours, depending on the gorillas’ location, terrain and weather conditions.
Once the gorillas are located, you will normally spend one hour observing and photographing them. Watching a silverback, mothers and playful juveniles in their natural habitat is one of Africa’s most remarkable wildlife experiences.
Return to the park headquarters after the trek, where you will receive a gorilla-trekking certificate. Your driver-guide will then transfer you back to the lodge.
Depending on the finishing time and your energy level, you may add an optional Batwa or local community experience.
Meal plan: Breakfast, packed lunch and dinner
Activity: Gorilla trekking
Accommodation: Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge (budget) Gorilla Leisure Lodge( midrange) Burunga gorilla Lodge( luxury)
Enjoy an early breakfast and begin the return journey to Kampala or Entebbe. Travel through the terraced highlands of southwestern Uganda and make scheduled comfort stops along the way.
Stop for lunch in Mbarara or another suitable town before continuing through Masaka and Kayabwe. Your driver-guide will drop you at your hotel, residence or Entebbe International Airport.
A late-evening flight or post-safari night in Entebbe is recommended because the journey can take approximately eight to ten hours, depending on the trekking sector, road conditions and traffic.
Meal plan: Breakfast and lunch
Driving time: Approximately 8–10 hours
Destination: Kampala, Entebbe or Entebbe International Airport
Trip Includes
- irport or hotel pickup and drop-off
- Private 4×4 safari vehicle
- Professional English-speaking driver-guide
- Four nights’ accommodation
- Meals indicated in the itinerary
- One Uganda gorilla trekking permit per person
- Queen Elizabeth National Park entrance fees
- Kasenyi Plains game drive
- Kazinga Channel boat cruise
- Ishasha sector game drive
- Bottled drinking water in the safari vehicle
- Equator stop at Kayabwe
- Government taxes and service charges
Trip Excludes
- International Flights to and from Uganda
- Uganda visa fees
- Alcoholic and premium beverages
- Tips and gratuities
Frequently Asked Questions
A standard Uganda gorilla trekking permit currently costs USD 800 for foreign non-residents. Different rates apply to foreign residents, citizens of other African countries and East African Community citizens. The permit is included in the safari quotation unless stated otherwise.
The trek will take place in an available sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The specific sector—Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga or Nkuringo—depends on permit availability and the selected accommodation.
The difficulty varies according to the location of the assigned gorilla family, trail conditions, weather and individual fitness. The trek can take between one and six hours over uneven and sometimes steep terrain. Porters can carry bags and assist on challenging sections.
Yes. The itinerary can be redesigned to start or finish in Kigali. Kigali is closer to southern Bwindi, but the order of activities and accommodation may need to be adjusted.
Optional Additions
- Batwa cultural experience
- Local community walk
- Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge
- Chimpanzee trekking in Kalinzu Forest
- Lion experiential tourism
- Night game drive
- Lake Bunyonyi relaxation
- Extra gorilla trek
- Gorilla habituation experience
- Domestic flight from Kihihi or Kisoro to Entebbe
The itinerary includes a game drive through Ishasha, where tree-climbing lions are sometimes seen resting in fig trees. However, they are wild animals, and a sighting cannot be guaranteed.
