10-Day Uganda Gorillas, Chimpanzees and Big Five Safari
The 10-Day Uganda Gorillas, Chimpanzees and Big Five Safari is a comprehensive Uganda adventure combining three of the country’s greatest wildlife experiences: mountain gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking and classic African Big Five encounters.
The journey begins with Rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary before continuing to Murchison Falls National Park, where travelers enjoy game drives, a Nile boat safari, and views of the powerful Murchison Falls. The safari then heads southwest to Kibale Forest National Park for an exciting chimpanzee trekking experience.
From Kibale, continue to Queen Elizabeth National Park for game viewing across the Kasenyi Plains, a boat safari along the wildlife-rich Kazinga Channel and a search for the famous tree-climbing lions of Ishasha.
The highlight comes in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, where travelers trek through the rainforest to spend an unforgettable hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family. The adventure finishes with relaxation at beautiful Lake Bunyonyi before returning to Entebbe.
Uganda’s Big Five component is completed by combining rhino tracking at Ziwa with opportunities to see lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo in the country’s savannah parks. Wildlife sightings in the wild can never be guaranteed.
Trip Highlights
- Rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
- Game drives in Murchison Falls National Park
- Visit to the Top of Murchison Falls
- Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest
- Kazinga Channel boat safari
- Search for tree-climbing lions in Ishasha
- Mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi
- Relaxation at Lake Bunyonyi
- Uganda Equator experience
Detailed Itinerary for 10-Day Uganda Gorillas, Chimpanzees and Big Five Safari
The 10-Day Uganda Gorillas, Chimpanzees and Big Five Safari is an exciting wildlife and primate adventure combining Uganda’s most rewarding national parks and wildlife experiences. The journey starts from Entebbe or Kampala and travels north to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino tracking before continuing to Murchison Falls National Park for game drives and a boat safari along the River Nile.
The safari then continues to Kibale Forest National Park for chimpanzee trekking before heading to Queen Elizabeth National Park for wildlife viewing, a Kazinga Channel boat safari and a search for the famous tree-climbing lions in Ishasha.
The highlight of the journey is gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, where you venture into the rainforest to encounter a habituated mountain gorilla family. After the trek, unwind beside scenic Lake Bunyonyi before returning to Entebbe via the Uganda Equator.
This itinerary is ideal for travelers seeking gorillas, chimpanzees, Big Five wildlife, boat safaris and Uganda’s beautiful landscapes in one well-planned trip.
After an early breakfast, meet your Safari Vacations and Travel Services driver-guide and begin the journey north toward Murchison Falls National Park.
Stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for a guided rhino tracking experience. Accompanied by an experienced ranger, walk through the sanctuary in search of southern white rhinos and learn about Uganda's ongoing rhino conservation efforts.
After the experience, have lunch and continue to Murchison Falls National Park. Depending on your arrival time, visit the Top of Murchison Falls, where the Nile dramatically squeezes through a narrow gorge before plunging into the river below.
Overnight: Murchison Falls National Park
Luxury: Nile safari lodge
Mid-range: Pakuba Game Lodge
Budget: Parkside Safari Lodge
Meals: Lunch & Dinner
Start early with a morning game drive across Murchison Falls' savannah. Look out for elephants, buffaloes, lions, Rothschild's giraffes, Uganda kobs, hartebeests, warthogs and numerous bird species.
Return to the lodge for lunch before taking an afternoon boat safari along the Nile toward the base of Murchison Falls.
The riverbanks provide excellent opportunities to see hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes and waterbirds. As the boat approaches the falls, enjoy spectacular views of the Nile crashing through the gorge.
Overnight: Murchison Falls National Park
Luxury: Nile safari lodge
Mid-range: Pakuba Game Lodge
Budget: Parkside Safari Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, depart Murchison Falls and travel southwest toward Kibale Forest National Park.
This is one of the longer transfer days, but the changing scenery makes the journey rewarding. Pass rural communities, agricultural landscapes, and the countryside around Hoima before continuing toward Fort Portal and Uganda's beautiful crater-lake region.
Arrive at your lodge near Kibale in the late afternoon or evening and relax in preparation for tomorrow's chimpanzee adventure.
Overnight: Kibale Forest area
Luxury: Kibale Forest Lodge
Mid-Range: Turaco Tree Tops
Budget: Chimpundu Lodge
Meals: Dinner
After breakfast, transfer to the chimpanzee trekking briefing point, where Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers explain the trekking procedures.
Enter the tropical forest in search of a habituated chimpanzee community. Kibale is renowned for its primate diversity, so the walk can also reveal red-tailed monkeys, black-and-white colobus monkeys and other forest wildlife.
Once the chimpanzees are located, enjoy the permitted observation period watching their feeding, grooming, communication and social behavior.
After lunch, you can take an optional guided walk through Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, known for monkeys, birds and community-based conservation.
Overnight: Kibale Forest area
Luxury: Kibale Forest Lodge
Mid-Range: Turaco Tree Tops
Budget: Chimpundu Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Enjoy breakfast before departing Kibale for Queen Elizabeth National Park.
The journey passes through the Fort Portal area and alongside the Rwenzori landscape before descending toward the savannah plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
After checking into your lodge and having lunch, head out for an afternoon or evening game drive. Look for elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, warthogs and, with some luck, lions or leopards.
Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Overnight: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge
Mid-Range: Buffalo Safari Lodge
Budget: Enshama Game Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Begin the day with an early morning game drive around the Kasenyi Plains, one of Queen Elizabeth National Park's productive wildlife-viewing areas.
The open grasslands attract large numbers of Uganda kobs and other herbivores, which in turn attract predators such as lions and occasionally leopards.
After lunch, take an afternoon boat safari along the Kazinga Channel, which connects Lakes George and Edward.
Expect excellent opportunities to see hippos, elephants, buffaloes, crocodiles and numerous waterbirds close to the shoreline.
Overnight: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge
Mid-Range: Buffalo Safari Lodge
Budget: Enshama Game Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, travel through the southern Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Enjoy a game drive in search of Ishasha's famous tree-climbing lions, which are sometimes seen resting in large fig trees. Other wildlife can include elephants, buffaloes, topis and Uganda kobs.
Continue through the changing landscapes of southwestern Uganda toward Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Arrive at your lodge, enjoy dinner and prepare for the following morning's gorilla trek.
Overnight: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Luxurt: Gorilla Heights Lodge
Mid-range: Gorilla Leisure Lodge
Budget: Gorilla Havens Lodge
Meals: Dinner
This is one of the most anticipated days of the safari.
After an early breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters for registration and a briefing from the ranger guides. You will then enter Bwindi's rainforest in search of a habituated mountain gorilla family.
The trek can take several hours depending on the location of the gorillas. Once you find them, you will have the designated viewing period to observe them at close range as they feed, rest, groom, and interact.
After completing the trek, meet your driver-guide and continue to Lake Bunyonyi, one of southwestern Uganda's most scenic destinations.
Spend the evening relaxing beside the lake.
Overnight: Lake Bunyonyi
Luxury: Bunyonyi Overland Resort
Mid-Range: Birdnest Resort
Budget: Birdnest Resort
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After several days of wildlife viewing and forest trekking, Day 9 provides a slower pace.
Wake up to beautiful views across Lake Bunyonyi and its numerous green islands. You can spend the morning relaxing at the lodge or choose an optional canoe or boat excursion on the lake.
Travelers interested in local culture can visit one of the surrounding communities, while those wanting a quieter day can simply enjoy the scenery.
The relaxed day also provides useful recovery time after the gorilla trek.
Overnight: Lake Bunyonyi
Luxury: Bunyonyi Overland Resort
Mid-Range: Birdnest Resort
Budget: Birdnest Resort
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, begin the return journey toward Kampala or Entebbe.
Travel through Kabale and Mbarara before stopping for lunch along the way. Continue to the Uganda Equator at Kayabwe, where you can take photographs, browse craft shops and enjoy a short break.
Continue to Entebbe International Airport or your Kampala/Entebbe hotel, marking the end of your 10-Day Uganda Gorillas, Chimpanzees and Big Five Safari.
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Safari Includes and Excludes
Includes
- Private transportation in a comfortable 4×4 safari vehicle
- English-speaking professional driver-guide;
- Accommodation and meals as specified
- One Uganda gorilla trekking permit per person
- One Kibale chimpanzee trekking permit per person;
- Rhino tracking at Ziwa
- National park entrance fees; scheduled game drives
- Nile boat safari in Murchison Falls; Kazinga Channel boat safari
- Drinking water during road transfers; and
- Airport/hotel transfers.
Excludes
- International flights
- Uganda visa fees
- Travel and medical insurance
- Porter services during gorilla trekking
- Tips and gratuities
- Accommodation before or after the scheduled safari unless included in the final quotation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The safari combines gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest, rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, game drives in Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth National Parks, and boat safaris on the Nile and Kazinga Channel. Accommodation, private safari transportation, park fees and selected meals and activities can be included according to your final quotation.
The itinerary gives you opportunities to see lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and rhinos. Rhinos are tracked at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, while the other four are searched for during game drives in Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth National Parks. Because these are wildlife experiences, sightings cannot be guaranteed.
Gorilla trekking can range from relatively easy to physically demanding depending on the location of the gorilla family, terrain and weather. Treks may take several hours through steep and sometimes muddy forest. Porters are available and are highly recommended for carrying bags and providing assistance along the trails.
The minimum age for gorilla trekking in Uganda is 15 years. Travelers should also be reasonably fit and prepared to walk through uneven rainforest terrain.
The main permits required are a Uganda gorilla trekking permit for Bwindi and a chimpanzee trekking permit for Kibale Forest National Park. Safari Vacations and Travel Services can arrange these permits as part of the safari booking, subject to availability.
The safari can be taken throughout the year. June to September and December to February generally offer drier conditions that can make gorilla and chimpanzee trekking easier. The wetter months provide greener landscapes and can also be rewarding for photography and birding.
Yes. The 10-Day Uganda Gorillas, Chimpanzees and Big Five Safari can be customized according to your travel dates, accommodation preferences, budget, and interests. Extra nights, gorilla habituation, domestic flights, cultural experiences or additional wildlife activities can also be incorporated.
