7 Days Uganda Primates and Wildlife Tour

7 Days Uganda Primates and Wildlife Tour

This 7-day Uganda primates and wildlife tour links four of the country’s most rewarding destinations in western Uganda: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale Forest National Park and the Fort Portal crater lakes region. Along the way, the landscape keeps changing, from misty rainforest to open grassland, wide lake channels and the snow-tipped peaks of the Rwenzori Mountains.

The journey’s highlight is gorilla trekking in Bwindi. You follow experienced rangers through steep, ancient forest to spend a quiet hour with a habituated family of endangered mountain gorillas. Watching a silverback feed while young gorillas tumble through the undergrowth is an experience most travellers describe as life-changing.

From Bwindi, the tour continues north to the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Here, lions often rest in the branches of large fig and acacia trees, a behaviour seen in only a few places in Africa. Game drives on the Kasenyi plains bring sightings of Uganda kob, buffalo, elephants and predators. An afternoon boat safari on the Kazinga Channel passes large pods of hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants drinking at the water’s edge and a wide variety of waterbirds.

The final chapter takes you to Kibale Forest National Park, often called the primate capital of the world, for chimpanzee trekking. Kibale holds one of the highest concentrations of primates in East Africa, and tracking a chimpanzee community through the forest is lively, noisy and unforgettable. Nearby, the crater lakes around Fort Portal, the views over the Western Rift Valley escarpment and the backdrop of the Rwenzori Mountains add some of Uganda’s finest scenery to the trip.

This itinerary suits first-time visitors to Uganda, wildlife photographers, couples and active families with teenagers. It combines gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking and a classic savannah safari without rushing. It can be tailored to budget, mid-range or luxury lodges, and our team arranges gorilla and chimpanzee permits, transport and expert driver-guides so you can focus on the experience.

Safari highlights:

Encounter the endangered mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Spot tree climbing lions in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park

Enjoy Uganda wildlife sighting at Kazinga channel and Kasenyi plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park

View the spectacular Fort Portal crater lakes, Western Rift Valley escarpment and the Rwenzori mountains

Experience chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park

Day 1 Arrival and transfer to hotel:

On arrival in Uganda,one of our staff will be awaiting to receive you from our airport in Uganda, he or she will transfer you into the hotel booked and this is where you will somed an overnight this evening Boma hote

Day 2:Transfer from Entebbe/Kampala to Kibale National Park

A Pearl Nature Holidays representative will pick you up in Entebbe and drive to Kibale National Park. The drive will take about 6-7hrs to go through western Uganda’s major towns of Mityana, Kyenjojo, and Fort Portal. There will be a stopover for lunch along the way to Kibale NP. Dinner & overnight at Kibale National Park Chimpundu lodge

Day 3: Chimp trekking experience at Kibale NP

You will head to the Kibale forest immediately after breakfast to for the chimpanzee chimp trekking experience. If you are lucky on the trek, you might encounter other different species of monkeys in the Kibale forest. These include colobus monkeys, olive baboon, and red-tailed monkeys. Transfer from Kibale Forest National Park after chimp trekking to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The drive from Kibale to Queen Elizabeth National Park will go through the spectacular Fort Portal crater lakes,you will arrive and relax here for dinner and overnight stay Aadvark safari lodge

Day 4: Kasenyi plains game drive and Kazinga channel boat trip

You will start the day with an early morning breakfast at the lodge. Afterward, we proceed to the famed Kasenyi plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park to spot various species of wild animals. Kasenyi plains dwell in the vast savannahs of the Albertine rift in Queen Elizabeth National Park. It will be a morning full of adventure! Expect to encounter lions, herds of buffalos, elephants, Uganda kobs,and bushbucks. While spotting the “Big Five” in the park is not guaranteed, on a lucky day, you may site leopards to make it the “Big Four.” We will return to the lodge for lunch.

Kazinga channel boat cruise

After lunch, join the Kazinga channel boat cruise for an afternoon of wild game viewing. You will spot crocodiles, buffaloes, elephants, and a wide range of bird species on the channel waters. Dinner & overnight at Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi via Ishasha sector for tree climbing lions 

Ishasha sector for tree climbing lions

On the way to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, we will drive through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, popularly known for the tree-climbing lions. Unlike their counterparts at the Kasenyi plains, the lions at Ishasha have found a way to climb the fig trees to enjoy the warm temperatures available in the park. While the sighting of the tree-climbing lions is not 100% guaranteed, a stopover at Ishasha is worth a visit! Buhoma lodge

Dinner and overnight at Bwindi National Park

Day 6: Gorilla Trekking at Bwindi National Park

You will head to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park gate immediately after breakfast to get a briefing about the gorilla trek. The national park guide will conduct the presentation covering what to expect during the gorilla trek. The national guide will assign the gorilla trekking group during the pre-trekking briefing. Other visitors will likely join you. The gorilla trek can take from a few to many hours, depending on how far the gorillas are inside the forest—we then later journey for a stopover and overnight at Igongo cultural center

Day 7: Transfer from Lake Mbarara to Entebbe via Equator 

Transfer from Mbarara to  Entebbe Airport . There’s a stopover along the way at Equator for a local lunch at the Equator and handicraft shopping, you will proceed to  Entebbe arriving this evening ready for the late night flight back home.

End of tour

 Includes

• Meals, as per itinerary
• Professional English speaking tour guide
• One gorilla trekking permit
• One chimpanzee trekking permit
• Transport in a comfortable 4×4 safari vehicle
• Accommodation as described in the itinerary
• Park entrance fees
• Drinking water when in the safari vehicle
• Airport transfers

Excludes

• International flights from home
• Accommodation for days not listed in the itinerary
• Soft and alcoholic drinks
• Insurance
• Visas, travel and medical insurance
• Gifts, gratuities, and tips
• Other costs of personal nature

What to Bring

• Hiking boots
• Garden gloves
• Rain jacket or poncho
• Long-sleeved shirt/blouse
• Cameras and extra batteries
• Hat/cap and sunglasses
• Pair of binoculars
• Flashlight (torch)
• Mosquito repellent
• Other items to include: zoom lens for wildlife shots and energy bars/bites