Embark on these 10 Days Uganda Primates Trekking Tour for a thrill adventure; trekking along the mountain gorillas, chimpanzee and other smaller primates in Uganda’s rainforests. These two are the largest of apes and man’s closest relatives. An encounter with them amidst their natural habitats, reveals similar social structure and recognizable human-like traits that we share. This thrill experience is often dubbed “a privilege and a humbling life-time experience”.
Safari Overview and Highlights
The experience begins with a transfer into the primates’ capital of Kibale NP, where you will undertake a chimpanzee habituation trek experience that offers an exclusive time with the chimps in a company of research guides. You will have an extended trek experience along another community of chimpanzee in the underground riverine forest of Kyambura of Queen Elizabeth National Park, this time on a normal trek program where you will spend only an hour with the chimps.
The tour heads on to the south-west region, Uganda’s most scenic region known for towering highlands, mountain ranges, scenic lakes and rainforests teaming with the endangered primates. Here you will trek twice along the mountain gorilla forests in UNESCO world heritage site of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and another on slopes of Mgahinga Gorilla NP. Together these two parks protect half of the global populations of mountain gorillas.
And while at Mgahinga Gorilla NP, you will trek to the largest population of the beautiful golden monkey, a smaller and charismatic Albertine endemic that occur along the bamboo zone. From these incredible life-time treks with primates, you will break up the long drive return to Kampala in Uganda’s smallest savanna park of Lake Mburo NP with a safari drive and a nature walk up-close to various wildlife here.
10 Days Uganda Primates Trekking Tour Includes
- 1 Chimp Habituation (CHEX)permit
- 1 Ordinary Chimp tracking permit
- 2 Gorilla tracking permits
- Golden monkey tracking fees
- A 4WD tour vehicle with a safari guide/driver
- Bottled drinking water
- All accommodation and meal plan mentioned
- Park entrance and walking fees
10 Days Uganda Primates Trekking Tour Excludes
- Tips and gratuities
- Other activities mentioned as optional
- Other items of personal nature
- Insurance and flights to or from Uganda
- Meals, Drinks and accommodation not mentioned
Detailed Itinerary
Arrival: Meet and Greet
If flying to Uganda, upon your arrival at Entebbe airport, you will be received by our company representative that will receive and transfer you to the hotel. At the hotel, our representative will give you a short briefing on your upcoming 10 Days Primates Trekking Tour and thereafter you can choose to relax at your hotel or explore the quite town of Entebbe and do some personal shopping.
Accommodation: The Boma, BB
Day 1: Transfer to Kibale NP
Early this morning, your safari guide meet and pick you from your hotel for a transfer to near Kibale NP. The almost 5hrs drive follows through the heartland of Uganda, revealing its vibrant upcountry towns, colorful roadside markets and scenery. The drive will be broken into short health stops and a longer hot lunch stop in the tourist pleasant town of Fort Portal set on the escarpment wall overlooking the towering mountains of the moon; the Rwenzori’s on the horizon.
Check in at your lodge late afternoon. In the evening walk on the property and enjoy the distant views of expansive tea-estates and the Kibale forest. At dinner, your guide will further brief you on preparations for the next day’s experiences reminding you of packing list and dress code. Accommodation and Meal Plan: Chimpanzee Forest Camp, FB
Day 2: Chimpanzee Habituation Trekking Experience Day
Very early today, your guide will drive you to the chimpanzee visitor’s center at Kibale NP, where after a short registration and briefing, research ranger guides will lead you out on a chimpanzee habituation experience (CHEX). This early start by researchers is to target chimpanzee families as they leave their nests, then following them as they forage across their vast territories. It’s important to note that a chimp family visited on this experience is undergoing a habituation program often shy, lying completely off-trail and not yet fully used to people which makes it more exciting. Nonetheless, the experience offers you deep insights and broad knowledge on chimpanzee as they socialize, interact amongst themselves and environment. The trek duration varies daily but 6 to 8hrs is normal more hours.
Accommodation and Meal Plan: Chimpanzee Forest Camp, FB, Mid-Range
Day 3: Bigodi Swamp Walk and transfer to Queen Elizabeth NP
This morning after breakfast, drive on to the community protected wetland of Bigodi for an exciting nature walk through a stretch of riverine forest. In this community forest, up to 9-species of primates including the Uganda Red Colobus Monkey and Uganda Mangabey, Red-tailed, Guereza, Vervet, Olive Baboon occur. Chimpanzee occasionary patrol these forests especially during the fig fruiting season. An excellent bird-list also occur and excellent community guides will easily point them out, look out for the gigantic Great Blue Turaco as it runs through branches. The walk duration will depend on your enthusiasm but 3-hrs should work well. From the walk, return briefly to your lodge for a hot lunch and transfer to Queen Elizabeth NP. The drive to your next lodge runs through the scenic Kasenda Crater lakes area with stunning landscapes that will entice you to stop and marvel. Accommodation and Meal Plan: Twins Lake Kyambura, FB
Day 4: Chimpanzee tracking in the Kyambura Gorge
This morning, you will transfer to the Fig-tree camp, a chimpanzee briefing point set on the rim of the stunning Kyambura gorge. Kyambura gorge is a stunning geographic wonder, stretching up 18km long and almost 100m deep below the golden savanna plains and covered with an evergreen tropical forest. From the trail head, the ranger guides will lead you to descend into the gorge and to where the community of chimps is. The trail crisscrosses the Kyambura river which often attracts buffalos and hippo in the dry season. On locating the chimps you will be accorded only One-hour with them and return to the camp where your guide will transfer you to the lodge. Accommodation and Meal Plan: Twins Lake Kyambura, FB, Mid-Range
Day 5: Transfer to Rushaga sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
After a lazy breakfast, take a scenic transfer onto the southern edges of the misty ancient gorilla rainforests of Bwindi. With short picnic lunch and hot coffee stop on the road, you will reach your lodge late afternoon. After dinner your guide will brief you about tomorrows trekking experience, advising you on the appropriate dress code and packing list.
Accommodation and Meal Plan: Icumbii Lodge, FB
Day 6: Meeting the Mountain Gorillas on a trek at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
This morning after a hot breakfast you will take a short drive to the Rushaga sector office where you will be welcomed by ranger guides for a short briefing on conservation efforts, protection and survival of the gentle mountain gorillas.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest protects half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas with just a fraction of these habituated for tourists. Briefing done, you will be grouped and led on to trek to one of the gorilla families in its home range. On locating them you get to spend just an hour with them, photographing, observing and just wondering at these gentle apes.
This rewarding and humbling experience may stretch anywhere up to 6hrs and sometimes more depending on a given day. Back at the trail head, you will be congratulated and rewarded with a souvenir for your support to the conservation work of these species and their shrinking habitats. Accommodation and Meal Plan: L. Murehe Safari Lodge, FB
Day 7: Mountain Gorilla Tracking Experience at Mgahinga NP
This morning you will extend the trekking experience to Mgahinga NP, to a one and exciting gorilla family group of Nyakagyezi. The only habituated group to occur on the Ugandan side of the greater Virunga Mountain ranges, Nyakagyezi family ranges between the regenerating secondary forests near the park edge all the way to montane ranges on Muhavura and Sabyinyo volcanic peaks of this small park of Mgahinga.
The Virunga Mountain range gorilla cluster have been separated from the Bwindi groups since the arrival of agriculturalists that cleared the forests that connected these two ecosystems but the species remain the same, the Eastern Mountain Gorilla. Thereafter transfer to rest on your lodge. Accommodation and Meal Plan: L. Mutanda Resort, FB
Day 8: Track the Golden Monkey at Mgahinga NP
After an early breakfast, you will check in at the Mgahinga tracking trailhead this time to trek to the golden monkey troops that occur here alongside their distant bulky and terrestrial cousins the mountain gorillas. Distinguished from their low-altitude blue monkey relatives, the golden monkeys have golden mantles and black limbs occurring in large troops up to 50 individuals led by dominant male.
Over 80% of their diet consists of new bamboo shoots and leaves plus insect’s larva and fruit. The bamboo slopes of Mgahinga host the largest populations of this Albertine Endemic split into various communities where two are habituated for tourists. There after take a rest at the lodge or choose a simple walk around the towering highlands at your pleasure. Accommodation and Meal Plan: L. Mutanda Resort, FB
Day 9: Transfer to L. Mburo and Game Drive
After breakfast this morning, you will transfer to L. Mburo NP, Uganda’s smallest of the savanna parks yet the most scenic and stocked. Arriving well in time for a hot lunch, in the evening you will head out for a leisure game drive in this wooded park where Impala, Eland, Zebra, Topi, Nubian giraffe, buffalo and the elusive and shy leopard occur.
Accommodation and Meal Plan: Mantana Lodge, FB
Day 10: Nature Walk and Transfer to Kampala
Early this morning, we wind up this incredible safari holiday with a guided nature walk up-close and personal to a cast of herbivores in this small park. While on foot, you get a different perspective and reaction of the nature and its inhabitants. You learn of tree species, small mammals you don’t get to see on a drive, learn of tracks, markings, signs and a repertoire of sounds and calls in this wild place.
The walk lasts normally up to 2-hrs thereafter pass by the lodge to check out. On transfer back to Entebbe, stop by the equator crossing for photos and shop for personal art crafts. Depending on your flight plan, choose to be dropped at the guest house or airport. Accommodation and Dinner: At your pleasure and choice. End of the safari.