This 11 Day Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari offers an ultimate Uganda adventure, combining wildlife experience with a thrill trekking experience along the mountain gorillas and chimpanzee in their natural rainforests.
Safari Overview
On these 11-Days Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari, the main highlight is an up-close and personal trek experience in Uganda pristine rainforests of Bwindi Impenetrable and Kibale National Park along habituated families of mountain gorillas and chimpanzee. Another trek experience will be on the volcanic slopes of Mgahinga NP, where on a hike you will come close to the local Albertine Endemic primate; the Golden Monkey that occur along the bamboo zone.
In the low-lying savannas Queen Elizabeth National Park, you will embark on a wildlife experience to get you up-close to the iconic African game on slow-paced and interpretive safari game drives and boat cruises on Kazinga Channel. Wildlife highlights include; savanna elephants, buffalos, lions, leopards, hippos, Nile crocodile, hyena and an excellent birdlife. On the last stretch of the safari, you will wind up the wildlife experience in Lake Mbulo NP, Uganda’s smallest where on a guided nature walk will explore nature up-close.
In between gorilla highlands, you will have a restful time to refresh and refill on the picturesque island-dotted Lake Bunyonyi whose towering highlands are enticing enough to explore. Indeed, Lake Bunyonyi abounds with optional adventure activities from canoeing and a highly-recommended community trail that offers scenic views.
A round trip across this part of the country will bring you across bustling towns, colorful fruit markets giving you a chance to interact with ordinary citizens and learn about their diverse cultures.
11Day Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari Highlights include;
- Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale NP
- Bigodi Swamp Walk
- Game drives in QENP
- Boat cruise at Kazinga Channel
- Mountain Gorilla trekking at Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
- Golden Monkey trekking at Mgahinga NP
- L. Bunyonyi adventure
- Lake Mburo NP Nature Walk
- Equator Line Crossing Photo stop
Detailed Itinerary of 11 Days Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari
Arrival Day: Pick up from Entebbe International Airport
Upon your arrival at Entebbe, you will be met by our Untamed Uganda representative to transfer you to the hotel and a short briefing of the tour. Time allowing, take a personal shopping or walking tour in the quite town of Entebbe. Accommodation Plan: Booma Hotel, FB
Day 1: Transfer to Kibale National Park
Our safari day with a transfer from Kampala or Entebbe to your hotel on the edges of Kibale Forest NP. The scenic drive traverses through the heart of central Uganda, through bustling towns, and agriculture countryside known for coffee plantations, tea hillsides and others food crops.
We the arrive in the Toro kingdom capital of Fort portal for a hot lunch break before we proceed to our Lodge located outside the Kibale Forest. Accommodation: Chimpanzee Forest Camp, FB. Drive Time: 6hrs
Day 2: Chimpanzee Tracking and Bigodi Swamp walk
After an early breakfast, we take a short drive to the chimpanzee tracking visitors center at Kanyancu for a briefing about the entire experience and thereafter be grouped into smaller units for trekking. The trek into the mid-altitude forest will then be led by ranger guides to locate part of the community of chimpanzee and several of other 12species of smaller primates local here. The forest other fauna including 340species of birds, various Butterflies, Moths, Forest duikers, Forest Hogs Forest elephants and variety of tree species.
On locating the Chimpanzee group, you get to spend a full 60 minutes (one-hour) with them observing their social structure, behavior and photo moments. While the entire trek is estimated to take between 3-6hrs, the experience lies entirely on the mood of the day and where the chimp community is feeding. We will have a hot lunch at our lodge, and there after head out for a community experience and swamp walk. Accommodation: Chimpanzee Forest Camp FB
Day 3: Drive to Queen Elizabeth NP
This morning after your leisure breakfast your guide will pick you to transfer to Queen Elizabeth NP lying on the rift valley floor overlooking the towering Mt. Rwenzori. The scenic drive runs through the volcanic epicenter of Ndali –Kasenda boasting dozens of craters that dot this landscape. As you drive through here, take optional activities and visit local vanilla, banana and coffee farms to learn of local agricultural practices and a chance to interact with local people. You will have a hot lunch stop at the edges of Queen Lizabeth NP before you go for an evening wildlife game drive on your way to the lodge. Accommodation: Bush Lodge FB
Day 4: Game drive and Boat Cruise Safari on Kazinga Channel
The morning today will begin with an interpretive wildlife safari on the Kasenyi savanna Plains that stocks a variety of game including Cape Buffalo, Bushbuck, Uganda Kob, Deffassa Waterbuck, Elephant tamed by Lions prides, the elusive Leopard and Hyena. Away from a diversity of game, Queen Elizabeth NP is a prime birding hotspot with an impressive bird checklist of over 600species.
After a hot lunch you will head out on a 2-hour boat cruise safari on the Kazinga Channel reknown for the highest concentrations of hippos and a diversity of birdlife. The cruise launches out from Mweya Peninsula to follow the channel banks allowing close views of Elephant and Buffalo herds that come for a drink. The channel host large Hippo congregations while the Nile Crocodile and Monitor often bask on the sand banks. Birdlife include the charismatic African Fish Eagle, African Skimmers, Yellow-billed Stork, African Spoonbill and more waders. From the boat cruise we will take a scenic Explosion Crater Lake Drive to witness how the earth forces shaped the landscape of this great rift valley. Accommodation: Bush lodge FB
Day 5: Climbing Lions Game drive at Ishasha Sector of QENP
After an early game drive, we will transfer to Ishasha sector for a chance to see the famous tree climbing lions basking up in the fig trees at the heat of the day, but the savanna plains are dotted with Topi, Kob, Buffalo and Elephant herds. Accommodation: Topi Lodge FB
Day 6: Early Game drive and transfer to Kisoro
This morning you will take a final wildlife safari round through the savannas of Ishasha sector for more wilderness encounters. After a hot lunch, you will take a scenic drive through the towering highlands of this region dotted with tea and forested hillsides to your lodge set along the edges of L. Murehe overlooking distant volcanic ranges of Virunga. After dinner your guide will chat you to prepare you for the next days gorilla tracking activity and what to pack. Accommodation at L. Murehe Resort FB
Day 7: Gorilla Tracking Experience at Bwindi Forest NP
Today you will require an early start to transfer to the tracking sector office where on arrival, ranger guides will take you through a briefing on gorilla trekking experience and on going conservation programs for this endangered species. After briefing, you will join other trekkers in small groups of 8, assigned a ranger guide and escorts to track a designated gorilla family. Unlike chimpanzee, mountain gorillas live in small tight family groups composed of several female and young with a dominant silverback at helm. At the trail-head you will have a chance to hire a porter, who will help carry that heavy backpack and also give you a hand along the tough terrain stretches in the rainforest.
On locating the gorilla family you will be offered one full hour to view, photograph and watch the gorillas. It is worth noting that the trek duration is varies daily and is unpredictable, lasting anywhere between 4 to 8hrs so a packed lunch, pretty of drinking water is a must to carry. On return to the trail head, you will be awarded with a souvenir certificate recognizing your support to conservation of these endangered species. Accommodation: L. Murehe Safari Lodge FB
Day 8: Golden Monkey Tracking and Lake Bunyonyi
This morning after an early breakfast, your guide will transfer to tracking trail office on Mgahinga NP for the Golden monkey trekking experience. Similar to other primate treks, the session begins with a briefing session from ranger guides on safety and trekking expectations. The Golden monkey is an Albertine Endemic that ranges across the bamboo zone in troops in excess of 100 individuals. On Mgahinga NP it occurs along the gentle mountain gorillas. After the trek, you will have a hot lunch and then transfer to the scenic Lake Bunyonyi for a deservedly break. Accommodation: BirdNest Bunyonyi FB
Day 9: Relax at L. Bunyonyi
Today at Lake Bunyonyi, choose to relax and refresh at the lodge, read that book, take a swim or go for an optional adventure canoe tour around the historical islands. Should you choose to explore the island dotted Lake Bunyonyi, take a community guided walk that leads you through the colorful local food market by the lakeside, the community and up along the towering highlands for excellent stunning views of the lake and its surroundings. Accommodation: BirdNest FB
Day 10: Transfer and evening game drive in Mbulo NP
This morning you will transfer northwards into Uganda’s smallest savanna park with a great diversity of game and bird species. The scenic drive will give you incredible views of the terraced Kigezi highlands before we drive down in the plains of Ankole scenic with traditional Long-horned Ankole Cows and vast banana plantations. We will have short stops to view the colorful markets and a hot lunch at our lodge. Accommodation: Rwakobo Rock
Day 11: Walking Safari and transfer to Entebbe
Early this morning, your guide/driver will transfer you to the park gate to meet up your ranger guide for the guided nature walk experience. An early start offers you a chance to watch the local wildlife as it begins its daily activities. The air is fresh, the light is good for photographers and there is a lot of interaction, calls and sounds. Here the ranger guide will point out tracks, markings and identify different sights and sounds encountered. Away from the safety of a game drive vehicle, on foot you are on the same turf as the local wildlife and the reaction is different. On the nature walk the highlight is getting up-close to the local game including giraffe, plains Zebra and Impala, Bushbuck, Waterbuck, Buffalo plus varied woodland species of birds.
Thereafter we drive back to Kampala with stops at the Equator crossing and have a cup of coffee. Accommodation: Airport View Guesthouse.
11 Day Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari Include
- Travel in a 4WD tour customized vehicle in accompany of an English Safari Guide and Driver
- All park entrance fees and activities
- Accommodation and meal plan as described in the itinerary
- Safe bottled drinking water in the car
11 Day Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari Exclude
- Tips and gratuities
- Laundry and other personal services
- Accommodation and meal plan on the first and last day
- Alcoholic drinks or other drinks and meals not mentioned.
- Air tickets, Insurance and Visa