8 Days best of Uganda safari vacation offers a journey to explore Uganda’s diverse primates, wildlife, birds and experience unique cultures and practices on this all-inclusive 8 –day gorilla tour package. Your gorilla tour will be excellently done in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP), a 331sq.km park, a significant habitat to over 120 species of mammals comprising of 459 mountain gorillas, 360 bird species, 202 colorful butterfly species, 400 species of plants and more.
Enjoy up close and personal with chimpanzees freely roaming at Kibale Forest National Park. Located in Kabarole, Western Uganda, Kibale National Park houses 13 species of primates. The park accounts for 1500 chimpanzees, l’hoest monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, grey cheeked mangabeys, red colobus monkeys and blue monkeys.
Experience the best of savanna game viewing at Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kasese, a 1978sq.km park and home to large herds of African elephants. Other diverse wildlife to see in this park on a guided game drive include leopards, lions, genet, spotted hyenas, buffaloes, jackals, and over 620 species of birds.
Brief Itinerary
Day 1: A road trip to Kibale National Park using a 4×4 safari vehicle
Day 2: Go trek with Kibale chimpanzees & Bigodi wetland walk
Day 3: Transfer by car to Queen Elizabeth Park (Kasese District)
Day 4: Game drive Kasenyi Plains, Ishasha & drive to Bwindi
Day 5: Gorilla trekking
Day 6: Gorilla trekking & Visit Lake Bunyonyi
Day 7: Lake Bunyonyi road trip, embark on a boat cruise
Day 8: Game drive & departure
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: A road trip to Kibale National Park using a 4×4 safari vehicle
After a leisurely breakfast, you will be picked up by your tour leader who will drive you to Kibale National Park. Enjoy a remarkable road trip in a 4×4 safari vehicle and en-route; expect a scenic view of Matiri Forest and vast plantations. Arrive at Fort Portal tourism city for lunch break and after, you will connect up to the safari lodge for relaxation.
Overnight stay
- Luxury: Kyaninga Lodge
- Midrange: Primate Lodge
- Budget: Chimpanzee Guesthouse
Day 2: Go trek with Kibale chimpanzees & Bigodi wetland walk
At leisure, have a tasty breakfast and after, proceed to Kanyanchu Visitor Centre for briefing. Before you assemble at briefing centre, you will get cleared by Uganda Wildlife Authority team. During briefing, you will have insight into guidelines for chimpanzee tracking and allocation of park guides. The actual trek with Kibale chimpanzees begins at 8:00am and the park guide will be present to lead you.
Kibale Forest NP chimp trek allows you observe many other primates including colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, baboons, mangabeys, pottos, bush babies and also multiple bird species. Once you have come across chimpanzees, a maximum of an hour will be enjoyed face-to-face with these apes then you get back to your accommodation.
Enjoy the Bigodi wetland walk in the afternoon, and expect to come across plenty of primates including colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys and many other mammals.
Overnight stay
- Luxury: Kyaninga Lodge
- Midrange: Primate Lodge
- Budget: Chimpanzee Guesthouse
Day 3: Transfer by car to Queen Elizabeth Park (Kasese District)
Leave Kibale Forest NP for wildlife expedition in Queen Elizabeth National Park in Kasese District. Over 95 mammal species are distributed across Queen Elizabeth NP, inhabiting Uganda Kobs, Africa buffaloes, waterbuck, elephants, giant forest hogs, chimpanzees, lions, leopard, hippos, and more. These share the same habitat with more than 620 species of birds including the martial eagles, saddle billed stork, handsome francolins, grey crowned crane and others.
After lunch break, you will have the best of a launch or boat cruise through Kazinga channel. The Kazinga channel launch cruise excursion brings you the best of aquatic life sightings including hippos, crocodiles and birds.
Overnight stay
- Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge
- Midrange: Elephant Plains Lodge
- Budget Simba Camp/Kazinga Channel Resort
Day 4: Game drive Kasenyi Plains, Ishasha & drive to Bwindi
Early in the morning, breakfast will be enjoyed at the lodge and you exit for the 6:00am guided game drive. With company of an experienced guide, drive through the Kasenyi Plains, a game track that will allow you to observe multiple mammal species including elephants, lions, buffaloes, leopards, Kobs, warthogs, and birds.
From the Kasenyi plain game drive, return to the lodge to check out of the lodge and depart for Bwindi National Park. Through Ishasha region, you will have the best of a guided game drive that will let you explore the tree climbing lions and other species.
Enjoy a leisurely bush lunch at Ishasha and after, you will proceed to Bwindi to check in at the lodge around Buhoma area.
Overnight stay
- Luxury: Buhoma Lodge
- Midrange: Engagi Lodge
- Budget: Buhoma Community Camp
Day 5: Gorilla trekking
The first gorilla trek begins from Buhoma area, the Northern section of Bwindi with 4 gorilla families. You will join the rest of the guests for briefing at Buhoma after breakfast. At 8:00am, be ready for action packed adventure and before you set off you should have a walking stick. The trek with Buhoma gorillas runs for 2-6 hours which includes an hour of getting up close and personal with a group of mountain gorillas.
After the successful gorilla trekking adventure, get back to the lodge for relaxation till evening when you will pay a visit to the nearby community, especially the Batwa community.
Overnight stay
- Luxury: Buhoma Lodge
- Midrange: Engagi Lodge
- Budget: Buhoma Community Camp
Day 6: Gorilla trekking & Visit Lake Bunyonyi
The second phase of gorilla trekking in Bwindi takes you through Ruhija area or still at Buhoma sector but different gorilla family. Visiting Ruhija means exploring the eastern gorilla trekking sector’s groups including Mukiza, Oruzogo, Bitukura and Kyaguriro. In the afternoon, you will be transferred to Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale and enjoy a relaxed moment at the cool shores of this beautiful lake with 29 islands.
Overnight stay
- Luxury: Birdnest@ Bunyonyi
- Midrange: Lake Bunyonyi Rock Resort
Day 7: Lake Bunyonyi road trip, embark on a boat cruise
Take a morning canoe ride on Lake Bunyonyi up to one of the scenic islands. After, return and you will be transferred to Lake Mburo National Park, Kiruhura district in Western Uganda.
Overnight stay
- Luxury: Kigambira Lodge/Mihingo Lodge
- Midrange: Lake Mburo Safari Lodge/Rwakobo Rock
Day 8: Game drive & departure
At leisure, enjoy a heavy breakfast and after, set off for the morning game drive with an experienced park guide. Look out for Lake Mburo NP diverse animal species including zebras, giraffes, impalas, warthogs, elands, topis, leopards, buffaloes and many birds. From the game drive, return to check out or proceed to Kampala/Entebbe with en-route break to be made at the equator crossing for photography.
End of tour
Inclusions
- Gorilla permits
- Chimpanzee permits
- Bottled water
- Park entry fees
- Cultural experiences
- All activities as mentioned in the itinerary
- An English-speaking guide services
- Boat cruise excursions
Exclusions
- Tips
- Insurance
- Alcoholic drinks
- Entry visas/passports, etc