8-Day Uganda Safari with Gorillas, Chimpanzees and Lake Bunyonyi

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Day 01

Arrival in Entebbe and Transfer to Kampala

• Arrive in Kampala following your flight from your country of origin. Land at Entebbe International Airport, the primary gateway to the Pearl of Africa, where you will find a company representative dedicated to offering you a courteous welcome. After a short briefing about your 8-day Uganda safari, continue to your hotel in Kampala for relaxation, dinner, and an overnight stay.

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Day 02

Scenic Transfer to Kibale National Park

• After an early morning breakfast, embark on a 315 km or 5-6 hour scenic drive through tea plantations and lush green countryside to Kibale National Park, home to 13 primates and the highest primate density of any area on earth, including 1,500 chimpanzees, our closest living relatives.
• Arrive and settle for lunch in Fort Portal, the tourism city of the Pearl of Africa and the seat of the ancient Kingdom of Toro, in the shadows of the legendary Mountains of the Moon (Rwenzori Mountains). Afterwards, proceed to Kibale for dinner and an overnight stay.

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Day 03

Chimpanzee Tracking, Amabeere Caves, and Transfer to Queen Elizabeth

• After an early morning breakfast at 6:30, meet your driver and connect to Kibale's Kanyanchu Visitor Center for a briefing. Afterward, you will be allocated an experienced guide and begin the trekking exercise at 8:00 in the forest in search of our closest cousins, the chimpanzees. The trek takes about 1-4 hours depending on their location, with chances of spotting other primate species such as red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, black-and-white colobus monkeys, and other monkeys in the forest.
• Upon locating the chimpanzees, you will have one hour to watch them feed, play, fight, and hunt while observing their behaviour at close range. After this encounter, reconnect with the guide at the starting point for transfer to the lodge and settle for lunch.
• Later in the afternoon, check out of the lodge and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park with a visit to Amabeere Caves. Famous for their breast-like features, the caves and the Nyinamwiru story will amuse you. Visit the crater lake fields such as Kigere and Wabikere, and summit the famous Kweganya Hills for panoramic views of crater lakes with hollow shapes and the Rwenzori Mountains.
• Retreat from the activity and continue to Queen Elizabeth National Park along the 80 km or 1-2 hour Fort Portal-Pond Road, enjoying scenic views of the Rwenzori Mountains. Arrive in the park with thrilling views of wildlife as you connect to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

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Day 04

Kasenyi Game Drive and Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise

• After an early morning breakfast, embark on a 3-4 hour morning game drive in Kasenyi, exploring Queen Elizabeth National Park's rolling savannah landscape dotted with wild game, including elephants, buffaloes, lions, waterbucks, leopards, Uganda kobs, warthogs, as well as birds and primates.
• Retreat from the activity and drive back to the lodge for lunch. Afterwards, gather at Mweya for an afternoon 2-hour thrilling boat cruise along the 40 km Kazinga Channel to view some of the largest concentrations of hippos in the world, as well as crocodiles, elephants, and buffaloes basking along the shores of the lake.
• Retreat from the activity and connect to the lodge for relaxation, dinner, and an overnight stay.

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Day 05

Transfer to Bwindi via Ishasha Sector

• After an early morning breakfast at 6:30 am, connect with the ranger guide and embark on a 3-4-hour journey towards the Ishasha sector in search of tree-climbing lions resting on fig and acacia tree branches.
• After your game drive session, transfer to the nearest lodge for relaxation and lunch before proceeding to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You will arrive in the evening for relaxation, dinner, and an overnight stay.

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Day 06

Gorilla Trekking and Batwa Community Visit

• After an early morning breakfast, connect to the park headquarters with a packed lunch and meet the ranger guide for a briefing. At precisely 8:00 am, embark on the unforgettable trek through the jungle in the company of the ranger in search of the great mountain apes, our closest relatives, sharing more than 97% of our DNA. Along the way, you may also see different primates such as black-and-white monkeys and L'Hoest's monkeys. After a one-hour encounter with the mountain gorillas, transfer back to the park centre for the gorilla tracking certificate award, then continue to the lodge for lunch and relaxation.
• Later in the evening, embark on a community tour and visit the last remaining members of the Batwa pygmy tribe, living harmoniously with the great giants of the forest in Bwindi. While in their community, learn traditional forest practices of the hunter-gatherers, listen to their stories, and attend their cultural dance performances before heading back to the lodge for an overnight stay.

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Day 07

Lake Bunyonyi Cruise and Island Community Visit

• After an early morning breakfast at 7:00 am, transfer to Lake Bunyonyi, the place of many little birds and Africa's second deepest lake, traversing through the Kigezi Highlands, referred to as the Little Switzerland of Africa, with stunning surroundings offering impressive views of the 29 islands.
• Undertake activities such as sightseeing, community walks, and birdwatching. Have lunch at the resort and embark on a canoe or boat cruise on the lake to visit and interact with one of the 29 island communities, such as Punishment Island Akampande, home to unmarried pregnant girls. Return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner, and an overnight stay.

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Day 08

Departure

• Depart from your hotel, marking the conclusion of your tour.