9-Day Uganda Primate Safari with Gorilla Trekking and Lake Bunyonyi

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, a Vibrant Holiday Safari professional tour driver-guide will receive and welcome you to the Pearl of Africa. Thereafter, you will be transferred to your booked accommodation. Check in and rest as you recover from the tiresome journey and adjust to the time difference.

Optional (extra cost): If you arrive early and are interested in an activity, you may consider:

a) An excursion to the Entebbe Botanical Gardens to sight a few primates and birds.

b) An excursion to Mabamba Wetland in search of the prehistoric shoebill stork.

After an early breakfast, you will drive to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Once there, you will proceed for an hour of on-foot rhino tracking. From the rhino tracking, head to Masindi for a lunch stop, after which you will continue your transfer to Murchison Falls National Park.

The highlights of this park include the roaring rapids of the Murchison and the rolling plains of Uganda's largest national park, where you will have the chance to view lions, giraffes, hartebeests, buffalo, and elephants. The concentration of hippos and Nile crocodiles here will surely fascinate you.

After breakfast, you will depart for an early morning game drive across the rolling plains of Uganda's largest national park and be on the lookout for wildlife, including lions and leopards, though leopards are hard to spot. For birders, there are also quite a number of birds to sight during the drive.

Return to the accommodation for some rest time and lunch. After lunch, you will head out for the boat trip to the base of Murchison Falls, where you will also be able to catch sight of more animals, including hippos, crocodiles, and several water birds.

Optional (extra cost 15$): If interested, continue with a hike to the top of the falls. The hike may be strenuous, but the thrill of reaching the top is unforgettable. Return to your accommodation and relax.

After breakfast, we will drive to the top of the falls to truly appreciate the beauty and magnificence of Murchison Falls National Park. From the top, we shall embark on a transfer that will see us overnight at the edge of Kibale Forest National Park.

The drive is quite long but amazingly scenic-passing through villages, lush green countryside, and hills dotted with tea plantations that characterize this part of Uganda. The beautiful scenery will amaze you all the way. Upon arrival at the accommodation, check in and simply relax.

Optional (extra cost 15$): If interested, you can proceed with the crater lakes excursion. You will enjoy the beauty of the numerous small lakes, surrounded by gentle hills, and stunning views all around. Otherwise, just enjoy your rest at the facility.

Have breakfast and proceed for the Bigodi Wetlands excursion. The Bigodi Wetland boasts an extensive array of biodiversity, including several primate species such as black-and-white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, L'Hoest's monkeys, and baboons. Bigodi is also a paradise for bird watchers, and among the major bird species within the area is the great blue turaco.

From Bigodi, we shall embark on a transfer of about 2 hours to Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will reach Queen early enough to have lunch, rest, and then proceed for game viewing. During the game drive, look out for wild animals like reedbuck, bushbuck, kob, warthog, elephant, lion, and buffalo, to mention but a few.

Alternatively, you could choose to go for the Queen's breathtaking explosion crater drive instead. Return to the accommodation and take your rest.

After breakfast, we shall proceed for chimpanzee tracking in the Kyambura Gorge. The gorge is home to habituated chimpanzees, plus other primates including baboons and monkeys, as well as bird species. Today, you will spend the early part of the day tracking chimpanzees here.

Thereafter, return to the accommodation for some rest time and lunch. After lunch, you will go for a 2-hour boat trip on the Kazinga Channel that connects Lakes George and Edward. During the trip, the sight of wildlife including giant hippos, elephants, and crocodiles, among others, will fascinate you. You will also see many varieties of birds along the water shores.

After the boat trip, we shall proceed for a brief late afternoon game drive/safari and thereafter return to the lodge.

After breakfast, you will set off for an early morning game drive in the Kasenyi Plains. Be on the lookout for Cape buffaloes, herds of elephants, lions, leopards, though hard to spot, and others.

Return to the lodge and check out, then head to the Ishasha Sector in search of tree-climbing lions. The chance of spotting these lions is about 70%, though sometimes they are hard to spot, especially when they are down in the grassland looking for prey. Should you get to spot them, the sight is exceptionally memorable.

From Ishasha, we shall continue to your accommodation at the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the Ruhija sector. You will arrive in the evening, around 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm.

After breakfast, you will head to the rangers' post, where you will be briefed by a ranger guide on the dos and don'ts during trekking. Thereafter, you will enter Bwindi Forest for your adventure. The time taken and the terrain vary with the movements of these great primates.

Once you have located a gorilla group, you will be allowed an hour in their presence. The thrill of spending time observing these gentle but endangered giants is unforgettable.

Return to the accommodation, check out, and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi. Lake Bunyonyi is framed by lush, green-terraced hills that reach a height of 2,200-2,478 m, but it is the 29 islands of various shapes and sizes scattered across the water that make it most magical. You could admire them all day.

Have a relaxed breakfast at the accommodation with a spectacular view of the little islands of Bunyonyi right in front of you. Thereafter, embark on your return journey to Entebbe Airport.

Expect an en route lunch and a stop at the Uganda Equator line mark in Kayabwe for some memorable photos and perhaps to buy some art pieces of interest. Proceed with the journey, arriving late in the afternoon or evening for drop-off at the airport to catch your journey back home. The recommended flight booking time is 6:00 pm onwards.