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

Your safari begins with pick-up from either your hotel or the airport on arrival. Your English-speaking driver-guide will meet you and begin the journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of Uganda's most popular tourist destinations. The park is home to a remarkable variety of habitats that support an abundance of wildlife, including ten species of primates such as chimpanzees, more than 600 bird species, and large mammals like elephants and lions.

You will stop for lunch along the way before continuing into the beautiful Queen Elizabeth National Park. Arrival is in the late afternoon or evening, after which you will head to your accommodation to rest and relax. If time allows, you may also enjoy a late afternoon to evening game drive.

Wake up early and enjoy breakfast before setting out on a morning game drive in the Kasenyi Plains. Look out for Cape buffaloes, herds of elephants, and lions. Leopards can be harder to spot, but it is always worth keeping an eye out for them.

After the drive, return to your lodge to relax and have a meal. Following lunch, you will take a two-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, the waterway that connects Lakes George and Edward. During the cruise, you may see large hippos, elephants, crocodiles, and many different bird species gathered along the shoreline.

After the boat ride, you can either return to the lodge to rest or head out for another game drive until around 6:30 or 7:00 pm.

Wake up early and head out for one final game drive in the Kasenyi Plains. Keep watch for Cape buffaloes, groups of elephants, lions, leopards, although they can be difficult to spot, and other wildlife. After the drive, return to the lodge and check out.

You will then continue to the Ishasha sector in search of the famous tree-climbing lions. There is about a 70% chance of seeing them, although they can sometimes be difficult to find, especially when they are hunting in the tall grass. If you do spot them, it is a beautiful and unforgettable sight.

After Ishasha, continue to your accommodation near Bwindi National Park in the Ruhija sector, arriving at around 6:00 pm.

If you wish, you may choose chimp tracking in Kyambura instead of the sunrise game drive. Please note that permission for chimp tracking must be secured before the actual date.

Place to stay: Buhoma Community Rest Camp.

After breakfast, head to the rangers' station, where a ranger guide will brief you on what you should and should not do during the trek. You will then enter Bwindi Forest for your exciting gorilla trekking experience. Because these large primates move through the forest, the duration of the trek and the terrain can vary.

Once you find a gorilla family, you will spend one hour with them. Watching these peaceful and rare giants is a memorable and exciting experience.

After the trek, return to your accommodation, check out, and continue to Lake Bunyonyi. The lake is surrounded by lush, terraced hills rising between 2,200 and 2,478 metres. Its true beauty, however, lies in its 29 islands, each with its own shape and character. Scattered across the water, they create a scene that can fill you with wonder and awe. You could easily spend an entire day simply admiring them.

Enjoy a peaceful breakfast while taking in the beautiful little islands of Lake Bunyonyi right in front of you. Afterwards, begin your journey back to Entebbe, arriving in the late afternoon or evening in time for your departure.

You will stop for lunch at the Equator and have time to take photos to capture some special memories before continuing your journey.