8 Days Uganda Gorilla Safari - Long Gorilla Trekking Tour

8 Days Uganda Gorilla Safari – Long Gorilla Trekking Tour

Your 8 days Uganda gorilla safari involves exploring and experiencing Kibale Forest National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Each of these destinations has something rare for you to experience. In Kibale Forest National Park, you will embark on chimpanzee tracking. Kibale Forest National Park lies in Western Uganda, about 5 hours’ drive from Kampala.

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It was gazetted in 1993 and occupies an area of about 795sq.km, inhabiting over 70 mammal species including 1500 chimpanzees, blue monkeys, red colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, olive baboons, bush babies, pottos, L’Hoest monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys; over 375 bird species, variety of butterfly species, plants, and trees.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is set in Kasese district, Western Uganda approximately 6 hours’ drive from Kampala. This park sits in an area of 1978sq.kms featuring a vast savanna grassland where its diverse wildlife species thrive. Queen Elizabeth National Park is a home to more than 600 bird species, the tree climbing lions, buffaloes, elephants, crocodiles, chimpanzees, antelopes and many more.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is situated in Southwestern Uganda about 8-10 hours’ drive away from Kampala. It is premier gorilla destination inhabiting over half of all the remaining 1004 mountain gorillas in the world as well as different butterfly species, plants, 350 bird species, chimpanzees to mention but a few. Your 8 days Uganda gorilla safari will commence and end in Kampala/Entebbe.

Activities to do on 8 days Uganda gorilla safari

• Chimpanzee tracking
• Guided nature walks in Bigodi Wetland
• Game drive
• Boat/Launch trip
• Gorilla trekking

Highlights of your 8 days Uganda gorilla safari

Day 1: Arrival and transfer from Entebbe to a hotel in Kampala
Day 2: Drive to Kibale Forest National Park
Day 3: Chimpanzee tracking and guided nature walks
Day 4: Drive from Kibale to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 5: Game drive and launch trip in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 6: Drive from Queen to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 7: Mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 8: Return to Kampala/Entebbe

Detailed itinerary of your 8 days Uganda gorilla safari

Day 1: Arrival and transfer from Entebbe to a hotel in Kampala

Meet your safari guide at Entebbe International Airport and have a warm welcome, greeting and later briefing on what your 8 days Uganda gorilla tour is all about. After, connect to a hotel in Kampala for relaxation, dinner and a night stay.
Where to stay in Kampala
Luxury: Serena Hotel Kampala, Sheraton Hotel Kampala
Mid-range: Cassia Lodge, Protea Hotel Kampala
Budget: Excellent Hotel, Ruch Hotel

Day 2: Drive to Kibale Forest National Park

Wake up early in the morning to have breakfast and later, meet your driver-guide ready to set off for about 5 hours’ journey to Kibale Forest National Park in Western Uganda. You will take the Kampala-Mityana-Mubende-Fort Portal route and on the way, enjoy the incredible sights over the country’s unique landscape. In Fort Portal, you will make a stopover for lunch in a hotel and then proceed to Amabeere Nyinamwiru caves for you to have a unique cultural experience. Later, you will connect to Kibale Forest National Park which is approximately 26kms off Fort Portal.

Where to stay in Kibale Forest National Park
Luxury: Ndali Lodge, Kyaninga Lodge, Papaya Lake Lodge
Mid-range: Primate Lodge, Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse
Budget: Kibale Forest Camp, Camping

Day 3: Chimpanzee tracking and guided nature walks

Chimpanzee treks in Kibale National Park commence with an early morning cup of tea or coffee and later, the driver guide transfers you to Kanyanchu Visitor Center to clear and you join other clients at briefing room where you get to know the what rules and regulations you have to observe while in search for chimpanzees. At 8:00 am, the park office after you have been assigned to a park guide, chimpanzee tracking can start from the trail at the visitor center or drive to some point in the park where you will be dropped to begin your search for chimpanzee, an experience that can last you about 2-4 hours.

On finding chimpanzees, you are given one hour to learn how they feed, socialize, copulate and make nests. However, you will also come across a variety of primates, birds, plants, butterflies and many other creatures that will make your chimpanzee experience memorable. Retreat from your experience to have lunch in a lodge and wait for the afternoon guided nature walk in Bigodi Wetland.

The guided nature walks in Bigodi Swamp is intended for you to explore diverse species of primates including the red-tailed monkeys, red colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, olive monkeys, birds like the great blue turacos plus several mammal species. Retreat from your exciting guided nature walks to relax, dine and spend a night in the lodge.

Where to stay in Kibale Forest National Park
Luxury: Ndali Lodge, Kyaninga Lodge, Papaya Lake Lodge
Mid-range: Primate Lodge, Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse
Budget: Kibale Forest Camp, Camping

Day 4: Drive from Kibale to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Get up early to have a hot cup of tea or coffee and check out of the lodge in Kibale Forest National Park ready to embark on 3 hours road trip to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda’s second-largest national park. Get here early to chill and have lunch in a lodge then spend your afternoon exploring the park on the evening game drive. On a game drive, expect to see elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, birds, lions, antelopes and many others. Dine and spend a night in a comfortable lodge.

Where to stay in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Luxury: Ishasha Wilderness Camp, Mweya Lodge
Mid-range: Bush Lodge, Twin Lake Safari Lodge, Enganzi Game Lodge
Budget: Elephant Hab Lodge, Pumba Safari Cottages

Day 5: Game drive and launch trip in Queen Elizabeth National Park

After breakfast, head out to Kasenyi Plains-the Northern section of Queen Elizabeth National Park on a game drive. This will reward you with astonishing sights over diverse wildlife species including leopards, lions, antelopes, buffaloes, elephants, warthogs, birds to mention but a few. Game viewing experience along Kasenyi Plains may cover 3-4 hours. Retreat from this exciting wildlife experience to have lunch in a lodge as you wait for the afternoon boat cruise via Kazinga Channel.
A boat cruise along Kazinga Channel may also take about 3-4 hours but lets you explore a variety of aquatic life including hippos, crocodiles and water birds. The Kazinga Channel connects Lake George and Lake Edward.

Day 6: Drive from Queen to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After a hefty breakfast, check out of the lodge and drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via Ishasha sector-the southern area of Queen Elizabeth National Park. En-route, you will have incredible sight over the tree-climbing lions at Ishasha sector. Your journey will cover about 3 hours but you will have a stopover at Savanna Resort then proceed to Bwindi National Park.

Where to stay in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Luxury: Chameleon Hill Lodge, Buhoma Lodge
Mid-range: Gorilla Mist Camp, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
Budget: Buhoma Community Rest Camp, Nshongi Camp

Day 7: Mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Enjoy your breakfast early in the morning and later, connect to the park headquarters for briefing on the set dos and don’ts that you have to follow while on a trek to see mountain gorillas. Briefing usually begins at 6:00 am and it is during this time that you will be assigned to a gorilla family to trek in a group of 8 visitors. At 8:00am with your packed lunch and bottled drinking water, you will begin your search for mountain gorillas and this may cover about 2-6 hours. The length of the trek usually differs depending on various factors for instance your speed of hiking, nature of the habitat and where gorillas are found. On getting your gorilla group, you will be given an hour of magical encounter and photography. On gorilla trek, you won’t only see mountain gorillas but also other primates, birds and several plant species.

Get back to the lodge to relax and in the evening, you will pay a visit to the Batwa community for you to interact with the Batwa pygmies, learn about their cultures and traditions.
Where to stay in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Luxury: Chameleon Hill Lodge, Buhoma Lodge
Mid-range: Gorilla Mist Camp, Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
Budget: Buhoma Community Rest Camp, Nshongi Camp

Day 8: Return to Kampala/Entebbe

Check out of the lodge after your cup of tea or coffee and then drive back to Kampala or Entebbe. Along the way, you will make a stopover at Uganda Equator crossing for photo taking and relation.
End of your 8 days Uganda gorilla safari

Inclusion of your 8 days Uganda gorilla safari

• Chimpanzee permits
• Gorilla permits
• Game drives
• Boat cruise
• Park entry fees
• Travel in 4×4 drive safari car
• 7 nights and meals
• All activities in the travel plan apart from the optional ones
• Relevant government taxes

Exclusions of your 8 days Uganda gorilla safari

• Tips
• Uganda visa fees
• Beverages
• Laundry services
• Cigarettes
• Hotel fees in Kampala/Entebbe
• Airfares