This 5 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Tour includes trekking with endangered mountain gorillas in the impregnable Bwindi National Park as the main experience. It also includes a visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park with a game drive and a boat cruise along the Kazinga Strait. At the end of his gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi, visitors can take a cultural tour of Batwa pygmies who live near the park.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Kampala – Masaka road (7hrs drive) en route making a stopover at the equator for photography and Mbarara for lunch. Later transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is roughly a 3 hours drive from Mbarara to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Overnight stay at Mweya safari lodge / Katara Lodge/ Park View Lodge / Engazi Lodge
Day 2: Game Drive and Launch Cruise Along Kazinga Channel
Enjoy a morning hunting drive to the Kasenyi plains, north of the park, in search of leopards and lions. Driving along the Carseni Track, you can expect to encounter large herds of elephants, buffalo, Uganda kob, warthogs, defasa waterbucks, bushbucks and giant forest pigs, among others. Return to the lodge for a hot lunch before embarking on a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel. The launch experience gives you up-close views of large herds of elephants, hippos, and a variety of migratory and endemic birds. At six o’clock, return to the lodge for dinner and relaxation.
Day 3: Ishasha – Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast, transfer to Ishasha, the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park in search of tree climbing lions. It is approximately an hour’s drive from Mweya to Ishasha Gate. At 10:00 am lions begin climbing fig trees as they seek shelter in the tree branches from the scorching sunshine and relaxing after a night and morning feast on the antelopes.
At 13:00 O’clock transfer to Savannah Hotel for a hot lunch and later proceed to Bwindi national park for an evening Batwa (Pygmies) community walk. Overnight stay at Gorilla Forest Camp / Mahogany Springs.
Day 4: Gorilla Tracking Adventure
Wake up very early in the morning for your breakfast and then hike to the park headquarters, which is a few meters from your lodge for a briefing by the park ranger before commencing the gorilla trek at 8:30 am. Gorilla tracking is a strenuous exercise but ranked the most rewarding wildlife experience. The time is taken to encounter these apes ranges from an hour to several hours depending on their movement in the jungle. Overnight stay at Gorilla Forest Camp / Mahogany Springs.
Day 5: Departure
After breakfast transfer back to the airport either Entebbe or Kigali. It is more than 8 hours drive to Entebbe from Bwindi; whereas it is a 4 to 5 hours drive to Kigali international airport.
Inclusions in this safari
- Gorilla Permits
- Chimpanzee permits
- Park Entrance Fees
- Relevant Government Taxes
- Full Board Accommodation
- Full-time English speaking Driver/Guide
- Ground Transportation by a 4×4 safari vehicle
- Airport transfer, as long as your flight is on the same day on which the safari ends.
Tour Exclusions:
- Airfares
- Visa Fees
- Personal Insurance
- Expenses of personal nature such as; drinks, tips, laundry, telephone, cigarettes, accommodation & meals not indicated in the itinerary and optional activities.