8 Days Primates & Wildlife Safari (Uganda)

Your guide collects you from Entebbe International Airport or your Kampala hotel and heads west via Mubende toward Fort Portal (approx. 5–6 hours). The route crosses rolling farmland before the Albertine Rift escarpment comes into view near the Rwenzori foothills. Arrive at your lodge near Kibale National Park by late afternoon. Optional stop at a crater-lake viewpoint near Fort Portal — Ndali-Kasenda crater field offers photogenic views if time allows. Evening briefing on tomorrow’s chimp trek at Kanyanchu. Drive time: Approx. 5–6 hours Meals: Lunch & dinner

Early briefing at Kanyanchu Visitor Centre, then join UWA rangers for a chimpanzee trek through Kibale’s cathedral rainforest. The park holds 13 primate species; your target is a habituated chimp community, usually located within 2–4 hours of walking. Once found, you spend one hour observing grooming, feeding and loud pant-hoots. Afternoon optional Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary walk (community-run) for red colobus, grey-cheeked mangabey and great blue turaco along the swamp boardwalk. Trek duration: 2–4 hours typical Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

After breakfast, drive south to Queen Elizabeth National Park (approx. 2–3 hours) via Kasese, with the Rwenzori range visible on clear mornings. Check in near Mweya or Katwe and lunch at the lodge. Afternoon 2-hour boat safari on the Kazinga Channel — one of Africa’s densest hippo populations. Buffalo and elephant herds drink at the banks; African skimmer, malachite kingfisher and yellow-billed stork are common along the papyrus edges. Drive time: Approx. 2–3 hours Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Pre-dawn departure for a game drive on the Kasenyi Plains — Queen Elizabeth’s prime predator territory. Lion prides stalk Uganda kob at first light; leopard, spotted hyena, elephant and warthog are regular. Return for breakfast at the lodge. Afternoon chimp tracking in Kyambura Gorge (separate permit included) or a relaxed crater-lakes drive past Katwe salt pans. The gorge offers a dramatic contrast to Kibale’s canopy — chimps here are harder to find but the setting is spectacular. Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Check out after breakfast and drive south through Queen Elizabeth’s Ishasha sector, scanning fig trees for tree-climbing lions — a behaviour seen in only two places in Africa. Continue into the Kigezi highlands toward Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Arrive at your sector lodge by late afternoon. Evening briefing on gorilla etiquette, trekking gear and tomorrow’s early start. Sector (Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija or Nkuringo) follows your permit allocation. Drive time: Approx. 5–6 hours with Ishasha stop Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner Accommodation: Bwindi sector lodge

Early breakfast and transfer to park headquarters for briefing. With UWA rangers and trackers, begin your mountain gorilla trek into Bwindi’s montane forest — trekking can take 2–8 hours depending on the assigned family’s location. On contact, spend one hour with the habituated gorilla family — silverback displays, juveniles tumbling through vegetation, mothers nursing infants. Return for your certificate. Afternoon rest at the lodge or optional Batwa cultural visit. Trek duration: 2–8 hours round trip Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch & dinner

Relaxed morning drive to Lake Bunyonyi (approx. 1–2 hours) — 29 islands, terraced hillsides and cool highland air. Check in at a lakeside lodge or cottage. Afternoon dugout canoe excursion among the islands, optional visit to a Bakiga community, or simply recover from gorilla trekking with views across the lake. Bunyonyi is bilharzia-free and ideal for swimming. Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner

Breakfast overlooking the lake, then begin the return journey to Entebbe (approx. 7–8 hours) via Mbarara and the Equator at Kayabwe for photos and lunch. Alternatively, exit through Kigali (3–4 hours via Katuna or Cyanika border) if your international flight departs from Rwanda. The descent from the Kigezi highlands passes through Ankole cattle country and rolling tea hills — a scenic counterpoint to the rainforest and savannah days behind you. Kibale chimps, Kyambura gorge, Queen Elizabeth wildlife and Bwindi gorillas in eight focused days. Airport drop-off in Entebbe or Kigali for evening flights, or overnight in Entebbe if you prefer not to drive after a long transfer day. Drive time: 7–8 hours to Entebbe; 3–4 hours to Kigali Meals: Breakfast & lunch