About This Journey
For travellers short on time but not on ambition, this eight-day express safari distills Uganda's essential wildlife encounters into one efficient loop: chimpanzees in Kibale, big game and water birds in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and — the trip's centrepiece — a morning with a habituated mountain gorilla family in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
Gorilla permits limit each trek to a maximum of eight visitors per family, keeping the encounter intimate and low-impact however many people are on the road with you. Every departure on this route is private and paced by an expert driver-guide, so eight days never feels rushed.
Trip Highlights
- Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest, Africa's primate capital
- Game drives and a Kazinga Channel boat cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park
- A second chimpanzee search on foot at Kyambura Gorge, the 'Valley of Apes'
- One unforgettable hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family in Bwindi — permits capped at 8 visitors per family
- Ishasha's tree-climbing lions on the open plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park
- A stopover at the Equator, standing between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres
Day by Day
Welcome to Uganda! You're met on arrival and transferred to your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe. The rest of the day is yours to rest after your flight.
- LuxuryKampala Serena Hotel · Sheraton Kampala Hotel
- Mid-rangeCassia Lodge · Papyrus Guest House
- BudgetForest Cottages · Fairway Hotel
- Meals
- Dinner
Drive to Kibale Forest National Park, just east of the Rwenzori Mountains near Fort Portal. Kibale holds excellent chimpanzee tracking thanks to several walking trails and a large number of resident chimp communities, alongside a wonderfully diverse concentration of other primates — Red Colobus, Red-tailed Guenon, Grey-cheeked Mangabey, Blue Monkey, L'Hoest's Monkey, and the Black-and-White Colobus, plus Olive Baboons and nocturnal Pottos.
- LuxuryPrimate Lodge Kibale · Crater Safari Lodge · Kyaninga Lodge
- Mid-rangeTuraco Treetops · Kibale Forest Camp · Isunga Lodge
- BudgetChimpanzee Forest Guest House · Kibale Guest Cottages · Chimps Nest
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Queen Elizabeth's magnificent vistas take in dozens of craters carved into rolling green hills, panoramic views of the Kazinga Channel with its banks lined by elephants, and the endless Ishasha plains, whose fig trees hide lions ready to pounce on unsuspecting Uganda kob.
A game drive and Kazinga Channel boat cruise are paired with a chimpanzee search on foot at Kyambura Gorge — the 'Valley of Apes' — for a second primate encounter alongside the park's big game.
- LuxuryMweya Safari Lodge · Kyambura Gorge Lodge · Katara Lodge
- Mid-rangeEnganzi Game Lodge · Marafiki Safari Lodge · Park View Safari Lodge · Elephant Hab Lodge · Buffalo Safari Lodge
- BudgetSimba Safari Camp · The Bush Lodge · Pumba Safari Cottages
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
The highlight of your safari: an encounter with the giant gorillas of Bwindi. Expect to walk a long distance over steep and muddy conditions, sometimes with rain overhead, before you find them — but it's worthwhile the moment you're watching them eat, play, and rest at close range.
A second day allows for an optional visit to a local Batwa community, or a further gorilla trek subject to permit availability.
- LuxuryBuhoma Lodge · Bwindi Lodge · Mahogany Springs Lodge
- Mid-rangeEngagi Lodge · Buhoma Haven Lodge · Gorilla Forest Camp
- BudgetBuhoma Community Rest Camp · Trekkers Tavern Cottages · Bwindi Backpackers Lodge
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
On your way back, stop at the Equator to stand between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres for photographs, before continuing to Kampala or Entebbe for your flight home.
- Meals
- Breakfast
What's Included
Included
- 7 nights' accommodation in hand-picked lodges
- All meals as indicated in the itinerary (B/L/D)
- Private English-speaking Ugandan driver-guide and 4×4 pop-up-roof vehicle
- All fuel and bottled water in the vehicle
- 1 gorilla trekking permit per person (Bwindi Impenetrable National Park)
- 1 chimpanzee tracking permit per person (Kibale Forest National Park)
- Chimpanzee search permit at Kyambura Gorge (Queen Elizabeth National Park)
- Kazinga Channel boat cruise
- All national park entrance fees for parks visited
Not Included
- International airfares
- Uganda entry visa
- Personal travel and medical insurance
- All alcoholic drinks
- Meals and snacks not indicated in the itinerary
- A porter for gorilla trekking (optional — carries your daypack)
- Optional Batwa community visit at Bwindi
- Tips and gratuities for driver-guide and hotel staff
- Personal expenses — laundry, souvenirs, and items of a personal nature
Accommodation
Kampala Serena Hotel
Primate Lodge Kibale
Mweya Safari Lodge
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Buhoma Lodge
Ready to Plan This Safari?
Every trip we run is private and tailored around you — your dates, your pace, your budget. Tell us what you have in mind and one of our safari planners will craft it into a detailed, costed proposal.
