About This Journey
This ten-day circuit runs the length of Uganda's classic primate-and-wildlife route — chimpanzee tracking in Kibale, game drives and a Kazinga Channel cruise in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and a morning with a habituated mountain gorilla family in Bwindi — then adds something most itineraries skip: real time to unwind.
The final two nights are spent on Lake Bunyonyi, the 'place of little birds,' a mirror-still lake ringed by terraced hills and dotted with 29 islands. After a week of early starts and forest treks, it's built in as a deliberate pause before you fly home.
Every departure is private and led by an expert Ugandan driver-guide, shaped around your dates rather than a fixed group schedule.
Trip Highlights
- Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest
- Game drives, a Kazinga Channel boat cruise, and a Kyambura Gorge chimpanzee search in Queen Elizabeth National Park
- One unforgettable hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family in Bwindi — permits capped at 8 visitors per family
- An optional Batwa community visit or second gorilla trek in Bwindi
- Two restorative nights on the terraced, island-dotted shores of Lake Bunyonyi
- Birding in Echuya Forest, a stronghold for Albertine Rift endemics
Day by Day
Welcome to Uganda! You're met on arrival and transferred to your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala to rest after your flight.
- LuxuryProtea Hotel by Marriott Entebbe · Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort · Hotel No.5 Entebbe
- Mid-rangeBest Western Premier Garden Hotel · Boma Hotel Entebbe · 2 Friends Beach Hotel
- BudgetAirport Guest House · ViaVia Entebbe · Elementis Guesthouse
- Meals
- Dinner
Drive to Kibale Forest National Park, just east of the Rwenzori Mountains near Fort Portal, for excellent chimpanzee tracking along several forest trails and a large number of resident chimp communities — plus Red Colobus, Red-tailed Guenon, Grey-cheeked Mangabey, Blue Monkey, L'Hoest's Monkey, Black-and-White Colobus, 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
A game drive and Kazinga Channel boat cruise, past craters carved into rolling green hills and the endless Ishasha plains, whose fig trees hide the park's famous tree-climbing lions — paired with a chimpanzee search at Kyambura Gorge, the 'Valley of Apes'.
- 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
After breakfast, drive with a packed lunch en route to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, arriving in the afternoon and checking into your lodge.
- 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
Bwindi is the bird-watcher's paradise, holding 348 recorded species and around 90% of all Albertine Rift endemics, among them the Short-tailed Warbler, Rusty-faced Woodland Warbler, and Bar-tailed Trogon.
Set out with rangers and trackers for your gorilla trek, spending an unforgettable hour with a habituated family. An optional visit to a local Batwa community can be arranged on your second day for those interested.
- 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
Wind down at Lake Bunyonyi — one is simply awed by its mystical beauty, snaking along the Ugandan landscape, dotted by 29 islands of various shapes and sizes and ringed by terraced farms. Lake Bunyonyi, meaning the 'place of little birds,' is a restorative place — a place of solace, of rest, of quietness, of reflection.
Swim, canoe, take an island boat trip, or spend a final morning birding in nearby Echuya Forest, a stronghold for Albertine Rift endemics.
- LuxuryBirdNest @ Bunyonyi Resort · Arcadia Cottages
- Mid-rangeLake Bunyonyi Rock Resort · Lake Bunyonyi Eco Resort
- BudgetBunyonyi Overland Resort · Crater Bay Cottages
- 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
- 9 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
Protea Hotel by Marriott Entebbe
Primate Lodge Kibale
Mweya Safari Lodge
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Buhoma Lodge
BirdNest @ Bunyonyi Resort
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.
