The 5-day Uganda wildlife and primate encounter safari starts and ends at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda. This 5-day Uganda wildlife and primate safari will give you the best of African jungle experiences that are made of remarkable wildlife diversity, ranging from the African great primates to plenty of wildlife species of the African savanna that are perfectly distributed across various national parks to be visited on this safari.

The safari involves visiting destinations with exclusive attractions that ensure you capture the uniqueness of the African jungle in a magical style, such as meeting eye-to-eye with the magical mountain gorillas and chimpanzees which are the top highlights that are highly recommended by almost all visitors to Uganda, getting a close encounter with many African big games, such as leopards, lions, elephants, Caped Buffalo, hippopotamus, and many others, and enjoying the beautiful landscapes.

If you are a bird lover, this is an ideal safari to enjoy most and many other interesting and adventurous experiences. It will take you to visit the most adventurous places in Uganda such as the Queen Elizabeth National Park, "a medley of wonders," for wildlife encounters, chimpanzee trekking, a boat cruise on the Kazinga channel, and a game drive to search for tree-climbing lions, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for mountain gorilla trekking experience and later conclude your safari with a visit to Lake Bunyonyi for relaxing and boat riding on this beautiful Lake.

This is an ideal tour to fully enjoy nature, visiting several memorial sites and exploring an abundance of wildlife species such as lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards, hippos, crocodiles, Uganda kobs and other antelope species, warthogs, among others, beautiful scenery, and numerous primate species, such as meeting eye-to-eye with the magical mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, and several other primates in their untouched natural habitats.

Experience 

This safari is a once-in-a-lifetime African adventure that combines wildlife, primates, culture, and breathtaking landscapes into one unforgettable journey. From the moment you arrive in Uganda, you will immerse yourself in diverse ecosystems ranging from savannah plains to dense tropical forests.

You will enjoy thrilling game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you have the chance to spot the famous Big Five and the rare tree-climbing lions. The experience becomes even more magical as you trek through the lush Kyambura Gorge in search of chimpanzees, walking under forest canopies filled with unique bird species and primates.

The highlight of this safari is undoubtedly the mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest — an emotional and powerful wildlife encounter that brings you face-to-face with one of the world’s most endangered species in their natural habitat.

To complete your journey, you will unwind at the stunning Lake Bunyonyi, surrounded by rolling green hills and dotted with beautiful islands, offering relaxation, canoeing, birdwatching, and cultural interactions.

This safari is perfectly designed for travelers seeking adventure, nature, wildlife photography, and authentic African experiences all in one seamless itinerary.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport – Meet and greet – Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park- Visit the twin crater lakes- check into your Lodge

Upon your arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be welcomed by our customer care representative and your allocated English-speaking safari guide for a meet and greet and, thereafter drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. On your way to Queen Elizabeth national park, you will have a stopover at Uganda, the equator line located in Kayabwe which is believed to be separating the planet into two parts; the Northern and Southern hemisphere.

While at the equator landmark, you will see the water experiment which is done to show how forces move differently on each side of the planet and to prove the difference between the two hemispheres for example, water drains from the funnel in a clockwise motion on the northern hemisphere, whereas it drains down in an anti-clockwise motion on the southern hemisphere. Here, the sun rises and sets rapidly, and the temperatures and weather are largely constant all year round. While at the Equator landmark, take some memorable photos with one foot in the southern hemisphere and another one in the northern hemisphere, which will give you an opportunity to take a photo while standing on both sides of the world at the same time. It is also said that while standing at the equator line, your body weight is reduced by about 3kgs so, you will have a chance to prove this statement right or false. After the water experiment, have a cup of coffee and then proceed with your journey to Igongo cultural center to have lunch. The visit will take you many centuries back in time to how life was in parts of western Uganda, how people lived, and how culture has evolved in the aftermath of modernization. Thereafter, proceed with your journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park where you will arrive early evening to check in at your booked lodge to freshen up, relax for some time and later visit the beautiful twin lakes which cannot be found anywhere in Africa except in Ruburizi. The twin lakes, (Lake Katinda and Lake Mirambi) are among the most scenic Crater lakes in QueenElizabeth National Park Uganda. Katinda is believed to be a female lake and Mirambi is a male lake. These are the only lakes with a gender. Stand at the shores of these intertwined lakes and marvel at the beauty of Uganda. After the twin lake tour, return to your lodge to have dinner and overnight.

Accommodation:

• Mweya Safari Lodge (Luxury)
• Enshama Game Lodge and Campsite (Mid-range)
• Pumba Safari Cottages (Standard)

Day 2: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Chimpanzee tracking at Kyambura Gorge – Afternoon boat cruise along the Kazinga channel – Evening game drive safari

Wake up to have breakfast, have your drinking water, binoculars, meet your safari guide, and later drive to the Kyambura gorge hiking starting point. Kyambura Gorge is one of the most impressive landscapes in Queen Elizabeth National Park and Uganda, comprising a great ecosystem such as water streams and the underground tropical forest, which shelters an abundance of primates and birds.

At the starting point, you will be briefed about the gorge, day activities and what to expect during the gorge walk by a UWA ranger guide, and then set off for the guided nature and primates walk inside the gorge. The walk will take you through the thick forest canopy and riverine forest trees in search of the chimpanzees and other species like the olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and many more. Kyambura Gorge is also a shelter to several different bird species, mostly forest bird species such as the African Finfoot, Martial Eagle, Blue-headed bee-eater, Black-rumpled Buttonquail, Bar-tailed Godwit, African skimmer, Flycatcher, white tailed lark, Verreaux's eagle owl, corncrake, pink backed pelican, black bee-eater, papyrus gonolek, papyrus canary, African broadbill, white-winged warbler, and many more.

The time taken before meeting the chimpanzees is not known but once you meet them, you will have a maximum of 1 hour to stay with them, take photos and ask as many questions as you would want.

After your chimpanzee and nature walk, return to your accommodation to have lunch, relax and drive to the beautiful Kazinga channel for an afternoon two hours’ boat cruise. The boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel is one of the highly recommended adventurous activities to visitors of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The cruise will bring you very close to several mammals such as the Hippos, Nile crocodiles and Buffaloes, Elephants and many others, plus various water birds. The fantastic experience during 2 hours’ boat cruise safari along the Kazinga channel makes a must-do adventure for every guest to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

After the boat cruise on Kazinga channel, drive back to the park for an evening game drive safari to search for more animals, since the more time you spend in the jungle, the higher your chances to see as many animals as possible. Thereafter, after the game drive, drive back to your lodge to refresh, have dinner, and stay overnight.

Accommodation:

• Mweya Safari Lodge (Luxury)
• Enshama Game Lodge and Campsite (Mid-range)
• Pumba Safari Cottages (Standard)

Day 3: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Morning game drive - Game drive safari at Ishasha sector to search for the tree-climbing lions - Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

After having your tasty breakfast, get all your luggage packed in the vehicle, check out of your lodge, and then drive to the Kasenyi plains found in the north-eastern parts of the park for the morning game drive safari in search of wildlife species. Queen Elizabeth National Park is understandably one of Uganda’s most popular national parks and an ideal habitat for classic big game such as the four mammals of the Big Five family of the African savannah (lions, leopards, elephants, and buffaloes), several antelope species, primates, and many others. Your safari guide will ensure that you spot as many wildlife species as possible and give you as much information as possible about everything that you may encounter during your game drive.

After the morning game drive, relax and then start the journey to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park via the Ishasha sector in the southern parts of Queen Elizabeth National Park for a game drive to lookout for the unique tree-climbing lions, which are only found in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda with 4 prides, Lake Manyara in Tanzania with 2 prides, and Kruger National Park in South Africa.

After the game drive, have lunch and proceed with the journey to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, which is famous for being home to half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas and one of Uganda's oldest as well as most biologically diverse rainforests, dating back over 25,000 years, with almost 400 tree species that form the huge impenetrable forest that is evergreen. It is home to approximately 500 mountain gorillas, 120 mammal species, such as numerous primate species, and over 350 bird species, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics. It is also the ancient home of the Batwa bush people.

Dinner and overnight.

Accommodation:

• Gorilla Leisure Lodge (Mid-range)
• Bakiga Lodge (Mid-range)
• Hornbill Bush Lodge (Standard/Budget)

Meal plan: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Day 4: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park – Mountain gorilla trekking experience – Drive to Lake Bunyonyi- Relax at the Lodge

Today, wake up very early in the morning to have your backpack ready. Dress up in the recommended style for the best mountain gorilla trekking experience. Long trousers, possibly khaki or jeans, a long-sleeved shirt, water-proof hiking shoes, a water-proof jacket, a round hut, and heavy-duty gloves. This is due to the unpredictable weather conditions in the forest; it can rain at any time of day, and then, for protection. Later, you will be served breakfast, have a box of your picnic lunch, meet your safari guide, and drive to the park information center for the pre-gorilla trekking briefing about the mountain gorilla trekking rules and regulations, the expectations during the gorilla trekking, how to behave while with the gorillas, and many other things. You will be joined in groups of eight people per group and then be assigned a particular gorilla family for tracking, with two gun-baring rangers (for your security) and a tracker/guide with a machete to lead your way during the forest walk while searching for the magical mountain gorillas. Thereafter, the briefings start the forest walk to search for your assigned mountain gorilla family. The time taken while searching for the mountain gorillas is not known, but it can be anywhere between 45 minutes and 6 hours, depending on the location and the movements of your allocated gorilla family on that day. Therefore, you need to be mentally and physically fit and prepared for multiple hours of forest walking over uneven and steep terrain. So, it is better to ask to be assigned a nearer gorilla family if you are not fit to manage multiple hours in the forest. If you consider yourself fit, choosing a challenging family is more fun and enjoyable because you will have the opportunity to encounter several wildlife species that live in this forest, and the longer you stay in the jungle, the more you will enjoy it and have opportunities to see many things.

During the forest walk in search of the mountain gorillas, you may encounter other wildlife species since Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park hosts numerous species, including chimpanzees, African elephants, l’Hoest’s monkey, and many others, plus birds, and your forest guide will keep on giving you information regarding everything that you will encounter that will make you enjoy your forest time. Once you meet your assigned mountain gorilla family, you will have one full hour to interact with the magical mountain gorillas. You will be required to keep a low tone, and you will be free to take as many photos as you want as well as ask as many questions as you want to your guides regarding the gorillas. Get ready to encounter Mr. Silverback, who is the head and determines the movements of the entire family. Mothers nurse the young ones, and the juveniles entertain the family, which makes a stay with them so amazing. It is advisable to avoid looking directly into the eyes of the gorillas. In the event of a chance encounter with the gorillas, it is always important to stay calm and quiet and let them pass because running away or making any kind of noise may disrupt the gorillas, causing them to behave wildly despite being habituated. The chances of seeing mountain gorillas in Uganda stand at 99% on any particular day. After an hour with the magical mountain gorilla, return to the starting point and receive your trekking certificates as a sign of appreciation for your contribution towards the conservation of the endangered mountain gorillas in Uganda. Meet your safari guide, enjoy your packed lunch with some refreshments, and later continue with your safari to Lake Bunyonyi, one of the most popular places in Uganda due to its green and lush terraced hills that are punctuated with a plethora of over 200 bird species. It is a perfect paradise for many bird enthusiasts because of its combination of water birds and some migratory birds. Lake Bunyonyi is an ideal place for swimming, boat cruising and canoeing experiences, birdwatching, as well as cultural adventures. Lake Bunyonyi is framed by 29 islands of different sizes, making it one of the most magical views in the world. On arrival at Lake Bunyonyi, check in at your booked lodge to refresh and have a free evening until it's time to have dinner and overnight.

Accommodation:

• Birdnest Resort@ Bunyonyu (Luxury)
• Keije Resort Bunyonyi (Mid-range)
• Itambira Island resort (Standard or budget)

Meal plan: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Day 5: Lake Bunyonyi – Morning boat riding on Lake Bunyonyi – Return to Entebbe International Airport

Today, wake up at your convenient time, be served breakfast, and then go for your morning boat canoeing safari on Lake Bunyonyi, which takes approximately 2 hours of exploring the lake and visiting different islands in the lake with a local canoe guide who is well experienced with the places and all the things around. Lake Bunyonyi is framed by 29 islands of varying sizes across the water, making it one of the most magical views. Each of the 29 islands on Lake Bunyonyi has its own unique and interesting story behind it, which your local guide will narrate to you during the canoeing safari, such as the Akampene island, also known as the "punishment island," which was used by the Biga community to punish girls who would get pregnant before official marriage by isolating them there to death as a way to teach a lesson to the rest not to make the same mistake. So, poor men who could not afford to pay the bride price would go to this island to get free wives from amongst those who could have been exiled to this island. In an African society, it was a disgrace for a girl to get pregnant before her official marriage, and this would cause the family to lose community respect. So, this made parents be strict with their girl children as a way of protecting them. After canoeing on Lake Bunyonyi, return to the lodge to check out, and then start your return journey back to Entebbe International Airport to prepare for your return flight. On your way, you will have a stopover at Igongo cultural museum to have lunch, relax for some time and later proceed with your drive to Entebbe International Airport, where you will arrive in the evening to prepare for your return flight. This will be the end of your 5-day Uganda wildlife and primate experience safari.

Meal plan: Breakfast / Lunch

The Package Price Includes

• Return airport transfers (Pick up and drop off)
• Private English-speaking safari guide for 5 days
• Private transport for 5 days using a well-modified safari van which is 4*4WD, air-conditioned and pop-up roof
• Private standard accommodation for 4 nights on full board (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)
• Fuel for 5 days
• All enroute meals and bottled drinking water throughout the tour
• All government applicable taxes
• All park entrance and activities
• One mountain gorilla trekking permit per person (Ruhija sector)
• One chimpanzee trekking permit per person (Kyambura Gorge)
• A stopover at Kayabwe equator landmark
• Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge Forest Reserve
• 2 hours afternoon boat cruise safari on Kazinga channel
• Evening and morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Game drive safari in Ishasha sector to search for the tree-climbing lions
• Mountain gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
• A visit and boat riding on Lake Bunyonyi

The Package Price Excludes

• Domestic and International flights
• Country entry visa
• Personal travel insurance
• Souvenirs / gifts and tips
• Items of personal nature / laundry / telephone charges
• Extra meals and activities
• Alcoholic and other soft drinks (Sodas, special juice order at the lodge and wines)