7-Day Uganda Wildlife, Gorilla, and Primates Trekking Safari

This 7-Day Uganda Gorilla Trek Uganda & Wildlife Safari takes you to the Murchison Falls National Park, the largest national park in Uganda. It is renowned for its scenic beauty and the spectacular falls from which it derives its name. The sight and sound of the falls as the Mighty Nile River crashes through a 7-meter gorge before tumbling 40 meters down in a thunderous explosion makes a memorable assault on the senses. You will enjoy memorable game drives, a boat cruise, and a viewing of the mesmerizing scenery in this national park.

The 7-Day Uganda Wildlife, Gorilla, and Primates Trekking Safari will continue to Kibale Forest National Park, the primate capital of the world, to trek the wild but habituated chimpanzees and for a walking safari in the wild to see other primates, colorful birds, rare flora and picturesque volcanic landscapes. This Uganda safari will take you to Queen Elizabeth National Park where you will see abundant bio-diversity of wildlife and amazing picturesque scenery. Enjoy a relaxing boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel with awesome opportunities to spot water birds and animals basking on the shores.

The climax of the 7-Day Uganda Wildlife, Gorilla, and Primates Trekking Safari will be an encounter with the elusive Mountain Gorillas in the famous Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and to interact with the former forest people, the Batwa, who used to live in this forest before it was gazetted as a national park.

Destinations:

• Murchison Falls National Park
• Kibale Forest National Park
• Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

7-Day Uganda Wildlife, Gorilla, and Primates Trekking Safari Highlights

• Tracking Rhinos in their Sanctuary
• Game drives in Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth National Parks
• Launch cruises on the Nile River and Kazinga Channel
• Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park
• Nature walks in the Bigodi swamp for bird-watching
• Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
• Interaction with the Batwa people
• Equator experience

 

Detailed 7-Day Uganda Wildlife, Gorilla, and Primates Trekking Safari

Day 1: Travel to Murchison Falls National Park via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

The 7-Days Uganda Wildlife, Gorilla, and Primates Trekking Safari will start by traveling to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for an opportunity to trek the endangered white Rhinos that are being restocked in this part of the country following their extinction through poaching in the late 70s. White rhino tracking is done on foot for 1 and a half hours. You will After the Rhino trekking continue to Murchison Falls National Park via Masindi Town where you will have a lunch break arriving in the evening. The entire journey takes 7-9 hours. Dinner and overnight will be at the lodge of your booking.

Accommodation options

• Luxury:Paraa Safari Lodge/ Bakers Lodge
• Mid-range: Murchison River Lodge/Pakuba Safari Lodge/Bwana Tembo Safari Camp
• Meal Plan: Full Board Basis

Day 2: Game drive and Boat launch on the Nile River

The 7-Days Uganda Wildlife, Gorilla, and Primates Trekking Safari with an early start (6.30 am) and set off for a sunrise game drive in the Murchison Falls National Park to see the Cape buffaloes, Rothschild’s giraffes, Uganda kob, hartebeest and waterbucks. You may also spot oribi, bushbuck, Bohor reedbuck, shy sitatunga, bush duiker, warthog, and bush pig plus large carnivores including lions, leopards, and spotted hyenas. Chimpanzees and olive baboons head the list of six species of primates found in this park. Crocodiles and hippos will be seen along the banks of the Nile River.

Some of the more common birds that can be seen include goliath heron, Egyptian geese, pelican, bee-eaters, kingfishers, hornbills, cormorants, saddle-bill storks, and the rare shoebill stork. You will return to your lodge for a late breakfast and some relaxation and later set off in the afternoon for a boat cruise on the placid Victoria Nile, upstream, to the base of the falls. En route, you will see hippos, crocodiles, waterbucks, and a wide variety of birds like the unusual shoebill stork. The boat stops just tens of meters from the “Devil’s Cauldron” for pictures to be taken of the photogenic and majestic Murchison Falls.

Accommodation options

• Luxury:Paraa Safari Lodge/ Bakers Lodge
• Mid-range: Murchison River Lodge/Pakuba Safari Lodge/Bwana Tembo Safari Camp
• Meal Plan: Full Board Basis

 

Day 3: Visit to the top of the falls and travel to Kibale Forest National Park

You will After your breakfast visit the “top of the thunderous Murchison Falls”, where you will observe the Nile River squeezing itself into a 7-meter gorge before tumbling 40 meters down in a thunderous explosion and then flowing down into a very peaceful river whose water banks are swarmed with a profusion of water and land animals as well as birds.

Continue the 7-Day Uganda Wildlife, Gorilla, and Primates Trekking Safari with a 9-hour journey to Kibale Forest National Park.  The drive is incredibly scenic passing through the verdant countryside of undulating hills dotted with traditional homesteads, farm gardens, and tea plantations. There will be a stopover in the town of Fort Port allocated at the foothills of the Rwenzori, the fabled “Mountains of the Moon”. Dinner and overnight will be at the lodge of your booking.

Accommodation options

• Luxury: Primate Lodge/Papaya Lake Lodge/Kyaninga Lodge
• Moderate: Isunga Lodge/Kibale Forest Cottages
• Meal plan: Full Board Basis

 

Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park for an afternoon Boat Cruise on Kazinga Channel and an Evening Game Drive

After breakfast, you will go for chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park, where the greatest variety and highest concentration of primates in East Africa is exceptionally represented. The most famous of its 13 primate species is the Chimpanzee, a very delightful ape. The walk may take 2-3 hours before coming across a family of habituated chimpanzees with which you will spend one hour enjoying their acrobatic antics as they squabble and playfully swing in the tree branches.

You will return to your booked lodge and then transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park for an afternoon Boat Cruise on the Kazinga Channel and Evening Game Drive.

In the afternoon, you will go for a 2-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. It is a 42 km channel that joins Lake Edward and Lake George. This 7-Day Uganda Wildlife, Gorilla and Primates Trekking Safari trip passes through possibly the highest concentration of hippos and offers an excellent platform for photography, bird watching, and game viewing. The prolific bird life is colorful, with well over 550 resident species.

Later in the evening, go for a game drive where you will see the giant forest hog, Cape buffalo, elephant, defassa waterbuck, Uganda Kob, topi, and bushbuck among others on the luckiest day, you may see lions and leopards. Dinner and overnight will be spent at your reserved lodge.

Accommodation options

• Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge/ Katara Lodge
• Mid-range: Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge/Ihamba Safari Lodge/Parkview Safari Lodge/Twin Lakes Safari Lodge
• Meal Plan: Full Board Basis

 

Day 5: Game drive in Ishasha Sector and Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

You will set off early (about 6.30 am) for a morning game drive in the Southern sector of the Queen Elizabeth National Park, Ishasha, an awesome opportunity to spot the animals in their natural habitats. Expect to see the famous Big Five, Bush bucks, Giant Forest hog, Hyenas, Leopards, Waterbucks as well as birds. The big prize of this game drive will be to spot the “tree climbing lions” which are seen during the hot hours of the day, as they rest in the tree branches.

You will return to the lodge for lunch after which your 7-Days Uganda Wildlife, Gorilla, and Primates Trekking Safari driver/guide will transfer you to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park which is the natural habitat for the endangered mountain gorillas. Your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park will take you through rolling hills punctuated with human habitations, skillfully terraced gardens, and tea plantations. The scenery is amazingly beautiful!

Accommodation options

• Luxury: Gorilla Safari Lodge/Buhoma Lodge/Mahogany Spring Lodge/Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge/Bwindi Jungle Lodge/Silverback Lodge/Chameleon Hill Lodge
• Midrange: Gorilla Mist Camp/ Mutanda Lake Resort/Rushaga Gorilla Camp/Gorilla Valley Lodge/Engagi Lodge
• Meal plan: Full Board Basis

 

Day 6: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi and Batwa cultural experience

You will have an early morning breakfast and move to the park headquarters to join other trackers in a briefing about the gorilla trekking rules and procedures at 7:45 am. You will then start the trek under the guidance of a trained ranger through thick creepers and undergrowth to find the Gorillas, which can take you 1-8 hours. The steeply forested landscape is incredibly dense but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails allowing access by tourists.

As you move your 7-Days Uganda Wildlife, Gorilla and Primates Trekking Safari guide will point out signs of previous Gorilla activity, including dung, nests, and chewed bamboo shoots. Once sited, you will have one hour to stay with the Gorillas at close range (three meters) and watch them as they communicate, feed, play, and bond with their young. The experience on this Gorilla Trek Uganda & Wildlife Safari is sensationally humbling and one that will leave you with memories to last a lifetime!

You will return to your 7-Days Uganda Wildlife, Gorilla, and Primates Trekking Safari lodge for a rest and later go for a cultural walk among the Batwa people who used to live in the Bwindi Forest before it was gazetted as a National Park. You will learn about their life and culture as a forest people and be amazed by the wealth of knowledge they have on native medicinal plants which they use to treat a wide array of human sicknesses.

Alternatively, you will watch a skillful blacksmith as he manufactures local iron tools for use in everyday life the way it used to be done in the ancient days or witness the making of local beer. Your cultural tour will be crowned with a traditional dance performance whose antics are fabulously entertaining.

Accommodation options

• Luxury: Gorilla Safari Lodge/Buhoma Lodge/Mahogany Spring Lodge/Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge/Bwindi Jungle Lodge/Silverback Lodge/Chameleon Hill Lodge
• Midrange: Gorilla Mist Camp/ Mutanda Lake Resort/Rushaga Gorilla Camp/Gorilla Valley Lodge/Engagi Lodge
• Meal plan: Full Board Basis

Day 7: Transfer back to Kampala with a stopover at the Equator

You will after breakfast start the 7-Days Uganda Wildlife, Gorilla, and Primates Trekking Safari journey back to Kampala with a stopover at interesting tourism attractions, arriving in the evening. Among the attractions will be a stopover at the Equator where you will have an opportunity to stand in two hemispheres at the same time and take some photos. You will arrive in Kampala in the late afternoon and either be transferred to the airport for your departure flight or to the hotel of your booking for dinner and a well-deserved rest.

End of 7-Day Uganda Wildlife, Gorilla, and Primates Trekking Safari

 

Requirements for the 7-Day Uganda Wildlife, Gorilla, and Primates Trekking Safari

• A Visa – you can apply for the visa online.
• Travel & Health insurance – This should be arranged by you in your home country before you travel.
• Physical fitness

7-Day Uganda Wildlife, Gorilla, and Primates Trekking Safari Inclusions and Exclusions

The Safari Package Includes:

• Accommodation as per the itinerary
• 4WD safari vehicle with popup roof
• Bottled drinking water
• Rhino trekking fees
• Ferry crossing fees
• Boat trips
• Visit to the top of the Murchison Falls fee
• Chimpanzee trekking permit in Kibale forest
• Gorilla trekking permit
• English Speaking Driver/guide.
• Game drives
• Community visit fees
• Guided nature walks
• Pickup and Return airport transfers.

 

The Safari Package Excludes

• Other drinks
• Laundry
• Tips to local guides
• Telephone expenses
• Porter fees while trekking Gorillas and chimpanzees
• Cigarettes

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