5 Days Uganda primates and wildlife safari
Our 5 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari will take you to Queen Elizabeth national park which is the second largest and one of the most visited national parks in Uganda where you will have great views of wildlife species like the big four mammals which include the lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes and other animals like the waterbucks, Uganda kobs, warthogs, bushbucks among others. You will also visit Kibale forest national park where you will be able to view the chimpanzees and Bwindi impenetrable national park where you will have a face to face interaction with the endangered mountain gorillas.
Highlights of the 5 days primates and wildlife safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Kibale national park
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 3: Boat cruise and transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 4: Gorilla trekking
Day 5: Departure to Kampala
Detailed itinerary
Day 1 of the 5 days primates and wildlife safari
Transfer to Kibale national park, on the first day of your 5 days primates and wildlife safari, you will be welcomed by our driver guide at Entebbe airport who will brief you about your safari and then start the journey to Kibale national park which takes about 5 to 6 hours’ drive passing via Mubende, Kyenjojo, Fort Portal and then to the park. On the way you will have great views of the landscapes, tea and banana plantations, homesteads, local people, farmlands, scenery among others. Upon arrival in Kibale national park, you will continue to the lodge check in and have lunch.
After lunch you will prepare for an evening nature walk in Bigodi swamp which harbors various wildlife species including primates like baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, red tailed monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, animals like bush pigs, otters, Sitatunga, bushbucks and bird species like the great blue turaco, papyrus Gonolek, white winged warbler among others. Nature walk in Bigodi swamp takes about 2 to 3 hours and during the swamp walk you will be able to view various tree species, plants, animals, butterflies, bird species, primates among others. After the swamp walk you will meet up with your guide and drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
On the second day of your 5 days primates and wildlife safari, you will have an early breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kanyachu Visitors Centre for a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations of chimpanzee trekking. After the briefing you will be grouped into 6 people, allocated a chimpanzee group to trek and then start trekking in the jungle at around 8:00am with a park guide who is well conversant with the chimpanzees and the trails in the forest.
Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale national park takes 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on the location of the chimpanzees because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During chimpanzee trekking you will be able to spot other primates like the black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, red tailed monkeys, various bird species and once found you will spend one hour with them in their natural habitat learning about their habits, lifestyles, behaviors, taking photos and recording the moments to show people back home. After the one hour encounter with the chimpanzees, you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will meet your driver guide and start your journey to Queen Elizabeth national park.
On your way you will have en-route lunch in Fort Portal and then continue to Queen Elizabeth national park which takes about 3 hours’ drive. upon arrival in the park you will go for a game drive/lion tracking experience in Kasanye plains where you will see various animal species such as the leopards, lions, elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, buffaloes, bushbucks, warthogs, hyenas, bush pigs, and various bird species such as the papyrus gonolek, white backed night heron, yellow throated cuckoo, red chested sunbird, white winged warbler among others. After the game drive you will drive to the lodge check in, have dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Boat cruise and transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
After an early breakfast on your third day of your 5 days primates and wildlife safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer for the boat cruise at Kazinga channel. Kazinga channel is a water body that joins Lake George and Lake Edward, the boat cruise is an exciting activity that starts at around 9:00am at a landing site near the luxury lodge Mweya safari lodge. The boat cruise takes about 2 hours and offers you with spectacular views of animal species like hippos, Nile crocodiles in water, elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks along the water banks drinking water and various water birds such as martial eagle, papyrus gonolek, pelicans, African skimmers, cormorants, African spoonbills, fish eagles, king fisher’s and many others. After the boat cruise you will drive out of the park and start the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park which takes about 4 hours.
On your way to Bwindi impenetrable national park you will pass via Ishasha sector which is located in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park. It takes about 2 hours’ drive and upon arrival you will have lunch and then go for a game drive where you will have an opportunity of viewing the tree climbing lions. Ishasha sector is famously known for the tree climbing lions which will be viewed lazily lying up in the acacia, fig tree branches. After the game drive you will proceed with the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park. Upon arrival you will check into the lodge, have dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
After an early breakfast on the fourth day of your 5 days primates and wildlife safari, you will carry packed lunch from the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for the gorilla trekking briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations. After the briefing you will be grouped into 8 people and allocated a gorilla family to trek, grouping of individuals is however done according to age, physical fitness and personal preferences therefore in case you are not physically fit you are advised to communicate with your driver guide so that they allocate you a gorilla family that is easy to trek.
You will also be allocated a park guide who is well conversant with the gorilla families and the trails in the jungle and then start trekking. Trekking of the mountain gorillas in the park takes 30 minutes to 7 hours passing via the thick forest where you will be able to view other primates like the L’hoest monkeys, baboons, bird species, plant species among others. When the mountain gorillas are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their lifestyle, habits, behaviors, take photos and record the moments. After the one hour encounter with the gorillas, you will trek back to the park headquarters where you be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking and then meet up with your driver guide to transfer back to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 5: departure to Kampala
On the last day of your 5 days primates and wildlife safari, you will have breakfast in the morning, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kampala. You the way you will pass via Kabale town, Ntungamo town and Mbarara town where you will have a stopover for lunch. After lunch you will continue the journey with another stop over at the equator where you will be able to take photos and in case you want to buy some souvenirs there are various craft shops where you can buy art crafts, art pieces among others. From the equator you will proceed with the journey to Kampala and your driver guide will drop you off at Entebbe international airport for your next flight or at any place of convenience.
End of 5 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari
Tour includes
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Park entrance fees
- Boat cruise fees
- Bigodi swamp walk
- An English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Pick up and drop off
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled water
Tour excludes
- Air flight tickets
- Visas
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others
