7 Days chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking and Lake Bunyonyi safari
7 Days chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking and Lake Bunyonyi safari : This 7 days chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking and Lake Bunyonyi safari is one of the extraordinary safaris that will take you to Kibale national park which harbors 13 primate species including chimpanzees, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, blue monkeys, l’hoest monkeys among others. From Kibale forest national park, you will connect to the misty Bwindi impenetrable national park where you will engage in an interesting nature walk and gorilla trekking activity that will give you an opportunity to spend time with the gorillas as you learn more about their lifestyle and behaviors. You will also visit Lake Bunyonyi which is the deepest lake in Uganda and second deepest in East Africa after lake Tanganyika.
Highlights of the 7 days chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking and Lake Bunyonyi safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Kibale national park
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 5: Nature walk and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
Day 6: Canoeing and Community tour
Day 7: Departure to Kampala
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Kibale national park,
Depending on the time of arrival on the first day of the 7 days chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking and Lake Bunyonyi safari you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will give you a short briefing about your safari and then start the journey to Kibale national park. The journey takes about 5 to 6 hours drive and on the way you will have a stopover in Fort Portal town for en-route lunch. After lunch you will continue the journey to Kibale national park and upon arrival you will check into the lodge, have dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Chimpanzee trekking,
After an early breakfast on the second day of your 7 days chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking and Lake Mburo safari you will meet up with your driver guide and transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations of chimpanzee trekking. After the briefing you will be allocated a chimpanzee group to trek and a park guide who will be sharing relevant information about the chimpanzees and also well conversant with the trails in the jungle.
Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale national park starts at around 8:00am and takes 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on the location of the chimpanzees and once found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural environment. During the one hour you will be able to learn more about the chimpanzee’s lifestyle, behaviors, habits, take photos and record the moments to show people back home. After the encounter with the chimpanzees you will trek back to the park headquarters, meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the lodge for lunch.
Bigodi swamp walk,
After lunch you will go for a guided nature walk in Bigodi swamp where you will pass through the lush vegetation in the sanctuary. Nature walk in Bigodi swamp takes about 3 hours walking through the forest boardwalks, pathways and gives you an opportunity to view various bird species like the great blue turaco, hornbills, kingfishers, primates like red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, blue monkeys, grey checked mangabey and some animals like bushbucks, otters among others in a top tree house in the canopy. After the nature walk you will meet up with your driver guide and drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
On the third day of the 7 days chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking and Lake Bunyonyi safari, you will have breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park which is located in southwestern Uganda. On your way you will have en-route lunch and enjoy great views of the landscape, crater lakes, tea and banana plantations, terraced farmlands, Kigezi hills among others. Upon arrival in Bwindi impenetrable national park, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking,
After an early breakfast on the fourth day of the 7 days chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking and Lake Bunyonyi safari you will carry packed lunch, meet up with your driver guide and transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about gorilla trekking rules, regulations and expectations. After the briefing you will be grouped into 8 people, allocated a gorilla family to trek and a park guide who is well conversant with the trails in the forest. Grouping of individuals is done according to age, physical fitness and personal preferences therefore in case you are not physically fit you are advised to communicate with your guide so that they allocate you a gorilla group that is near to trek.
Trekking of gorillas in Bwindi impenetrable national park starts at around 8:00am and takes 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on the location of the gorillas and once they are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with the gorillas in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to take photos, record videos, learn more about their habits, behaviors, lifestyle among others which gives you fascinating and exciting experiences. After the one hour encounter with the gorillas you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking and after meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Nature walk and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
Nature walk,
After an early breakfast on the fifth day of the 7 days chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking and Lake Bunyonyi safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for an interesting nature walk which starts with a briefing. After the briefing you will be allocated an experienced park guide and start hiking in the forest following different trails. During the guided nature walk you will get up close and personal with different wildlife species including primates like chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, view variety of bird species, mammals, colorful butterflies, listen to sweet sounds of bird species, enjoy views of the waterfall, cool breeze among others. After the guided nature walk, you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale which is the second deepest lake in East Africa. Upon arrival in Lake Bunyonyi, you will check into the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Canoeing and Community tour
After breakfast on the sixth day of the 7 days chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking and Lake Bunyonyi safari, you will meet up with your driver guide to go for an exciting canoe ride on Lake Bunyonyi which is the deepest lake in Uganda and second deepest lake in Africa. During the boat ride you will explore some of the 29 islands on Lake Bunyonyi, enjoy beautiful scenery of the landscape, terraced farmlands, surrounding communities, enjoy the sunrise among others. After the boat cruise you will return to the lodge for lunch.
Community tour,
After lunch you will go for an interesting community tour with a local guide where you will get an opportunity to interact with the Batwa and Bakiga people who live in the villages around the lake. During the community tour you will be able to learn about the local peoples cultural, tradition, way of living, visit their markets, farmlands and learn how to dig, visit the traditional healer, primary schools, health facilities, learn how to make local beer from bananas, taste their local dishes, enjoy traditional entertainments, listen to ancient stories among others. After the community tour you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Departure to Kampala
On the last day of the 7 days chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking and Lake Bunyonyi safari you will have a relaxed breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kampala. On the way you will have en-route lunch in Mbarara town and then proceed with another stopover at the Equator in Kayabwe to take photos and buy craft souvenirs. From the Equator you will continue the journey to Kampala where your driver guide will drop you off at any place of convenience or at Entebbe airport in case you have a flight to catch.
End of 7 days chimpanzee, gorilla trekking and Lake Bunyonyi safari
Tour includes
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Nature walk in Bigodi swamp
- Canoeing on Lake Bunyonyi
- An English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Park entrance fee
- 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.
