5 Days Chimpanzee Trekking and Gorilla Habituation Experience
5 Days chimpanzee trekking and gorilla habituation experience safari will start and end in Kampala. The safari will take you to Bwindi impenetrable national park in southwestern Uganda where you will get involved in a breathtaking gorilla habituation experience which gives you an opportunity to spend four hours with the gorillas under habituation process in their natural environment. From Bwindi impenetrable national park you will connect to Kibale national park for chimpanzee trekking, the second-best done activity in Uganda after gorilla trekking.
Highlights of the 5 Days chimpanzee trekking and gorilla habituation experience
- Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
- Day 2: Gorilla habituation experience
- Day 3: Transfer to Kibale national park
- Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
- Day 5: Departure to Kampala
Detailed itinerary
Day 1 of the 5 days chimpanzee trekking and gorilla habituation experience
- Arrival and transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park, upon arrival at Entebbe international airport on the first day of the 5 days chimpanzee trekking and gorilla habituation experience our driver guide will pick you up, brief you about the safari and then start the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park in southwestern Uganda. Bwindi forest is the most visited gorilla destination in Africa because it harbors the highest number of mountain gorillas and it’s the only national park that offers gorilla habituation experience. It’s a whole day journey to Bwindi forest and on the way you will have a stopover at Igongo cultural centre for lunch, after lunch you will proceed with the journey to the park and upon arrival you will check into the lodge, have dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Gorilla habituation experience in Bwindi impenetrable national park
- Gorilla habituation experience, after an early breakfast on the second day of the 5 days chimpanzee trekking and gorilla habituation experience you will carry packed lunch from the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for the briefing about the rules and regulations of gorilla habituation. Gorilla habituation experience in the park is only carried out in Rushaga sector, southern part of Bwindi impenetrable national park and this breathtaking activity only allows a maximum of 4 people each day. After the briefing you will start trekking in the jungle with a team of park guides, researchers, gorilla doctors among others. During trekking you will have great views of primates like l’hoest monkeys, vervet monkeys, chimpanzees, animals like bush pigs, forest elephants, buffaloes, plant and tree species, bird species like strange weaver, Rwenzori batis, Chapin’s fly catcher, handsome francolin among others. Once the gorillas under habituation are found you will be allowed to spend four hours with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their behaviors, habits, name every gorilla, take photos and record the moments to show people back home. After the amazing moment with the mountain gorillas, you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Transfer to Kibale national park
- Transfer to Kibale national park: After breakfast on the third day of the 5 days chimpanzee trekking and gorilla habituation experience, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kibale national park which is also known as the primate capital. On the way you will pass via Ishasha sector in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park to view the tree climbing lions which will be lying up in acacia/ fig tree branches. Tree climbing lions in Ishasha sector climb trees due to various reasons such as to escape ground heat, run away from biting insects such as tsetse flies, to have a clear view of their prey among others. After the game drive in Ishasha sector you will have en-route lunch and great views of the Rwenzori Mountains, crater lakes, tea plantations among others as you continue to Kibale national park. Upon arrival in the park you will check into the lodge, have dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
- Chimpanzee trekking, after an early breakfast on the fourth day of the 5 days chimpanzee trekking and gorilla habituation experience you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kanyachu park headquarters for a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations of chimpanzee trekking. Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale national park is done in groups of 6 people where each group will be allocated a chimpanzee family to trek and a park guide who is well conversant with trails in the forest. After the briefing you will start trekking in the forest which takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located. During trekking you will have spectacular views of different bird species, other primates like grey cheeked mangabey, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, olive baboons, tree and plant species among others. Once the chimpanzees are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural environment and during the one hour, you will be able to learn more about their lifestyle, behaviors, habits, watch them feed, breastfeed, hunt, play, rest, take photos and record videos. After the one hour encounter with the chimpanzees you will trek back to the park headquarters, meet up with your driver guide to return to the lodge for lunch.
- Bigodi swamp walk, after lunch you will go for a guided nature walk in Bigodi swamp which takes about 3 hours walk. During the guided nature walk you will pass through lush vegetation, forest boardwalks, pathways and in a top tree house in the canopy where you will be able to view various bird species like the great blue turaco, hornbills, kingfishers, primate species like red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, blue monkeys, grey checked mangabey, some animals like bushbucks, otters among others. After the nature walk you will meet up with your driver guide and transfer back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Departure to Kampala
- Departure to Kampala: On the last day of the 5 days chimpanzee trekking and gorilla habituation experience, you will have a relaxed breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Kampala. On the way you will have en-route in Mbarara town and a stopover at the Equator where you will buy some souvenirs, take photos and proceed with the journey. You will reach Kampala early evening and upon arrival your driver guide will drop you off at any place of convenience or drop off at Entebbe international airport for your departure flight.
End of 5 days chimpanzee trekking and gorilla habituation experience
Tour includes
- Gorilla habituation permit
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Park entrance fee
- An English speaking driver guide
- Park entrance fee
- Full board accommodation
- Ground transfers
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled water
Tour excludes
- International 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.
