WILDLIFE & GORILLA EXPERIENCE SAFARI |  7 days                            

This seven-day road-trip takes you through the heights of the Rwenzori Mountains to the depths of the Kyambura Gorge allowing you precious chances of tracking the rare mountain gorillas found only in East Africa; tracking chimpanzees and other primates and witnessing Uganda’s vast species of wildlife in the Savannah woodlands and along the waters at Lake Mburo and Queen Elizabeth National Parks.

Day 1: Travel (by road)  from Kampala to Bwindi

Your driver-guide will pick you up from your hotel in the morning and transport you in a comfortable vehicle to the park. You will make a stopover at The Equator (in Kayabwe) for any craft shopping and drive on for lunch in Mbarara town. Thereafter, you’ll continue with the journey through the remarkable green yet mountainous countryside that defines why it’s popularly referred to as the “Little Switzerland of Africa.” Upon arrival, you will check in at the Silverback Lodge, where you will have your dinner and overnight stay.

*Meals include lunch and dinner. Transit time:              8-10 hrs approx. distance:     550km

Day 2: Gorilla Tracking – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Remember to carry a packed lunch for your hike-of-a-lifetime. After breakfast, head to the park HQs for a thorough pre-tracking briefing by the park rangers who will serve as your guides for the day’s excursion that may last from an hour or two to eight hours, before you can meet the gorillas. Once you meet the gorillas however, you will be able to spend one full, unforgettable hour with them. The day’s tracking is normally guided by where the gorillas were found the previous day. At the end of the tracking, you will return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 3: Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Enjoy an early breakfast and embark on a drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park through its Southern wing of Ishasha where the famous tree-climbing lions have always been sighted; other game here includes elephant, buffalo, topi and hippos. Arrive and check in at your destination Katara Lodge in time for lunch and a sunset game drive through the Northern wing of the park. Wildlife here includes the striking Uganda kob, elephant, Cape Buffalo, hyena, hippo, waterbuck, lion, leopard, and about 612 bird species–a figure that competes for the highest number in any park in Africa

*Meals include breakfast, lunch and dinner.                               Transit time:             4hrs

Day 4: Exploring Queen Elizabeth National Park

The day begins before sunrise as we embark on an early morning game drive in the park for a chance to see the lions hunting and the hyenas before they make their daily retreat into the thickets.  Afterwards, return to the lodge for a relaxing breakfast and lunch. Later in the afternoon, we’ll set sail aboard a cruise on the Kazinga Channel, exploring the waterway known for its various bird species and hippo population.  Keep an eye out for elephants, as they often head for the water at such hours to drink from the shores of the channel.  Retire to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 5: Travel to Lake Mburo National Park

After breakfast, transfer to Kyambura Gorge for a mid-morning chimpanzee trek. This hike takes you into the wooded ravine in search of primates, including chimpanzees, black-and-white colobus monkeys, and olive baboons.  After the trek, we will continue on our way to Lake Mburo National Park, stopping over for lunch in Mbarara along the way.  Check in into Mantana tented camp and later in the day take a walking safari in the company of a park ranger.  Lake Mburo National Park is considered the best place in the country to witness the enormous Eland Antelope, zebra, Topi, Impala, and the numerous birds drawn to the Acacia tree.

*Meals include breakfast, lunch and dinner.                               Transit time:             2hrs

Day 6: Exploring Lake Mburo National Park

After a cup of tea/coffee, you will go for an early morning game drive in the park and the promise of more wildlife awaits you!  Chances to see the zebras (only found here and in Kidepo National Park), more leopard, jackals, and other incredible fauna.  Relax over breakfast at the lodge and have lunch thereafter, before setting sail on Lake Mburo.  Here on the boat cruise, you will have an opportunity to see more hippos, crocodiles, and a wide range of water birds, as well as other wildlife coming to drink at the water’s edge.

Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 7: Travel back to Kampala

Enjoy a relaxed morning, and after lunch, embark on your journey back to Kampala. Along the way, make a brief stop at the Equator for a snapshot to capture the equator memories and probably shop for more local crafts. You will arrive in Kampala in the evening at your accommodation facility or in time to catch your flight at Entebbe International Airport.

Transit time:             4 – 5hrs

Inclusions

  • Accommodation, Meals,
  • Park entry fees,
  • 1 Gorilla permit,
  • Game drives,
  • Kazinga cruise,
  • Kyambura walk,
  • Boat ride on Lake Mburo,
  • 4×4 transportation with driver guide

Excludes:

  • Beverages,
  • tips and personal expenses.