7-Day Uganda Chimpanzees & Gorillas Safari

Day-by-day itinerary

Route: Entebbe / Kampala → Kibale National Park → Queen Elizabeth National Park → Bwindi Impenetrable National Park → Entebbe / Kampala

1. Day 1

   Entebbe / Kampala to Kibale National Park

   Breakfast is taken before you set out from Entebbe / Kampala for the drive to Kibale National Park, crossing western Uganda's tea estates and crater-lake country. Once you reach Kibale National Park there is time to check in before heading out among moist tropical forest running along the Albertine Rift, one of Africa's richest primate habitats. This is good country in which to look for chimpanzees, red colobus, L'Hoest's monkey and a long list of forest birds. Chimpanzee tracking at Kibale is a permit-dependent activity arranged through the park authority, and places must be confirmed in advance. This is a joining departure, so the safari vehicle is shared with other guests. The evening is spent at your Kibale National Park accommodation, with dinner and overnight there.

2. Day 2

   Kibale National Park to Queen Elizabeth National Park

   The day opens in Kibale National Park with a morning departure for Queen Elizabeth National Park, crossing the equator and descending into the western Rift Valley. Arrival is followed by check-in and a first drive into savanna, crater lakes and the Kazinga Channel linking Lake Edward and Lake George. Look for elephant, buffalo, hippo, Uganda kob and, in the Ishasha sector, lions sometimes seen in fig trees as the light softens through the afternoon. A boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel gives close views of hippo pods, buffalo and one of the densest concentrations of water birds in the region. You return for dinner and an overnight stay at Queen Elizabeth National Park.

3. Day 3

   Kibale to Queen Elizabeth National Park

   Bags are loaded after breakfast and you depart Kibale bound for Queen Elizabeth National Park, crossing the equator and descending into the western Rift Valley. Once you reach Queen Elizabeth National Park there is time to check in before heading out among savanna, crater lakes and the Kazinga Channel linking Lake Edward and Lake George. Wildlife commonly associated with this area includes elephant, buffalo, hippo, Uganda kob and, in the Ishasha sector, lions sometimes seen in fig trees. A boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel gives close views of hippo pods, buffalo and one of the densest concentrations of water birds in the region. Dinner is served at your Queen Elizabeth National Park camp or lodge, where you spend the night.

4. Day 4

   Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to Entebbe / Kampala

   After breakfast you leave Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and travel on toward Entebbe / Kampala, following the lakeshore road from Kampala. After check-in and a chance to freshen up, you head out into the lakeside town on the Lake Victoria shore that serves Uganda's international airport. Entebbe sits on a peninsula in Lake Victoria and is the standard entry and exit point for Ugandan itineraries. You return for dinner and an overnight stay at Entebbe / Kampala.

5. Day 5

   Queen Elizabeth to Bwindi

   Breakfast is taken before you set out from Queen Elizabeth for the drive to Bwindi, travelling the winding roads of the south-western highlands through terraced farmland. Lunch and check-in come first, then an afternoon drive through steep Afromontane rainforest ridges and valleys in south-western Uganda. Wildlife commonly associated with this area includes mountain gorillas, forest elephant, many primate species and numerous Albertine Rift endemics. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi is a permit-dependent activity, and a permit must be confirmed in advance for every trekker. Dinner is served at your Bwindi camp or lodge, where you spend the night.

6. Day 6

   Full-Day Entebbe / Kampala Safari

   You have a complete day in Entebbe / Kampala, starting early while the air is still cool and animals are active. Much of the day is spent among the lakeside town on the Lake Victoria shore that serves Uganda's international airport. Entebbe sits on a peninsula in Lake Victoria and is the standard entry and exit point for Ugandan itineraries. Dinner and overnight are again at your Entebbe / Kampala camp or lodge.

7. Day 7

   Bwindi to Entebbe / Kampala

   After breakfast you leave Bwindi and travel on toward Entebbe / Kampala, following the lakeshore road from Kampala. You arrive in time to settle in, and the day continues with a game drive across the lakeside town on the Lake Victoria shore that serves Uganda's international airport. Entebbe sits on a peninsula in Lake Victoria and is the standard entry and exit point for Ugandan itineraries. Arrival back is normally in the afternoon, with a drop-off at your hotel or the airport.