6 Day Uganda Gorilla & Lake Mburo Safari

Your journey begins at Entebbe International Airport. After arrival formalities, meet your safari representative and transfer to your hotel. Depending on your flight time, the remainder of the day can be spent relaxing or enjoying an optional Entebbe excursion.

Your guide will brief you on the upcoming journey, including driving conditions, safari activities and preparation for mountain gorilla trekking.

After breakfast, leave Entebbe and travel southwest toward Lake Mburo National Park. The drive takes you through agricultural countryside and towns along one of Uganda's major southwestern routes. A stop around the Equator can usually be arranged for photographs, refreshments and souvenir shopping.

Continue to Lake Mburo National Park. Although it is smaller than some of Uganda's other savannah parks, Lake Mburo is particularly attractive because of its varied landscapes and distinctive wildlife. The park contains rolling hills, acacia woodland, grassland, wetlands and lakes.

After checking into your lodge, enjoy an afternoon game drive. One of the first animals many visitors notice is the zebra, which occurs here in good numbers. You may also see impalas, buffaloes, warthogs, waterbucks and other herbivores.

Return to your lodge for dinner.

Wake early for another activity in the Lake Mburo ecosystem. Depending on your selected package, you can participate in a morning game drive or guided walking safari. A walking safari is one of Lake Mburo's most distinctive experiences.

Accompanied by an experienced ranger, walking allows you to appreciate wildlife and the landscape from ground level. Rather than concentrating only on large animals, guides can explain tracks, plants, smaller wildlife and signs that are easily overlooked from inside a vehicle.

Possible sightings include zebras, impalas and other plains animals, although distances and encounters vary. Alternatively, a game drive can be arranged before departure. After breakfast or brunch, begin the journey toward southwestern Uganda and the Bwindi region.

The scenery becomes progressively more mountainous as you continue toward the gorilla forests. Arrive at your lodge in the afternoon or evening.

Today is dedicated to one of Africa's greatest wildlife experiences. Wake early and enjoy breakfast before transferring to the relevant gorilla trekking headquarters. Park personnel conduct a briefing explaining forest conditions, gorilla behavior and the regulations designed to protect both trekkers and gorillas.

You will then join your assigned trekking group. Enter the forest accompanied by ranger guides and trackers. Bwindi's landscape is rugged, with forested ridges, valleys, streams and dense vegetation.

The trekking duration varies according to where the gorillas have moved since the previous day. Trackers use their knowledge of the gorilla families and signs in the forest to determine the most likely direction.

Hiring a porter can make the trek considerably more comfortable. A porter can carry your backpack and help on steep or slippery sections. Eventually, your group may be instructed to prepare for the approach to the gorillas.

When the family is found, leave unnecessary equipment with the porters and proceed quietly with your ranger. Standard gorilla trekking normally allows up to one hour with the habituated family. Observe the gorillas feeding, resting, grooming and interacting.

The silverback's size is impressive, but the smaller family members often attract equal attention as juveniles climb, play and follow their mothers through the vegetation. Your ranger will provide instructions throughout the encounter. After the viewing period, trek back to the starting point and meet your driver.

Return to the lodge and spend the remainder of the day relaxing.

After a demanding gorilla trek, today offers a more relaxed opportunity to enjoy the Bwindi region. Depending on the exact route and your interests, the morning may include an optional community experience, guided nature walk or simply time at the lodge.

A community visit can provide insight into life around the protected forest and the relationship between tourism, conservation and local livelihoods. Travelers may have opportunities to meet community members, learn about crafts, agriculture or cultural traditions and purchase locally produced items.

Alternatively, enjoy the scenery surrounding Bwindi before beginning a gradual transfer toward your next overnight point. Having an additional day after gorilla trekking makes the six-day itinerary less rushed than a shorter trip.

After breakfast, begin the final transfer toward Entebbe. Travel through Uganda's southwest and central regions with stops for lunch and refreshments. If the itinerary did not include an Equator stop earlier in the safari, one can often be arranged today depending on your flight time.

Continue to Entebbe International Airport or your selected hotel. This concludes your 6 Day Uganda Gorilla & Lake Mburo Safari.

Why Combine Lake Mburo and Bwindi?

Lake Mburo and Bwindi offer very different safari experiences. At Lake Mburo, much of the wildlife viewing takes place across open grasslands and woodland. Zebras, impalas and other plains animals create a classic safari atmosphere.

Bwindi replaces open landscapes with dense tropical forest and challenging trekking terrain. This contrast allows visitors to experience two completely different Ugandan ecosystems within a six-day itinerary.

Lake Mburo is also conveniently positioned along the main southwestern safari route, making the combination logistically efficient.

Wildlife in Lake Mburo National Park

Animals you may encounter include:

• Plains zebras
• Impalas
• Cape buffaloes
• Elands
• Waterbucks
• Warthogs
• Bushbucks
• Baboons
• Monkeys
• Various smaller mammals

The park is also an excellent birding destination. Its mixture of wetlands, woodland and open grassland supports numerous species, making binoculars worthwhile even for travelers who are not dedicated birdwatchers.