6 Day Uganda Gorillas Chimps & Wildlife

Meet your safari driver-guide in Entebbe or Kampala after breakfast and begin the journey toward western Uganda. The route takes you through Uganda's fertile countryside, small towns and agricultural communities before reaching the greener landscapes surrounding Fort Portal and Kibale.

As you travel west, your guide can explain the regions you pass through and provide an introduction to Uganda's wildlife, culture and geography. Lunch is arranged along the way. Continue toward Kibale National Park, one of Africa's most important primate habitats.

The forest and surrounding landscapes support numerous species of monkeys, birds and butterflies, but Kibale is best known for its habituated chimpanzee communities. Check into your lodge and spend the evening relaxing.

After breakfast, transfer to the designated chimpanzee trekking briefing point. Professional guides explain the rules of chimpanzee tracking before leading participants into Kibale's tropical forest.

Chimpanzee trekking is a dynamic experience because the animals can travel quickly through their territory. You may hear their powerful calls echoing through the forest before the troop is visible. Guides look for recent nests, feeding signs and vocalizations while following the movements of the habituated community.

Once the chimpanzees are found, observe their fascinating social behavior during the permitted viewing period. Chimpanzees may be seen grooming each other, feeding, resting on branches, carrying young or moving rapidly through the canopy.

Their facial expressions and interactions can provide extraordinary photographic and observational opportunities. Kibale is also home to several other primates, so the forest walk may produce sightings of monkeys and other wildlife. After trekking, return to your lodge for lunch.

Depending on your confirmed program, the afternoon can include an optional wetland or community walk.

After breakfast, check out and begin the journey south toward Queen Elizabeth National Park. The drive reveals some of western Uganda's most beautiful scenery. Depending on weather conditions, distant views toward the Rwenzori Mountains may be possible.

Continue into Queen Elizabeth National Park, a remarkably diverse conservation area containing open savannah, lakes, wetlands, woodland and crater landscapes. After lunch, begin your wildlife-viewing experience.

A game drive provides opportunities to search for elephants, Cape buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs and other mammals. Baboons and monkeys can also be encountered in suitable areas.

Lions inhabit the park and may occasionally be seen around concentrations of prey. Leopards and spotted hyenas are present but naturally less predictable. Birdwatchers will also find Queen Elizabeth rewarding because the park contains a large range of habitats. Return to your lodge in the evening.

Wake early and depart for another opportunity to explore the park. The early morning hours are often productive because temperatures are lower and wildlife is active. Search for animals across the savannah while enjoying the expansive landscapes of the Albertine Rift.

Depending on the exact itinerary, you may also include a boat safari on the Kazinga Channel or additional game viewing before traveling south toward Bwindi. The Kazinga Channel is particularly famous for hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds. Elephants, buffaloes and antelopes sometimes approach the shoreline to drink.

After your wildlife activities, continue toward Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. As you leave the savannah, the scenery gradually becomes more mountainous and forested. Cultivated slopes, valleys and villages surround the ancient rainforest where Uganda's mountain gorillas live.

Arrive at your lodge near the trekking sector indicated on your permit. Enjoy dinner and prepare for the following morning's gorilla trek.

This is the highlight of your 6 Day Uganda Gorillas Chimps & Wildlife safari. After an early breakfast, transfer to the relevant park headquarters. Uganda Wildlife Authority staff conduct a briefing covering trekking procedures, safety and responsible behavior around mountain gorillas.

You will then be assigned to a habituated gorilla family and enter the forest with ranger guides and trackers. Bwindi's terrain can be demanding. Trails may pass across steep slopes and through dense vegetation, and muddy conditions can occur after rainfall.

The duration of the trek varies because gorillas move freely through the forest. Some groups may locate their assigned family after a relatively short walk, while others may trek for several hours. When the gorillas are located, your ranger will guide the group into a suitable viewing position.

Standard trekking normally allows visitors up to one hour with the habituated family. During this remarkable period, you may see a silverback feeding or watching over the group, females caring for young gorillas and juveniles climbing or playing in the vegetation.

Every encounter is different because the gorillas are observed in their natural habitat rather than in a controlled environment. After the permitted viewing time, trek back through the forest and meet your driver. Return to the lodge for a well-earned rest.

After breakfast, check out and begin your return journey to Entebbe or Kampala. Travel through southwestern Uganda's attractive highland countryside and continue toward central Uganda. Lunch will be arranged along the route.

Where flight timing permits, stop around the Equator for photographs and souvenir shopping before continuing to Entebbe. Your guide will drop you at Entebbe International Airport for your onward flight or at a hotel if you are extending your stay. This concludes your 6 Day Uganda Gorillas Chimps & Wildlife safari.

Three Different Safari Experiences in One Journey

One of the strongest features of this itinerary is the contrast between the activities. Chimpanzee trekking is active and energetic. Chimpanzees can move quickly, vocalize loudly and travel between trees.

Wildlife viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park is completely different, allowing you to travel through open landscapes in a safari vehicle while searching for large mammals. Gorilla trekking then brings you into a dense mountain rainforest for a much more intimate wildlife encounter.

Together, the three experiences create an excellent overview of Uganda's biodiversity.

Gorilla and Chimpanzee Permits

Both gorilla and chimpanzee trekking require permits. Gorilla permits are particularly limited and should be reserved early, especially during popular travel seasons.

The confirmed permit dates influence the route and accommodation selection, so permit availability should ideally be established before other arrangements are finalized. Our safari team can check availability and coordinate both permits within the same itinerary.