Uganda holiday with gorillas and chimpanzees

Itinerary in brief:

• 1 night Entebbe
• 2 nights Murchison Falls National Park
• 2 nights Kibale Forest National Park
• 2 nights Queen Elizabeth National Park
• 1 night Ishasha
• 2 nights Bwindi National Park
• 1 night Lake Mburo National Park
• 2 nights Jinja

Day 1: Depart UK

Depart the UK from your chosen airport.

Included: International flights 

Day 2: Arrive Entebbe

On arrival you will be met at the airport and taken to your hotel in Entebbe. Depending on what time you arrive, we can arrange a sunset cruise on Lake Victoria – it’s the perfect welcome to Uganda as you watch the fishermen cast their nets in the dusk as you enjoy a drink and watch the sunset.

Included: Transfers, 4* hotel  

Day 3: Drive to Murchison Falls National Park

 After breakfast, you’ll spend the morning being driven towards beautiful north-western Uganda. Murchison Falls National Park sits on the shore of Lake Albert and is famous for the waterfall, where the Victoria Nile River surges through a narrow gap over a massive drop. On the drive, you’ll pass by the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary where you enjoy a walking safari, looking for the endangered rhinos that are protected here. Once you locate the Rhinos, you can stay a maximum of one hour in their presence. You’ll also have a chance of other animal sightings on this nature walk, including bushbucks, kobs and duikers, before heading to your lodge for the night.

Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, driver guide, Twiga Safari Lodge      

Day 4: Nile Cruise

After an early breakfast, you’ll head out on a game drive. Drive across the savannah and through the Borassus Palm Forest to Lake Albert, looking for lions, leopard, hyenas and elephants. There also numerous birds to look out for as you explore the grasslands, including secretary birds, black chested snake eagles and swallow-tailed bee-eaters. In the afternoon you’ll take another boat ride up the Nile, to Murchison Falls, where you can feel the spray and look for Nile crocodiles basking at the bottom of the falls.

Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, driver guide, Twiga Safari Lodge      

Day 5: Fly to Kibale Forest National Park

This morning you’ll head to the top of the falls for a spectacular view from above, before descending halfway down the trail for another viewpoint. After this, you’ll fly from Murchison Falls to Kasese Airstrip, before being driven to Kibale Forest National Park, where the evergreen forest awaits. Check into your lodge for one night and spend the evening relaxing before your exciting day tomorrow.

Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, driver guide, Papaya Lake Lodge      

Day 6: Chimpanzee Trekking & Bigodi Swamp Walk

You’ll be up early today to go chimp tracking, exploring the scenic forest as you go. Kibale is made up of beautiful and varied tropical forest and is home to 13 species of primate including the chimpanzees. You’ll start early, to find the chimps awakening in their nests. You’ll follow a chimpanzee family, observing how they hunt, feed and play with their young, identifying them as individuals by their markings and scars.

In the afternoon you’ll go for a cultural walk though the Bigodi swamp area, exploring the atmospheric village of Bigodi. The walk will take around three hours – you’ll visit a traditional healer who will share his knowledge of spirits, herbs and local medicines. You’ll then visit the elders of the village, who will regale you with stories of births, marriages and traditional life in this developing community of rural Uganda.

Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, driver guide, Papaya Lake Lodge                      

Day 7: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park

After breakfast, you’ll be driven to the world-famous Queen Elizabeth National Park, crossing the equator as you go. The most visited of Uganda’s game reserves, this huge park stretches from the crater-dotted foothills of the Rwenzori range in the north to the shores of Lake Edward and the remote Ishasha River in the south. Combining the wetlands, savannah and lowland forest, you’ll enjoy a varied game drive this evening from your lodge.

Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, driver guide, Elephant Plains Lodge

Day 8: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Early this morning you’ll head off on a game drive with a lion researcher.  There is so much wildlife to find here – whether you’re watching leopards feasting on a kill, hyenas scavenging about afterwards or hippos lazing in the muddy rivers. Spot elephants soaking in the water, chimps and baboons in the thick forests and buffaloes swatting flies away with their ears. It’s a fantastic day enjoy some spectacular wildlife encounters in beautiful Uganda.

Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, driver guide, Elephant Plains Lodge   

Day 9: Drive to Ishasha Sector

Before you leave Queen Elizabeth NP behind, you’ll stop for the morning in the Ishasha Sector of the park, where the tree climbing lions are found. Normally the lions can be found lazily lying up the branches of the huge fig trees, staring down at the antelope that graze on the plains below. Spend the day looking for other wildlife before checking into your lodge for one night.

Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, driver guide, Ishasha Wilderness Lodge  

Day 10: Drive to Bwindi National Park

After breakfast, you’ll be driven to Bwindi Impenetable Forest, the home of the mountain gorillas. Although this region is famous for the gorillas, it also provides refuge for elephants, chimpanzees and monkeys, as well as lots of species of birds and butterflies. You’ll be taken to the Buhoma Sector of the park where you’ll embark on a five hour trek, guided by an armed ranger, learning about the flora and fauna around you as you hike.

Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, driver guide, Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge              

Day 11: Gorilla Trekking     

Today is the day you’ve been waiting for! You’ll get up early and head off for your gorilla trek with a primate expert. Trekking with mountain gorillas is one of the most exciting wildlife experiences on the planet – the hike will be between 2 and 6 hours depending on where you find the gorillas, but it is well worth the effort.

Once you have begun your hike into the wild bush in Bwindi, at some point the gorillas will start to emerge – watching them munch on the lush foliage and move slowly around you is just indescribable. You might experience babies playing and swinging on the branches or the silver back gorillas lounging in the undergrowth – you’ll spend around an hour with them, and we can guarantee it will be an hour you’ll never forget. At the end of the day, you’ll be driven back to the lodge, where you can enjoy a delicious dinner and sharing your memories of such a special day together.

Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, gorilla trek (including permit), Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge          

Day 12: Drive to Lake Mburo National Park

After breakfast, you’ll be driven to Lake Mburo National Park. Even just by the entrance to the park you’ll see impalas and zebras, before enjoying a game drive through the park as you drive to your lodge. Lake Mburo National Park forms a mosaic-like landscape with rocks, dry slopes, open and wooded savannas, forests, and swamps. This diversity of habitats is a haven for bird life – over 300 species have been recorded in the park, including flame head Barbet, Long-tailed Zitting Cisticola and African Bins Rail. Check into your lodge for one night and enjoy the peaceful tranquillity of this lush national park.

Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, driver guide, Mihingo Lodge               

Day 13: Nature Walk & drive to Jinja

You will be up early this morning for a guided nature walk and game drive, looking for more wildlife in the cool morning air. Return to the lodge for a hearty breakfast before starting the drive to Jinja. On arrival, you’ll enjoy a relaxing boat ride on the source of the Nile, watching the sunset over the rushing waters. Spend the evening relaxing ready for a day of adventure tomorrow.               

Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, driver guide, Wild Waters Lodge       

Day 14: Jinja

Jinja is known as the source of the River Nile and is now famous for being the activity capital of East Africa. Today is yours to enjoy any activities you fancy, which can all be booked locally. 

Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, driver guide, Wild Waters Lodge       

Day 15: Depart Uganda

After breakfast, you’ll be driven back to the airport for your international flight home.    

Included: Breakfast, transfers, international flights        

Day 16: Arrive UK