This 5 days Gorillas and Chimpanzee safari is a Uganda Primate Safari designed to offer a magical encounter with chimpanzees and mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.
Uganda is popularly known among travelers for being a great primate destination on the African continent hosting various species of primates including mountain gorillas – the world’s most endangered primates and most sought for primates only found in the rainforests of East and Central Africa. On this safari, you will travel to the misty forests of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park where you will track and spend on hour of interacting with the gorillas.
For an encounter with the playful chimpanzees, you will visit Kibale Forest National Park – home to the highest number of chimpanzees in East Africa.
This 5 days Gorillas and Chimpanzee Safari starts from Kampala or Entebbe and ends in the same point.
Day 1: Transfer from Kampala to Kibale Forest National Park
On arrival at Entebbe International Airport or after breakfast at your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe, you will meet your guide (our company representative), he will give you a short briefing about the safari and embark on a journey to Kibale Forest National Park – the primate capital of the world.
Along the way, you will have a stopover in Kayabwe at the Equator Crossing for pictures and a chance to stand in both Northern and Southern Hemisphere at the same time. Proceed to the park with lunch in Fort Porta, arrive in the park in late afternoon, check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation Options:
Chimpanzee Forest Guest House(budget)
Kibale Forest Camp (mid-range)
Primates Lodge(luxury)
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 2: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale Forest
Have early breakfast and head to the park headquarters for briefing about chimpanzee trekking, you will join other visitors at the park headquarters for briefing about and regulations to follow while in the forest. In groups of 8 people you will head into the forest of Kibale in search for chimpanzees, the trek to find the chimpanzees is thrilling and it takes approximately 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on the movement of the chimpanzees and their feeding range.
You ranger guide will help you find the chimpanzees and along the trek, you will spot other forest creatures such as several bird species, tree species and primates such as olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys among others.
When you locate the chimpanzees, you will spend one hour in their presence watching them play on tree branches, picking fruits and grooming each. You are allowed to take pictures as long as your flashlight is off, trek back to the park headquarters. Meet your guide and return to the lodge for lunch.
In the afternoon, you will head to the Bigodi Community for an interaction with the locals and learn more about their culture and traditions. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Enjoy breakfast, checkout of your lodge and embark on a journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, enjoy lunch along the way and when you arrive in the park. You will check in at your lodge and spend the rest of the day at relaxing enjoy the nature around your lodge or take a forest walk.
Have dinner and overnight.
Accommodation options:
Broadbill camp, Trekkers Tervan Cottages, Rushaga Haven Lodge (budget)
Ichumbi Gorilla lodge or Gorilla Mist Camp or Buhoma haven lodge (Mid-range)
Chameleon Hill lodge or Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge or Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge or Bwindi lodge (luxury)
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 4: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Forest
Have early breakfast, meet your guide and head to the park headquarters for briefing by 07:00 am, join other visitors for briefing about gorillas and gorilla trekking by a ranger guide. You will be grouped into 8 people and assigned a gorilla group to trek, head to the starting point and enter the misty forests of Bwindi in search for mountain gorillas under the guidance of armed ranger guides who are in touch with the trackers who live early.
The trek takes approximately 2 – 6 hours or more depending on the movement of the gorillas and where they spent their previous night, when you locate the gorillas. You will be allowed to spend one hour with the gorillas at a distance of 8 meters, you will watch the gorillas playing around with each other and the watchful eye of a dominant silverback. You can capture this amazing moment as long as your flashlight is off, when your one hour stay elapses. You will head back to the park headquarters to pick your gorilla trekking certificates, meet your guide and head back to your lodge and spend the rest of the day at rest.
Alternatively, you can head to the Batwa Village for a community visit and interaction with the local people. Have dinner and overnight stay.
Meal Plan: Full Board
Day 5: transfer to Kampala for drop-off
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast, check out of your lodge and embark on a journey back to Kampala, along the way you will have a stopover in Mbarara for lunch and continue to Kampala where you will be drop-off at your already booked hotel or at Entebbe International Airport to catch your onward flight.
Meal Plan: Half Board
- Gorilla and Chimpanzee trekking permits
- All activities on itinerary & park entry fees
- Accommodation and meals
- Transport in Standard Safari vehicle
- Professional Tour Guide
- International Flights
- Items of Personal Nature
- Tips and gratitude
- Domestic flights
