8-Day Uganda Gorillas, Chimps & Tree-Climbing Lions

8 daysPrivate tourMid-range4.9(131 reviews)

Uganda's greatest hits: the Nile at Murchison Falls, chimpanzee tracking in Kibale, tree-climbing lions and the Kazinga Channel, and a gorilla trek in Bwindi. Gorilla and chimp permits included.

8-Day Uganda Gorillas, Chimps & Tree-Climbing Lions photo 1

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From, per person sharing

$3,255

Route: Entebbe → Murchison Falls National Park → Kibale Forest National Park → Queen Elizabeth National Park → Bwindi Impenetrable Forest → Entebbe
Duration: 8 days / 7 nights
Accommodation: Choose budget, mid-range or luxury lodges
Meals: Meals as listed in the itinerary

Customise & book

Day-by-day itinerary

What happens each day: travel times, morning, afternoon and evening plans, meals and where you sleep. Lodges shown are our recommended choice; you can switch to budget, mid-range or luxury at every stop when you book.

Day1
Entebbe to Murchison Falls
Entebbe → Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary → Murchison Falls · approx. 300 km, 6–7 hrs
Morning
Pick-up in Entebbe or Kampala and drive north to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the only place in Uganda to see rhinos in the wild.
Afternoon
Track white rhinos on foot with a ranger, a thrilling experience, then lunch and continue to Murchison Falls National Park.
Evening
Arrive at your lodge overlooking the Nile for dinner.
Activities
Rhino tracking
Meals included
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Overnight
Paraa Safari Lodge
Mid-range Lodge
Murchison Falls National Park · Full board
Recommended · change when booking
Day2
Murchison Falls
Murchison Falls · game drive, Nile boat safari, hike to the top of the falls
Morning
Cross the Nile by ferry at dawn for a game drive on the northern savanna: Rothschild's giraffe, elephants, buffalo, Uganda kob, lions and, with luck, leopards.
Afternoon
Afternoon boat cruise upstream to the foot of Murchison Falls, past hippos, crocodiles, elephants and a huge variety of birds, possibly including the rare shoebill. Optional hike to the top of the falls, where the Nile forces its way through a 7-metre gorge.
Evening
Sundowners and dinner at the lodge.
Activities
Game driveNile boat safari
Meals included
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Overnight
Paraa Safari Lodge
Mid-range Lodge
Murchison Falls National Park · Full board
Recommended · change when booking
Day3
Murchison to Kibale
Murchison Falls → Kibale Forest · approx. 330 km, 6–7 hrs
Morning
Breakfast and a scenic drive south along the Albertine Rift, past tea plantations and rural villages.
Afternoon
Lunch en route, then continue to Fort Portal and the crater lakes region.
Evening
Check into your lodge near Kibale Forest for dinner.
Meals included
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Overnight
Primate Lodge Kibale
Mid-range Lodge
Kibale Forest National Park · Full board
Recommended · change when booking
Day4
Chimpanzee tracking
Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale · 2–4 hrs tracking
Morning
Arrive at Kanyanchu visitor centre at 8:00am for a briefing, then track habituated chimpanzees through the rainforest. Kibale has around 1,500 chimps, and you spend an hour with a group as they feed, call and swing through the canopy.
Afternoon
Afternoon guided walk through Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a community project rich in birds and other primates such as red colobus and L'Hoest's monkeys.
Evening
Dinner at your lodge overlooking the crater lakes.
Activities
Chimp tracking
Meals included
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Overnight
Primate Lodge Kibale
Mid-range Lodge
Kibale Forest National Park · Full board
Recommended · change when booking
Day5
Kibale to Queen Elizabeth
Kibale → Queen Elizabeth National Park · approx. 150 km, 3 hrs
Morning
Drive south across the Equator to Queen Elizabeth National Park, with game viewing en route.
Afternoon
Afternoon boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, which has one of the highest concentrations of hippos in Africa, plus buffalo, elephants and abundant water birds.
Evening
Dinner and overnight on the Mweya Peninsula.
Activities
Boat cruise
Meals included
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Overnight
Mweya Safari Lodge
Mid-range Lodge
Queen Elizabeth National Park · Full board
Recommended · change when booking
Day6
Ishasha to Bwindi
Queen Elizabeth (Ishasha) → Bwindi · approx. 160 km, 4–5 hrs
Morning
Early game drive, then drive to the remote Ishasha sector, famous for its tree-climbing lions resting in the branches of fig trees.
Afternoon
Picnic lunch in Ishasha, then continue to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest through a beautiful landscape of hills and tea estates.
Evening
Arrive at your forest lodge for dinner and a briefing for tomorrow's trek.
Activities
Ishasha game drive
Meals included
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Overnight
Mahogany Springs
Mid-range Lodge
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest · Full board
Recommended · change when booking
Day7
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi · 2–7 hrs trekking
Morning
Early briefing at park headquarters, then trek into the ancient rainforest with rangers and trackers to find your assigned gorilla family. Spend one unforgettable hour with them.
Afternoon
Return to the lodge for a late lunch. Optional visit to a Batwa community or a forest waterfall walk.
Evening
Celebratory dinner and gorilla trekking certificate.
Activities
Gorilla trek
Meals included
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Overnight
Mahogany Springs
Mid-range Lodge
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest · Full board
Recommended · change when booking
Day8
Return to Entebbe
Bwindi → Entebbe · 1 hr 30 min flight from Kihihi (or 9–10 hrs by road)
Morning
Breakfast and transfer to Kihihi airstrip for the scheduled flight to Entebbe (flight cost on request), or begin the long, scenic drive back.
Afternoon
Arrive in Entebbe for lunch and transfer to the airport for your onward flight.
Evening
End of services.
Meals included
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
No overnight: end of safari