5 Days Uganda Mountain Gorilla Trekking And Wildlife Safari

• Uganda safaris

This 5-day mountain gorilla trekking and wildlife safari will take you to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for the magical mountain gorilla trekking experience, as well as Queen Elizabeth National Park for game safari, boat cruise safari, and chimp tracking. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is famous for being home to half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. It is also one of Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforests, dating back over 25,000 years and containing nearly 400 plant species.

It is home to 400 mountain gorillas, 120 mammal species, including numerous primate species, and over 350 bird species, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics. It is also the ancestral home of the Batwa bush people. Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of Africa’s most beautiful savannah national parks, as well as the second largest and one of Uganda’s most visited. Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to breathtaking crater lakes, the famous Kazinga channel, forested Gorges, and Savannah plains. It is home to 95 wildlife mammals such as lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, common warthogs, several antelope species, and 600 bird species.

DAY 1 Arrival at Entebbe international airport – Meet and greet and be transferred to your booked hotel in Entebbe

When you arrive at Entebbe International Airport, you will be greeted warmly by a company representative who will be your professional English speaking safari guide throughout this 5 day mountain gorilla trekking and wildlife safari. They will meet you at the airport guest waiting lounge and then transfer you to your booked hotel in Entebbe town to check in, freshen up, and later meet your safari guide at the hotel reception to be briefed about the tour. The hotel is about a 5-minute drive from the international airport in Entebbe.

Later, if time permits, drive to the Entebbe Botanical Gardens on the shores of Lake Victoria for a walking safari. Some primates, such as Vervet monkeys, and several bird species live in the Botanical Gardens. The walking safari will take you to the shores of Lake Victoria, where you will see some water birds, enjoy the fresh breezes from the lake, and become acquainted with Uganda’s stunning natural beauty. Lake Victoria is the largest body of water in Africa and the world’s second largest fresh water body, shared by three East African countries (Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya). Lake Victoria is also the source of the Nile River, which flows for over 6,600 kilometers (4,100 miles) from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea in the north through several African countries including Uganda, Egypt, Sudan, and South Sudan. Return to your hotel for dinner and an overnight stay.

Accommodation; Via Via Guest House (standard), 2 Friends Beach Hotel (mid-range), Protea Hotel by Marriott Entebbe (Luxury)
Meal plan; Dinner

DAY 2 Entebbe city –Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park

On this day, after a hot breakfast, check out of the hotel (0700 am) and begin your drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, which is located in southwestern Uganda, south of the Equator. You will make a stop at the Kayabwe equator landmark to observe water experiments conducted on both sides of the equator line (Northern and Southern hemispheres), demonstrating the difference in the movement of forces on each side of the planet.

After the experiment, visit craft shops, have a cup of coffee to experience the natural aroma of Ugandan-made coffee, and then continue your journey with another stopover at Igongo Cultural Museum to have lunch and tour the great museum, which is one of Uganda’s richest heritages with history and traditions of the Ankole people and southwest Uganda that will take you centuries back into the lives of the Akole. Proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, where you will arrive in the evening to check in at your booked lodge, freshen up, and spend the evening relaxing. Dinner and a night’s stay.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is well-known for housing half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. It is one of Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforests, with over 25,000 years of history and nearly 400 plant species that form the massive impenetrable evergreen forest. It is the ancestral home of the Batwa bush people and is home to approximately 400 mountain gorillas, 120 mammal species, including numerous primate species, and over 350 bird species, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics. This is an excellent tour for experiencing nature, beautiful scenery, and numerous primate species, including the amazing mountain gorillas.

Accommodation; Broadbill Forest Camp (Standard), Bakiga Lodge (Mid-range), Mahogany Springs Lodge (Luxury)
Meal plan; Breakfast / Lunch/ Dinner

DAY 3 Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park – Mountain gorilla trekking – Game drive to search for the tree climbing lions

On this day, get up very early to eat breakfast, pack your lunch, meet your safari guide, and drive to the park information office to meet other guests and be briefed on the guidelines to follow in the forest while searching for mountain gorillas. Then you can embark on your long-awaited wildlife adventure. Meeting mountain gorillas in their natural habitat is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that can only be found in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and visitors who have had this experience before can attest that there is no other wildlife experience in Africa that compares to spending an hour face-to-face with endangered mountain gorillas.

You may see chimps, bush pigs, forest elephants, and a variety of bird species while tracking mountain gorillas, and your guide will be able to provide information about the species you will encounter, making your walk even more adventurous and exciting. After meeting the mountain gorillas, you will have a maximum of one hour with them and will be free to take as many photos as you want to remember your incredible moments with the mountain gorillas, so make sure your camera is fully charged and on standby. Return to the park offices after an hour with the mountain gorillas to receive your trekking certificate of recognition for your contributions to the conservation of the mountain gorillas.

Enjoy your packed lunch and refreshments before driving to Queen Elizabeth National Park through the Ishasha sector in the park’s southern part to look for tree climbing lions. These one-of-a-kind tree-climbing lions can only be found in Queen Elizabeth National Park’s Ishasha sector, Lake Manyara in Tanzania, and Kruger National Park in South Africa. Queen Elizabeth National Park, on the other hand, is the best place to see them. After the game drive, proceed to the park’s northern sector to check into your reserved lodge for a relaxing dinner and overnight.

Accommodation; Pumba Safari Cottages (Standard), Buffalo Safari Lodge (Mid-range), Mweya Safari Lodge (Luxury)
Meal plan; Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

DAY 4 Queen Elizabeth national park – Morning game drive – Afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga channel – Spend your evening relaxing

Begin your day with a hearty breakfast, then depart from your lodge and drive to the Kasenyi plains, located in the park’s northeastern corner, a fascinating place for wildlife sighting games to spot several wildlife species and beautiful Savannah views. Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of Uganda’s most popular national parks and an ideal habitat for classic big game such as the four mammals of the African savannah’s big five family (lions, leopards, elephants, and buffaloes), several antelope species, primates, warthogs, and many others. Game drives are one of the highlights of Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you can spot several mammals and take in the stunning savannah views.

You will have a great chance to see various mammals such as Uganda Kobs, water bucks, elephants, Cape buffaloes, lions, warthogs, and several bird species during your half-day game drive through the Kasenyi trail.

Your safari guide will make certain that you see as many wildlife species as possible and will provide you with as much information about everything you may encounter during your game drive as possible. Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to over 95 mammal species and 600 bird species, making it an ideal location for a game drive. Take a short break to relax, then have lunch and other refreshments before departing for 2 hours. Afternoon boat cruise safari along Kazinga channel, the park’s main water stream that connects Lake George and Lake Edward. One of the most popular adventurous activities for visitors to Queen Elizabeth National Park is a boat cruise safari on the Kazinga Channel.

The cruise will bring you up close and personal with a variety of mammals, including hippos, Nile crocodiles, buffaloes, elephants, and many others, as well as various water birds. The fantastic experience provided by the two-hour boat cruise safari along the Kazinga channel makes it a must-do adventure for all guests. Return to your lodge after the boat safari to relax, eat dinner, and sleep.

Accommodation; Pumba Safari Cottages (Standard), Buffalo Safari Lodge (Mid-range), Mweya Safari Lodge (Luxury)
Meal plan; Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

DAY 5 Queen Elizabeth national park – Morning chimpanzee tracking – Return to Entebbe International Airport

Wake up early for breakfast, pack your luggage, and drive to the Kalinzu forest reserve head office, where you will be warmly welcomed by the site local guide, briefed on chimp tracking, and then begin your forest walk to look for chimps and other primates in this forest. With over 50 well-habituated chimps for visitor tracking, Kalinzu Forest Reserve is Uganda’s second best forest for chimp experience. During chimp tracking, you may see over 380 other primates such as Red-tailed monkeys, Blue monkeys, L’hoest’s monkeys, Olive baboons, and others, as well as 261 butterfly species, 98 moths, reptiles, and flowers.
The time spent chimp tracking in Kalinzu forest reserve is unknown, but it could range from 1 to 4 hours depending on the location of the chimp family you are tracking. When you come across them, you will be allowed to stay with them for a maximum of one hour and take as many photos as you want. Return to the forest offices for a bottle of water before beginning your drive back to Entebbe or Entebbe international airport with a stopover at the Igongo cultural museum for lunch and then driving straight to Entebbe international airport to prepare for your return flight. This concludes our 5-day wildlife and nature tour.

Meal plan; Breakfast / Lunch

Trip Includes

• 1 mountain gorilla trekking permit per person
• 1 chimpanzee trekking permit per person
• Private transport for 5 days using a well-modified safari van/land-cruiser (Air-conditioned full time, 4WD and pop up roof)
• Professional English / French speaking safari guide for 5 days
• Private standard/mid-range/luxury accommodations on full board (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner) for 4 days
• Return airport transfers (Pick up and drop off)
• All en-route meals and mineral water throughout your tour
• A visit to Igongo cultural center
• En-route stop at the Equator
• Mountain gorilla trekking safari
• Game drive safari in Ishasha sector to search for the tree climbing lions
• Morning and evening game drive safaris in Queen Elizabeth national park
• 2 hour’s afternoon boat cruise along the Kazinga channel
• Chimpanzee trekking safari

Trip Excludes

• International and domestic air ticket
• Country entry visas
• Items of personal nature/tips/laundry/telephone charges/ souvenir shopping,
• Personal travel insurance
• Extra meals and activities
• Alcoholic and other soft drinks (Sodas, special juice order at the lodge and wines)