16-day Uganda gorilla trekking, primates and Big 5 safari

Arrive in Uganda following the flight from your respective country of origin. You land at Entebbe International Airport, which is the main gateway to Uganda, where you will find a representative of your booked hotel who will offer you a courteous welcome.

The amazing weather and brightening atmosphere on the shores of Lake Victoria give you a remarkable first impression of Uganda. Connect to the respective hotel for an overnight stay.

Hotel: Airport Guesthouse

Early in the morning, after breakfast, you will be picked up from your hotel by our tour guide for a transfer to Murchison Falls National Park. Branch off at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola to track the Rhinos and later continue to the park.

Arrive in Murchison Falls with a visit to the top of the falls for a remarkable sight of the Nile crushing through a narrow gorge 7 m wide before plunging 43m deep into the devil’s cauldron.

You will then drive to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay at your booked lodge.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Lodge: Pakuba Safari Lodge

After a heavy breakfast, you will embark on an early morning game drive where you are likely to spot animals like Lions, buffaloes, waterbuck, Jackson’s hartebeest, Rothschild’s giraffe, oribi among others.

Return for lunch, which will be followed by a breathtaking launch cruise for a wide view of Hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, several water birds such as the shoebill stork, the most sought after bird in Africa, among others on the 16-day Uganda Gorilla trekking safari.

Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay at your booked lodge.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Lodge: Pakuba Safari Lodge

After a heavy breakfast, you will embark on an early morning game drive where you are likely to spot animals like Lions, buffaloes, waterbuck, Jackson’s hartebeest, Rothschild’s giraffe, oribi among others.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Lodge: Pakuba Safari Lodge

After an early breakfast, you will depart for Kibale National Park. The drive goes through the Albertan Escarpment of the western arm of the East African Rift Valley with dramatic views of Lake Albert, traditional homesteads, and scenic views of the mountains of the moon.

Reach Fort Portal in the evening for dinner and an overnight stay at your lodge on the 16-day Uganda Gorilla trekking safari.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Lodge: Chimpanzee Forest Lodge 

Have breakfast and head to the rangers’ point, where you will receive a briefing on the dos and don’ts of chimpanzee trekking. Thereafter, you will proceed to trek with the chimpanzees in Kibale National Park.

An experienced ranger guide will take you chimpanzee tracking, and you will be amazed by the sights of primates here. Once you locate the chimpanzees, you will have a full hour with them. Return to your accommodation for some rest time and lunch.

Later, go out to explore the crater lakes. You will enjoy the beauty of the numerous small lakes, surrounded by gentle hills, and the stunning views.

Take a hike to Lake Nkuruba, where you will encounter different species of primates and birds. Meet and interact with the local people as you walk through their villages and enjoy the panoramic views of the Kibale area. Return for dinner and the overnight stay. 

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Lodge: Chimpanzee Forest Lodge

Have a relaxed breakfast at the accommodation and drive off to Queen Elizabeth NP. You will reach Queen early enough to relax, have lunch, and, in the afternoon, proceed out for game viewing.

During the game drive, look out for wild animals like: reedbuck, bushbuck, kob, warthogs, elephants, lions and buffaloes to mention but a few.

Alternatively, you could choose to go for the Queen’s breathtaking explosion crater drive (instead). The drive is basically sightseeing, with a very spectacular view of the breathtaking scenery in and around Queen.

There is also plenty of wildlife to see along the drive, although the most common are sightings of Cape Buffaloes plus Elephants. Return to the accommodation for relaxation, dinner, and the overnight stay. 

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Lodge: Irungu Forest Safari Lodge 

Be up early and have your breakfast. Proceed for a morning game drive to the Kasenyi plains and look out for Lions, Elephants, Bush bucks, Cape Buffaloes, Defassa Waterbucks, Giant Forest Hogs, Uganda kob among others.

Return to the accommodations for some rest time and lunch.

After lunch, you will go for a 2-hour boat trip on the Kazinga Channel, which connects Lakes: George and Edward, and you will surely be fascinated by the concentrations of giant hippos, elephants, and crocodiles, among others.

You will also see many varieties of birds along the shore. You will have dinner and stay overnight at your accommodation on the 16-day Uganda Gorilla trekking safari. 

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Lodge: Irungu Forest Safari Lodge

Be up early and have your breakfast. Proceed for a morning game drive to the Kasenyi plains and look out for Lions, Elephants, Bush bucks, Cape Buffaloes, Defassa Waterbucks, Giant Forest Hogs, Uganda kob among others.

Return to the accommodations for some rest time and lunch.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Lodge: Irungu Forest Safari Lodge

Have breakfast, then set off for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, famously known for its resident tree-climbing lions.

The chance of spotting these lions is about 70%, though sometimes they are really hard to spot (especially when they’re down in the grassland looking for prey). I hope you get the chance to spot them; the sight will be spectacular!

Continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Bwindi is a big habitat for mountain gorillas in Uganda (harboring an estimated 400 mountain gorillas, roughly half of the world’s population), including several habituated groups that can be tracked.

With a strenuous day ahead, you will do less on arrival but just check into your accommodation, relax as you prepare for the Bwindi gorilla trekking experience the following day on the 16-day Uganda Gorilla trekking safari.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Lodge: Bweza Gorilla Lodge 

After an early breakfast and a briefing by a ranger guide, you will enter the gorilla sanctuary for your adventure. The beauty of this rain forest is spectacular!

The area offers a dramatic, steeply forested landscape and is incredibly dense, but it is crisscrossed by numerous animal trails, allowing tourists access.

The time taken and the terrain vary with the movements of these great primates. Once you locate a gorilla group, you will be allowed an hour in their presence.

The thrill of spending time observing these gentle and endangered giants is an awesome, exciting experience to be long savored. Return to your lodge for some rest time and lunch. 

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Lodge: Bweza Gorilla Lodge 

Have breakfast and proceed out for the Batwa Trail experience. For generations, the Mgahinga National Park was home to the indigenous Batwa (hunter-gatherers and fierce warriors) who depended on the forest for shelter, food, and medicine.

Now, they lead visitors through the forest and introduce them to their old home and the techniques they used to survive in it on the 16-day Uganda Gorilla trekking safari.

The remarkable trail unveils the hidden historical secret of the Batwa people. It expresses the true cultural background of the Batwa, who are the famous traditional owners of the hilly forested areas occupied by Mgahinga Forest in the district of Kisoro.

Thereafter, return to the accommodation for lunch and spend the afternoon or evening relaxing (most likely reflecting on your trip so far).

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Lodge: Bweza Gorilla Lodge 

Although not well known by most travelers, golden monkeys are the second-most interesting attraction in Mgahinga after the mountain gorillas.

The species are also known as (Cercopithecus Kandti) and exploring them is what makes a full tourism package in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. The activity starts with a briefing by the ranger guide, and thereafter you continue to trek with this awesome but endangered species of monkey.

Return for some rest time and lunch, then drive off to Lake Bunyonyi. The lake is framed by lush, green-terracing hills that reach a height of 2,200–2,478 m, but it’s the 29 islands of various shapes and sizes scattered across the water that make it most magical—you could admire them all day.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Lodge: Lake Bunyonyi Rock Resort

After breakfast, you will have the option of visiting and interacting with the local community, which inhabits areas surrounding Lake Bunyonyi on the 16-day Uganda Gorilla trekking safari.

Alternatively, you could opt for a canoe trek on Lake Bunyonyi which will introduce you to the major islands and their rich history but also give you some great time spent in the traditional dugout canoe.

Return to your accommodation for lunch and relaxation, probably reflecting on your trip.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Lodge: Lake Bunyonyi Rock Resort

Have breakfast and set off to Lake Mburo National Park. Drive past the intensely terraced Kigezi hill slopes into Mbarara town and finally Lake Mburo National Park.

Arrive in the park in the early afternoon and take some rest before proceeding out for the late afternoon (evening) game viewing. On the game drive, expect to see the gigantic eland antelopes, zebras in big numbers, topis, impalas, warthogs, Uganda kob and Cape buffalos among others.

Later, relax at the accommodation where you will spend the night.

Optional: In case you’re interested, you may go out for the breathtaking Mburo night game drive. During the night game drive, expect to sight nocturnal creatures including huge snakes, pythons, hyenas, owls and the elusive leopard (on a lucky day) among others. However, the cost for the night game drive is excluded and payable on the ground (as may be specified).

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Lodge: Hyena Hill Lodge

Enjoy your early breakfast and proceed for the Mburo morning park/nature walk in the presence of an armed Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger or guide.

On this early morning guided walk, you often encounter hyenas that are returning to their dens after a night of being on the prowl. Also, you will have the opportunity to encounter (at close range): Zebras, Giraffes and Eland, Topi and other antelopes, Cape buffaloes, among others.

Take the Trail to the top of the hills and see Lake Mburo and beyond. From this vantage point, you will have a great view of 9 of the twelve lakes surrounding Lake Mburo National Park.

Thereafter, return to the accommodation for checkout and then hit the road to Entebbe airport for your flight out with a stopover at the Equator to take photos. 

Meal plan: Breakfast and Lunch