8 Days Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari
8 Days Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari : The 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari is an exceptional adventure that will take you to four most interesting national parks in Uganda that is Kibale forest national park where you will engage in an interesting Bigodi swamp walk and chimpanzee trekking, Mgahinga gorilla national park where you will engage in an adventurous Gorilla trekking activity, Queen Elizabeth national park where you will enjoy great views of animals like elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, different bird species among others during the game drive and boat cruise. You will wrap up your 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari with a tour to Lake Mburo national park where you will be able to view different animals like buffaloes, zebras, elands, giraffes, waterbucks, topi, oribi among others.
Highlights of the 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Kibale forest national park
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 4: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise
Day 5: Transfer to Mgahinga gorilla national park
Day 6: Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park
Day 7: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park-evening game drive
Day 8: Morning game drive and departure to Kampala
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Kibale forest national park,
Depending on your location on the first day of the 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then start the journey to Kibale forest national park. The journey takes about 5 to 6 hours drive passing through Mityana, Mubende, and Fort Portal. On the way you will have en-route lunch in Fort Portal and enjoy great views of the beautiful scenery, landscape, countryside, tea and banana plantations, crater lakes, Rwenzori mountain peaks among others. Upon arrival in the park you will check into the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Chimpanzee trekking,
After an early breakfast on the second day of the 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari, you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kanyachu visitors Centre for a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing you will be subdivided into groups of people where each group will be allocated a habituated chimpanzee family to trek and a park guide who is well conversant with trails in the forest. Trekking of chimpanzees in Kibale national park takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view other primates such as black and white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, l’ hoest monkeys, view variety of bird species, different plant and tree species among others.
Once the chimpanzees are located you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you a chance to take photos, record videos, learn about their behaviors, habits, watch them feed, breastfeed, hunt, fight, play, rest, mate among others. After the one hour encounter with chimpanzees you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will meet up with your driver guide to return back to the lodge for lunch.
Bigodi swamp walk
After lunch you will go for an interesting nature walk in Bigodi swamp where you will be able to view different wildlife species including animals like bushbucks, sitatungas, primates like grey cheeked mangabey, vervet monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, red tailed monkeys, different bird species like the great blue turaco, African paradise flycatcher among others. After the nature walk you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
On the third day of the 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari, you will have breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park which is the second largest national park in Uganda. On the way you will enjoy great views of farmlands, traditional homesteads, crater lakes, Rwenzori mountain ranges among others. Upon arrival in Queen Elizabeth national park, you will continue to check into the lodge for lunch and after lunch and relaxation. In the evening you will go for a game drive in the park where you will be able to view different animals like buffaloes, elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks among others going back to their resting areas. After the evening game drive you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience
After an early breakfast on the fourth day of the 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive/ lion tracking experience in the park. During the game drive which is commonly done in Kasenyi plains you will be able to view animals like buffaloes, Uganda kobs, elephants, waterbucks, warthogs, bush bucks and predators like lions, leopards, hyenas among others if you are lucky. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.
Afternoon boat cruise
After lunch you will go for an interesting boat cruise at Kazinga channel a water channel that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. During the boat cruise which takes about 2 hours you will enjoy great views of animals like elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, waterbucks among others drinking water along the shores, view large concentrations of hippo and Nile crocodiles in water, aquatic bird species such as cormorants, kingfishers, fish eagles, hornbills among others. After the boat cruise you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Transfer to Mgahinga gorilla national park
On the fifth day of the 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari, you will have an early breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Mgahinga gorilla national park in southwestern Uganda. On the way you will have en route lunch and then proceed to Mgahinga gorilla national park and upon arrival you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga gorilla national park
Gorilla trekking,
After an early breakfast on the sixth day of the 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari, you will carry your packed lunch from the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing you will be allocated a park guide who is well conversant with different trails in the jungle and start trekking which takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view other primate species such as l’hoest monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, different plant species, birds among others. Once the mountain gorillas are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to observe their habits, behaviors, watch gorillas feed, breastfeed, groom young ones, take photos and record the breathtaking moments to show people back home after the safari. After the one hour encounter with the gentle giants you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will be rewarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking.
Day 7: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park-afternoon game drive
After breakfast on the seventh day of the 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Lake Mburo national park which is one of the smallest national parks in Uganda. The journey takes about 5 to 6 hours’ drive and on the way you will have en-route lunch. After lunch you will either relax at the lodge or go for an afternoon game drive where you will be able to view different animals like buffaloes, zebras, warthogs, giraffes, impalas, elands, waterbucks among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Morning game drive and transfer to Kampala
Morning game drive
On the last day of the 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari, you will have breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive in the park where you will be able to view animals when they are most active. During the game drive you will be able to view animals like buffaloes, Uganda kobs, zebras, elands, waterbucks, warthogs, giraffes, impalas, topi, oribi, bush bucks and different bird species.
After the game drive you will drive out of the park and start the journey back to Kampala. On the way you will have a stopover at the Equator in Kayabwe for lunch and to take photos or buy souvenirs. From the Equator you will proceed to Kampala arriving early evening and upon arrival your driver guide will drop you off at Entebbe international airport for your departure flight or drop off at any place of convenience.
End of 8 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari
Tour includes
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Park entrance fees
- Game drives
- Bigodi swamp walk
- Boat cruise on Kazinga channel
- Services of a professional English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Pick up and drop off
- 4WD popup safari vehicle and fuel
- Bottled drinking water
Tour excludes
- Air flight tickets
- Visas
- Life insurance
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.
