5 Days Kibale and Bwindi Primate Safari

Your safari begins with an early morning pickup from your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe. You will travel west, passing through lush countryside, tea plantations, and traditional villages. A stop for lunch along the way offers a chance to stretch your legs before continuing to Kibale National Park. You will arrive at your lodge in the late afternoon, allowing time to settle in and enjoy dinner before your primate adventure begins

After an early breakfast, you will proceed to the park headquarters for a briefing on chimpanzee trekking etiquette. Accompanied by an experienced ranger, you will venture into the forest to track one of Kibale’s habituated chimpanzee groups. Trekking can take anywhere from thirty minutes to several hours depending on the chimps’ movements. Once located, you will spend one hour observing these fascinating primates, watching them feed, groom, and interact. In the afternoon, you will enjoy a guided walk through the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, where you may spot a variety of birds, butterflies, and primates such as baboons and monkeys

Following breakfast, you will depart for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The journey takes you through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you may encounter the region’s famous tree-climbing lions resting in fig trees. You will stop for lunch along the way, taking in the dramatic landscapes of rolling hills and terraced farmland. Arriving in Bwindi in the afternoon, you will check into your lodge and prepare for the gorilla trekking experience ahead

An early morning start takes you to the park headquarters for a briefing and allocation to a gorilla family group. You will set out with an armed ranger and trackers, hiking through the steep, densely forested terrain in search of the gorillas. The trek can last between two and eight hours depending on the location of the family. Upon finding them, you will spend one unforgettable hour observing these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat. You will receive a gorilla trekking certificate before returning to your lodge to relax and reflect on the experience. If time and energy permit, an optional visit to the Batwa community offers insight into the culture of the forest’s original inhabitants

After breakfast, you will begin your journey back to Kampala or Entebbe. A lunch stop in Mbarara offers the chance to see the long-horned Ankole cattle for which the region is known. A final stop at the Equator allows for photographs before you arrive back in the late afternoon, marking the end of your safari.