7-Day Uganda Chimpanzees & Gorillas Safari

Day-by-day itinerary

Route: Entebbe / Kampala → Kibale National Park → Queen Elizabeth National Park → Bwindi Impenetrable National Park → Entebbe / Kampala

1. Day 1

   Entebbe / Kampala to Kibale National Park

   Breakfast is taken before you set out from Entebbe / Kampala for the drive to Kibale National Park, crossing western Uganda's tea estates and crater-lake country. Once you reach Kibale National Park there is time to check in before heading out among moist tropical forest running along the Albertine Rift, one of Africa's richest primate habitats. This is good country in which to look for chimpanzees, red colobus, L'Hoest's monkey and a long list of forest birds. Chimpanzee tracking at Kibale is a permit-dependent activity arranged through the park authority, and places must be confirmed in advance. This is a joining departure, so the safari vehicle is shared with other guests. The evening is spent at your Kibale National Park accommodation, with dinner and overnight there.

2. Day 2

   Kibale Chimpanzee Tracking

   Complete the authorised chimpanzee tracking activity with a valid permit. Other Kibale activities must be separately confirmed. The surroundings take in moist tropical forest running along the Albertine Rift, one of Africa's richest primate habitats. Species commonly associated with the area include chimpanzees, red colobus, L'Hoest's monkey and a long list of forest birds. Permit availability is confirmed before the booking is finalised, and tracking follows the park authority's rules on the day. This is a joining departure, so the safari vehicle is shared with other guests. You return to your lodge or camp in Kibale for dinner and overnight.

3. Day 3

   Kibale to Queen Elizabeth National Park

   Bags are loaded after breakfast and you depart Kibale bound for Queen Elizabeth National Park, crossing the equator and descending into the western Rift Valley. Once you reach Queen Elizabeth National Park there is time to check in before heading out among savanna, crater lakes and the Kazinga Channel linking Lake Edward and Lake George. Wildlife commonly associated with this area includes elephant, buffalo, hippo, Uganda kob and, in the Ishasha sector, lions sometimes seen in fig trees. A boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel gives close views of hippo pods, buffalo and one of the densest concentrations of water birds in the region. Dinner is served at your Queen Elizabeth National Park camp or lodge, where you spend the night.

4. Day 4

   Full-Day Queen Elizabeth National Park Safari

   Spend the day on the confirmed Queen Elizabeth itinerary, which may include game viewing and a Kazinga Channel launch trip if Land Rail includes them. Your route takes in savanna, crater lakes and the Kazinga Channel linking Lake Edward and Lake George, with your guide reading recent movement to decide where to spend time. There is the possibility of seeing elephant, buffalo, hippo, Uganda kob and, in the Ishasha sector, lions sometimes seen in fig trees, though wild sightings are never guaranteed. The park spans several distinct sectors, so a full day can combine a game drive with a channel cruise. A boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel gives close views of hippo pods, buffalo and one of the densest concentrations of water birds in the region. Dinner and overnight are again at your Queen Elizabeth National Park camp or lodge.

5. Day 5

   Queen Elizabeth to Bwindi

   Breakfast is taken before you set out from Queen Elizabeth for the drive to Bwindi, travelling the winding roads of the south-western highlands through terraced farmland. Lunch and check-in come first, then an afternoon drive through steep Afromontane rainforest ridges and valleys in south-western Uganda. Wildlife commonly associated with this area includes mountain gorillas, forest elephant, many primate species and numerous Albertine Rift endemics. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi is a permit-dependent activity, and a permit must be confirmed in advance for every trekker. Dinner is served at your Bwindi camp or lodge, where you spend the night.

6. Day 6

   Bwindi Gorilla Tracking

   Take part in the authorised gorilla trek using the confirmed permit and ranger arrangements. This is steep Afromontane rainforest ridges and valleys in south-western Uganda. Species commonly associated with the area include mountain gorillas, forest elephant, many primate species and numerous Albertine Rift endemics. Permit availability is confirmed before the booking is finalised, and tracking follows the park authority's rules on the day. You return to your lodge or camp in Bwindi for dinner and overnight.

7. Day 7

   Bwindi to Entebbe / Kampala

   After breakfast you leave Bwindi and travel on toward Entebbe / Kampala, following the lakeshore road from Kampala. The drive brings you back into Entebbe or Kampala in the afternoon, where the safari comes to a close. Entebbe sits on a peninsula in Lake Victoria and is the standard entry and exit point for Ugandan itineraries. Arrival back is normally in the afternoon, with a drop-off at your hotel or the airport in Entebbe or Kampala.