This Uganda Primate Safari highlights gorilla trekking and chimpanzee trekking as the main activities. This trip will bring you face to face with these great apes in the middle of the rain forests i.e. Kibale forest and Bwindi impenetrable forest. In addition you have an opportunity to visit Queen Elizabeth national park for great scenery and wildlife both on a boat safari and during a game drive.
Safari highlights
- Chimpanzee trekkingg
- Nature walk in Bigodi Swamp
- Game drives
- Boat cruise
- Crater Lakes
- Gorilla tracking
Itinerary for Uganda Primate Safari
Day 1: Welcome to the Pearl of Africa
On arrival at Entebbe international Airport, a representative of Kagera Safaris will receive you and transfer you to your hotel for a restful night.
Drive time– 20 minutes
Day 2: Transfer to the home of Chimpanzees – Kibale National Park
After breakfast, we leave for Kibale forest – the primate capital of the world. The trip takes you through the countryside arriving in the beautiful Fort portal town for lunch at Gardens restaurant or any other place recommended by your tour guide. After lunch you will proceed to your lodge for check in and over night.
Alternatively you can take a scheduled flight from Entebbe to Kasese Airstrip and drive for about 1 hour 30 minutes to your lodge.
Drive time – 5 hours Or Scheduled Flight – 1 hour 35 minutes
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking in Kibale forest
Your naturalist guide will transfer you to the briefing area at Kanyanchu tourism centre after breakfast. Your experienced ranger guide will lead you as you hike through the tropical forest for an unforgettable and rewarding experience in search of man’s closest relatives the Chimpanzees.
After lunch, you will take a walk in Bigodi community – proceeds from this help in community development. You can do both the swamp walk and the village walk or one of the two. The walk through the wetland might give you sightings of red tailed monkeys, Mangabeys, butterflies and several bird species. This walk continues on to visit different homes where you will have a coffee experience, banana brewing, basketry and learning about different traditions medicines.
PS: You have an option of a chimpanzee habituation experience. This activity allows you to spend more time in the forest learning more about the life of chimps, their habitat, food etc.
Day 4: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park – Uganda Primate Safari
After an exhilarating experience with the chimpanzees in their natural habitat, we journey to watch wildlife safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Drive through the Crater lakes region (depending on road condition) and enjoy views of the Rwenzori mountain ranges.
Drive time – 2 hours
Day 5: Game drive and Boat Safari on Kazinga Channel
After an early breakfast we leave for a game drive with focus on the predators before they go into hiding. The car is customized for game viewing. Enjoy the exotic and rare species which include Elephants, Lions, Leopards, Buffaloes, and Uganda Kobs etc.
In the afternoon take boat safari on Kazinga Channel, this water channel connects Lake Edward to Lake George. The banks of the channel often have a variety of animals and beautiful species of birds. This boat takes about 2.5 hours on the water.
Day 6: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park – Uganda Primate Safari
Today we leave for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – the home to half the world’s remaining mountain gorillas. Bwindi impenetrable forest is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You will drive through Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth national park and on a lucky day you might sight climbing lions by the roadside.
PS: If you are tracking in Rushaga/Nkuringo you will take a different route not through Ishasha.
Drive time – 4 hours
Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Forest
Gorillas are amazing creatures with so much energy but gentle. Your driver guide will transfer you to the briefing area after an early breakfast. You will carry packed lunch because you are not sure how long the trek will take. After briefing you will be allocated a gorilla family to trek and a ranger guide for the trek.
After briefing, the ranger guide will lead you on an expedition in the forest. The gorilla trek can take anything from a few minutes to several hours depending on where they nested the previous night. Once you locate the gorillas with help of your guide and trackers, you are allowed to stay with them for only one hour after which you start the trek back to the starting area.
Day 8: End of your Uganda Primates Safari – Uganda Primate Safari
Today morning, you will start the journey to Entebbe/Kampala with a stopover at the Equator monument. This marks the end of your Uganda primates Safari.
Drive time – 9 hours Or Scheduled Flight – 1 hr 50 minutes
