• Uganda safaris

The 7-day Uganda wildlife and primate experience safari begins and ends at Uganda’s Entebbe international airport. This is a magical safari that promises you the most exciting and magical wildlife, primate, and cultural experiences with nonstop fun. This exciting safari was designed to provide you with an unforgettable wildlife experience and an ultimate primate experience, such as meeting the amazing gorillas and chimps in their natural habitat, getting up close and personal with other diverse African wildlife species such as leopards, lions, elephants, and cape buffaloes, several primate species, many antelope species, beautiful landscapes, and visiting several ancestral sites such as the Igongo cultural centre.

The 7-day Uganda safari includes visits to Kibale Forest National Park for chimp tracking, Queen Elizabeth National Park for wildlife viewing, Kazinga channel boat cruise safari, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for mountain gorilla encounters, and Lake Bunyonyi for relaxation. This is an ideal tour for exploring the abundance of wildlife species, beautiful scenery, and numerous primate species such as the miraculous mountain gorillas and chimps, among others, as well as seeing several African classics such as lions, leopards, elephants, African Caped Buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, and many others.

DAY 1 Arrival at Entebbe international airport – Meet and greet and be transferred to your booked Hotel in Entebbe town.

When you arrive at Entebbe International Airport, you will be greeted warmly by a company representative and your professional English-speaking safari guide for a meet and greet before being transferred to your booked hotel in Entebbe town to check in, freshen up, and later meet with our company representative and safari guide at the hotel reception to brief you on your 7-day Uganda wildlife and primate experience safari. Entebbe International Airport is approximately 10-20 minutes’ drive from the hotel.
Later, if time allows, drive to Botanical Gardens for a nature walk and then to Lake Victoria to see some water birds and get a feel for Uganda’s beautiful nature. Lake Victoria is the largest body of water in Africa and the world’s second largest fresh water body, shared by three East African countries (Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya).

Accommodation: 2 Friends Beach Hotel (Mid-range)
Meal plan: Dinner

DAY 2 Entebbe city – Drive to Kibale Forest national park – Bigodi sanctuary swamp and community tour.

After a delicious breakfast, load your travel bags into your safari vehicle, check out of your lodge, and begin your journey to Kibale Forest National Park, which is famous for having the world’s largest population of chimps, with over 1500 individual chimps, some of which are well habituated for tourism and research. The park is also known as Africa’s primate capital, with more primate species recorded than any other national park or wildlife reserve in Africa, making it a primate lover’s paradise.

The park also has the largest populations of the threatened and rare L’hoest’s monkey and red colobus monkeys in East Africa. The black-and-white colobus, blue monkeys, red-tailed olive baboons, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and over 375 bird species can all be found in Kibale Forest National Park. You will enjoy spectacular views of tea estates, several forests, and the shadow of the legendary Rwenzori Mountain, which forms a mystic backdrop to the beautiful volcanic landscape as you travel to Kibale Forest National Park. Stop in Fort Portal City for lunch, then walk around the city before continuing on to the park to check in at your booked lodge and then drive to Bigodi Swamp.

Bigodi sanctuary swamp is rich in biodiversity and beautiful scenery, and it is a birder’s paradise, home to over 138 bird species and eight primates. These include the grey-cheeked mangabey, black-and-white colobus, l’Hoest’s and blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and olive baboons, as well as bushbucks and mongooses.

The swamp is managed by the surrounding community in order to preserve unique environmental features as well as the wetland for future generations. As a result, during this walk, you will have the opportunity to see a variety of monkeys and bird species. The Bigodi community walk will take you through the nearby community to interact with local people and learn how they live in harmony with wildlife species. It will also take you through how they do their daily activities without using modern technology, such as making nice gins from bananas, delicious coffee, and art crafts. After the walk, return to your lodge to relax, be served dinner, and spend the night.

Accommodation: Isunga Safari Lodge (Mid-range)
Meal plan: Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

DAY 3 Kibale Forest national park – Chimpanzee tracking safari experience – Drive to Queen Elizabeth national park

After breakfast, meet your safari guide and transfer to the park information offices to join the other guests for a briefing on the dos and don’ts of chimp tracking in the forest, as well as how to behave around chimps. Then go on a guided forest walk in search of intelligent chimps, our closest living relatives who share 98.8% of our DNA. Other wildlife species, both mammal and bird species, such as other primates and bush pigs, among others, may be encountered during your forest walk, and your guide will be able to give you a lot of interesting information about everything that you will encounter, making your walk so adventurous.

You will spend a maximum of one hour with the chimps, watching them play in the tree branches, feeding and caring for their babies, and taking as many photos as you want. After an hour with the chimps, return to the starting point to relax, enjoy refreshments and lunch, and then drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, a “medley of wonders.” Queen Elizabeth National Park is known for its diverse wildlife species, including over 95 mammal species, four big mammals, big cats, and other predators, 10 species of primates, aquatic mammals, and approximately 600 recorded bird species, as well as the Kazinga channel, the main water stream connecting Lake Edward and George.

Visit the Katwe community before checking into your booked lodge. It is surrounded by the salty Lake Katwe and its main economic activity is salt extraction from the lake. Because of the traditional salt mining that has been practiced since the 16th century, this is one of the most well-known communities. You will have the opportunity to participate in salt mining while visiting the Katwe salt mining community, and your local safari guide will tell you how they have managed to keep their salt mining activities going for decades. After the community tour, drive to your reserved lodge and spend the evening at leisure until dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Buffalo Safari Lodge (Mid-range)
Meal plan: Breakfast/ Lunch / Dinner

DAY 4 Queen Elizabeth national park – Morning game drive safari – Afternoon boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel – Evening game drive safari

After a hearty breakfast (0600 am), drive to the park to see wildlife such as Uganda Kobs, Waterbucks, Elephants, Caped Buffaloes, Lions, Warthogs, Leopards, and a variety of primates and bird species. Your safari guide will make certain that you see as many wildlife species as possible and will provide you with as much information about everything you may encounter during your game drive as possible. Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to over 95 mammal species and 600 bird species, making it an ideal location for a game drive.

One of the highlights of activities to explore Queen Elizabeth National Park, spot several mammals, and enjoy the beautiful views of the savannah are game drive safaris. After a short rest, have lunch and other refreshments before driving to the Kazinga channel for the 2-hour afternoon boat cruise safari. The main water channel that runs through the park and connects Lake George and Lake Edward is the Kazinga channel. During the boat cruise safari, you will see a variety of aquatic and land animals, including hippos, crocodiles, alligators, Caped buffaloes, elephants, and Uganda kobs, as well as a variety of bird species, including malachite kingfishers and pink-backed pelicans on the banks.

After your 2-hour boat ride along the Kazinga channel, go on an evening game drive to spot more wildlife and watch the sunset from the jungle. Because big cats and other predators begin to hunt in the evening, evening game drives are the best time to see them. Return to your lodge to unwind, eat dinner, and sleep.

Meal plan: Breakfast/ Lunch / Dinner

DAY 5 Queen Elizabeth national park – Morning game drive safari – Game drive to search for the tree climbing lions

After your delicious breakfast, pack your luggage, check out of your lodge, and drive to the park for a second morning game drive safari in search of more wildlife animals and birds. Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of Uganda’s most popular national parks, and it’s a great place to see classic big game like lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, several antelope species, primates, warthogs, and many others. One of the highlights of Queen Elizabeth National Park is going on a game drive to see various mammals and enjoy the beautiful savannah views. Following the game drive, begin your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

You will do a game drive safari through the Ishasha sector in the southern parts of Queen Elizabeth National Park on your way to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park to look for the unique tree climbing lions, which are only found in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda with 5 families, Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania with about two families, and Kruger National Park in South Africa.

The Ishasha sector is the best place to see them because it has many families with climbing personalities and a higher chance of meeting them. After lunch, continue your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is famous for being home to half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, as well as one of Uganda’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforests, dating back over 25,000 years, with nearly 400 tree species that form the huge impenetrable evergreen forest.

It is the ancestral home of the Batwa bush people and is home to approximately 500 mountain gorillas, 120 mammal species, including numerous primate species, and over 350 bird species, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics. Dinner and a night’s stay.

Accommodation: Bakiga Lodge (Mid-range)
Meal plan: Breakfast/ Lunch / Dinner

DAY 6 Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park – Mountain gorilla trekking experience – Drive to Lake Bunyonyi

The sixth day of the seven-day Uganda wildlife and primate experience safari. Early in the morning (0600 am), pack your backpack with all of the recommended equipment for your mountain gorilla trekking adventure, such as a camera, binoculars, and insect repellents. Dress appropriately for the best mountain gorilla trekking experience, such as long khaki or jean trousers, long sleeved shirt, water proof hiking boots, a rain jacket, heavy duty gloves, and round hats, and then meet your safari guide to drive to the park information offices to join other guests for a briefing session about how the mountain gorilla trekking experience is done, dos and don’ts, what to expect during the mountain gorilla trekking, and so on.

Because the grouping and mountain gorilla family allocation will take place during the briefing, you must communicate with your company guide to select a family based on your physical fitness, as some families may be far from the starting point and others closer. We recommend hiring a porter to assist you in carrying your packed bag and other items needed for the mountain gorilla trek. Begin your forest walk in search of the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitats after a pre-mountain gorilla trekking session. The time it takes to encounter your assigned mountain gorilla family is unknown, but it could be anywhere between 45 minutes and 4 hours, depending on the gorilla family’s movements and location.

As a result, you should be physically and mentally prepared to walk a long distance through a hilly forest with no clear walking trails that are only made at that specific time of tracking by your guide depending on the direction that can easily lead you to the location of the gorilla family. That is why it is advised to bring enough water to stay hydrated and snacks to keep you energized while trekking through the forest in search of mountain gorillas.

When you find the mountain gorilla family, the thrill of seeing them in their natural habitat will outweigh the difficulty you experienced while looking for them. A mountain gorilla family can consist of several members, including the giant silverback, who is always the family’s leader and protector, mothers, infants, and juveniles. You will learn a lot about mountain gorillas’ behaviors, how they socialize, and be excited by their actions, such as the playful babies, mothers grooming their babies, and Mr. Silverback, who is silently watching the situation and ready to protect the family from any kind of attack.

You will have a maximum of one hour with the mountain gorillas and will be free to take as many photos and videos as you want to preserve your wonderful memories with the mountain gorilla family in the jungle. Return to the trekking start point after an hour with the mountain gorilla family to receive your mountain trekking certificate in recognition of your contribution to the conservation of Uganda’s endangered mountain gorillas. Enjoy your full lunch before driving to Lake Bunyonyi to relax while enjoying a boat canoeing safari on Lake Bunyonyi. Dinner and a night’s stay.

Accommodation: Bunyonyi Rock Resort (Mid-range)
Meal plan: Breakfast/Lunch /Dinner

DAY 7 Lake Bunyonyi – Morning boat canoeing on Lake Bunyonyi – Return to Entebbe international airport.

Today, wake up at your leisure, be served breakfast, and then go for your morning boat canoeing safari on Lake Bunyonyi, which takes approximately 2 hours of exploring the lake and visiting different islands in the lake with a local canoe guide who is well experienced with the places and all the things around. Lake Bunyonyi is framed by 29 islands of varying sizes across the water, creating one of the most magical views. Each of the 29 islands on Lake Bunyonyi has its own unique and interesting story, which your local guide will tell you about during the canoeing safari, such as the Akampene island, also known as the “punishment island,” which was used to punish the Biga community.

As a result, poor men who couldn’t afford to pay the bride price would travel to this island in order to obtain free wives from among those who could have been exiled to this island. In an African society, it was considered a disgrace for a girl to become pregnant before her official marriage, and the family would lose community respect as a result. As a result, parents were forced to be strict with their female children in order to protect them. Return to the lodge to check out after canoeing on Lake Bunyonyi, and then begin your journey back to Entebbe International Airport to prepare for your return flight.
On your way back to Entebbe International Airport, you will stop at Igongo Cultural Museum to visit the museum, which is a cultural heritage of south-western Uganda that will take you centuries back into Uganda’s culture and lifestyle of the western people, and then continue your journey to the Uganda Equator line, which is located in Kayabwe and is believed to divide the planet into two parts; the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

The water experiment is performed at the equator landmark to demonstrate how forces move differently on each side of the planet and to demonstrate the difference between the two hemispheres. Water, for example, drains from the funnel in a clockwise direction on the northern hemisphere but in an anti-clockwise direction on the southern hemisphere. The sun rises and sets quickly here, and the temperatures and weather are mostly consistent all year. While at the Equator, take some memorial photos with one foot in the southern hemisphere and the other in the northern hemisphere, allowing you to take a photo while standing on both sides of the world at the same time.

It is also said that standing at the equator line reduces your body weight by about 3 kg, so you will have an opportunity to prove this statement true or false. After the water experiment, have lunch and then visit the craft shops, which sell souvenirs made locally and entirely in Ugandan style. After that, continue your tour directly to Entebbe International Airport to prepare for your return flight. This concludes your 7-day Uganda wildlife and primate experience safari.

Meal plan: Breakfast / Lunch

Package quotation: US$2560 per person sharing in a twin room with a minimum of 4 people

Included

• Return airport transfers (pick up and drop off)
• Private transport for 7 days in a well-modified safari land-cruiser (4WD, air-conditioned and pop-up roof)
• Fuel for 7 days
• English safari guide for 7 days
• Private mid-range accommodation for 6 nights on full board (Breakfast /Lunch/ Dinner)
• All en-route meals and bottled mineral water throughout your tour
• All park entrance and activities’ fees and all applicable government taxes
• Bigodi sanctuary swamp and community safari
• 1 chimpanzee tracking permit per person (Kibale Forest national park)
• A visit to Katwe salt mining village
• Morning and evening game drive safari at Queen Elizabeth national park
• 2 hours’ afternoon boat cruise along the Kazinga channel
• Game drive safari at Ishasha sector to search for the tree climbing lions
• Mountain gorilla trekking at Bwindi impenetrable forest national park (Ruhija sector)
• A visit to and canoeing on Lake Bunyonyi
• A visit to Igongo cultural centre
• A visit to the Equator land mark

Excluded

• International and domestic flights
• Country entry visa
• Personal travel insurance
• Items of personal nature /laundry/telephone charges
• Souvenirs and gifts
• Tips
• Alcoholic and other soft drinks (Sodas, special juice order at the lodge and wines)