This 5 days gorilla trekking & wildlife safari takes you to the misty Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, which is home to more than half the population of the remaining 720 mountain gorillas. Bwindi Forest offers a unique birding opportunity, cultural experiences, and the scenic allure of stunning hills. You will have the experience of a lifetime watching at close range these majestic apes as they feed and relax. Before crossing to Queen Elizabeth National Park for a great game viewing experience.
Day 1: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Kampala-Masaka road (7 hours drive). En route, make a stopover at the equator for photography and Mbarara for lunch. Later, you’ll be transferred to Queen Elizabeth National Park. It is roughly a 3 hours drive from Mbarara to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Day 2: Game Drive and Launch Cruise along Kazinga Channel
In the morning, enjoy a game drive to the northern sector of the park–Kasenyi plains in search of leopards and lions. As you drive along Kasenyi tracks, expect to encounter big herds of elephants, buffalos, Uganda kobs, warthogs, Defassa waterbucks, bushbucks and giant forest hogs among others. Return to the lodge for a hot lunch before undertaking a launch cruise along the Kazinga Channel at 2:00 pm. The launch experience will bring you closer to big herds of elephants, hippos, and a plethora of migrant and endemic birds among others. At 6:00 pm, return to the lodge for your dinner and relaxation.
Day 3: Ishasha – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast at 8:00 am, transfer to Ishasha the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park in search of tree-climbing lions. It is approximately an hour’s drive from Mweya to Ishasha Gate. At 10:00 am, lions begin climbing fig trees as they seek shelter in the tree branches from the scorching sunshine and relax after a night and morning feast on the antelopes.
At 1:00 o’clock, transfer to Savannah Hotel for a hot lunch and later proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for an evening Batwa (Pygmies) community walk.
Day 4: Gorilla Tracking Adventure
Wake up very early in the morning for your breakfast and then hike to the park headquarters, which is a few meters from your lodge for a briefing by the park ranger before commencing the gorilla trek at 8:30 am. Gorilla tracking is a strenuous exercise but is ranked the most rewarding wildlife experience. The time taken to encounter these apes ranges from an hour to several hours depending on their movement in the jungle.
Day 5: Departure
After breakfast, transfer back to the airport either Entebbe or Kigali. It is more than 8 hours drive to Entebbe from Bwindi; whereas it is a 4 to 5 hours drive to Kigali International Airport.
Inclusions
- Park fees
- Gorilla permits
- Chimp permits
- All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodation
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation
- All Taxes/VAT
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- Meals
- Drinking water
Exclusions
- International flights
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Tips
- Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
