5 Days Uganda Gorilla & Wildlife Safari
Overview
The five-day safari will take you to Uganda’s well-known national parks of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Queen Elizabeth National Park. In Queen Elizabeth Park, there is a diverse range of wildlife, including tigers, buffaloes, hippos, and a number of birds. Then, to the south, Queen Elizabeth is home to ascending lions who lazily sit in fig trees, and the rare mountain gorillas are just 62 kilometers away.
Itinerary Summary
Day 1: Transfer from Kampala to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 2: A Morning Game Drive and afternoon Boat Ride in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Day 3: Travel to Ishasha in pursuit of tree climbing lions, then to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Day 4: Gorilla tracking and a nature walk or a visit to a community.
Day 5: Transfer from Bwindi to Kampala/Entebbe
Day by Day Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer from Kampala to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Our driver guide will pick you up from your hotel and transport you to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most prominent park due to its varied habitats, which include woodland, savanna, wetland, and open waters.
This area is home to large game, ten primate species, and over 600 bird species. You will make a picture break at the equator. Proceed to Mbarara, stopping for lunch at the Igongo Cultural Centre before heading to the forest. When you arrive, you can go for an evening game drive before settling into your accommodation for the night.
Road Transfer
Day 2: A Morning Game Drive and afternoon Boat Ride in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Get up early, eat breakfast, and go for a morning game trip, beginning with the Kasenyi plains. The Kasenyi plains are ideal for seeing lions and huge herds of Uganda kob. The Mweya peninsula has superb game drives with breathtaking views of the Rwenzori Mountains through the sea. Mweya is a great place to hunt for leopards, who live in tall, scrubby thickets.
In the afternoon, take a boat ride along the Kazinga Channel. The 40km long and 8m deep Channel is host to one of Africa’s highest concentrations of hippo, as well as herds of elephant, buffalo, and other animals that come to drink at the water’s edge. The channel attracts a large number of aquatic birds, including pelicans, African fish eagles, spoonbills, and other species.
Boat cruise at Kazinga Channel
Day 3: Travel to Ishasha in pursuit of tree climbing lions, then to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Get up early in the morning, have breakfast, and then go to the southern section of Queen Elizabeth National Park with a packed lunch. You will go on another game drive in this sector, with the possibility of seeing lions sleeping on fig trees. Following the game trip, you can take a 2-hour drive to the Buhoma Sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Tree Climbing Lions in Ishasha
Day 4: Gorilla tracking and a nature walk or a visit to a community.
Wake up early, eat breakfast, prepare a snack, and arrive at the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park Headquarters for the Mountain Gorilla Monitoring (Trekking) orientation and consultation with guides, as well as group split based on which party you will be tracking.
Around 8.30 a.m., you reach the forest in search of Mountain Gorillas. Depending about how far the gorillas are and which gorilla family you watch, tracking will take anything from 2 hours to half a day. In the afternoon, you can go for an optional nature walk along one of the trails or visit one of the Batwa villages. Return to the lodge for dinner and a night’s sleep.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi
Day 5: Transfer from Bwindi to Kampala/Entebbe
After breakfast, you can drive to Kampala or Entebbe International Airport for your international flight via Rukungiri. You will stop for lunch en route in Mbarara before continuing on your journey.
