8 Day Uganda Primates & Big5 Safari
This 8 days Uganda Primates & Big5 Safari Tour leads you to Uganda’s prime wildlife areas: Muchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi Impenetrable National parks. Expect to see big5s gorillas, chimpanzees, many mammals, bird species etc. You will do game drives on the savannas, trek through the tropical forests and have boat safaris.
Tour Overview
Day 1 Arrival
Day 2 Travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 3 Ful Day Game drive and boat trip
Day 4 Chimpanzee trekking and travel to Ishasha
Day 5 Morning game drive and travel to Bwindi
Day 6 Gorilla Trekking and travel to Kisoro
Day 7 Golden monkey trekking
Day 8 Travel to Entebbe
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1. Arrival
On your arrival at Entebbe Airport, you will be welcomed/picked up by your guide for transfer to your hotel in Kampala. On this day you will be briefed about your whole tour.
Accommodation
Budget – Via Via Guesthouse/Acactus Hotel Makindye
Midrange – Malakai Eco Lodge
Meal Plan – dinner
Day 2. Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National park
Having had breakfast at leisure, you will be transferred to Queen Elizabeth National park. We are to have a stop at the equator village(Kayabwe) to take pictures if interested. Equator is the imaginary line on the world map that runs east to west and divides the earth into the southern and northern hemispheres. You will also pass through Ankole region where you may be able to see the long-horned/Ankole Cattle.
Travel time -Approx 7 Hrs.
Meal Plan – Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation
Budget – The Bush Lodge
Midrange – Buffalo Safari Lodge
Day 3. Full day Game drive and boat trip
We wake up early for a morning game drive to search for the early risers. This is the best time to spot predators such as lions, leopards and the spotted hyena. Other mammals to see include; buffaloes, waterbucks, elephants, kobs, warthogs and so on. We then later visit Lake Munyanyange to see flamingos. Having had lunch, After lunch, you will have a boat trip on the Kazinga channel. This is the water stream that joins lakes Edward and George and is said to have the largest concentration of hippos in the world. Several bird species have been recorded on its banks among which the common ones are. African Fish eagles, kingfishers, gulls, African darter and so on. Other animals to see include; crocodiles, monitor lizards. We end our day with an evening game drive in the Kabatoro sector which is famous for large herds of elephants and is also a feeding ground for hippos. This evening, be ready to take a picture of a feeding hippo.
Meal plan –Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation
Budget -The Bush Lodge
Midrange – Buffalo Safari Lodge
Day 4 Chimpanzee tracking and travel to Ishasha
After breakfast, we prepare ourselves for the once in a lifetime experience (chimpanzee tracking). You may track the chimps in the Kyambura Gorge or Imaramagambo Forest or Kalinzu Forest; the choice is yours. This activity is a bit challenging but very rewarding, so expect to walk for one to four hours depending on where the chimps will be on this day. Having encountered them, you will have a full hour with them.
We then travel to Ishasha, the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This area is famous for the rare tree climbing lions, leopards, topi and so on. It also has a healthy population of elephants, buffaloes and other grazers. You are to have an evening game drive and then check in your lodge to relax.
Travel time -Approx 4hrs.
Meal plan –Breakfast and dinner
Accommodation
Budget -Enjojo Lodge
Day 5. Transfer to Bwindi
Today, you will have an early morning breakfast a game drive around this section of the park and then travel to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Bwindi Impenetrable forest is home to more than half of the world’s surviving mountain gorillas, many other primates and over 380 bird species. Arrival will be in the late afternoon and then check in your lodge to relax.
Travel Time-Approx. 4Hrs
Accommodation – Gorilla Mist Camp
Meal Plan-Breakfast and dinner
Day 6. Gorilla tracking and travel to Kisoro
After a mighty breakfast prepared by your accommodation, we report at the gorilla tracking starting point for a short briefing. You then enter the Impenetrable forest with your packed lunch to search for the endangered mountain gorillas. Be ready to walk for 45 minutes to 5 hours depending on where you will find the gorillas that day. Having encountered them, you will be given a full hour to interact with gorillas and then return to your accommodation. You then travel further south to Kisoro as you get ready for the golden monkey trek the next day.
Travel Time-Approx. 3Hrs
Accommodation
Budget -Mucha Lodges
Midrange – Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge/Mutanda Lake Resort
Meal Plan-Breakfast and dinner
Day 7 Golden monkey trekking and travel to Lake Bunyonyi
Wakeup for early breakfast and then travel to Mgahinga Gorilla National park. Arrive in time for briefing and then head with your guide into the forest in search for the rare golden monkeys. The park lies with in the Virunga volcanic region as is also home to mountain gorillas, bluemonkeys, vervet monkeys e.t.c. The trek will will take 1 to 6 hours depending on where the golden monkeys will be on this day.Having met them, spend a full hour in their company before returning to your lodge. This evening, you have a range of optional activities to choose from such as; visiting a Batwa community, coffee tour experience, village walk, bird walk and so on.
Meal plan – breakfast and dinner.
Travel time – Approx 2 hrs
Accommodation
Budget -Mucha Lodges
Midrange – Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge/Mutanda Lake Resort
Day 8 Travel to Entebbe
Wakeup for breakfast at leisure and then embark on the journey back to Entebbe.
You will have a lunch stop in Mbarara and a coffee break at the equator village(Kayabwe). Here, the world is divided into southern and northern hemispheres. Continue with your journey to Entebbe Airport hence end of safari.
Meal plan -breakfast and dinner
Accommodation – Not included
Highlights
Gorilla tracking
Chimpanzee tracking
Golden Monkey Trekking
boat trips
Nature walks
Game drives
Meet the locals
COST per person
Included in the cost are,
1 gorilla permit per person
1 chimpanzee permit per person
1 Golden monkey permit
All park entrance fees.
Game drives
All breakfasts and dinners
7 nights’ accommodation
4WD Safari car with a popup roof customized for safari viewing
English speaking guide/driver
1 boat safari
Bottled drinking water.
Not included in the cost are
Porter for gorilla trekking (if you need one)
Activities marked optional in the itinerary.
Drinks besides water
Packing list
A pair of waterproof trousers and jacket.
A hat
Insect repellent
A pair of sunglasses
Personal camera
A pair of binoculars
Note that weather at Bwindi is unpredictable, it can rain at any time.
While on site, we accept payment in only US Dollars, GB Pound, Euro and UG Shillings.
This tour can be further personalised to meet the needs of private travellers.
Enjoy your Safari
