8 Days gorilla trekking and wildlife holiday
This 8 days gorilla trekking and wildlife holiday is an interesting safari that will take you to Bwindi impenetrable national park and Kibale forest national park where you will be able to spend time with the endangered mountain gorillas and chimpanzees in their natural habitat, Queen Elizabeth national park where you will be able to view animals elephants, buffaloes, the tree climbing lions, leopards, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, hippos, Nile crocodiles among others during the game drives and boat cruise on Kazinga channel. The 7 days gorilla trekking and wildlife holiday will also take you to Lake Mburo national park where you will be able to engage in an interesting guided nature walk and game drive
Highlights of the 8 days gorilla trekking and wildlife holiday
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Lake Mburo national park-walking safari
Day 2: Morning game drive and transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 3: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 4: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park via Ishasha sector
Day 5: Morning game drive/ lion tracking and afternoon boat cruise
Day 6: Morning game drive and transfer to Kibale forest national park
Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Day 8: Departure to Kampala/Entebbe
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Lake Mburo national park-walking safari
Depending on your arrival time at Entebbe international airport on the first day of the 8 days gorilla trekking and wildlife holiday, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then start the journey to Lake Mburo National Park. On the way, you will have a stopover at the Equator in Kayabwe where you will buy souvenirs and take photos. From the Equator, you will continue to Lake Mburo National Park and upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for lunch.
After lunch, you will relax at the lodge and later go for a walking safari where you will be able to get up-close and personal with different wildlife species, listen to sweet sounds of birds, take beautiful pictures, enjoy a quiet environment among others. After the guided nature walk, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Morning game drive and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After an early breakfast on the second day of the 8 days gorilla trekking and wildlife holiday, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive in the park where you will be able to spot different animals like giraffes, zebras, buffaloes, waterbucks, elands, impalas, topi, warthogs among others. After the game drive, you will drive out of the park and start the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park with en-route lunch on the way and stunning views of the Kigezi hills, terraced farmlands, banana plantations among others. Upon arrival, you will check in at the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking,
After an early breakfast on the third day of the 8 days gorilla trekking and wildlife holiday, you will carry packed lunch and your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations of gorilla trekking. After the briefing you will be allocated a gorilla family to trek and a park guide who is knowledgeable about the gorillas and well conversant with trails in the jungle. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will have views of animals, other primates species, different bird species among others. Once the gorillas are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their habitat which gives you an opportunity to watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, breastfeeding, playing, observe their behaviours, take great photos and record the breath taking moments to show people back home.
After the one-hour encounter with the gentle giants you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking, meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
After breakfast on the fourth day of the 8 days gorilla trekking and wildlife holiday, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park. On the way you will pass through Ishasha sector in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth national park where you will get an opportunity to spot the tree climbing lions which will be lying up in fig tree branches. After the game drive in Ishasha sector you will have lunch where after you will continue the journey to Queen Elizabeth national park and upon arrival you will check in at the lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Morning game drive/ lion tracking and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive/lion tracking,
You will have breakfast on the fifth day of the 8 days gorilla trekking and wildlife holiday, meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive or lion tracking experience in Kasenyi plains. During the game drive you will be rewarded with great views of large herds of elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, bushbucks, waterbucks, warthogs which will be grazing in the open savannah plains view predators like lions, leopards if you are lucky, variety of bird species among others. After the game drive you will drive to the lodge for lunch.
Boat cruise,
After lunch you will go for an exciting boat cruise on Kazinga channel a water body that connects Lake George and Lake Edward. During the boat cruise which takes about 2 hours you will get a chance to view elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs drinking water along the shores, view large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, water birds like martial eagle, papyrus gonolek, pelicans, hornbills, African skimmers, cormorants, African spoonbills, fish eagles, king fisher’s among others and also view fishermen organizing their fishing nets along the water banks. After the boat ride you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Morning game drive and transfer to Kibale forest national park
After breakfast on the sixth day of the 8 days gorilla trekking and wildlife holiday, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for another game drive in the park where you will be able to view some of the animals that you might have missed during the previous game drive. After the game drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch where after you will check out of the lodge and start the journey to Kibale forest national park. On the way you will enjoy great views of the landscape, crater lakes, tea plantations among others and upon arrival you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight
Day 7: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
After an early breakfast on the seventh day of the 8 days gorilla trekking and wildlife holiday, you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kanyachu Visitors Centre for chimpanzee trekking briefing. After the briefing you will start trekking in the forest which takes about 30 minutes to 5 hours depending on where the chimpanzees are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to spot other primate species, different bird species, plants among others. Once the chimpanzees are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which helps you to learn more about their behaviors, watch them feed, breastfeed, fight, hunt, enjoy the juveniles playing up in the trees, take photos and record the moments. After the face to face encounter with the chimpanzees you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will meet up with your driver guide to return to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch you will go for an interesting swamp walk in Bigodi swamp where you will be able to view different bird species, primates, view different plant and tree species among others. After the swamp walk, you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight
Day 8: Departure to Kampala
After an early breakfast on the last day of the 8 days gorilla trekking and wildlife holiday, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey back to Kampala. On the way, you will have en-route lunch and continue the journey to Kampala arriving early evening and upon arrival, your driver guide will drop you off at Entebbe international airport for your departure flight or drop off at any place of your choice.
End of 8 days gorilla trekking and wildlife holiday
Tour includes
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Park entrance fees/ game drives
- Lion tracking experience
- Boat cruise fees
- Walking safari
- All activities included in the itinerary
- Services of a professional English speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Pick up and drop off in Kampala/Entebbe
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled drinking water
Tour excludes
- Air flight tickets
- Visas
- Life insurance
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, cigarettes, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.
