8 Days Fly in Uganda Gorillas and Wildlife Safari
8 Days Fly in Uganda Gorillas and Wildlife Safari
Uganda’s developing tourism infrastructure has open gateways for Fly in safaris, this massive transformation has moved from traditional bumpy road transfers between national parks to Hopping from one region to the other as national parks within Uganda are situated on its borders, our 8 Days Fly-in Uganda gorillas and Wildlife safari will take to Kibale national park for chimpanzee trekking before heading to Queen Elizabeth national park for game viewing and later heading to the mountains to trek the gorillas and then Fly to Lake Mburo national park for leisure and then returning to Entebbe to end your safari.
Safari highlights
- Gorilla trekking
- Buying local crafts
- Award of gorilla trekking certificates
- Game drive in Ishasha sector
- Chimpanzee tracking
- Boat cruise on Kazinga channel
- Boat cruise on Lake Mburo
Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe international airport where you will be met and transferred to your hotel
On arrival at Entebbe international airport, you will be received by our representative and transferred to your hotel overnight.
Day 2: Domestic flight from Entebbe to Kasese airstrip
After early morning breakfast you will pick up you’re your hotel and transferred to the airport for your scheduled flight from Entebbe to Kasese, on arrival you will be received and transferred to Kibale forest national park which is the home to chimpanzees and other primates, also known as the “Primate capital of the world” with 13 different primate species. This is a 6-hour drive from Kampala to Fort portal from where you will connect to Kibale forest with an en-route stopover for lunch. Some of the primate species here include; Chimpanzees, baboons, red colobus, Black and white colobus, red-tailed monkeys and many more on arrival at the lodge you will check in to your lodge for relaxation and your guide can arrange activities near the lodge for the evening.
Day 3: Chimpanzee tracking in the morning and afternoon transfer Queen Elizabeth NP
After early morning breakfast, your guide will transfer you to the park/visitor information center for registration and briefing. Thereafter, the park guide will take you through this adventurous experience where you may be blessed with enormous encounters of various forest primates such as the L’hoest, black-faced colobus monkeys, baboons, and other forest species. After the tracking activity, you will return to the lodge for a hot lunch and later drive to Queen Elizabeth national park. Upon arrival, you will check in at your lodge for relaxation or a short evening game drive.
Day 4: Morning game drive – afternoon boat cruise
After an early breakfast, you will set off for a morning game drive in the Kasenyi plains for game viewing with the possibility of viewing animals such as elephants, Uganda Kobs, waterbuck, lions, leopards, buffalos, and many more. Return to the lodge for lunch and proceed for a boat cruise on the Kazinga channel after lunch for 2 hours. Here you will be able to view a variety of animals such as crocodiles, hippos, elephants, and many birds. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi Forest National Park
After breakfast, you will set off and drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park which is home to more than half the world population of mountain gorillas via Ishasha sector which is on the southern sector of Queen Elizabeth national park with a possibility of seeing the famous tree-climbing lions.
Upon arrival, you will check in to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Gorilla tracking experience
Have an early breakfast and set out for mountain gorilla trekking in one of the four sectors (Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo) of Bwindi impenetrable forest National Park by 7:30 am for briefing and eventual allocation of gorilla group to trek. Hike through the rainforest accompanied by a ranger guide and trackers, in search of the mountain gorilla family allocated for trekking. The walking can be challenging at times, but when you catch a glimpse of the humongous silverback with his family, any discomforts will quickly be forgotten. The lead guide keeps providing information about trees, birds, butterflies, and other wildlife in the forest as you trek until you reach the gorilla family allocated for tracking. The gorillas are located in different parts across the forest and therefore, the time taken to find one group varies from a few minutes to several hours depending on the location and movement of the Gorillas. Once with the gorillas, you will be allowed to observe them for an hour. At the end of the trek, you will return to the park headquarters and information Centre to be awarded your trekking certificates. You will then meet the driver guide and transfer back to the lodge for relaxation and overnight.
Day 7: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
On this day, you will drive to Lake Mburo national park whose acacia-dominated woodland vegetation surrounded the lake harbors a dense population of zebras, warthog, Buffalo, Impala, and various other grazers, including the last surviving Ugandan population of Elands, the largest African Antelope. Upon arrival, you will check in your lodge for lunch, and thereafter you could choose to do an afternoon boat cruise on Lake Mburo or do an evening game drive. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Return to Kampala city / Entebbe airport for departure
After breakfast, you will drive to Kampala arriving at the capital in the afternoon. You could be dropped at your hotel for lunch and later on driven to the airport for your departure flight.
Safari includes
- Gorilla trekking permits at Bwindi
- Chimpanzee trekking permits
- Park entry fees in Queen Elizabeth NP
- Boat cruise fees at Kazinga channel
- Hot lunches on transfer days
- Bottled water in car
- Park entrance at Lake Mburo national park
- Game viewing safari or boat ride at Mburo National Park
- Professional guide/ driver allowance
- Ground transportation in a 4×4 safari car
- Accommodation for 7 nights
- All meals at lodges
- Airport transfers (pick and drop off)
Safari excludes
- International Air ticket and visa fees
- Beers and Wine (alcoholic drinks)
- Laundry expenses and craft shopping
- Travel insurance
- Tips
- post-safari accommodation
- Uganda tourist Visa
When to book a gorilla trekking tour
It is usually advisable to book this trip the latest 6 months in advance to allow us ample time to secure the gorilla permits. On the other hand, visiting the savannah national parks does not necessarily require advance booking.
Best time to do gorilla trekking in Bwindi
Bwindi is open for gorilla trekking all year long, but the best times to go are from June to August and December to February. At these times, the forest trails are drier and therefore less slippery. Also, your chance of a dry gorilla viewing experience is higher during these months.
However, on the other hand, game viewing in Uganda’s savannah national parks is best at the end of the dry seasons- February and March and September and early October when wildlife is concentrated around water sources. Bird watching is fantastic all year round but is at its peak between November and April when migrant species are present.
