5 Day Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari | Chimpanzees, Big Cats, and Mountain Gorillas Across Three of Uganda’s Signature Parks
This 5 Day Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari adds a full savanna safari day to the classic primate circuit, combining Kibale’s chimpanzee trekking with Queen Elizabeth National Park‘s boat cruise and lion tracking before continuing on to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for mountain gorillas. It’s a genuinely well-rounded introduction to Uganda’s wildlife across three distinct ecosystems, dense rainforest, open savanna, and montane forest, each with its own signature encounter.
The pacing is deliberately generous: a full day for chimpanzee trekking, a full day for Queen Elizabeth’s boat cruise and game viewing, and a full day dedicated entirely to gorilla trekking in Bwindi, giving each activity the time and unhurried focus it deserves.
Day 1: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park, Chimpanzee Trekking
Your driver-guide picts you from your location in Kampala for the roughly six-hour drive west to Kibale Forest National Park, with stops to stretch and for lunch along the way. In the afternoon, head to the park headquarters for a briefing before entering the forest to track the chimpanzees in their natural habitat. The search typically takes two to five hours, and once found, you’ll spend a genuine hour in their presence, watching them move through the canopy high above the forest floor. Dinner and an overnight stay at Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse for mid-range travelers, Isunga Lodge for budget, or Chimpundu Lodge for luxury.
Day 2: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Boat Cruise
After breakfast, continue on to Queen Elizabeth National Park, arriving in good time for lunch at your lodge. In the afternoon, board a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, taking in strong birdlife alongside elephant, buffalo, hippo, and crocodile gathered at the water’s edge, followed by an evening game drive. Dinner and an overnight stay at Pumba Safari Cottages for budget travelers, Elephant Hub Lodge for mid-range, or Elephant Plains Lodge for luxury.
Day 3: Morning Game Drive, Lion Tracking, Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Wake early for breakfast before heading out on a lion-tracking experience, with a genuinely strong chance of finding the resident pride, alongside an en-route game drive through the Kasenyi region for further wildlife, antelope, buffalo, elephant, warthog, and waterbuck among them.
Afterward, begin the journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Dinner and an overnight stay at Buhoma Lodge for luxury, Buhoma Haven Lodge for mid-range, or Buhoma Community Rest Camp for budget.
Day 4: Gorilla Trekking
After an early breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing before setting off into the forest. Trekking through Bwindi’s steep, densely forested hills before finally encountering the gorillas, camouflaged in the surrounding vegetation, is a genuinely inspiring, privileged moment. The trek can take most of the day given the terrain and the gorillas’ unpredictable movement, and once found, you’ll spend a full hour in their presence before returning to meet your driver-guide and head back to the lodge. Dinner and a second overnight stay.
Day 5: Transfer to Kampala/Entebbe
After breakfast, begin the roughly eight-to-nine-hour journey back to Kampala or Entebbe, with a stop at the Equator and for lunch along the way. On arrival, you’ll be dropped at a location of your choosing or taken directly to the airport for your departure flight, bringing your five days of primates and wildlife to a close.
Safari Includes
- Pick-up and drop-off
- Gorilla permits ($800)
- Chimpanzee trekking ($200)
- Park entrance fees and boat cruise
- Lion-tracking fees
- All meals along the way
- 4×4 safari vehicle and fuel, private transport
- Full-time English-speaking guide/driver
- All accommodation as indicated in the itinerary, on full board
- All meals as indicated in the itinerary
- Bottled drinking water while on safari
Safari Excludes
- Tipping for driver, hotel staff, and park rangers
- Air tickets and visa fees
- Personal expenses such as telephone calls, email, laundry, and beverages or meals not indicated in the itinerary
- Porterage and wait-staff gratuity
