10 Days Safari Western Uganda

Tour details

Duration: 10 days

Best for: Travellers who want wildlife close and camps with character, and who will happily trade a hotel chain for a campfire

Group size: Private tour, your group and your guide

Travel style: Safari, Gorilla trekking, Chimpanzee tracking, Birding, Fly-in

Introduction

Ten days. Three parks. Two gorilla treks, two chimpanzee treks, and nights in bush camps built for looking out at the forest, not away from it.

This trip is for you if you want your wildlife close, your camps classic, and your days full. You'll track gorillas in Bwindi, search for tree-climbing lions in Ishasha, and finish among chimpanzee troops up to 100 strong in Kibale. Cold beer and a campfire wait for you at the end of each one.

What makes this safari different: most Uganda itineraries give you gorillas and call it done. This one gives you gorillas, chimps, tree-climbing lions, and a boat safari where elephants wander past as you watch. You get two full days of gorilla trekking in Bwindi and two chimpanzee experiences: a half-day trek through Kyambura Gorge and a dedicated day in Kibale Forest, home to 13 primate species and 335 recorded bird species.

On this journey, you will explore the following highlights:

Gorilla Tracking - The Ultimate Wildlife Encounter

Chimpanzee Tracking

Big Five & Wildlife

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Home of the Mountain Gorillas

Kibale Forest National Park – The Primate Capital

Kyambura Gorge (Queen Elizabeth National Park)

Ishasha (Queen Elizabeth National Park)

Boat Trips on the Nile and Kazinga Channel – Wildlife from the Water

Cultural Encounters – Meet Uganda’s Communities

Day to day programme

Day 1: Arrive in Entebbe, transfer to your lodge

Day 2: Fly to Kihihi, drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Day 3: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi

Day 4: Second gorilla trek, or a village and forest walk

Day 5: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, past the tree-climbing lions

Day 6: Game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 7: Boat trip on the Kazinga Channel

Day 8: Chimp tracking in Kyambura Gorge, walk through Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary

Day 9: Chimp trekking in Kibale Forest

Day 10: Drive to Entebbe, fly home

What does a typical day look like?

It depends on where you are, and that's the point. In Bwindi, your day starts early with a ranger briefing before you step into steep, jungled hills to find a gorilla family. Expect mud. Expect your legs to feel it. Spend an hour with the gorillas once you find them, then trek back out.

In Queen Elizabeth National Park, the rhythm shifts. Morning game drives take you across the Kasenyi plains, where lions and large herds of Ugandan kob gather. Afternoons are yours: another drive, a picnic out in the park, or a boat trip along the Kazinga Channel, where elephants come down to drink at the water's edge.

In Kibale, you're back on foot. Chimpanzee troops nest in different spots each night, so reaching them can take ten minutes or well over an hour. When you do, the pant-hoots and calls between troops of up to 60 chimps carry through the forest. You'll hear them before you see them.

Who are you meeting along the way?

This isn't a safari that keeps you behind a vehicle window the whole time. You can visit the Bwindi Community Hospital, which started as a clinic under a tree and now serves more than 60,000 people. You can spend time with Batwa Pygmies, who still practice the hunter-gatherer skills of their ancestors in this forest. You can walk through the Amagara project, which supports local farmers, or visit the KALFRED community project near Kibale.

These aren't add-ons. They're built into the days you already have free.

Is this trip for you?

If you want gorillas without the crowds, chimps without the theme-park feel, and bush camps that put you in the landscape rather than beside it, yes. If you're set on five-star lodges and short walks, look elsewhere.

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What's included

Includes

• Accommodation and full board
• All game drives and park fees
• Boat safaris and forest walks
• Community visits
• An English-speaking guide
• One gorilla permit
• Two chimpanzee permits

Excludes

• International flights
• Drinks
• Gratuities
• Visa
• Travel insurance
• A second gorilla permit, if one trek isn't enough for you

Accommodations

During the trip, you will stay at:

Entebbe: Papyrus Guest House, bed and breakfast.

Bwindi: Buhoma Lodge, full board, with views over the Impenetrable Forest.

Queen Elizabeth National Park: Ishasha Wilderness Camp, then Mweya Safari Lodge, both full board.

Kibale Forest: Primate Lodge, full board.

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