Small Group • Uganda
6-Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking and Wildlife Safari
Bwindi's forest floors, Queen Elizabeth's open plains — Uganda in one arc
Overview
About this journey
- Region
- Western Uganda
- Duration
- 6 days
- Departures
- Fixed dates
- Party size
- Up to 8
Safari Overview
Experience the very best of Uganda on this unforgettable 6-day gorilla trekking and wildlife safari. Beginning and ending in Kampala or Entebbe, this journey takes you through three of Uganda’s most iconic national parks: Lake Mburo National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and Queen Elizabeth National Park. Encounter the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, search for the famous tree-climbing lions of Ishasha, enjoy thrilling game drives across vast savannah plains, and cruise along the wildlife-rich Kazinga Channel.
From the rolling hills of southwestern Uganda to the diverse ecosystems of Queen Elizabeth National Park, this safari offers exceptional wildlife encounters, breathtaking landscapes, and authentic cultural experiences.
Safari Highlights
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Game drives in Lake Mburo and Queen Elizabeth National Parks, Search for the famous tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha Sector, Boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, Equator crossing experience, Optional Batwa cultural encounter, Scenic drives through Uganda's countryside and volcanic highlands
Highlights
What you'll experience
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
Step into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest with a UWA ranger-guide and track one of the habituated mountain gorilla families through damp undergrowth and fig-root tangles. The hour you spend at close range — watching juveniles tumble, a mother nurse her infant — is unlike anything else in East Africa.
Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise
At dusk the channel between Lake George and Lake Edward fills with hippos, Nile crocodiles, and great white pelicans working in loose flotillas. Your flat-bottomed launch idles close enough to hear the hippos exhale. African fish eagles call from the papyrus fringe.
Game Drives on the Ishasha Flats
Ishasha is where Uganda keeps its tree-climbing lions. In the early morning, look up into the broad fig trees along the Ntungwe River — a pride may be draped across the branches, tails hanging, completely unbothered. It's a scene that stops every camera mid-scroll.
Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale
Kibale Forest holds one of Africa's highest densities of chimpanzees. You track them through cathedral-light forest, listening for the drumming of buttress roots before you see them. Red colobus monkeys and L'Hoest's monkeys often share the same canopy.
Crater Lakes Scenic Drive
The western rift edge is studded with explosion craters filled with deep green water. The drive between Kibale and Queen Elizabeth takes you past a dozen of them, each a different shade of teal or olive depending on the algae and the angle of the light.
Kigezi Highland Nights
After the trek, the high-altitude camp above Bwindi gives you cold air and a sky unfiltered by city light. Sit on the deck with a pot of Rwenzori tea and listen to the forest shift below. Tree hyraxes scream in the dark; the Milky Way does the rest.
Why choose us
Why choose a Small Group Journey?
There are plenty of ways to see Uganda's gorillas and wildlife. Here's why guests come back to this particular itinerary — and to Arrive Africa Safaris.
Two Primate Encounters, One Trip
Most Uganda safaris focus on gorillas or chimps. This itinerary gives you both — full tracking experiences in Kibale and Bwindi — so you leave with a real sense of how differently these two great apes move through their worlds.
Eight Guests Maximum
We cap every departure at eight guests. Smaller groups mean quieter vehicles, more flexibility to stop, and a guide who actually knows your name by day two. It also means the gorilla trek feels like a private experience rather than a crowd.
Guides Who Know These Forests
Our lead guides have tracked in Bwindi and Kibale for years. Enock Mudde grew up in western Uganda and has a birder's eye for species most people miss entirely. That knowledge changes what you see — and what you understand about what you're seeing.
Itinerary
Your day-by-day journey
Day 1
Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
After an early breakfast, your Arrive Africa Safaris guide will pick you up from your hotel or residence in Kampala or Entebbe and begin the journey to Lake Mburo National Park. Along the way, enjoy a stop at the Equator for photography and an opportunity to witness the famous water experiment. You will also visit the Mpambire Drum Makers Centre, where you can learn about traditional Ugandan drum-making and purchase locally crafted souvenirs. Arrive at the park in time for lunch before heading out for an afternoon game drive.
Lake Mburo National Park is renowned for its large populations of zebras, impalas, giraffes, buffaloes, topis, waterbucks, and numerous bird species. Return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation Options: Mihingo Lodge, Eagle's Nest Lodge, Mantana Tented Camp, Lake Mburo Safari Lodge
Meals · Lunch, Dinner
Day 2
Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast, depart for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in southwestern Uganda. Enjoy the scenic drive through rolling hills, terraced farms, and breathtaking volcanic landscapes. Lunch will be served en route before continuing to Bwindi, home to nearly half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas. Depending on your arrival time, you may choose to enjoy a guided nature walk or simply relax at your lodge in preparation for the next day's gorilla trekking adventure. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Accommodation Options: Habinyanja Community Lodge, Bunyonyi Safari Resort, Uganda Lodge, Gorilla Forest Lodge
Meals · Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After an early breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing by the Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers. You will then set off into the dense rainforest in search of one of Bwindi's habituated mountain gorilla families. The trek can take anywhere from 2 to 8 hours, depending on the gorillas' movements and location. Once you find the gorillas, you will spend one unforgettable hour observing them as they feed, play, groom, and interact in their natural habitat. For your comfort, we recommend carrying sturdy hiking boots, a rain jacket, drinking water, snacks, and a packed lunch.
After the trek, return to the lodge for relaxation. In the evening, you may opt for a cultural visit to the Batwa community to learn about their traditional forest lifestyle through music, dance, and storytelling. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Meals · Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park via the Ishasha Sector
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park via the Ishasha Sector. After breakfast, depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park via the famous Ishasha Sector, renowned for its unique population of tree-climbing lions. Enjoy a game drive through the savannah plains as you search for lions resting in fig trees, alongside elephants, buffaloes, topis, and antelopes.
Continue to Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of Uganda's most diverse ecosystems and home to over 95 mammal species and more than 600 bird species. After lunch, embark on an evening game drive for another opportunity to spot elephants, Uganda kobs, warthogs, waterbucks, and other wildlife. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Accommodation Options: Rwizi Gardens, Engiri Game Lodge, Katara Lodge, Twin Lakes Safari Lodge, Irungu Forest Resort.
Meals · Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5
Morning Game Drive and Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise
Rise early for a sunrise game drive in the Kasenyi Plains, one of the park's prime wildlife-viewing areas. Look out for lions, elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs, and a variety of bird species. Return to the lodge for breakfast and some relaxation before lunch. In the afternoon, enjoy a scenic boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, a natural waterway connecting Lake Edward and Lake George. The channel hosts one of the highest concentrations of hippos in Africa and offers excellent opportunities to spot crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes, and water birds such as saddle-billed storks, pink-backed pelicans, African fish eagles, and malachite kingfishers.
Return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Meals · Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6
Return to Kampala or Entebbe
After breakfast, begin your return journey to Kampala or Entebbe. Enjoy the scenic drive through Uganda's countryside, with lunch served en route in Mubende. Arrive in Kampala or Entebbe in the late afternoon, where you will be dropped off at your hotel, residence, or Entebbe International Airport for your onward flight.
End of Safari.
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Meals · Breakfast, Lunch
Inclusions
What is and isn't included
Included
- All accommodation for 6 nights as listed
- All meals from lunch on Day 1 to lunch on Day 6
- One gorilla trekking permit per person (Bwindi, Buhoma sector)
- One chimpanzee tracking permit per person (Kibale Forest)
- Kazinga Channel boat cruise
- All game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Airport transfers from/to Entebbe or Kigali
- All national park entry fees
- Experienced Arrive Africa guide throughout
- UWA ranger-guide fees during forest treks
- Drinking water in the vehicle at all times
- Safari briefing booklet with species checklist
Not included
- International flights to and from the region
- Entry visas and any transit visas
- Travel and medical insurance, which is mandatory
- Alcoholic drinks and premium beverages
- Laundry, telephone and other items of a personal nature
- Tips and gratuities for your guide, drivers and lodge staff
- Optional activities not listed in the day-by-day itinerary
Pricing
Fixed departures
A shared departure of up to 8 guests. Rates are per person in USD.
Journey Details
Essential information
Minimum Age
15 years for gorilla and chimpanzee trekking (UWA regulation)
Safari Duffel
A soft-sided bag of 15 kg or less is recommended; hard-shell cases can be stored at the start lodge
First Group Event
Welcome briefing and dinner at Kibale Forest House on Day 1
Last Group Event
Picnic lunch on the road after the gorilla trek on Day 6
Guaranteed Departures
Departures are guaranteed from 4 guests. Smaller bookings will be confirmed 60 days before the start date.
Alternate Sightseeing
If a gorilla family moves beyond accessible terrain on the day of your trek, UWA rangers will allocate you to the nearest available habituated group.