
Private • Uganda
7-Day Uganda Adventure Safari: Gorillas, Chimpanzees & Wildlife
Gorillas, chimpanzees, and savannah wildlife across Uganda's finest parks
Overview
About this journey
- Region
- Western Uganda
- Duration
- 7 days
- Departures
- All year round
- Party size
- Up to 6
Experience the ultimate Ugandan adventure on this unforgettable 7-day safari through three of the country's most iconic national parks. This journey combines thrilling wildlife encounters, breathtaking landscapes, and immersive cultural experiences. Explore the vast savannahs of Murchison Falls National Park, home to the mighty Nile River and an abundance of wildlife. Venture into the lush rainforests of Kibale National Park for an incredible chimpanzee trekking experience, and conclude your safari in the legendary Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, where you'll come face-to-face with endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat.
From exciting game drives and scenic boat cruises to unforgettable primate encounters, this safari showcases the very best of Uganda—the Pearl of Africa.
Highlights
What you'll experience
Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Push through dripping montane forest until the canopy drops and a family of mountain gorillas comes into focus — a silverback chewing wild celery three metres away. Your hour with them passes in a kind of stunned silence.
Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale
Kibale National Park holds one of the densest concentrations of chimpanzees in East Africa. Guide Francis Ssekitoleko leads you into the forest at first light, following calls that ricochet between the fig trees before the troop drops down to feed.
Kazinga Channel Boat Safari
The channel between Lake Edward and Lake George draws hippos, African fish eagles, and cape buffaloes to drink at the same muddy margins. Floating slowly past on a flat-bottomed boat, you are at water level with all of it.
Queen Elizabeth's Tree-Climbing Lions
The Ishasha sector is famous for lions that sprawl across fig branches in the afternoon heat. Whether the habit is learned or individual, seeing a lion overhead rather than at eye level recalibrates everything you thought you knew about them.
Evening at Crater Rim
The western rim of the Bunyaruguru crater field glows amber at sundown. Crater lakes hold flocks of pink-backed pelicans and African openbills, and the silence after the birds settle is the kind that makes you stop talking mid-sentence.
Forest Birding in Kibale
Kibale's canopy shelters over 375 bird species. A single morning walk might produce the African pitta, great blue turaco, and black bee-eater — none of which need any embellishment.
Why choose us
Why choose a Private Journey?
This itinerary is built around three things: the right parks, the right sequence, and a group small enough that the forest doesn't know you're there.
Private Guides Who Know the Forest Floor
Every trekking day is led by a ranger or tracker who has walked the same trails for years. They know which fig trees the chimpanzees favour in June, and which silverback group is more relaxed with visitors this season.
Maximum Six Guests
Gorilla and chimpanzee tracking permits are issued per group. Keeping the group at six means the wildlife encounters remain quiet and the logistics stay flexible — a departure time shifts, a better sighting takes priority.
Conservation Fees Included
Your gorilla permit, chimpanzee permit, and park entrance fees are all covered. A portion of each gorilla permit goes directly to the Uganda Wildlife Authority's mountain gorilla protection fund.
Itinerary
Your day-by-day journey
Day 1
Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
After breakfast, your driver-guide will pick you up from your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe for a scenic drive to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda's largest and oldest conservation area.
Along the way, you will pass through the historic Luwero Triangle and stop at the renowned Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for a guided rhino tracking experience. This is the only place in Uganda where you can see rhinos in the wild. After lunch in Masindi, continue to Murchison Falls National Park. Upon arrival, check in to your lodge and spend the evening relaxing as you prepare for the adventures ahead.
Accommodation Options:
Budget: Red Chilli Rest Camp
Mid-range: Fort Murchison Lodge, Entikko Safari Lodge
Luxury: Paraa Safari Lodge, Sambiya River Lodge
Meals · Dinner
Day 2
Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Cruise
Rise early for a thrilling morning game drive across the northern sector of the park, where you'll have the opportunity to spot elephants, lions, giraffes, buffaloes, antelopes, warthogs, and numerous bird species. Return to the lodge for breakfast and some relaxation before enjoying lunch. In the afternoon, embark on a scenic boat cruise along the Victoria Nile to the base of the spectacular Murchison Falls. Watch as the Nile squeezes through a narrow seven-metre gorge before plunging 43 metres into the "Devil's Cauldron."
Keep an eye out for hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and a variety of water birds along the riverbanks. After the cruise, take a guided hike to the top of the falls for breathtaking views and incredible photo opportunities before returning to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Meals · Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3
Transfer to Kibale National Park
After breakfast, depart for Kibale National Park, often referred to as the primate capital of East Africa. Enjoy the scenic drive through the Albertine Rift Valley, passing rural villages, tea plantations, and rolling hills. Stop for lunch en route before continuing to Fort Portal and onward to Kibale Forest.
Kibale National Park is home to 13 species of primates, including chimpanzees, black-and-white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, L'Hoest's monkeys, and olive baboons. The forest also boasts a rich diversity of birds and butterflies. Upon arrival, check in to your lodge, relax, and enjoy dinner.
Accommodation Options:
Budget: Kalinzu Eco Lodge, Lake Nyamirima Cottages
Mid-range: Kibale Forest Lodge
Luxury: Kimpundu Lodge
Meals · Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4
Chimpanzee Trekking and Bigodi Wetland Walk
After an early breakfast, head to the park headquarters for a briefing before setting off on an exciting chimpanzee trekking adventure. Accompanied by experienced ranger guides, trek through the tropical rainforest in search of habituated chimpanzees. Once located, spend an hour observing these fascinating primates as they feed, play, groom, and interact with one another. You may also encounter other primates and bird species along the way.
After lunch, visit the nearby Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary for a guided nature walk. This community-run conservation area is rich in biodiversity and offers excellent opportunities to spot monkeys, otters, bush pigs, and a variety of bird species. Return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Meals · Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5
Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast, depart for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwestern Uganda. Enjoy the scenic journey through rolling hills, terraced farmlands, and picturesque villages as you make your way to one of Africa's most biologically diverse rainforests. Bwindi is home to nearly half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Arrive at your lodge in the afternoon and spend the rest of the day relaxing or enjoying an optional guided nature walk.
Accommodation Options:
Budget: Orugano Bwindi Lodge
Mid-range: Rushaga Gorilla Lodge
Luxury: Buhoma Lodge
Meals · Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6
Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi
Today marks the highlight of your Uganda adventure. After an early breakfast, proceed to the park headquarters for a briefing on gorilla trekking guidelines and safety procedures. Accompanied by experienced ranger guides, venture into the dense rainforest in search of a habituated gorilla family. The trek can take anywhere from two to eight hours, depending on the gorillas' location.
Once you find the gorillas, you will spend one unforgettable hour observing them in their natural habitat. Watch as they feed, play, groom, and interact with one another—an extraordinary wildlife encounter that few people ever experience. After the trek, return to your lodge for lunch and relaxation.
In the evening, you may choose to visit the Batwa community to learn about the culture and traditions of the forest's indigenous people. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Meals · Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7
Return to Entebbe — Departure
After breakfast, begin your journey back to Kampala or Entebbe. Enjoy a stop at the Igongo Cultural Centre for lunch and visit the Uganda Equator for photographs and souvenir shopping. Arrive in Kampala or Entebbe in the late afternoon, where you will be dropped off at your hotel or transferred directly to Entebbe International Airport for your onward flight.
End of Safari.
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Meals · Breakfast
Inclusions
What is and isn't included
Included
- All airport transfers and in-country road transport in a private 4WD vehicle
- 6 nights' accommodation (2 at Kibale Forest House, 2 at Crater Rim Tented Camp, 2 at Kigezi Highland Camp)
- All meals as listed in the itinerary
- One mountain gorilla trekking permit per person
- One chimpanzee tracking permit per person (Kibale)
- All national park entrance fees
- Kazinga Channel boat cruise
- Afternoon and morning game drives as specified
- English-speaking private safari guide throughout
- Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary guided walk
- Drinking water and snacks in the vehicle daily
- Emergency evacuation insurance (medical)
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
Available all year round
A private itinerary with no fixed departure dates. Rates are per person in USD.
Journey Details
Essential information
Minimum Age
15 years for gorilla and chimpanzee trekking (Uganda Wildlife Authority requirement)
Safari Duffel
A soft-sided bag of no more than 15 kg is recommended for lodge transfers. Hard-shell cases can be stored at your Entebbe hotel.
First Group Event
Departure briefing and vehicle transfer from Entebbe, 07:00 on Day 1
Last Group Event
Arrival at Entebbe International Airport, approximately 19:00 on Day 7
Guaranteed Departures
All listed departures are guaranteed with a minimum of 2 guests confirmed.
Alternate Sightseeing
If a gorilla sector closes due to veterinary protocols, an alternative sector or a gorilla habituation experience will be substituted at no extra cost, subject to permit availability.