8 Days Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari

Detailed Itinerary of the 8 Days Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari

Day 1: Entry into Entebbe 

The first day is the arrival day at Entebbe International Airport, where an English-speaking tour guide representative from Orinoco Expeditions will meet, greet, and welcome you to Uganda, the pearl of Africa.

Our guide will transfer you to your lodge/hotel in Entebbe for check-in. This is a journey of about 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the lodge’s location.

Entebbe is an amazing town found on the northern shores of Lake Victoria. Depending on the time of your arrival, you may explore its different attractions, for example, the Botanical Gardens, one of the beaches, or the Uganda Wildlife Education Center (Entebbe Zoo).

Along the way to your lodge/hotel, you will get to experience a new environment as you watch the local lives, and Ugandan buildings.

Upon arrival at the lodge, relax, refresh, enjoy dinner, and get an overnight rest.

Drive Time: Approximately 5 hours 

Distance: Approximately 290 km

Lodging at Entebbe

Day 2: Drive from Entebbe to Kibale National Park

After waking up, preparing, and light packing, enjoy an early breakfast at your lodge in Entebbe and meet your safari tour guide, who will lead you through a scenic drive to Kibale National Park in Western Uganda. 

The scenic drive to Kibale Forest National Park includes many beautiful experiences, like watching the bustling towns, hilly farms, and dense forests.

You will have a delicious lunch along the way and continue to Kibale Forest through the beautiful crater lakes and tea plantations.

The Afternoon Kibale Forest Chimpanzee Trekking Experience 

Upon arrival at the Kibale Forest Headquarters at the Kanyanchu Visitor Centre, rangers from the Uganda Wildlife Authority will brief you on the rules and regulations for a late afternoon chimpanzee trekking experience.

They will lead you through a 2 to 4-hour chimpanzee trek through the forest to track a chimpanzee group. While chimpanzee tracking, you will meet different primates, like L’Hoest’s Monkeys, Red Colobus Monkeys, and different bird species.

You will then spend one hour with these intriguing creatures as you take their photos, and watch a family do different activities like feeding, playing, sleeping, or grooming.

Your tour guide will drive you to your lodge in Kibale Forest, where you will freshen up, enjoy a beautiful hot dinner, and a night’s rest.

Lodging at Kibale National Park

Day 3: Route from Kibale National Park to Queen Elizabeth National Park  

Today, you embark on an incredible safari from the misty Kibale Forest to the expansive savannahs of Queen Elizabeth National Park, both found in the heart of western Uganda.

However, you will first have an early morning breakfast at your lodge in Kibale with beautiful forest views.

A Morning Bigodi Forest Walk 

You will then continue for a guided morning walk through the biodiverse Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a conservation area run by the community.

As you walk through the wooden boardwalks, you will pass through the papyrus swamp, home to over 200 bird species, with the Great Blue Turaco being the most common.

Get the experience of also watching the different monkey species, for example, the L’Hoest’s Monkeys, Red Colobus Monkeys, and the Black and White Colobus Monkeys.

The Community Coffee Experience 

After the Bigodi walk, you will experience yet another community hands-on adventure of coffee making by visiting a local family.

A local guide will take you through the coffee-making experience from harvesting, roasting, brewing, and making a cup of local coffee, freshly brewed, revealing the local people’s story of tradition.

Your Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park 

A scenic transfer journey to the northern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park will begin. You will travel en route to the beautiful Ndali-Kasenda Crater Lakes – volcanic craters with basins of deep blue waters.

A lunch break at the park will allow you to relax and energise for your next wonderful experience.

An Afternoon Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise 

The two-hour afternoon boat cruise at Kazinga Channel occurs at the northern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Kazinga Channel is a wide, wildlife-rich gorge that measures 32 kilometers in length, linking Lake George and Lake Edward.

The boat trip will give you the chance to watch over hundreds of Hippos, many Elephants, Buffaloes, Nile Crocodiles, and different Antelope species.

The experience will also allow you to watch different bird species, for example, the Kingfishers, Eagles, Storks, and Pelicans, among others.

The Kazinga Channel boat cruise is considered one of the best safari experiences to have in East Africa.

Evening Exploration of the Bunyampaka Salt Pans

Exploring the Bunyampaka salt pans provides incredible local community and photo experiences.

Salt mining has taken place in this region for over a century as families pass down the mines from generation to generation.

Walking along the salt pans with a local guide, you will meet the local salt miners and learn about the salt mining methods, like the evaporation techniques.

As you wind down the day, your safari tour guide will drive you to your lodge in the northern sector of the park. This drive may also be a short game drive opportunity where you will get the chance to see the Uganda Kobs, Elephants, or the Warthogs.

Refresh, relax, have dinner, and rest.

Lodging at Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 4: Transfer from QENP’s Northern Sector to the Ishasha Sector in the South 

This inviting day leads you through the warm experiences and open savannahs of the Mweya Sector to the rugged wilderness of the Ishasha Sector, a renowned home to the tree-climbing lions.

Chimpanzee Trekking and Kyambura Gorge Experience 

Have a good early breakfast at your lodge, then continue to the Kyambura Gorge Headquarters for a briefing by the Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers about the different guidelines on chimpanzee trekking.

Kyambura Gorge, also known as the “Valley of Apes,” covers a lush and steep rainforest oasis with one habituated chimpanzee group. There is a 60% chance of meeting the chimps in their natural habitat, and this experience takes about 2 to 3 hours.

Along the way through the forest, there is a high possibility of meeting other wildlife, for example, the Olive Baboons, Red Colobus Monkeys, Black and White Colobus Monkeys, Giant Forest Hogs, various bird species, and unique tree species, among others.

Twin Lakes Visit – A Special Kyambura Culture Adventure 

Your walk from the chimpanzee trek at Kyambura Gorge will continue uphill with a visit to the twin lakes (Lake Nyamunuka and Lake Nyamusingire) found in the Kyambura Community Tourism Site.

Local guides will give you a Kyambura Cultural experience as you learn about traditional beekeeping projects, conservation projects by locals, and learning about the different medicinal herbs.

The Scenic Drive from the Northern Sector to the Southern Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park 

Our driver guide will transfer you to the Ishasha wilderness corridor, traversing wildlife-rich views through a game drive, providing the opportunity to catch glimpses of Uganda Kobs, Topi Antelopes, Elephants, Buffaloes, and various bird species.

You will have lunch in the Ishasha sector and a short rest before setting out for an evening game drive.

An Evening Game Drive in the Ishasha Sector 

Ishasha is a renowned game viewing sector with unique lions, adapted to climbing acacia and fig trees. Here, you go through the lion tracking experience, with the covering golden light of the early evening.

Be on the sharp lookout for Tree-climbing Lions, Topi Antelopes, Elephants, and Hyenas, to mention but a few.

Among birds, expect to find the Hornbills, Eagles, Vultures, Sunbirds, and Bee Eaters, among others.

Return to your lodge and enjoy a satisfying dinner as you experience the wild sounds of an African bush.

Lodging at Ishasha sector

Day 5: Trip from QENP’s Ishasha Sector to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 

Prepare for your scenic trip from a savannah plain to Bwindi’s dense rainforest, covered in misty highlands.

This day will begin early with a cup of coffee or tea, followed by a game drive in Ishasha, which will take about 2 hours.

Afterwards, you will proceed on your scenic journey to Bwindi Forest in south-western Uganda.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is Uganda’s most renowned UNESCO World Heritage Site, protecting about half of the world’s last remaining endangered Mountain Gorillas in their natural habitat.

The 3 to 4-hour-long journey will take you through the beautiful nature and life of the countryside, like the local villages, terraced hills, green farms, and rural life.

You will en route for lunch along the way, where you will also have a break stop to stretch and relax before continuing with the journey.

A hospitable staff will welcome you to your lodge in Bwindi upon arrival. Check in, relax, and immerse yourself in the new environment. The wild sounds of the forest wildlife, the cool air, the dense green forest, and the hilly area will leave you pleased and ready for the Gorilla trekking experience the following day.

Enjoy dinner and have an overnight rest.

Lodging at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Day 6: The Road to Lake Bunyonyi from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 

Begin your amazing day with a hearty breakfast, then proceed to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park headquarters for an enlightening pre-tracking briefing by the Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers.

You will then be added to a small group of maximally 8 people before heading to the forest to find one of the habituated Gorilla families in their natural habitat.

The Gorilla trek will take about 2 to 5 hours, depending on the location of the Gorilla family. When you meet a gorilla family, you will spend an hour with them as you observe their social structure, human-like expressions, and behaviours.

Upon returning to the headquarters, you will be awarded a Gorilla tracking certificate. You may have lunch at your lodge or enjoy a picnic packed lunch.

In the afternoon, you will begin your journey to Lake Bunyonyi in western Uganda as you pass through remote villages, terraced highlands, and rolling hills.

You may have a brief break to interact with the locals and take photos.

The journey from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to Lake Bunyonyi will take about 3 to 4 hours.

Lake Bunyonyi has 29 islands, some of which you can explore through a canoe ride or a boat cruise. You may also enjoy nature walks, village visits, and sunset viewing.

Day 7: Journey Back to Entebbe -h3

The journey from Lake Bunyonyi to Entebbe is scenic and filled with amazing experiences.

You will enjoy an early breakfast, and your guide will help with packing before hitting the road to Entebbe through the Kabale-Mbarara-Masaka-Kampala-Entebbe route. The journey will take about 8 to 9 hours.

On the way, you will see the Kigezi hills, famous for the traditional hillside farming and volcanic soils. Continue through the Ntungamo and Mbarara route, where you can see the cultural Bahima people taking care of their long-horned cattle.

You will have a lunch stop at the Equator Area in Kayabwe. You can buy souvenirs, take photos, and shop for local art at the nearby stalls.

You will be driven to your lodge in Entebbe for relaxation, dinner, and an overnight rest.

Lodging at Entebbe

Day 8: Departure – Farewell From Uganda 

Day 8 marks the end of this wildlife, culture, and landscape Uganda safari tour.

After breakfast and doing light packing, you may either explore Entebbe town or head straight to the airport, depending on the scheduled flight time.

It is advisable to arrive at least 3 hours before your departing flight time so you can get time to clear with customs and immigration.

We wish you a safe journey as you go back home or to your next destination.