Your 6 days Uganda gorilla and wildlife tour combines mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and wildlife exploration in the vast savannas of Queen Elizabeth National Park and Lake Mburo National Park. Bwindi National Park is in southwestern Uganda and it inhabits some of the rare mountain gorillas that today remain not more than 1004 in the world. Treks in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park start from anyone of 4 major regions; Ruhija, Rushaga, Nkuringo and Buhoma, each of which features habituated families that today make up a total of about 20 gorilla groups in this protected area alone.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is best described as medley of wonders given its intense biodiversity. This 1978sq.km protected area is popular for its extensive Kazinga Channel that links the scenic Lake Edward and Lake George and it boasts of its diverse aquatic life including water birds, huge concentration of hippos, crocodiles to mention but a few. This park is also a popular refuge to African bush elephants, lions including the tree climbing lions, variety of antelope families, warthogs, terrestrial birds among others. Lake Mburo National Park is Uganda’s most accessible park and a home to giraffes, zebras, lions, leopards, buffaloes, variety of antelopes, birds to mention but a few. Your 6 days Uganda gorilla and wildlife tour will start and end in Kampala/Entebbe.
What to expect on your 6 days Uganda gorilla and wildlife tour
- An hour of magical encounter with the rare mountain gorillas.
- Game drives, boat cruise, chimpanzee tracking at Queen Elizabeth National Park.
- Nature walks in Lake Mburo National Park.
- Batwa cultural experience
- A stopover at Equator
- Ground transportation in a 4×4 drive safari car
Highlights of your 6 days Uganda gorilla and wildlife tour
Day 1: Transfer from Entebbe/Kampala to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking and afternoon boat cruise.
Day 3: Morning game drive and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Day 4: Gorilla trekking and Batwa cultural experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Day 5: Transfer from Bwindi National Park to Lake Mburo National Park.
Day 6: Nature walks and drive back to Kampala/Entebbe
Detailed itinerary of your 6 days Uganda gorilla and wildlife tour
Day 1: Transfer from Entebbe/Kampala to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Get a warm welcome from our company representative after your hot cup of Uganda tea or coffee at a hotel in Kampala or Entebbe. He will brief you on what your 6 days Uganda gorilla and wildlife tour is all about then later, drive westwards to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Kampala-Masaka-Mbarara-Ishaka route which is about 5-hour drive.
En-route, make a stopover at the Equator for photo shoot, relaxation and then at Igongo cultural center for lunch before proceeding to Queen Elizabeth National Park to have incredible view of wildlife species as you drive to your safari lodge.
Travel time: 5-hours
Accommodation options at Queen Elizabeth National Park
Luxury: Kyambura Gorge Lodge/Mweya Safari Lodge.
Midrange: Twin Lakes Lodge/Enganzi Game Lodge.
Budget: Bush Lodge/Kazinga Channel View Resort/Mweya Hostel.
Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking and afternoon boat cruise.
Have breakfast early in the morning and after, gather at Kyambura Gorge for briefing on guidelines for chimpanzee tracking. On chimpanzee trek, you have a chance not only to view chimpanzees but also other primates including baboons, black and white colobus monkeys as well as bird species. Later, get back to the lodge to enjoy lunch and in the afternoon, you have a boat cruise along Kazinga Channel for you to catch a glimpse at hippos, crocodiles, water birds such as shoebill storks, kingfishers, bee-eaters, herons, pelicans to mention but a few.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation options at Queen Elizabeth National Park
Luxury: Kyambura Gorge Lodge/Mweya Safari Lodge.
Midrange: Twin Lakes Lodge/Enganzi Game Lodge.
Budget: Bush Lodge/Kazinga Channel View Resort/Mweya Hostel.
Day 3: Morning game drive and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Get up to enjoy your breakfast and after, you have an early morning game drive along Ishasha sector for you to catch a glimpse at the tree climbing lions, elephants, buffaloes, birds among others. Later, transfer to Bwindi National Park and en-route, have lunch at Savanna Resort Hotel.
Travel time: 3-4 hours
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation options at Bwindi National Park
Luxury: Buhoma Lodge/Chameleon Hill Lodge
Midrange: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge/Silverback Lodge
Budget: Buhoma Community Rest Camp/Nshongi Gorilla Resort
Day 4: Gorilla trekking and Batwa cultural experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Get up early in the morning to have breakfast and later, join other trekkers at your respective tracking region in Bwindi to have briefing at 7:00am on guidelines for gorilla trekking and to be assigned to a gorilla family to track in a group of 8 visitors. At 8:00am, park ranger guide together with trackers will take you through your gorilla adventure which may last you about 2-6 hours including an hour of magical encounter. Along the way, higher chances are you will come across other primates, birds and unique flora.
The gorilla families to trek in Bwindi National Park include Kutu, Mucunguzi, Rwigi, Nshongi, Mishaya, Kahungye, Busingye, Bikingi, Bushaho, Mukiza, Bitukura, Kyaguliro, Rushegura, Mubare, Katwe, Christmas, Nkuringo, Habinyanja, Oruzongo and Bweza.
Later, return to the lodge to enjoy lunch and in the afternoon/evening, you have Batwa community walk to experience the unique cultures, traditions, dances, music performance of the Batwa pygmies the renowned forest dwellers.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation options at Bwindi National Park
Luxury: Buhoma Lodge/Chameleon Hill Lodge
Midrange: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge/Silverback Lodge
Budget: Buhoma Community Rest Camp/Nshongi Gorilla Resort
Day 5: Transfer from Bwindi National Park to Lake Mburo National Park.
Have breakfast early in the morning and after, drive to Lake Mburo National Park. Along the way, do not miss to catch a glimpse at incredible wildlife species as you get to the park headquarters. Enjoy your lunch and in the afternoon, you have boat cruise for you to see hippos, crocodiles, birds and others.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation options at Lake Mburo National Park
Luxury: Mantana Tented Camp/Mihingo Lodge
Midrange: Arcadia Cottages
Budget: Rwonyo Camp
Day 6: Nature walks and drive back to Kampala/Entebbe
Today after breakfast, you have early morning guided nature walk for you to explore variety of wildlife species including variety of bird species from different habitats. Later, you will drive to Kampala with an en-route stopover for lunch and photo taking at the Equator. If your flight is scheduled today, you will be driven up to Entebbe International Airport or at a hot in case your flight is not for scheduled the same date.
End of your 6 days Uganda gorilla and wildlife tour
6 days Uganda gorilla and wildlife tour includes
- Gorilla permit ($600 but from 1st July, 2020 gorilla permits will be obtained at $700)
- Chimpanzee permits in Kyambura Gorge ($50)
- Ground transportation in a 4×4 drive safari car
- Fulltime English-speaking driver guide
- Bottled water
- Park entry fees
- Boat cruise
- Relevant government taxes
- All activities in the travel plan apart from the optional ones
6 days Uganda gorilla and wildlife tour excludes
- Tips to driver guide, waiters, waitress and porters
- Person insurance
- Other expenses like hotel fees in Kampala, laundry services, airfares, cigarettes and others.
What to bring on gorilla trek?
- Waterproof hiking boots that are light and comfortable.
- Gardening gloves.
- Camera without flashlight
- Long sleeved shirt/t-shirt
- Trousers
- Bottled water
- Energy giving snacks
- Walking stick which you can get at the park headquarters
Some of the guidelines for gorilla trekking
- Keep a distance of 7 meters away from mountain gorillas at all times.
- Only 8 visitors are allowed to trek one habituated gorilla family.
- You have only an hour to have a face to face encounter with gorillas.
- Flashlight cameras are not allowed when taking photos of mountain gorillas.
- In case you are not feeling well, do not go to trek gorillas and in case of sneezing, please cover your nose and mouth when coughing.
- Keep your voices low at all times while on a trek to see mountain gorillas but feel free to ask as many questions as you can.