8 days primates and wildlife safari

Day 1: Arrival, transfer to Kampala

Firstly, your safari guide meets you on arrival and transfers you to a Kampala hotel. Then, depending on arrival time, enjoy an optional city tour (Uganda National Museum, Independence Monument, Nakasero Market) before dinner and overnight.

Day 2:  Drive to Lake Mburo (via Equator)

After breakfast, check out and drive to Lake Mburo. On the way, stop at the Equator for photos and crafts. Next, check into your lodge and enjoy an afternoon game drive where you may see zebras, elands, impala, topi, buffalo, warthogs, reedbuck, waterbuck and more. Afterwards, dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi (scenic route)

After breakfast, drive through Mbarara and Kabale, admiring the Kigezi hills and countryside. Then, arrive at Bwindi, check into your lodge, relax, and overnight.

Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi

Following an early breakfast, proceed to the park briefing. Next, you’re placed in a group (max 8) with a park guide. Trekking can take 30 minutes to 6 hours, and once found you spend 1 hour with the gorillas observing, photographing, and learning about their behavior. Afterwards, optionally visit the Batwa community, then return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Drive to Queen Elizabeth via Ishasha & Kitagata

After breakfast, depart Bwindi and travel through Ishasha (look for tree-climbing lions). Then, stop at Kitagata hot springs for lunch and views, before arriving at Queen Elizabeth National Park. Check in, relax, and overnight.

Day 6: Kasenyi game drive, Katwe, Kazinga boat cruise

Early morning, enjoy a game drive or lion-tracking on Kasenyi Plains expect elephants, lions, leopards, Uganda kob, waterbuck and many birds (e.g., grey-crowned crane, papyrus gonolek). Next, visit Katwe Crater Lake to see salt extraction by locals. Then, after lunch, take a 2-hour Kazinga Channel boat cruise (typically from 14:00) to see hippos, crocodiles, shoreline wildlife and abundant waterbirds. Finally, return to the lodge for dinner.

Day 7: Transfer to Kibale; Bigodi Wetland walk

After breakfast, drive toward Kibale, passing the Rwenzori mountains, tea plantations and crater lakes. Then, after lunch, enjoy the Bigodi Wetland nature walk to spot turacos, kingfishers and primates such as grey-cheeked mangabey, black-and-white colobus, L’Hoest’s monkeys and vervets. Return to lodge for dinner.

Day 8: Chimpanzee trekking & return to Kampala (departure)

Early morning briefing at Kanyachu Visitor Centre, then trek for chimpanzees with a park guide. Once found, spend 1 hour observing and photographing them. Afterwards, return to the lodge for lunch, check out, and drive back to Kampala for drop-off or airport transfer in the early evening.