12 Days Mountain Gorillas & Wildlife Safari

Detailed Itinerary

 Day 1: Transfer to Kibale Forest (5-7hrs)
Have breakfast at the hotel and hit the road to Kibale home of primtes. Enroute stop at Mubende town, lunch in Fortporta, dinner and overnight at Mountains for the moon Hotel (Mid-range) or Ndali Lodge (Superior)

Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Expect an encounter with Chimpanzee and other primates such as L’Hoests, Red colobus, Vervets, Blues, Black and White Colobus, red tailed and Gary checked mangabey. You will have lunch at Chimp Nest Lodge, and embark on an afternoon guided walk through Bigodi Swamps. There are networks of forest trails that radiate out from the visitor centre, allowing you to search for a number of species that shun the vicinity of the main road. Dinner and over night at the lodge.

Day 3: Kibale - Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National park
Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park with enroute game drive, arriving in time for lunch at the lodge. Loosen up around the pool after lunch and later go for an early evening game drive. Dinner and over night at Superior Mweya Lodge, Hippo Hill Lodge (Mid-class) or the Institute of Ecology Cottages (basic).

Day 4: Morning game drive and Launch cruise
Queen Elizabeth wildlife Park’s diverse Eco system of grassy plains, tropical forest, rivers, swamps, lakes and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife. A game drive in the park, with massive Rwenzoris as a back drop provides excellent opportunities to see lion, leopard, buffalo, Uganda Kob, bush buck and many more. Return at the Lodge for full breakfast. After lunch, gather you strength to enjoy a launch cruise on the Kazinga Channel, famous for the highest concentration of Hippos in Africa, with huge crocodiles and 611 bird species. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Day 5: Queen Elizabeth - Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
After breakfast, you will have a game drive as you depart Queen Elizabeth for Bwindi home of gorillas. You may relax in the afternoon or take a nature walk to the Munyaga Waterfall and a chance to see primates such as the Grey Cheeked Mangabey Blue Monkeys and others species. Dinner and overnight at Gorilla resort (Superior), Gorilla Safari Lodge( Mid-Class), Buhoma community rest camp (Budget)

Day 6: Gorilla Tracking  adventure – cultural walk
Wake up for heavy breakfast and assemble at park head quarters for a 30 minutes briefing. Gorilla trekking takes 2-8 hours depending on their movements. The hike goes through steep and slippery jungle grounds before encountering gorillas camouflaged in dense vegetation. However, the thrill you get is worth the effort put in searching for them. Sight and stay with gorillas is 1 hours, descent to the lodge for lunch.
Time permitting, enjoy an afternoon cultural walk to Batwa people (pygmies)

Day 7: Cross Uganda – Rwanda Border to Ruhengeri
Have breakfast and transfer to Rwanda, overnight at Kinigi Guest house (Budget), Hotel La palme (Mid-Class) or Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (Superior)

Day 8: Second Gorilla Trekking adventure Rwanda
Assemble at the park station at Kinigi with packed lunch and water, have a 30 munities briefing and later climb the Virunga Volcanoes in search for Mountain gorillas. This also takes 2-8 hrs depending on the group you trek and their movements. Some gorilla families are near and do not move far unlike other.
Cross back to Uganda by evening, drive through the “Switzerland of Africa” (Kigezi region), dinner and overnight at Arcadia Cottages or Bunyonyi overland resort.

Day 9: Boat Ride, visit Batwa (pygmies) Community
Have breakfast and enjoy a boat ride to visit different Islands and Batwa people, enjoy the scenic beauty of the Islands with excellent bird watching, dinner and overnight at Arcadia cottages or Bunyonyi overland Resort.

Day 10: Drive to Lake Mburo national park, afternoon boat ride
After breakfast, you will proceed to Lake Mburo National Park passing through the Switzerland of Uganda (Kabale) with fine-looking scenery and terraced farming arriving at Lake Mburo National Park in the afternoon.
After lunch, you may decide to go for a boat trip or relax in your room. Lake Mburo is an extension of the Tanzanian Plains with big herds of Zebra, Impala, Eland and other savannah species. For birders, this is one of the best places to find African Fin foot, Papyrus and Bush Shrike. Dinner and overnight at Mihingo Lodge / Mantana Tented Camp/ UWA’s Tents.

Day 11: Morning game drive, Transfer to Kampala
Enjoy a morning game drive in search for acacia related animals and birds, later transfer back to Kampala with enroute stop at the Equator for photographing, dinner and overnight at Imperial Royale Hotel, cassia Lodge or the Lodge.

Day 12: Jinja City tour
We can enjoy a city tour to Jinja, Uganda’s Industrial capital. Start with a visit to Mabira Forest for a nature walk and bird watching, proceed to source of the Nile in jinja, have lunch and proceed to Bujagali falls. Major activities here include Horse Riding, cultural performances, acrobatics and White water rafting (Done in the morning). Return to Kampala with enroute visit to Sezibwa falls, a human born river, listen the wonderful stories about the river before returning to Kampala in the evening.

End of the tour