10 Days Uganda Gorilla and Chimp Tour

Arrive in Uganda at her main entry point Entebbe International Airport, where you will be warmly welcomed by one of our experienced company representatives. Immediately embark on this long day trip to Murchison Fall national park, arguably the largest park in the country and the most beautiful as it overlooks the hanging escarpments of the great western rift valley and a home to the most powerful falls in the world.

You will traverse through the rolling hills of Nakasongola as you head to Masindi town for lunch stop. Proceed to Murchison falls park where you will be welcomed by baboons, warthogs and other primates playing freely amidst the road to this amazing park.

Upon reaching the park, you will proceed to your place of residence for check in, dinner and relaxation and at night you might have a chance to view the nocturnal. Animals that graze at night including the warthogs that usually roam the place.

Optional activity: Visit the Ziwa Rhino sanctuary en route for white Rhino tracking experience @ 45$ per person.

Accommodation: Heritage Safari lodge

Optional tour to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary en-route.

You will wake up very early in the morning to go for a morning game drive where you will have a chance to spot early risers and nocturnal species before they return to their hideouts. This is the most beautiful national park in Uganda and this is because it hosts 4/5 of the Big 5 animals and also it also home to one of the most beautiful and powerful falls in the world so far.

Traverse the rolling plains of Uganda’s largest National Park before returning later to the lodge for breakfast. The 3,893 sq. km park is home to a range of animals, and you will have a chance of viewing some of the Park’s residents including lions, giraffes, Jackson’s hartebeests, antelopes, buffalo, and elephants. For the birders, you will enjoy a cock tail of them as these areas support the secretary bird and the black chested snake eagle, to name a few.

In the afternoon, go for a boat trip to the base of Murchison Falls, where the Nile thunders through a small 7 meter gorge plunging 43 meters into the Nile on the way to Lake Albert. Lots of bird diversity can be spotted and numerous animals resting and drinking water along the banks of the Nile.

The most common ones being hippos, buffaloes, Nile crocodiles and birds include, the African fish eagle, Yellow billed stork, Egyptian goose, Egrets, Malachite kingfisher among others. The launch cruise will take you close to the falls’ base where you will be shown the spot where Ernest Hemingway’s plane crashed during sightseeing tour to Murchison falls in 1954.
You can then get off the boat and go hiking up the side of the falls to the top with your guide who will take you through the history and uniqueness of the Murchison falls.

After this experience, you will be driven back through the woodland sector of the park to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Heritage Safari lodge

After breakfast, pass through the Albertine Escarpments and the verdant countryside, traditional farms and homesteads for an arrival and late lunch in Fort Portal in the afternoon.

Retire for dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation: Rwenzori view Guest House

After breakfast, go for chimpanzee tracking in the forest with the highest concentration of primates in Uganda like Red Colobus, Black & White Colobus, Grey cheeked Monkey, Blue Monkey, Red tailed Monkey, olive baboons, and bush baby. This park has also got wild mammals like forest Elephants, forest Buffalos, Bush pigs, Hyenas, Duikers, Antelopes, and Leopards without forgetting 372 species of Birds like Blue headed Sun birds, Warblers, Bee- eaters, King fishers and many others.

In the afternoon, you will drive nearly 30kms south to the historical caves, locally dubbed “Amabere Ga’nyinamwiru” – literally meaning the “breasts of Nyinamwiru”.

The caves have a rich legendary history; you will enjoy this story as a local guide narrates how it came into existence. Also very close to the caves are the water falls which play a very important role in the sustainability of these caves. You will enjoy the scientific explanation of the caves as well.

Accommodation: Rwenzori view Guest House

After breakfast, you will embark on your journey towards the south western part of the country to explore the famous queen Elizabeth national park. This national is the second largest savannah park in Uganda and the popular due to its history with the Queen of England – Queen Elizabeth II.

The park also boasts of being a shelter to Uganda’s BIG FOUR mammals (Buffalo, Leopard, Lion, and Elephant), and in the evening have a community experience along the shores of Lake George to explore the natives ways of life, canoe experience, etc. Retire in the evening, and have dinner and overnight at the lodge.

Accommodation: Queen Elizabeth Park View Lodge (budget rooms)

After a splendid morning cup of coffee at your hotel, embark on the drive across the rolling Savannah range lands of Queen Elizabeth National park in search of wild game.

The stretch to the Kasenyi plains, the renown mating ground offers you a lifetime opportunity of encounter numerous families of wild game in a single glance including elephants, buffaloes, water bucks and Kobs along with predators like lions, leopards and jackals.

The game drive takes 3 – 4 hours. Return to the lodge for relaxation and lunch before proceeding for a launch cruise along the Kazinga Channel. This boasts to be home to one of the largest concentrations of hippopotamus, as well as herds of elephants, buffalo, and other wildlife that come to drink from the river. The Kazinga also attracts a tremendous variety of bird species including the African Eagle, Open-Billed Stork, and Pied Kingfishers.

Accommodation: Queen Elizabeth Park View Lodge (budget rooms)

After breakfast, embark on the trip to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in south western part of Uganda. You undertake a game drive en route in Ishasha sector in search of the tree climbing lions. This section of the park is well endowed with the
infamous climbing lions together with other wild game that dwell in this woodland part of the park.

The tree climbing lions prefer to lie flat on fig tree branches in the mid-morning sun while waiting for their prey. After this encounter, proceed on the drive to Bwindi arriving in the evening for relaxation, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation: Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge

After an early breakfast, you will carry packed lunch, have a briefing by the game guides at the park headquarters and start your gorilla trail. Hiking through the thick, verdant, rainforest to eventually come across the gorillas in their natural habitat, is an amazing and unforgettable experience.

This encounter takes between 2 to 9 hours and is the highlight of an Africa exploration safari. You will only have 1 hour of close contact with these calm gentle apes, take pictures and get acquainted to them.

You are free to shoot as many photos as you desire before you retreat from the activity to return to the starting point.

In the evening, embark on a cultural tour to the Batwa pygmies; the former inhabitants of this legendary forest who still dwell in this place.

Accommodation: Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge

• OPTIONAL ACTIVITY – Nature walk in the forest.

Drive to Lake Mburo National park in the morning and immediately embark on a leisurely boat cruise upon arrival. The boat cruise exposes you to numerous aquatic animals that inhabit this lake, including the crocodiles, Hippos and abundant bird species.

Spend rest of the evening relaxing at the lake shores to unwind and meditate on the beauty of the pearl of Africa.

Accommodation: Eagle’s Nest Camp

After breakfast, embark on a game walking safari, the only game viewing experience in Uganda. Journey back to Entebbe after this tour, and traverse the impressive plain lands in the countryside of south western Uganda before getting to Igongo Cultural Center 12km past Mbarara town for a traditional sumptuous lunch.

You will make another stop at Uganda Equator crossing Kayabwe for the last photo session as you leave Uganda with memories.

Continue to catch up with your departure flight through Entebbe international airport or overnight stay at the hotel according to your schedule.