11-Day Uganda Safari | Primates of the Great Rift Valley

A 11-Day Uganda Safari – Primates of the Great Rift Valley typically focuses on Uganda’s Albertine Rift, featuring chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park and Kyambura Gorge, alongside mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable or Mgahinga National Park.

Take this famous great ape safari across the Albertine Rift, a region in central Africa, and see the scenery and animals up close.

Commencing in 2024 to commemorate the grand opening of Kibale Lodge, this ten-day safari will transport you to locations such as Kibale, the Lost Chimps of Kyambura Gorge, Queen Elizabeth, and a hike to witness the captivating Nyakagezi gorilla family in Gahinga. Along the way, you will observe a variety of birds and wildlife.

Walking safaris through the savannah and the mystical Kyambura Gorge, a submerged rainforest that is home to a small, isolated troop of chimpanzees, will be incorporated into your itinerary with excursions to observe the endangered mountain gorillas and chimpanzees.

As you travel through the ever-changing landscapes of the Great Western Rift Valley, also known as the Albertine Rift, spend three nights at Kibale, Kyambura Gorge, and Mount Gahinga. These are some of the best places in Africa to see great apes.

A Detailed 11-Day Uganda Safari | Primates of the Great Rift Valley

Day 1

A representative from Kabira Safaris will be there to greet you at Entebbe Airport upon your arrival in Uganda and take you to your hotel.

Overnight at Hotel No. 5 (dinner, breakfast)

Day 2

Your knowledgeable and helpful Kabira Safaris guide will be waiting for you at the Kasese airfield after a transfer from your hotel to the Entebbe airport for your domestic flight.

Kibale Lodge, next to Kibale National Park, is about an hour’s drive away. Along the route, stop by the Rwenzori Sculpture Foundation to see sculptures representing traditional Uganda clans and find out more about the cultural partnership between Kabira Safaris and the foundation.

From the vantage point of the Kibale lodge, one can see the Queen Elizabeth plains and the Kazinga canal to the south, as well as the snow-capped summits of the Rwenzori Mountains to the west. Join the Roots and Shoots program, a collaboration between the Jane Goodall Institute and the Kabira Safaris Partnership Trust, to visit a nearby school in the afternoon. This program’s goal is to cultivate future female conservation leaders.

Gather around the fire for some cocktails before supper and a conversation with a primatologist about the monkeys’ daily care.

Flying time between 1 to 1.5 hours, driving time 1 hour.
Overnight at Kibale Lodge (lunch, dinner)

Day 3

Start your day with a birding excursion at the Bigodi Wetland. The reserve is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including the rare Sitatunga antelope and the elusive Red Colobus monkeys. Birdwatchers will be captivated by the sight of magnificent species like the Papyrus Gonolek and the Great Blue Turaco.

Take a leisurely stroll through Kibale Forest, home to the world’s most vivacious chimpanzee families, in the afternoon. Witnessing the apes in their native environment, swinging from the branches of the treetops, is an exhilarating adventure. As soon as they start making noise, the jungle comes to life.

Overnight at Kibale Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 4

Continue your chimpanzee safari in Kibale with a second excursion after breakfast. Keep an eye out for the nocturnal Bushbabies, Olive Baboons, and the secretive Red Colobus monkey, among other fantastic creatures and birds. The Great Blue Turaco, the stunning Papyrus Gonolek, and the uncommon Green Breasted Pitta are just a few of the many bird species that call this deep forest home. Birdwatchers go there to experience some of the greatest birding on Earth.

After lunch, head back to the lodge for the rest of the day.
Overnight at Kibale Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 5

Set off for the lodge in Kyambura Gorge and Queen Elizabeth National Park to explore. On your drive to the resort, keep an eye out for lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, and big herds of Uganda kob as you drive through the park.

During the midday, go on a boat ride along the Kazinga channel, which is home to a large number of hippos and other animals that congregate to drink from the water’s edge.

Honey harvesting with the Kyambura bee-keeping cooperative or a gorge walk to observe monkeys, birds, and other wildlife are great activities to do after your boat tour.

Overnight at Kyambura Gorge Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 6

Have breakfast first thing in the morning and then go for a game drive. Lions, leopards, elephants, and buffalo can all be seen in plenty on the Kasenyi plains. Leopards, who inhabit the thickets and scrubby areas of the Mweya peninsula, are among the most visible animals in the area. As part of the Lion Monitoring Project’s yearly carnivore census, document lion identification images while tracking your GPS.

Begin your search for the ‘Lost Chimpanzees of Kyambura’ after lunch by strolling from the resort down the picturesque Fig Tree Trail and hiking straight into Kyambura Gorge. The adjacent meadows stand in sharp contrast to the spectacular natural setting of the valley. The chimpanzee, one of our closest living cousins, can be followed here. As you make your way through the forest, keep an eye out for these migratory chimps; they’re fascinating to watch since they hunt for food so swiftly.

Overnight at Kyambura Gorge Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 7

Return to the Kyambura Gorge for another walk after a bush breakfast with a park view. In addition to looking for the apes, you may take a walking safari and discover the enchanted gorge. As you follow your guide’s lead, you’ll learn about the varied animals that call this area home and how to spot their footprints.

As part of the Kyambura Carnivore Survey, check the gorge’s camera traps and review footage and images from last night to see if any animals were caught.

Take part in the ecotourism project at Kyambura Gorge after lunch. Visit the Kyambura wetlands for birdwatching, try your hand at hand-roasting coffee with the Kyambura Women’s Coffee Cooperative, and help out the local wildlife buffer zone by planting a seedling.

Join the lodge guides, members of the local community and staff from the wildlife monitoring team for an informal evening of storytelling, BBQ and films at the Kyambura Community and Conservation Centre.

Overnight at Kyambura Gorge Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 8

Get to Kasese Airstrip in the morning so you may fly to Kisoro. Mount Gahinga Lodge is a 1- to 2-hour drive away. Situated on the verge of Mgahinga National Park, the resort offers breathtaking views of the Virunga Volcanoes.

Afternoon: learn about the history and culture of one of the oldest tribes in Africa at the Gahinga Batwa Village. While on your trip, you may see their brand-new village and community center, and if you’re interested, you can take the Batwa Heritage Tour, which will take you back in time to when the people lived in the forest as hunter-gatherers.

Meet a veterinarian from the Gorilla Doctors as you sip cocktails before dinner and get the lowdown on how they keep the mountain gorillas healthy.

Overnight at Mount Gahinga Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 9

Your gorilla journey to meet the Nyakagezi group—the only gorilla family in Mgahinga National Park—will begin after you eat an early breakfast.

The sight of the gorillas, hidden in the foliage, is awe-inspiring and privileged, after a one- to three-hour walk through the thickly wooded slopes. Take a leisurely stroll with the beautiful and amiable gorillas for an hour. The beautiful dominating silverback Mark is the head of a group of silverbacks that the Nyakagezi family is famous for.

Trekking with gorillas is an exhausting and physically demanding ordeal that, in particularly wet and muddy conditions, can last an entire day.

Come back to the lodge for a late lunch, then spend the afternoon relaxing with complimentary spa treatments and massages at Gahinga Volcanic Spa and Sauna. Try the famed Rungu massage, among others.

Overnight at Mount Gahinga Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 10

Visit the Virunga mountain foothills in search of golden monkeys, a species in danger of extinction, after breakfast. These adorable monkeys are a sight to behold, with their striking golden plumage, cheeks, and tail set against a backdrop of black for the limbs, crown, and tail end.

While the morning is spent exploring the Batwa Heritage Trail and Vocational Centre, the afternoon is spent relaxing at the lodge.