8-Day Uganda Gorilla And Chimpanzee Trekking

Experience the wonders of Bwindi Lodge for gorilla trekking and Kyambura Gorge Lodge for chimpanzees and other animals on this popular 8-day Uganda Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking.

This 8-day Uganda safari offers a comprehensive primate and wildlife experience, featuring gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura, and game viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Starting in Entebbe, this journey often includes tree-climbing lions in Ishasha, a Kazinga Channel boat cruise, and scenic landscapes.

This unique Eight-day Uganda Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking will give you a unique insight into the endangered great apes, their habitats and the communities living nearby. Involve yourself in conservation and community projects organised by Kabira Safaris Partnership Trust while enjoying incredible wildlife sightings.

The night before your gorilla trek, have a fireside conversation with conservationists from Gorilla Doctors and Conservation Through Public Health, two of our conservation partners. Hear about their park-wide conservation efforts. ‘Lost Chimpanzees of Kyambura’ are the focus of the ecotourism initiative that the Jane Goodall Institute and the Kyambura Gorge are working to preserve.

While on game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, you can join the Kyambura Lion Monitoring Team to learn about lion conservation and take part in an annual carnivore census.

A Detailed 8-Day Uganda Gorilla And Chimpanzee Trekking

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.

Along the route, stop by the Rwenzori Sculpture Foundation to see sculptures representing traditional Ugandan clans and find out more about the cultural partnership between Kabira Safaris and the foundation.

Take a scenic drive to Kyambura Gorge Lodge through Queen Elizabeth National Park. While sipping cocktails on the terrace before dinner, take in the views of the savannah plains and the majestic Rwenzori Mountains in the distance.

Travel time by car is two hours, and by plane it’s one and a half hours.
Overnight at Kyambura Gorge Lodge (lunch, dinner).

Day 3

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.

Volunteer with the Kabira Safaris Partnership Trust’s (VSPT) Kyambura Gorge Eco-tourism Project. In the wildlife buffer zone, you can plant a seedling, go birdwatching in the reclaimed wetlands of Kyambura, and even try your hand at coffee roasting with the Kyambura Women’s Coffee Cooperative.

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

Day 4

You can look for the “Lost Chimpanzees of Kyambura” by walking straight down Kyambura Gorge after breakfast at the lodge. 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. The stroll is thrilling and fascinating, but the viewing of these solitary chimps is unpredictable due to their high level of mobility.

Embark on a leisurely afternoon cruise in the Kazinga Channel, the waterway that connects Lakes Edward and George. Herds of buffalo, elephants, and hippos congregate at the water’s edge in Kazinga, which is home to one of Africa’s highest concentrations of hippos. With large numbers of pelicans and other shorebirds, as well as an excellent vantage point from which to observe the African fish eagle, the canal serves as a haven for waterbirds.

Following your boat ride, you can help the Kyambura bee-keeping cooperative collect honey, watch a dance performance by the Omumushaka Dance Group, and explore the gorge on foot while keeping an eye out for monkeys, birds, and other animals around Kyambura Gorge Lodge.

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

Day 5

Your safari will proceed to the primordial Bwindi forest after breakfast at the lodge. Tourists visiting Queen Elizabeth National Park can drive through the Ishasha area in search of the renowned tree-climbing lions. Bwindi Lodge, perched on the brink of an impenetrable forest, is reached at the end of an intriguing journey through a landscape that is fast changing.

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.

Approximate driving time 5-6 hours.
Overnight at Bwindi Lodge (lunch, dinner).

Day 6

You go on your gorilla tracking adventure after a leisurely breakfast. An awe-inspiring and privileged experience occurs when trekking over steep, densely forested slopes one eventually comes across gorillas concealed in the jungle. It takes a lot of energy and perseverance to track gorillas in the Bwindi forest; some families are more elusive than others, and the terrain may be very hilly and muddy, making tracking a whole day of work.

On your way back to the lodge following your gorilla hike, stop by the award-winning Bwindi Bar for a celebratory Gorillini cocktail! Young, underprivileged people from the surrounding areas get hospitality training at Bwindi Bar.

Approximate driving time up to 2 hours, depending on the location of the gorilla groups.
Overnight at Bwindi Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner).

Day 7

Either participate in a second gorilla trek (extra permits are needed, which may be purchased for a premium and are subject to availability), or select an activity related to community and conservation:

Indulge in a guided rainforest walk to a stunning waterfall and a birding stroll along the Munyanga River Trail. Stop by the Conservation Through Public Health center at Bwindi Community Hospital to find out more about their efforts to protect gorillas. Come to Bwindi Lodge to see how our local tea processing cooperative works.

Overnight at Bwindi Lodge (breakfast, lunch, dinner).

Day 8

You can take a morning or afternoon shuttle from the Bwindi lodge to the Kihihi airport, where you can catch a return aircraft to Entebbe and make it to your international flight on time.