7-Nights Highlights of Uganda with Gorilla & Chimp Trekking - Active & Adventure, Private Guided Experiences

This 8-day Ugandan vacation takes you to the country’s best wildlife parks, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Queen Elizabeth National Park. It features first-class accommodations and private tours. 

Your journey to Uganda begins in Entebbe, once the colonial stronghold for the British and now an attractive capital city that lies along one of East Africa’s most beautiful lakes. Upon arrival in the Ugandan capital, the rest of your day is at leisure. The next day fly to Kihihi airstrip and pass along mountain roads and through remote local villages to the edges of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Buhoma Lodge, your 4-star home during your stay in the park. The rest of your day is at leisure to acclimate to the jungle setting and enjoy the excellent views and well-appointed amenities of the lodge. Spend a day heading deep into the misty, humid jungles of Bwindi in search of mountain gorillas. Gorilla tracking is one of the most intensive and intimate wildlife viewing experiences you can ever have. It involves strenuous trekking through the hot, mazelike jungle, but the reward is an hour in intimate contact with noble mountain gorillas, allowing you to witness their family interactions and gentle demeanour in their natural habitat. It’s a profound experience. You’ll have the opportunity to head on a second day of gorilla trekking if you wish, or to visit nearby communities, including a Batwa village, home to the famously small Indigenous people. 

From Bwindi, fly south to Ishasha and the southern stretches of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Based at Ishasha Wilderness Camp, you’ll have a couple days of game viewing in the park. Head out on daily game drives to spot elephants, leopards, lions, hippos, babooons, and all manner of colourful birds. You may also see the famous climbing lions that hang out in the branches of the Maramagambo, the largest surviving natural forest in the country. From Ishasha, connect north for another day of game viewing into the Mweya sector of the park. Explore the landscape of euphorbia trees, with their unique candelabra shape, and head on a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel to admire the tranquil environment of wading buffalo, shore birds, and fishing villages between Lake Edward and Lake George. 

On your final morning in Uganda, head into the forested reaches of Kyambura Gorge in search of chimpanzees in their natural environment. Like with gorilla treks, you’re not guaranteed a sighting, but the viewing can prove to be one of the most intimate experiences you’ll ever have. Afterwards, connect back to Entebbe for departure. 

• Relax in Entebbe, where calm gardens and nearby Lake Victoria offer a gentle introduction to Uganda.
• Fly to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage site teeming with birds, butterflies and ancient trees.
• Trek deep into the forest for an intimate encounter with a family of rare mountain gorillas.
• Continue to Queen Elizabeth National Park for classic safari drives among elephants, lions and tree-climbing leopards.
• Explore Kyambura Gorge on a thrilling chimp trek before a serene cruise along the Kazinga Channel.

• Meet and Greet at Entebbe Airport
• Shared arrival and departure airport transfers in Entebbe
• Shared arrival  airstrip transfer from Kihihi
• 1 night premium accommodation in Entebbe
• 2 nights premium accommodation near the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
• 4 nights premium accommodation in Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Transportation on safari in a 4x4 safari vehicle
• Services of an English-speaking driver/guide
• 1 small-group gorilla trek per person
• 1 small-group chimp trek per person
• Ishasha community visit and community fee donation (time permitting)
• Shared game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Scenic sundowners in Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Shared boat cruise on Kazinga Channel
• All park fees
• Internal light aircraft flights: Entebbe - Kihihi including air taxes
• Local drinks at Buhoma Lodge and Ishasha Tented Camp, excluding premium brands
• 1 gorilla trekking permit
• 1 chimp trekking permit
• 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 6 dinners

• Travel insurance
• International airfare & airfare taxes
• Meals and beverages not explicitly listed as included
• Gratuities
• Optional excursions
• Items of a personal nature
• Passport & Visa fees, if applicable