12 Days Uganda Safari Gorilla Primates & wildlife Trip
The 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari will unleash fascinating beauty of Uganda’s rolling plains, hidden wildlife species in their Natural habitat like the African elephants, cape buffaloes, rhinos, leopards, lions, sitatungas, mongoose, spotted hyenas, jackals, civet cats, various bird species like grey crowned crane, black headed lapwing, weavers, shoebill, marabou stork, and also primate species like chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, red colobus monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys among others in the different National parks of Uganda.
This safari will start with a drive to Murchison falls National Park with a stopover for Rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and thereafter you will proceed to Kibale forest National Park for Chimpanzee trekking. You will track the Tree climbing lions of Ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth National Park and then you will drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National park to trek the Mountain Gorillas. You will later relax at Lake Bunyonyi the deepest lake in Uganda after your life giving Safari before proceeding to Lake Mburo National park for yet other exciting encounters.
Safari destinations
Murchison falls National Park
Located in the North Western region of Uganda. It is the largest National park in Uganda covering an area of 3840sqkm. It has a variety of wildlife of about 76 mammal species like Lions, Leopards, Elephants, Giraffes, Buffaloes, Uganda kobs, Bush bucks, Chimpanzees, and also Primates like black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, red colobus monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, and various bird species of about 451 like the grey crowned crane, the rare shoe bill, giant kingfisher, Giant heron, marabou stork, black headed lapwing, black bellied bustard, Nightjars among other bird species.
Kibale National Park
Located in Western Uganda in Kabarole district and it was established in 1993, the park is known for being “The primate capital of the World” having various Chimpanzees with a population of over 1500 individuals including habituated ones which are about 120 making it the park with the highest primate population. Among the primates include the black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, grey cheeked mangabeys, L’Hoest’s monkey, olive baboons, Mantled guereza, Potto, Vervet monkey, White-eyelid mangabey, Galago among others. The park is also home to about 120 mammal species including African golden cats, bush pigs, warthogs, blue and red duiker, rare sitatunga, forest hogs, African elephant, forest cape buffaloes, among others and also more than 300 species of birds including olive long tailed cuckoo, western tinker bird, grey parrot, blue breasted king fisher, blue headed sunbird, red faced woodland, yellow spotted nicator, little greenbul among other bird species.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Known for having the Tree Climbing Lions at Ishasha sector of the park, these lions are not found in any other National park in Uganda thus being “The Medley of Wonders”, the park is home to 95 mammal species including the 4 members of the Big 5 which are Elephants, Buffaloes, Lions, Leopards and also Uganda kobs, bush bucks, oribis, bush pigs, forest hogs, hippos, sitatungas and over 600 Bird species like the African skimmer, rare saddle billed stork, grey headed kingfisher, African mourning dove, African crowned eagle, Nubian woodpecker, swamp flycatcher, grey capped warbler, little bee eater among other bird species.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Par
One of Uganda’s oldest rainforests with more than 25000 years of age. The park is home to almost half of the World’s population of Mountain Gorillas which gives a great opportunity for Gorilla Trekking and Habituation in the park’s sectors like Nkuringo, Buhoma, Ruhija and Rushaga. The park harbors 120 mammal species like Elephants, duikers, yellow-backed duiker, buffaloes, golden cats, bush pigs, giant forest hogs, black-fronted Duiker, clawless otter, side-striped jackal, civet, numerous bats, rodents and 350 bird species like handsome francolin, purple sunbird, red headed blue bill, African blue cuckoo, regal sunbird, breasted sunbird, Ruwenzori turaco, Shelley’s crimson among other bird species.
Lake Mburo National Park
Located in the Southern part of Uganda in Kiruhura district. The park is known for its large herds of zebras, Impalas, Elands, Topis, and buffaloes among other species. The park is home to over 68 mammal species like zebras, elands, impalas, buffalos, Defassa waterbuck, oribis, leopard, hippo, hyena, topi and reedbuck. Lake Mburo National Park is also home to about 350 bird species like mosque swallow, black bellied bustard, bare-faced-go away bird, Ruppell’s starling, African wattled lapwing, pied kingfisher, Malachite kingfisher, Saddle-billed stork, Red-faced barbet, Yellow-breasted apalis among other bird species.
Day 1: Pick up from Entebbe International Airport – Drive to your Hotel
Day 1 of the 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari will start with a pick up from Entebbe International Airport. Our professional driver guide from Paradise Adventure Vacations will meet and greet you, he will brief you about the 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari and thereafter he will drive you to your hotel where you will have a rest and relaxation from the long journey.
Location: Kampala Uganda
Accommodation Option:
| Luxury | Latitude 0 Degrees or Similar |
Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner, a selection of drinks, laundry, and activities at the lodge
Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey
Day 2: Drive to Murchison Falls National Park with a stopover in Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Upon waking up on your day 2 of the 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari, you will have a heavy delicious breakfast from your hotel and thereafter embark on a drive to Murchison falls National Park with a stopover at Ziwa rhino sanctuary located along Gulu highway for rhino trekking, Ziwa rhino sanctuary is the only place in Uganda where you will get an opportunity to watch these endangered, magnificent creatures in their natural habitat. Here you will encounter not only the white rhinos but also some antelopes like bush bucks, Uganda kobs, oribis, waterbucks and also bird species like Grey-Crowned Crane, Shoebill, African Fish Eagle, African Jacana, Marabou Stork, Red-Billed Oxpeckers, African Grey Hornbill, White Egret among other bird species and then you will return for a special lunch and later you will drive to Murchison falls National Park for dinner and an overnight.
Location: Murchison Falls National Park
Accommodation Option:
| Luxury | Paraa Safari Lodge or Similar |
Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner, a selection of drinks, laundry, and activities at the lodge
Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey
Day 3: Murchison falls National Park – Morning Game drive – Launch Cruise – Hike to Top of the falls – Evening to Night Game drive
Wake up for an early morning breakfast, prepare yourself for another exciting encounter. Day 3 of your 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari will start with an early morning game drive through different trails of the park like Albert trail, buligi trail and the Victoria trail. While here, you will meet eye to eye with different mammal species like Bufaloes, elephants, lions, leopards, bush barks, giraffes, warthogs, Jackson’s hartebeest, , crocodiles, hippos, Uganda kobs among others, you will then return to your lodge for relaxation and lunch.
Launch Cruise
Later in the afternoon, you will embark on an afternoon boat cruise upstream to the bottom of the falls and it will take about 3 hours, while on the cruise, you will see the Nile crocodiles resting under the shade, herds of hippos while in water, elephants swimming and drinking water at the water banks and also for the bird lovers, be on the lookout for the different bird species like the shoebill, the black bee eater, grey crowned crane, marabou stork, Malachite kingfisher, Abyssinian ground hornbill, Long-tailed nightjar, Senegal thick-knee, Black-headed lapwing, Long-toed lapwing , Black-billed barbet, and many others, you will have a view of the magnificent Murchison falls as it roars and pours its waters through an 8m narrow gorge .
Hike to Top of the falls
After the cruise, you will hike to the top of the falls for another breathtaking moment, take as many pictures as possible to keep you connected and give you beautiful memories of the Pearl of Africa. Have a 30 minutes rest and proceed for a Unique evening to Night game drive with an armed park ranger and spotlight torches which will enable you view the nocturnal animals as they hunt like hyenas, leopards, lions, bush babies, buffaloes, elephants and also hippos as they graze on short grass among others. You will then return to your accommodation for Dinner and an overnight.
Location: Murchison Falls National Park
Accommodation Option:
| Luxury | Paraa Safari Lodge or Similar |
Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner, a selection of drinks, laundry, and activities at the lodge
Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey
Day 4: Drive to Kibale Forest National Park – Bigodi Wetland and Community Visit
After your heavy morning breakfast on day 4 of your 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari, you will drive to Kibale National park which is located in Western region of Uganda in Kabarole district. This drive will take about 5 hours and it will offer you magnificent scenic views of Uganda’s landscape as you drive to the park. Enroute to your destination, you will have a lunch stopover in Fort Portal Tourism City.
Then you will proceed to the park’s Bigodi wetland for a swamp walk and during this walk you will spot some butterfly species and birds like the Black-crowned Waxbill, White-spotted Fluff tail, White-breasted Negrofinch, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Black Bishop, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Black & white Shrike-flycatcher, Western Nicator, Superb Sunbird, among others. You will then proceed for a community walk where you will see and taste the Gins brewed from bananas, craft making, coffee processing, and then you will return back to your accommodation for dinner and an overnight.
Location: Kibale Forest National Park
Accommodation Option:
| Luxury | Kyaninga Lodge or Similar |
Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner, a selection of drinks, laundry, and activities at the lodge
Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey
Day 5: Kibale National park – Chimpanzee Trekking – Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Wake up early morning for a heavy breakfast and start Day 5 of your 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari. Wear appropriate clothing like long sleeved shirt, a pair of karky or jean trousers, a round cap, water proof boots and a heavy sweater to protect you from the falling tree branches and also in case of bad weather. Also carry in your back packs some snacks and drinking water to help keep you hydrated during the trek since it may take about 1 to 5 hours to find the Chimpanzees depending on their location.
Chimpanzee Trekking
Then you will proceed to Kanyachu Visitor center for a briefing about the Do’s and the Don’ts of the park, while here, you will be assigned a Park ranger who will take you through the forest and also a chimpanzee family to look out for. During the trek, you will spot primates like the black and white colobus monkeys, the red tailed monkeys, olive baboons, red colobus monkeys, grey cheeked mangabeys, L’Hoest’s monkey, Mantled guereza, Potto, Vervet monkey, White-eyelid mangabey, Galago among others and also various bird species like olive long-tailed cuckoo, western tinker bird, blue headed sunbird, red faced woodland, grey parrot, yellow spotted nicator, little greenbul, blue breasted king fisher, among other bird species.
You will also spot mammal species like the African elephants, the bush pigs, warthogs, forest hogs, forest cape buffaloes among others. Upon finding the chimpanzees, you will have a one hour encounter with them while learning their behaviors, social life, how they feed and play, feel free to ask the park ranger as many questions as possible. You will then proceed with the drive to Queen Elizabeth National park which is a 3 hours’ drive from Kibale National park where you will have your dinner and an overnight.
Location: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Accommodation Option:
| Luxury | Mweya Safari Lodge or Similar |
Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner, a selection of drinks, laundry, and activities at the lodge
Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey
Day 6: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Experiential Lion and Leopard Tracking – Launch Cruise – Crater Lake Exploration
Your Day 6 of the 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari will start with an early morning heavy breakfast and then you will embark on an amazing Experiential lion and leopard tracking through Kasenyi sector, here you will have an opportunity to drive off track while tracing the lions and the leopards of the park. You will also learn about their population, behavior, life style and also any other information concerning them and then you will return back to your accommodation for your heavy delicious lunch.
Launch Cruise
Later in the afternoon, you will go for a mind blowing boat cruise on the Kazinga channel which will give you stunning views of the park and an opportunity to view the herds of hippos in water, elephants swimming and drinking water, Nile crocodiles resting at the banks of the Kazinga channel, and for the bird lovers, also be on the lookout for various bird species like the African fish eagle, the yellow billed stork, rare saddle billed stork, grey headed kingfisher, the African skimmer ,Nubian woodpecker, swamp flycatcher, grey capped warbler, little bee eater, Swamp Nightjar among other bird species.
Crater Lake Exploration
You will later proceed for a Crater Lake exploration at Lake Katwe Explosion craters which is a 27km drive through the craters in Queen Elizabeth National Park, on your way you will spot some animals like the lonely male buffaloes and elephants, water bucks, Uganda kobs, sitatungas, antelopes, chimpanzees and also flamingos at Lake Munyanyange, termites, snakes among others. Upon reaching, you will see the number one salt distributor in Uganda and learn how salt is extracted, you will also see the Western arm of the Great East African Rift Valley and escarpments during the drive then you will return back to your accommodation for dinner and an overnight.
Location: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Accommodation Option:
| Luxury | Mweya Safari Lodge or Similar |
Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner, a selection of drinks, laundry, and activities at the lodge
Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey
Day 7: Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park through Ishasha sector
Day 7 of your 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari will start with an early morning breakfast and then you will check out of your accommodation to proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park which is located south of Queen Elizabeth National Park and it will take about 5 hours to reach the Northern sector of Buhoma. During your journey out of Queen Elizabeth, you will drive through Ishasha sector to search for the tree climbing lions and other wildlife like Topis, Aardvark, lions, elephants, monkeys, Uganda kob, Hippos, leopards, water buck among others which are found in this sector of the park and then have a lunch stopover in Kihihi and proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for dinner and an overnight.
Location: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Accommodation Option:
| Luxury | Buhoma Lodge or Similar |
Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner, a selection of drinks, laundry, and activities at the lodge
Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey
Day 8: Bwindi Impenetrable forest National Park – Gorilla Trekking – Batwa Community Encounter
Upon waking up by the beautiful sounds of the birds singing in the sky, you will start your day 8 of the 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari with an early morning breakfast. Wear appropriate clothing for the day like a long sleeved shirt, a pair of karky or jean trousers, a round cap, water proof boots to protect you against the falling tree branches of the Impenetrable forest and also in case of bad weather, Pack some snacks and water to help in keeping you hydrated during the trek.
Gorilla Trekking
Proceed to the park’s headquarters for a briefing on the Do’s and the Don’ts while you are with the mountain gorillas, you will also be assigned a park ranger who will guide you during the trek and also a gorilla family to look out for and then start the search for the mountain gorillas which will take about 1 to 7 hours depending on their location. During your trek, you will encounter various primate species like the black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, grey mangabeys, and blue monkeys. As your gaze meets the gentle eyes of Africa’s dark-furred Great Apes, you will be allowed to spend a maximum of 1 hour with these majestic creatures as you watch and capture every moment while they go about their day to day activities.
During this time you will learn about their ways of life and also try to relate with them so they become used to human presence, your guide will be available to answer any questions you need to know. You will also stand a chance to see many forest dwellers you meet on your way during the search of gorillas including different species of birds, elephant, and antelopes. If lucky, you can as well see chimpanzees. Bwindi is one of the parks where gorillas and chimpanzees coexist in the same environment, you will then return back to your accommodation for a delicious lunch.
Batwa Community Encounter
Later you will visit the Batwa community who were the early inhabitants of the ancient Impenetrable forest before it became a National park and also a UNESCO World heritage site in 1992 and learn about their social ways of life, how they hunt for food in their ancient ways, visit a Batwa homestead to watch how they dance and also hear ancient legends and their folk songs and then you will return back to your accommodation for dinner and an overnight.
Location: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Accommodation Option:
| Luxury | Buhoma Lodge or Similar |
Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner, a selection of drinks, laundry, and activities at the lodge
Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey
Day 9: Drive to Lake Bunyonyi
Upon waking on day 9 of your 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari, you will have a heavy delicious breakfast specifically made for you and then you will drive to Lake Bunyonyi which is a 3 hours’ drive from Bwindi impenetrable forest National Park. Lake Bunyonyi is located in the extreme border between Uganda and Rwanda and it is known for offering a great rest and relaxation to travelers due to its beautiful and breathtaking views. Lake Bunyonyi is the deepest lake in Uganda having 29 different Islands, a fresh climate to relax from and also a clear view of the Virunga Mountains. Upon reaching you will spend the whole day relaxing and enjoying the beautiful views of the lake.
Location: Lake Bunyonyi
Accommodation Option:
| Luxury | Arcadia Cottage Lake Bunyonyi or Similar |
Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner, a selection of drinks, laundry, activities at the lodge
Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey
Day 10: Lake Bunyonyi – Relaxation at Leisure
Your day 10 of the 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari will have fun-filled activities which will rejuvenate your body after a long safari. Among the activities you will engage in include swimming, Canoeing, Cycling, Birding and Community visits depending on your preferences. Spend the rest of the day at your convenience.
Location: Lake Bunyonyi
Accommodation Option:
| Luxury | Arcadia Cottage Lake Bunyonyi or Similar |
Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner, a selection of drinks, laundry, and activities at the lodge
Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey
Day 11: Drive to Lake Mburo National Park – Evening to Night Game drive
Upon waking up on day 11 of the 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari, you will proceed with your Safari to Lake Mburo National Park where you will have a hearty lunch. You will spend the entire afternoon relaxing at the lodge as you await an evening to night game drive with an armed park ranger and spotlight torches to help you see nocturnals in the night like hyenas, hares, porcupine, honey badgers, white tailed mongoose, jackals, serval cats, bush pigs, civets, galagos, leopards and also hippos while grazing on short grass. You will then return back to your accommodation for dinner and an overnight.
Location: Lake Mburo National Park
Accommodation Option:
| Luxury | Mihingo Lodge or Similar |
Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch as well as Dinner, a selection of drinks, laundry, and activities at the lodge
Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey
Day 12: Lake Mburo National Park – Nature walk or Horse Riding – Drive to Entebbe International Airport or your Hotel
Upon waking up on your final day of the 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari, you will have an early morning heavy breakfast and then you will proceed for a Nature walk or horse riding within the park which will take about 2 to 3 hours, this experience in Lake Mburo national park will take you off the main paths and you will go deep into the bush trails to enjoy the park and see herds of zebras, giraffes, Elands, impalas, buffalos, Defassa waterbucks, oribis, leopards, hippos, hyenas, topis and reedbuck among others. After this unique experience, you will then drive to Entebbe International Airport or your Hotel. Thank you so much for specifically choosing Paradise Adventure Vacations on 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari!!!
Location: Kampala (City)
Accommodation Option: No
Meals Plan: Breakfast and Lunch
Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey
The Safari Package Includes:
Return airport transfers (pick up and drop off)
Private transport for 12 days in a well-modified safari Extended land-cruiser (4WD,air-conditioned and pop-up roof)
Rhino Tracking in Ziwa rhino Sanctuary
Flue for 12 days
English safari driver guide for 12 days
Luxury accommodation for 10 night on full board (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)
All en-route meals and bottled mineral water throughout your tour
All park entrance and activities feel and all applicable government taxes
Night game in Lake Mburo National Park
Horse Riding in Lake Mburo National Park
Bigodi sanctuary swamp and community safari
1 Chimpanzee Trekking permit per person (Kibale forest national park)
1 Mountain gorilla trekking permit in Bwindi impenetrable forest national park (Buhoma sector )
A visit to the Equator land mark
Batwa Community Encounter
Drinking Water and Fruits Throughout the journey
Alcoholic and other soft drinks (sodas, special juice order at the lodge and wines)
The Safari Package Excludes:
International and domestic flights
Country entry visa
Personal travel insurance
Items of personal nature/laundry/telephone charges
Souvenirs and gifts, Tips
Passenger Information on 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari
In case of non-availability, we may have to reroute and provide alternative accommodation at lodges of similar category.
Passengers should bring only soft sided bags on safaris as our vehicles have limited luggage space
All the passengers must have Identification Card/Passport with them throughout their travel
Our Safari Vehicles Seating Plan - 4x4 Safari Land Cruiser Extended
All our Safari vehicles are Toyota Land-cruiser 4×4 with pop-up roofs. The vehicles are serviced and maintained to a very high standard before, during and after every safari. Paradise Adventure Vacations Ltd offering all-wheel drive safari vehicles suitable for off-road driving, which enable travelers to discover the magical areas of East Africa in a pleasant and reliable manner.
Our fleet consists of 4×4 Toyota Land cruisers with a hinged roof and skylights above the front seats. The hinged roof offers two main advantages: it provides shade without restricting the view, so that you can enjoy your safari even in the very sunny hours of the day. It also allows a 360-degree all-round view.
Our Vehicles Are Equipped With:
- Adjustable comfortable seats
- Electric refrigerator for drinks
- High-performance shock absorbers
- Tool & first aid kit
- Adapters and battery chargers
Due to the difficult ground and road conditions inside and outside the national parks and wildlife reserves, a four-wheel drive vehicle is not only recommended, but also crucial for an eventful safari.
