14 Days Gorillas, Chimpanzees And Birds Of Uganda
5506$
per personThis safari starts and finishes in Entebbe. (The Bwindi gorilla permit is included in the safari cost but the other gorilla trackings require a supplement to be paid at time of booking.)
This is one of our longest safaris, this tour visits 8 of Uganda’s 10 National Parks. Five of these Murchison Falls, Semliki, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, and Bwindi are in the Western arm of the Great East African Rift Valley! Your trip starts with Murchison Falls Conservation Area, the largest in the country, with chimps, birds, crocodile, and game. Visit the dramatic Falls from which the park derives its name. Drive the long journey westwards to Semliki Game Reserve for chimps, birds and game. Kibale Forest, nearby, is home to thirteen species of primates the highest in tropical Africa. Animal species such as red, black and white colobus, blue monkeys and baboons and a large number of chimpanzees can be seen. Continue to Queen Elizabeth National Park, passing the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains: a half day walk into the mountains is possible. The launch trip along the Kazinga Channel in QE is especially good for viewing hippo, buffalo, elephant and a large host of birds. The beautiful steeply forested Kyambura Gorge nearby, is home not only to chimpanzees but also the red-tailed monkey, black and white colobus and many bird species. Around Ishasha go on the hunt for the famous tree-climbing lions which lounge nonchalantly on old fig trees. Further south in Bwindi go gorilla tracking and see other primates, birds and butterflies. Have an opportunity to track gorillas again or climb a volcano, go birding or take in the breathtaking landscape. Return to Kampala via Lake Mburo, one of Uganda’s most conspicuous parks rich in birds, hippo, buffalo, and zebra.
| Tour Departure | This Safari Starts & Finishes in Entebbe |
| Departure Time | Your Guide will Advise |
| Return Time | In time for your flight |
| Dress Code | Casual & Comfortable Clothing, Hiking Shoes, Hat, Light Jacket |
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From Our Gallery
This safari starts and finishes in Entebbe. [The Bwindi gorilla permit is included in the safari cost but the other gorilla trackings require a supplement to be paid at time of booking.]
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Day 1: Entebbe-Kampala
Entebbe, Uganda
Uganda has a total area of 236,040 sq km, bordered by Kenya in the East and Tanzania in the South, Rwanda in the South west, DR Congo to the west and South Sudan to the North, making it a landlocked country. It lies at 10S to 40N Latitude and 300 to 350 East Longitude, so it is astride the Equator.1 00 N, 32 00 E. The country, however, is well watered and fertile. Although it lies at the Equator, it receives about three rainy seasons a year, with Lake Victoria, The Nile, the many forests and the Rwenzori mountains determining much of the climate. In forest ecosystems it rains regularly and weather is unpredictable. Water covers36,330 sq km, about 15% of Uganda’s area.The country is rich in wildlife, game, birds, and a vast culture of over 50 tribes occupying this beautiful, green country. In Uganda alone a birder will enjoy twelve percent of bird species in the world; a tracker will find half of the world’s gorillas; an explorer will have an opportunity to see more than 7% of the world’s mammals. For the discerning traveller the potential for Ecotourism here is enormous, and the discreet have tapped into it.
Day Itinerary
Arrive Entebbe airport. Meet, greet and transfer to your hotel in Entebbe for overnight (BB)2
Day 2: Kampala to Murchison
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Day 3: In Murchison
An early morning game viewing north of the Nile. Launch trip to the bottom of the mighty exciting Falls, with crocodiles, and a vast array of birds including the rare shoebill stork, lounging on the banks of the Nile. Hippos are everywhere! Evening game drive.
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Day 4: Murchison to Budongo to Hoima
An early start. Game drive on your way to Kaniyo-Pabidi in Budongo Forest. Go for a guided nature walk (optional chimpanzee tracking on payment of extra $95pp). Budongo is also known for its many plant and bird species. On return drive to Hoima via the mesmerising Lake Albert, view fishing villages, local communities and local fishermen.
(Approximate driving time: 5 hours).
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Day 5: Hoima to Fort Portal
Drive south to Fort Portal, past big tea plantations, lunch en route. Proceed to your lodging in Kibale. Either explore a crater lake nearby or relax at your lodging. [Approximate driving time: 5 hour(s)]
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Day 6: In Kibale Forest
A guided nature walk in Kibale Forest, which has the highest number of primates in Africa – including red, black and white colobus, blue monkeys and baboons and a large number of chimpanzees. A forest walk provides a high possibility of seeing and hearing a vast number of chimps and other primates crashing around through the forest. Birdlife is also fabulous, with over 300 species recorded in the forest. An afternoon walk in Bigodi wetland gives the opportunity of seeing the unusual birds, baboons, chimpanzee and other primates which live around the swamp.
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Day 7: Kibale to Semuliki National Park
Semuliki National Park sprawls across the floor of the Semliki Valley on the remote, western side of the Rwenzori. The park is dominated by the easternmost extension of the great Ituri Forest of the Congo Basin. This is one of Africa’s most ancient and bio-diverse forests; one of the few to survive the last ice age, 12-18,000 years ago.
While Semuliki’s species have been accumulating for over 25,000 years, the park contains evidence of even older processes. Hot springs bubble up from the depths to demonstrate the powerful subterranean forces that have been shaping the rift valley during the last 14 million years.
Day Itinerary
Drive to Semliki Safari Lodge. Boat trip on one of the lakes. Hippos, crocodile and a vast array of birds can be seen. Evening game. [Approximate driving time: 3 hours]8
Day 8: To Queen Elizabeth Park
Queen Elizabeth NP has the widest variety of wildlife of any Ugandan park. Elephant and buffalo are very common, and lions are surprisingly easy to spot. Hyena can be spotted occasionally, while Giraffe and zebra are absent. There are many interesting antelope species like Uganda kob, topi and sitatunga. Hipposand crocodiles are common in Kazinga channel. A troop of chimpanzees has been habituated for tracking. Nine more primate species are found, including the black-and-white colobus monkey.
Day Itinerary
Leave for Queen Elizabeth Park, passing via the Rwenzoris, or Mountains of The Moon as they are sometimes called. Continue to QE. Evening game drive. [Approximate driving time: 4 hours]
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Day 9: In Queen Elizabeth Park
Visit Kyambura gorge to track chimpanzees, man’s closest relation. In the afternoon, a game drive on your way out of the park. A boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel is a rewarding experience, for birds, hippos, elephant and a vast array of other animals
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Day 10: Queen Elizabeth Park to Bwindi
We go for an early morning game drive. Afterwards, start for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. We may drive via Ishasha, weather conditions permitting where you may see tree-climbing lion – or drive through farmland to Bwindi. [Approximate driving time: 7 hours]
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Day 11: Gorilla tracking
Go gorilla tracking (subject to availability of gorilla permits at time of booking), carrying a packed lunch. You will be accompanied by a guide and porters who will carry your shoulder pack for you. You will then set off to the thick forest in search of gorillas. The terrain can be difficult, with steep slopes covered in dense vegetation that gives the park its name. In addition, the altitude of 5200 feet and more means participants do need to be physically fit. The time taken to track the gorillas varies enormously, from as little as half an hour to as much as 7 hours before one returns to camp. Difficulty, however, is not impossibility and coming face to face with the great primates is well worth it!
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Day 12: Bwindi to Lake Bunyonyi
Lake Bunyonyi (”Place of many little birds”) lies in south western Uganda between Kisoro and Kabale close to the border with Rwanda. Located at 1,962 m (6,437 ft) above sea level, it is about 25 km (15.5 mi) long and 7 km (1.35 mi) wide. The depth of the lake is rumored to vary between 44 m (144 ft) and 900 m (2,952 ft), which if true would make the lake the second deepest in Africa. The lake appears on the 5,000 Ugandan shilling Note under the title ”Lake Bunyonyi and terraces”.
Day Itinerary
After breakfast, drive to Kabale and on to Lake Bunyonyi. Afternoon relax at the sandy beaches of Lake Bunyonyi, explore the lake, visit various islands and the local communities including a pygmy community.13
Day 13: Lake Bunyonyi to Lake Mburo Park
Lake Mburo National Park is located in the western part of Uganda with varied habitats that support about 68 mammals to include Impalas, Burchell’s Zebra and Eland, around 350 bird species including the Red-Faced Barbet, the African Finfoot and the Shoe bill.
Day Itinerary
Start for Mbarara, enjoying natural and other arresting attractions en route. Excursion to Lake Mburo National Park for some unusual game. [Approximate driving time: 5 hours]14
Day 14: Mburo Park to Entebbe airport for your flight
Start for Kampala arriving early afternoon and transfer to Entebbe airport for your flight (HB). [Approximate driving time: 6 hours]
Tour Location
This safari starts and finishes in Entebbe. [The Bwindi gorilla permit is included in the safari cost but the other gorilla trackings require a supplement to be paid at time of booking.]
History of the Uganda
Uganda's history is marked by a transition from organized kingdoms to British colonial rule and ultimately to independence, followed by periods of internal conflict and political instability.
The country's borders, drawn in the late 19th century, encompassed diverse societies, including centralized Bantu kingdoms in the south and more decentralized Nilotic and Sudanic peoples in the north.
Early Kingdoms and Colonialism:
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Kingdoms:By the 11th century, organized kingdoms like Buganda, Bunyoro, and others emerged, based on agriculture, crafts, and trade.
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British Influence:British explorers and missionaries arrived in the late 1800s, followed by the establishment of the Uganda Protectorate in 1894. The British expanded control through treaties with other kingdoms, including Toro, Ankole, and Bunyoro.
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Colonial Economy:Commercial production of coffee, cotton, and copper was promoted to support British economic interests.
Independence and Post-Colonial Era:
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Independence:Uganda gained independence in 1962, with Milton Obote as the first Prime Minister.
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Political Instability:The early years of independence were marked by political tensions, including the abrogation of the 1962 constitution and the rise of military regimes.
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Obote and Amin:Prime Minister Obote declared himself President and later faced a coup led by Idi Amin, who ruled from 1971 to 1979.
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Museveni:Yoweri Museveni, after a period of interim government, came to power in 1986 and remains the current president.
Key Events and Figures:
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Buganda Kingdom:The kingdom of Buganda played a significant role in Uganda's history, initially granting autonomy and then experiencing tensions with the central government.
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Milton Obote:Uganda's first Prime Minister and later President, Obote was a key figure in the early years of independence.
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Idi Amin:Amin's military rule was a period of significant human rights abuses and instability.
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Yoweri Museveni:Museveni's long tenure as President has been marked by efforts to stabilize the country and promote economic development.
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History of Uganda - WikipediaIn 1894, Uganda became a protectorate of the British Empire, and in 1962, the United Kingdom granted independence to Uganda making...
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Uganda - WikipediaUganda gained independence in 1962, with Milton Obote as the first prime minister. ... In 1894, the Uganda Protectorate was establ...
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History of Uganda | Events, People, Dates, Maps, & Facts | Britannica28 Mar 2025 — The early history of Uganda, like much of sub-Saharan Africa, is a saga of movements of small groups of cultivators and...
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Our Gallery
This safari starts and finishes in Entebbe. [The Bwindi gorilla permit is included in the safari cost but the other gorilla trackings require a supplement to be paid at time of booking.]
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What is included in this tour?
Items that are included in the cost of tour price.
Price includes:
- 1 night at African Roots Guest House
- 2 Nights at Hotel Murchison River Lodge
- 1 Night at KonTiki hotel
- 2 Nights at Chimpanzee Forest Guest House
- 1 night at Semliki Safari Lodge
- 2 nights at Buffalo Safari Lodge
- 2 nights at Mutanda Lake Resort
- 1 night at Crater Bay Cottages
- 1 night at Mburo Safari Lodge
- All park Entrance fees
- Game drives
- 1 Gorilla Permit
- 1 Chimpanzee Permit for Kibale Forest
- Boat cruise on The River Nile in Murchison
- Boat cruise on Kazinga Channel
- Boat cruise on Lake Bunyonyi
- Boat cruise on Lake Mburo
- Vehicle for the tour
- Local guide fee
- Transfer in and Out
- Water
What is not included in this tour? Items that are not included in the cost of tour price. Price excludes:
- Meals in Entebbe or Kampala. Tour is on Full Board basis for the rest of the trip
- All flight ticket for clients
- Chimpanzee Permit (if required) for Budongo Forest, $95pp
- Alcoholic drinks and drinks off meal time
- Video camera and photographic fee
- Porter’s fee
- Tips and laundry
- Any other expenses apart from those described above including expenditures of a personal nature such as phone calls
