5 Days Uganda Gorilla & Chimp Private Safari

Your private safari begins at 7:00 AM with a personalized pickup from your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe (or straight from Entebbe International Airport). Board your private 4×4 safari vehicle and travel southwest toward Bwindi. Make your first stop at the Equator crossing in Kayabwe for iconic photos, a fun water-drainage demonstration, and a morning coffee stretch. Continue your journey through the rolling green hills, pausing in Mbarara town for a hot lunch at a local restaurant. The afternoon drive reveals stunning banana plantations, local farms, and the steep terraced hills of Kigezi. Arrive at the edge of the mist-shrouded Bwindi forest in the evening for check-in, relaxation, and a cozy dinner.

Accommodation Options:
• Budget: Rushaga Havens Lodge / Bakiga Lodge / Ride 4 A Woman
• Mid-Range: 4 Gorillas Lodge / Gorilla Leisure Lodge
• Luxury: Gorilla Heights Lodge / Buhoma Lodge / Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge / Kiho Lodge

After an early breakfast, grab your packed picnic lunch and drive to the park headquarters. Join a localized safety briefing before entering the ancient, thick rainforest. Accompanied by experienced park rangers, your trek through the steep, jungle paths can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on where the gorilla family nested the night before. Once you locate the gentle giants, sit quietly and enjoy a breathtaking hour watching them feed, groom, play, and interact. Head back to the park headquarters to receive your official gorilla tracking certificate, and spend the evening relaxing by the fireplace at your lodge.

Accommodation Options:
• Budget: Rushaga Havens Lodge / Bakiga Lodge / Ride 4 A Woman
• Mid-Range: 4 Gorillas Lodge / Gorilla Leisure Lodge
• Luxury: Gorilla Heights Lodge / Buhoma Lodge / Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge / Kiho Lodge

Following a hearty breakfast, check out and begin your private scenic transfer to Kibale Forest National Park. Your route winds directly through the savannah grasslands of Queen Elizabeth National Park, offering excellent opportunities to spot grazing elephants, topis, cape buffaloes, and Ugandan kobs along the roadside. Cross the Equator once more at the Kikolongo junction and watch the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains loom in the distance as you traverse Kasese district. Arrive in the beautiful tourism town of Fort Portal for lunch before proceeding to check in to your lodge right at the edge of Kibale’s towering forest.

Accommodation Options:
• Budget: Chimpanzee Forest Lodge / Isunga Lodge
• Mid-Range: Turaco Treetops Lodge
• Luxury: Primate Lodge / Tabebuia Spa and Safari Resort / Ndali Lodge

Fuel up with breakfast and transfer to the Kanyanchu Park Headquarters for a briefing on forest guidelines. Kibale is home to 13 different primate species, earning its title as the primate capital of East Africa. In a small group led by an armed ranger-guide, head into the forest to track a habituated troop of wild chimpanzees. Listen to their booming pant-hoots echoing through the canopy before tracking them down on the forest floor. Spend a magical hour watching them swing through the branches and care for their young. Return to the lodge for a fresh lunch, then spend the afternoon on a guided boardwalk safari through the community-run Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary a paradise for monkeys and birds, including the stunning Great Blue Turaco.

Accommodation Options:
• Budget: Chimpanzee Forest Lodge / Isunga Lodge
• Mid-Range: Turaco Treetops Lodge
• Luxury: Primate Lodge / Tabebuia Spa and Safari Resort / Ndali Lodge

Savor your final safari breakfast before boarding your private vehicle for the return drive to Kampala or Entebbe. Today’s journey takes you along a beautifully scenic alternative route, winding through lush tea estates, rocky outcrops, and quiet rural villages. Stop for a delicious lunch in the town of Mubende before arriving back in Kampala or Entebbe in the late afternoon. Your guide will transfer you directly to Entebbe International Airport for your evening departure flight, bringing your unforgettable primate safari to a close.