12 Days Uganda Gorilla Safari
12 Days Uganda Gorilla Safari | A Primates & Game Park Tour
This 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Safari takes you to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for Gorilla trekking, Kibale for Chimpanzees and explore wildlife in Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National Parks which brings you the best of Uganda safari experiences. The 12 Days Uganda Gorilla luxury safari tour lets you search for “The Big 5” and trek with Gorillas & chimps with in less than 2 weeks with world-class accommodation and private transfers. This Uganda Gorilla Safari trip starts and ends in Entebbe.
Day to Day:
12 Days Uganda Gorilla Safari
Tour Highlights:
- Day 1: Arrival
- Day 2: Transfer to Murchison falls National Park via Zziwa rhino sanctuary
- Day 3; Game drive and Nile boat cruise
- Day 4; Drive to Kibale Forest national Park
- Day 5; Chimpanzee tracking and bigodi tour
- Day 6: Drive to Queen Elizabeth national park and evening game drive
- Day 7: Game drive and Kazinga boat cruise
- Day 8: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Day 9: Mountain Gorilla Tracking and optional Cultural tour
- Day 10 Drive to Lake Bunyonyi
- Day 11: Transfer to Entebbe
- Day 12: Transfer to Entebbe international airport
Detailed Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival and Transfer to Your hotel in Entebbe
You will be picked up from Entebbe international airport on arrival by the company representative and driven to your luxury hotel in Entebbe for rest.
Accommodation options: Hotel Number 5 / Best Western Premier Garden Hotel in Entebbe or Latitude 0 Degrees / Lake Victoria Serena Golf & Spa / Sheraton Hotel Kampala
Meal plan: All Inclusive
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison falls National Park via Zziwa rhino sanctuary
After breakfast at the hotel in Entebbe, you will be picked up for the journey northwards to Murchison falls national park. You will have an en route stop for a rhino tracking experience in Zziwa Rhino sanctuary.
You will have lunch in Masindi Town and later drive up to Murchison falls national park for the top of Murchison falls experience. You will enjoy seeing the waterfalls as the Nile water passes through a narrow gorge down for about 7 meters and forms a thunderous roar and a beautiful rainbow. After the top of the falls experience, you will be driven to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation options: Nile Safari Lodge
Meal plan: All inclusive
Day 3: Game drive and Nile boat cruise
You will have an early breakfast at the lodge ahead of a game drive in Murchison falls national park to search for wildlife species such as lions, elephants, warthogs, buffalos, waterbucks, hippos, giraffes, waterbucks, Uganda kobs, leopards among others.
After the morning game drive, you will have lunch and in the afternoon, you will go for a 2-hour cruise to the bottom of the Murchison falls. During the boat ride, you will see wildlife species like elephants, giraffes, buffalos, hippos, Nile crocodiles as well as bird species of a variety. You will be driven to the lodge after the boat ride and prepare for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation options: Nile Safari Lodge
Meal plan: All inclusive
Day 4: Drive to Kibale Forest national Park
Your breakfast will be served at the lodge in Murchison falls national park ahead of the drive to Kibale national park with a stop for lunch enroute. After lunch your guide will drive you to the lodge in Kibale where you will have dinner and spend the night.
Accommodation options: Tabebuia spa and safari resort or Chimpundu Lodge
Meal plan: All inclusive
Day 5: Chimpanzee tracking and bigodi tour
After waking up early and having breakfast, you will be driven to the Kibale park headquarters for a briefing on chimpanzee trekking. After briefing, you will go in groups allocated to you with ranger guides to search for the chimpanzees and during the search, you will see other primates such as black and white colobus monkeys as well as various bird and butterfly species.
You will also take part in a tour at the Bigodi wetland sanctuary where you will enjoy a guided nature walk and birding. Your guide will take you back to the lodge after the bigodi tour for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation options: Tabebuia spa and safari resort or Chimpundu Lodge
Meal plan: All inclusive
Day 6: Drive to Queen Elizabeth national park and evening game drive
You will be driven to Queen Elizabeth national park after having breakfast at the lodge in Kibale national park for about 3 hours and you will be driven to the lodge in Queen Elizabeth park for check in.
After having lunch at the lodge, you will engage in a game drive in Queen Elizabeth national park and look out for wildlife species like buffalos, lions, elephants, hippos, antelopes, leopards among others. Your guide will drive you back to the lodge after the game drive to prepare for dinner and to spend the night.
Accommodation options: Kyambura Gorge Lodge / Mweya Safari Lodge
Meal plan: All inclusive
Day 7: Game drive and Kazinga boat cruise
After an early morning breakfast, you will engage in a morning game drive to the Kasenyi area in Queen Elizabeth national park to search for predators like leopards and lions as well as other wildlife species.
You will also go to the Kazinga channel for a boat ride in the afternoon to see more wildlife species by the lake shores like elephants, buffalos, hippos, Nile crocodiles and different bird species. After the 2 hour boat ride, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation options: Kyambura Gorge Lodge / Mweya Safari Lodge
Meal plan: All inclusive
Day 8: Transfer to Bwindi National Park
After an early breakfast, your guide will drive you from Queen Elizabeth national park to Bwindi impenetrable Forest National Park through Ishasha or Kabale arriving in time for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation options: Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp / Kiho Gorilla Safari Lodge / Buhoma Lodge / Four Gorillas Lodge / Bwindi Lodge
Meal plan: All inclusive
Day 9: Mountain Gorilla Tracking and optional Cultural tour
Your breakfast will be served at the lodge and proceed to the park headquarters in Bwindi national park where you will have a briefing on gorilla trekking. You will head into Bwindi forest and follow different trails to begin the search for the gorillas.
You will spend 1 hour in the presence of the gorillas and after the gorilla trek in Bwindi national park you will have an optional cultural tour where you will interact with the locals and get to know their way of life, enjoy traditional dance performances and later return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation options: Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp / Kiho Gorilla Safari Lodge / Buhoma Lodge / Four Gorillas Lodge / Bwindi Lodge
Meal plan: All inclusive
Day 10: Drive to Lake Bunyonyi
You will start the drive to Lake Bunyonyi after breakfast and checking out of the lodge in Bwindi national park. You will enjoy visiting the islands of Bunyonyi on this day during a boat ride with the locals as you enjoy seeing the terraced hills and the beautiful views around the lake.
After the boat ride, you will have an optional tour with the Batwa to get to know their way of life and later you will be driven to the lodge where you will have dinner and spend the night.
Accommodation options: Birdnest Resort
Meal plan: All inclusive
Day 11: Transfer to Entebbe
After breakfast at the lodge in Lake Bunyonyi, you will start the long drive to Entebbe for about 9 hours with a stop at the equator where you will take photos and visit local craft shops and later have an enroute lunch. You will be driven to the hotel in Entebbe where you will have dinner and overnight stay.
Accommodation option: Hotel Number 5 / Best Western Premier Garden Hotel in Entebbe or Latitude 0 Degrees / Lake Victoria Serena Golf & Spa / Sheraton Hotel Kampala
Meal plan: All Inclusive
Day 12: Transfer to Entebbe international airport
You will have breakfast at the hotel in Entebbe and your guide will drive you to the airport for your flight which will bring the 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Safari to an end.
Meal Plan: Breakfast
Tour Includes:
- Exclusive Safari transport in custom made Safari 4 by 4 wheel drive Land Cruiser with air conditioner.
- Services of English-speaking driver guides.
- Pick-up and drop-off.
- Gorilla Trekking Permits and park entry fees
- Bottled water
- All Meals included
- Eleven nights accommodation at luxurious lodges
- All Activities listed in the itinerary
Tour Excludes:
- International and Visa entry charges to Uganda.
Personal expenses and gratuities.
Additional optional activities.
Best Time To Travel:
The best time to undertake this 12-day Uganda Gorilla Safari is during the dry seasons from June to September and December to February, when road conditions are better, trekking trails are more accessible, and wildlife viewing is easier as animals gather around water sources. These months offer more comfortable conditions for gorilla and chimpanzee trekking in Bwindi and Kibale forests. While the itinerary is possible year-round, the wet seasons (March to May and October to November) may present more challenges such as muddy trails, but they also bring lush scenery, fewer tourists, and potential discounts on accommodations.
How To Get There:
-
Entebbe to Murchison Falls National Park (via Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary): After arriving in Entebbe, the drive to Murchison Falls is about 310 km and takes approximately 6–7 hours, including a stop at Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino tracking and a lunch break in Masindi.
-
Murchison Falls to Kibale Forest National Park: This journey covers about 340 km and takes around 6–7 hours, with scenic views and a stop for lunch en route.
-
Kibale to Queen Elizabeth National Park: The drive is about 110 km and takes roughly 3 hours, passing through beautiful crater lakes and tea plantations.
-
Queen Elizabeth to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (via Ishasha or Kabale): This leg of the trip is about 160–250 km, depending on the sector of Bwindi, and takes approximately 5–7 hours. The Ishasha route offers chances to see tree-climbing lions.
-
Bwindi to Lake Bunyonyi: The distance is about 65 km and takes around 2–3 hours, with scenic views of terraced hills and local villages.
-
Lake Bunyonyi to Entebbe (via Equator stop): The final long drive is about 450–500 km and takes approximately 8–9 hours, including a stop at the Equator for photos and lunch.
-
Entebbe to Airport: The transfer from the hotel in Entebbe to the airport takes about 10–15 minutes, depending on traffic.
What to Carry for your 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Safari
- Camera and charger
- Sunglasses
- Light and heavy clothes
- Hiking boots
- Binoculars (if available)
General Information For This 12 Days Uganda Gorilla Safari
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:
On this 1 Day Rwanda Gorilla Tour , all visitors to Uganda must have a valid passport with at least 4 consecutive blanks pages. Any applicable visa and/or relevant documentation are the responsibility of the traveler. For further information on Visa requirements visitors are advised to contact their nearest Uganda Embassy or Consulate. Apply online here
LANGUAGE: English
TIME: GMT +3
VOLTAGE:
220 Volts/AC50Hz. Sockets are UK style, 3 pin square plugs. Power is from the UMEME in the city/major towns and generator with inverter back up in the Safari Lodges and Camps.
DIETARY REQUIREMENTS:
For those guests with specific dietary requirement, please ensure we are notified prior to travel.
CURRENCY:
Foreign currency must be changed at the Bank, Bureau de Change, and Hotel/Safari lodge/Camp/Resort. Major Credit Cards, Master card, Visa, American Express, are usually accepted throughout the country. Where credit cards are accepted, the payment will normally be recorded in US$ regardless of the card’s default currency.
CLOTHING:
Dress is mainly informal and should be comfortable as well as practical. Something warm should be brought along for early morning and evenings. Safari clothes are available from hotels/lodges/camps.
PHOTOGRAPHY:
Please be careful when photographing public buildings, airports, bridges, the national flag and people in uniform. Ensure that you have sought permission before photographing local people and their villages. If in doubt, please check with your guide.
BAGGAGE:
Where possible, travel light. Baggage space on safari is limited to medium suitcase or soft bag per person plus reasonable amount of hand luggage. There is 15 Kilogram per person limit on all flights to the wildlife sanctuaries. Excess luggage must be stored in your arrival hotel.
WATER:
You will find many different of opinion of what is safe and what is not. We recommend for peace of mind, to drink local Bottled Mineral water. It is important to drink plenty of water especially during the hotter months. We would recommend that guests drink at least 2 to 3 liters of water per day to limit the effects of dehydration.
GRATUITIES:
As a guideline and dependent on how happy you are, we would suggest the following: The General Hotel/Lodge/Camp Staff – Approximately U$ 10.00 per person per day, Driver Guides – Approximately US$ 15.00 to US$ 20.00 per person per day
Rwanda Safaris
Book With Us
Let us create exclusive,
tailor-made itineraries for your luxury safari or vacation.
Contact us with your travel preferences, and our experts will tailor a luxury itinerary to suit your needs.