Gorilla Trekking and Wildlife Experience Uganda for 9 Days

Day 1: Murchison Falls National park

Drive northwest to Murchison Falls National Park via the Rhino Sanctuary where you will have an opportunity to trek Rhinos. There are 15 Rhinos that were reintroduced after their extinction in the 1970s through poaching. A local ranger guide will lead you on foot to an up-close encounter with the rhinos and it may take about 1 and a half hours. Proceed to Murchison Falls National Park arriving at your lodge late afternoon.

Day 2: Game Drive and Boat Ride on the Nile

Early in the morning go for a game drive on the northern bank of the River Nile in your open-roof vehicle which will give you an excellent opportunity to view and photograph the diverse wildlife. High chances of spotting elephants, lions, cape buffalo, Roth child’s giraffe, hartebeest, waterbuck, oribi, bushbuck, bohor reedbuck, hyena, and if you are lucky, the leopard. Return for lunch then go for a boat cruise upstream the calm Victoria Nile to the base of the falls stopping just a few meters from the ‘Devil’s Cauldron’, marvel at the schools of hippos, crocodiles and over the 17km stretch you may see elephant, waterbuck, and Uganda Kob. This is also the zone of many birds, species like goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelican be-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant, and the rare shoebill stork. After taking shorts of the photogenic Murchison Falls, you may choose to continue to the top of the falls, where you will have an amazing view of the falls!

Day 3: Departure for Kibale Forest National Park

Morning breakfast then begins your journey to Kibale Forest National Park. Drive south via Hoima to Fort Portal through the verdant countryside passing through traditional homesteads, farms, and Tea Estates. You will have a stopover for lunch en-route. You will arrive at your lodge in the late afternoon. Check-in at your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 4: Chimpanzee Trekking

After breakfast at your lodge, transfer to the starting point of your Chimpanzee tracking experience in Kibale Forest National Park which is reputed to have the greatest variety and highest concentration of primates in East Africa. The most famous of its 13 species is the Chimpanzee, man’s closest relative. Kibale’s 1450 Chimpanzee represents Uganda’s largest population of this endangered primate. After lunch, head to Bigodi for an afternoon swamp walk. Bigodi was established by a local development organization to protect the 4sq -km Magombe Swamp that’s home to around 200 species of birds (highlights include papyrus gonolek, white-winged warbler, and great blue turaco). The highlight of this tour is catching a glimpse of the great blue turaco. The swamp is also good for spotting butterflies and primates, with 8 different species here, including grey-cheeked angabey. The 2-3 hour guided walk is led by experienced local guides.

Day 5: Queen Elizabeth National Park

After breakfast, proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park following the mystical Rwenzori Mountain Range. Take you through the game park where you might spot some animals. Upon arriving at your lodge, you will enjoy a hot lunch and later in the afternoon take a unique 2-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel into Lake Edward. This trip passes through possibly the highest concentration of hippos and this launch/cruise offers an excellent platform for photography, bird watching, and game viewing.

Day 6: Wildlife Game Drive

Queen Elizabeth National Park’s diverse Eco-system of grassy plains, tropical forest, rivers, swamps, lakes, and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife. Have an early morning game drive where you have an opportunity to view the massive Rwenzori as the backdrop, which provides excellent opportunities to spot lion, leopard, giant forest hog, Cape buffalo, elephant, defassa waterbuck, Uganda Kob, topi, and bushbuck. The game drives and the boat trip (taken prior) are memorable methods of discovering a vast array of Ugandan wildlife. Be sure to have your camera ready for these amazing sightings! Afternoon visits the bat and hunter’s cave where we take a close look at the bats, rock python, and forest cobras. The same walk will provide a chance of seeing birds, primates, tree species, etc. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 7: Tree Climbing Lions the Depart for Bwindi; Home of Gorillas

A morning game drives through the Ishasha plains for your final visit to the lions and other wildlife before heading out of the Queen Elizabeth National Park and on to Bwindi. The drive takes you through the Switzerland of Africa area known as the Kigezi Highlands with its terraced hillside and winding roads to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, arriving in the evening. Check into the lodge for dinner and your overnight.

Day 8: Gorilla Trekking Experience

Breakfast then depart to the starting point for briefing about your gorilla trekking adventure after which you will be led by experienced gorilla trackers. You will start from the site where the gorillas were encountered the day before and from here the gorilla tracking begins. Although the hike can be physically demanding, the anticipation of the exciting experience ahead is amazing, and the beauty of the gorilla forest and its inhabitants are fascinating. It is a humbling experience to stand just meters from man’s distant cousins as they eat rest, play, and bond with their young ones. Follow the mountain gorillas in the impenetrable forest, and discover their natural habitual and the many species they share it with. You are allowed an hour with the gorillas before sloping down back to your lodge.

Day 9: Departure

Return Journey to Kampala or Entebbe with lots of experiences and lifelong memories.