Description
Kigali to Entebbe: 10-Day Private Luxury Gorillas-Chimpanzees and Wildlife Uganda Safari
Journey through four of Uganda’s top national parks on our 10-day Exclusive Primate & Wildlife Rwanda—Uganda Safari, which showcases Africa’s premier primate destinations. Tailor your adventure to fit your preferences: You choose whether you want the Gorilla and Chimpanzee Habituation Experience or the Standard Treks at a lesser price.
Please note: Availability for the Gorilla Habituation Experience is limited, and securing permits requires advanced planning.
Experience a unique safari that offers insights into East Africa’s diverse ecosystems. Marvel at the Great Apes, traverse the historic River Nile in Murchison Falls National Park and witness the world’s most powerful waterfall. Conclude your tour with a visit to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, where you can see rhinos roaming freely, completing your extraordinary journey through the Pearl of Africa.
Select, Changeable, Upmarket Luxury Lodges are used for this safari, where you can relax after a day of Trekking or game Drives. The vehicle used is a Toyota Land Cruiser modified for Safari use with a pop-up roof for the best Wildlife Viewing.
Highlights of your 10-Day Exclusive Primate & Wildlife Uganda Safari
- Gorilla Habituation Experience – 4-Hours with a Gorilla Family or Standard Gorilla Trekking.
- Tree-Climbing Lions in Ishasha – Queen Elizabeth Park
- Lion Tracking Research with Collared Lions – Queen Elizabeth Park
- Wildlife Game Drives – Queen Elizabeth Park and Murchison Falls Park
- The Scenic Explosion Crater Drive with its Stunning Crater Lakes – Best Views in the Park.
- Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary Walk – a Jungle Swamp
- All-Day Chimpanzee Habituation or Standard Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale Forest
- Kazinga Channel and Nile Boat Safari
- Top of the Falls Excursion at Murchison Falls Hike
- On-foot Rhino Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
- Choice of Luxury Lodges
- Begin in Kigali, Rwanda, and end in Entebbe, Uganda.
Your 10-Day Exclusive Primate & Wildlife Uganda Safari Unveils
Day 1: Drive to Rushaga Region – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda
We depart from your hotel in Kigali and head to Rushaga. The journey takes approximately four hours, depending on the border crossing. A visa for Uganda costs 50 USD. Alternatively, you can opt for the $100 East African Visa, available online from Rwanda’s Migration Ministry. Both countries require proof of a Yellow Fever vaccination at the time of visa application. According to the WHO and CDC, the vaccination is a one-time dose with no booster required.
Border procedures typically last about 30 – 40 minutes, after which we’ll continue into Uganda, driving through the scenic Gorilla Highlands and past Lake Mutanda.
We will arrive in the Rushaga area of the ancient Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, where a variety of mid-range lodging options are available for your selection.
Lunch at the Lodge.
Afternoon Option: Enjoy a Buniga Forest Walk with the Batwa, a Pygmy tribe that was the rainforest’s first inhabitants. The Batwa lived in harmony with nature until their eviction in 1991, following the establishment of the National Parks. This three-hour activity includes an optional visit to their village, where you will have the opportunity to learn about the Batwa’s ancient culture of hunting and gathering.
Meal Plan: All Meals
Lodging – Four Gorillas Lodge
Alternative Lodging Options: Rushaga Gorilla Lodge
Day 2: Gorilla Habituation Experience – Rushaga:
Early Breakfast and take your packed lunch from the lodge. Have a daypack, 3 liters of water, a daypack, long trousers, gardening gloves for pulling yourself up on branches, and a long-sleeved shirt. Waterproof boots, hat, rain jacket, use a walking stick, and the services of a porter at a small cost.
Meet the researchers, trackers, and guides and head for the location of your gorilla family group being habituated and your four hours in their presence and learning their ways. 
With the trek in and trek out—the 4-hour Gorilla Habituation Experience—this is an all-day trek. Not only do you see the gorillas with only 4 participants, but you also learn about the gorilla habits and ways from the gorillas and the researchers.
Return to the trailhead and it is back to the lodge.
Please Note: Gorilla Habituation Experience permits are extremely limited. To ensure availability, we recommend prioritizing your gorilla habituation schedule as you plan your African journey rather than trying to fit it in after other arrangements are made. If needed, Gorilla Trekking can be substituted for the Gorilla Habituation Experience, either for physical reasons or to manage costs.
Meal Plan: All Meals
Lodging – Four Gorillas Lodge
Day 3: Move to Queen Elizabeth Park to Ishasha
After breakfast, we set out on a scenic 5-hour drive from Rushaga to the Ishasha region of Queen Elizabeth Park. Upon arrival at Ishasha, you will check into the exclusive Ishasha Wilderness Camp. Here, you can relax and freshen up before enjoying a delightful lunch at the camp.
Post-lunch, get ready for an exciting game drive in search of the iconic tree-climbing lions. Ishasha is renowned as the best place in East Africa to observe these majestic animals as they rest in the trees during the day. The area is also a habitat for large populations of elephants and buffalo, adding to the richness of your wildlife-viewing experience.
You will spend the night at Ishasha Wilderness Camp along the Ntungwe River and in the heart of the wilderness, allowing you to soak in the serene atmosphere and natural beauty of the park.
Meal Plan: All Meals
Lodging: Ishasha Wilderness Camp
Alternative Lodging Options: Ishasha Jungle Lodge, Buffalo Safari Lodge.
Day 4: Queen Elizabeth Park:
After breakfast, you will continue to the northern area of the park, where you will check into your lodge. The drive from Ishasha to the northern area of the park takes 2 hours. This scenic route offers numerous wildlife sightings as you approach your destination. Besides Lions, there is a large Elephant – Buffalo Population here.
Lunch
Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise:
In the late afternoon, we set off on one of Uganda’s most scenic drives—the 27-kilometer Explosion Crater Drive, showcasing the best of photogenic Uganda. The Explosion Craters, dating back to the time when the Egyptians built the pyramids, were formed by volcanic explosions that created what is now Lake Edward.
As we drive, you’ll enjoy spectacular views of the park, the Western Rift Escarpment, and the Rwenzori Mountains of the Moon. This route leads to the highest point in the park, offering incredible vistas of the Western Rift Escarpment, the Rwenzori Mountains, and the craters themselves, previously featured in National Geographic.
Note Time Permitting: Sunset game drive may be taken depending on the time of arrival and your stamina.
Meal Plan: All meals
Lodging: Elephant Plains Lodge
Some of the alternative lodging choices include: Kasenyi Safari Camp, Mweya Safari Lodge, and the modorately prices Enganzi Lodge.
Day 5: Crater Lake Drive, Transition to Kibale:
Enjoy breakfast early, and by 6:30 AM, set off for the 27-kilometer Katwe Explosion Crater Drive, celebrated in National Geographic. As the highest point in the park, this spot offers spectacular sunrise views—perfect for photography. The panoramic vistas are breathtaking, and you might spot wildlife, including elephants, in this serene setting.
Travel to Kibale Forest: After the drive, we embark on a journey to Kibale Forest, approximately a two-hour drive. Upon arrival, check into your lodge and take some time to settle in.
Lunch
Afternoon – Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary: At 3 PM, begin a guided 3-hour hike through Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary. Much of the hike is on planks that form a boardwalk above the swamp, providing a unique vantage point. Your guide, a knowledgeable local from the community that has long maintained these wetlands, will lead you through this jungle swamp. Annually, thousands visit to explore its lush diversity.
During your hike, you might encounter chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, and baboons. The area is a birdwatcher’s paradise, with the Blue Turaco as a prime attraction. Other mammals in the area include otters, bush pigs, mongoose, and the elusive Sitatunga Antelope.
Meal Plan: All meals provided.
Lodging: Elephant Plains Lodge
Alternative Lodging Choices: Kasenyi Safari Camp, Mweya Safari Lodge
Day 6: Chimpanzee Habituation Experience Kibale Forest or Chimpanzee Trekking
Begin your day with an early breakfast before meeting your Ranger-Guide and other trackers at Kanyanchu Park Offices. Today’s adventure takes you deep into Kibale Forest to a chimpanzee group undergoing habituation—a process lasting up to two years that accustoms them to human presence. 
Chimpanzee Habituation Experience: As you trek through the forest, the hooting calls of chimpanzees echo through the trees, guiding you to their location. You’ll spend an hour observing these fascinating primates up close, learning about their complex social structures. Chimpanzee communities can be large, with over 100 members, where alpha males maintain territory and females care for the young.
Wildlife and Environment: Even before spotting the chimpanzees, the forest comes alive with other wildlife. You might see 4 to 6 other primates, numerous birds, vibrant butterflies, and other mammals. The rich vegetation of Kibale Forest itself is a sight to behold. Opting for an all-day habituation experience allows you to see and learn significantly more than the shorter trekking option.
Preparation Tips: Dress appropriately in durable clothing and shoes. Carry at least 2 liters of water and a packed lunch for the day’s excursion.
Note: If you prefer a shorter duration, Chimpanzee Trekking is available as an alternative to the all-day Habituation Experience.
Meal Plan: All meals
Lodging: Papaya Lake Lodge, Turaco Tree Tops
Day 7: Drive to Murchison Falls Park
Start your day with breakfast and leave Kibale Forest at 7 a.m. for the drive to Murchison Falls Parks. Stop for lunch in the town of Hoima at the Kontiki Hotel.
In the afternoon, we cross the River Nile to the Wildlife Side of the park, where you check into your lodge.
Note: Sunset game drive may be taken depending on the time of arrival and your stamina.
In the late afternoon, we are off for the first game drive in Murchison Falls National Park. Here, you can see lions, elephants, giraffes, antelopes of all types, warthogs, and buffaloes. You will also encounter many Savanna Birds.
The vehicle has a pop-up roof so that you can stand and take better pictures. Your Driver- Guide and a Uganda Wildlife Ranger will point out the animals that you might not miss them
Back to your lodging, and there is nothing like a sunset over the Nile.
Meal Plan: All meals
Lodging: Paraa Safari Lodge
Alternatives: Pakuba Safari Lodge, Nile Safari Lodge, etc.
Day 8: Murchison Falls Park:
Morning Game Drive: Begin your day with an early breakfast, then set off for a game drive across the sweeping savannas near Lake Albert Delta. As the sun rises, you’ll encounter an abundance of wildlife that makes Murchison Falls Park a unique gem. Here, amidst the calls of birds and the sight of lions, leopards, elephants, hippos, buffaloes, giraffes, and the peculiarly humorous warthogs, you truly experience the essence of Africa. 
Boat Safari on the Nile: After lunch, prepare for one of the highlights of your safari—the boat trip up the Nile River. As you glide slowly along the riverbank, keep an eye out for crocodiles sunbathing, hippos frolicking, and herds of elephants cooling off by the water’s edge. This journey offers spectacular wildlife viewing, including numerous birds such as fish, eagles, and storks.
Murchison Falls Encounter: Approaching Murchison Falls, you’ll be awe-struck by the world’s most powerful waterfall. The Nile narrows from 50 meters to rush through a 6-meter gorge, plummeting 43 meters below. The roar is deafening, and the sight is a profound reminder of nature’s force. Along the riverbanks, large numbers of Nile crocodiles bask in the sun, and groups of hippos enjoy the refreshing Nile waters.
Guided Hike at the Falls: Disembark at the base of the falls for a guided hike up alongside this mighty cascade. The mist from the falls will cool you as you ascend the trail once used by Winston Churchill in 1907. At the top, your driver-guide will meet you to cross the Nile by ferry, returning you to your lodge for a well-deserved dinner and rest.
Meal Plan: All meals
Lodging: Paraa Safari Lodge
Alternatives: Pakuba Safari Lodge, Nile Safari Lodge, etc.
Day 9: Murchison Falls Park
Breakfast and take a Delta Boat Ride into Lake Albert. It is here that you often see the elusive Shoebill Stork, plus many other Water Birds and wildlife along this 3 to 4 hour Boat Safari.
Lunch
Afternoon Game Drive – your last one on this Safari, or chill out at your lodge.
Meal Plan: All meals
Lodging: Paraa Safari Lodge
Alternatives: Pakuba Safari Lodge, Nile Safari Lodge, etc.
Day 10: Murchison Falls Park, Rhino Trekking – Entebbe
Breakfast, after which we cross the Nile and head for Ziwa Rhino Trekking and Wildlife Ranch in Uganda. 
Here, with a Ranger, you go on foot for an on-foot Rhino Trek- this is about 1½ hours long, and you come into close proximity with the Rhinos.
Lunch at the Amuka Lodge which is inside of Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and offers an excellent BBQ Lunch to guests.
Kampala is a 3-hour plus drive from here, depending on traffic. Entebbe International Airport, this time of the day, will be a 4-hour drive due to the traffic gridlock that is part of late afternoon and evening Kampala.
Your 10-Day Exclusive Primate and Wildlife Rwanda – Uganda Safari. We can arrange a hotel or day room for you in Entebbe before your flight out.
Meal Plan: Breakfast – Lunch
Your 10-day Private Luxury Gorillas-Chimpanzees and Wildlife Safari includes All Permits and activities except where it says optional. All lodging and full board are included except drinks, tips, and laundry at lodges.
