Bwindi is located in southwestern Uganda, a magnificent verdant swathe across the steep ridges of the Albertine Rift Valley. This ancient rainforest is one of the few in Africa to have flourished and home to half of the world’s endangered population of mountain gorillas. Looking into the expressive brown eyes of these giants is surely the most exciting and poignant wildlife encounter Uganda has to offer.
Tour Plan
Day 1 – Entebbe
On your arrival at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda, you will be welcomed by our representative and transferred for your overnight in the selected accommodation. Enjoy your rest just before the unique experience of discovering the Bwindi Forest National Park and meet the gorillas.
Day 2 – Murchison Falls National Park
After breakfast, your adventure in Uganda begins by driving northwest towards Masindi and Murchison Falls Conservation Area, the largest conservation area in Uganda. It offers beautiful sceneries of grassland acacia savannah in the north and tropical forests in the south. You will stopover for a nature walk at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the breeding project which saw the rebirth of the endangered white rhinos in Uganda. You can see them closely while walking freely in the reserve which is their natural habitat. Lunch will be served at the restaurant. Afterwards, proceed to the national park.
Day 3 – Murchison Falls National Park
After breakfast, you will embark on an early morning game drive, explore the savannah in the delta of the Nile on Lake Albert, northern bank. As you view and take memorable photographs of the animals in the wild, you might find elephants, lions, buffalos, giraffes, waterbucks, bushbucks, spotted hyenas and very rarely, the leopards. Drive back to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, you’ll take the boat excursion along the river Nile to the base of the magnificent Murchison Falls. It is amazing to see the concentration of wildlife on the bank of the River Nile, including hippos, crocodiles, and a variety of bird’s species, like African eagles, pelicans, kingfisher, Egyptian geese and much more. You’ll proceed from the excursion with the walk to the “top of the falls, where the River Nile creates a narrow canyon of thunderous water as it lowers down the Albertine Rift Valley. You will have a view from the top of the falls.
Day 4 – Chimpanzee Trekking in Budongo Forest
Early morning after breakfast you drive to Budongo Forest, in Kaniyo-Pabidi eco-tourist site, for the tropical forest trekking to meet the great apes, the chimpanzees in their natural habitat. The forest is also home to many other primates such as black and white Colobus monkey, red-tailed monkey, blue monkey, vervet monkey and baboons. The chimpanzee trekking is possible due to the conservation efforts by Jane Goodall Institute and the park authorities to protect the forest and the endangered chimpanzees. You can have lunch or choose to carry packed lunch. In the afternoon, you can take a cultural activity with the Boomu Women Group eco-tourist site or the Kapega Association made by local guides who have been working in the forest. This is a moment for you to interact with the people living near the forest, to see how they live.
Day 5 – Hoima-Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, you’ll leave Hoima heading southwest along the Lake Albert and Rift Valley escarpment, with breathtaking panoramic sceneries as you drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. A stopover is made in Bugoma Forest South of Hoima. Bugoma Forest is the habitat of the chimpanzees and Ugandan mangabeys. Depending on the time available, we may suggest you take a nature walk in the forest or plant a tree. Lunch will be en-route in a restaurant. The road follows along the Rwenzori Mountain Range to Kasese town.
Day 6 – Queen Elizabeth National Park
In the early morning, take a game drive along the tracks of the national park, in the northern sectors and towards Lake George and Kasenyi village. You might see lions, elephants, buffaloes, spotted hyenas, waterbucks, Ugandan kobs, perhaps the leopards which are a rare sight. Queen Elizabeth enjoys unique landscapes and views of crater lakes and the Albertine Rift Valley, which make this area special and unforgettable. Afterwards, have lunch. In the afternoon, take the most exciting safari by boat from Mweya Peninsula along Kazinga Channel, one of the most popular sites in Uganda for its concentration of wildlife, birdlife and opportunities for good photographs. Moreover, you will see plenty of hippos, buffaloes and elephants while drinking from the channel. In the evening, have a short transfer to the Ishasha Sector of the park, for check-in at chosen accommodation.
Day 7 – Ishasha Sector – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast, have a photographic safari in the Ishasha Sector, the southern region of Queen Elizabeth National Park, in search of the “tree-climbing lions” which are seen during the hot hours of the day, as they lie resting on top of fig trees. You’ll also see herds of buffaloes, elephants, topi antelopes and many species of birds. Lunch will be had en-route.
Note: Today, your transfer can be very long, up to 7 hours and it depends on the roads conditions and place of allocation of gorilla permits. The choice of the area of the gorilla safari depends on the availability of permits.
Day 8 – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
In the morning, you’ll enter the tropical rainforest of Bwindi for the gorilla safari. The activity starts at 8:00 am and you will follow the ranger guides in a group of maximum 8 people as you search for the habituated family of mountain gorillas, which was allocated according to the permits. Bwindi Forest in Uganda has a population of about 420 gorillas, which is half the world population according to 2012 gorilla population surveys. The time you will spend to encounter the gorillas is not predictable. You have one hour for observing the primates and their behaviour while taking photographs. Ensure you take a packed lunch and water with you in the bag and for this, you might need the support of available porters.
Day 9 – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park- Lake Mburo National Park
After breakfast, drive to Lake Mburo National Park, a small game national park found in the central region of Uganda, the Ankole. This is the perfect stopover between Bwindi and Entebbe. After lunch, go for a game drive in search for the beautiful impalas, elands, topis and many antelopes, buffaloes and zebras.
Day 10 – Lake Mburo National Park – Entebbe
After breakfast, have your last game drive and lunch. Then drive to Entebbe for your flight out from Entebbe International Airport.
