7 Day Primates Safari (Gorillas & Chimpanzees)

Upon your arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by your professional English-speaking safari guide, who will transfer you to your hotel. During the drive, your guide will brief you about the safari, answer any questions, and provide useful travel tips for your adventure.

Depending on your arrival time, you may relax after your flight or choose an optional excursion to the Entebbe Botanical Gardens, the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, or enjoy a peaceful walk along the shores of Lake Victoria. This relaxed first day allows you to recover from your international journey before beginning your primate safari.

After breakfast, depart for Kibale National Park, widely regarded as the primate capital of East Africa. The scenic drive takes you through small towns, lush banana plantations, tea estates, crater lakes, and rolling hills, offering a wonderful introduction to Uganda's countryside.

Arrive in Fort Portal for lunch before continuing to your lodge near Kibale Forest. The afternoon is yours to relax while enjoying views of the surrounding forest. Depending on your arrival time, you may take an optional guided community walk around Bigodi Village or simply unwind in preparation for the next day's chimpanzee trekking.

Rise early for breakfast before heading to Kanyanchu Visitor Centre for a briefing by Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger guides. After learning about chimpanzee behavior and trekking guidelines, enter Kibale Forest in search of one of its habituated chimpanzee communities.

Kibale is home to over 1,500 chimpanzees and 13 primate species, making it one of Africa's finest destinations for primate viewing. As you trek through the tropical rainforest, you may also encounter black-and-white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, L'Hoest's monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys and an incredible variety of forest birds.

Once the chimpanzees are located, you'll spend one unforgettable hour watching them feed, groom, communicate, and swing through the forest canopy.

After lunch, continue to Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, an internationally recognized community conservation area. The guided nature walk introduces you to beautiful swamp ecosystems rich in birdlife, butterflies, monkeys, medicinal plants, and local traditions.

Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Following breakfast, depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda's most visited savannah national park. The drive passes through picturesque crater lakes, tea plantations, and the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains before entering the park.

After lunch, enjoy one of Uganda's most popular wildlife experiences—a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. This natural waterway linking Lake Edward and Lake George supports one of Africa's highest concentrations of hippos. During the cruise, you'll also encounter Nile crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, and numerous bird species such as African fish eagles, pelicans, kingfishers, and saddle-billed storks.

The afternoon provides excellent opportunities for photography before heading to your lodge.

Wake up early for a sunrise game drive across the Kasenyi Plains, where wildlife is most active. Search for elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, warthogs, hyenas, lions, and, if fortune smiles, the elusive leopard.

After breakfast, continue south through the famous Ishasha Sector, renowned for its rare tree-climbing lions. These magnificent predators are often seen resting high in large fig trees—a behavior observed in only a few places in Africa.

Continue through the scenic Kigezi Highlands, often referred to as the "Switzerland of Africa," where terraced hillsides and mist-covered valleys provide breathtaking scenery before arriving at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Today marks the highlight of your safari.

After an early breakfast, transfer to the Uganda Wildlife Authority headquarters for registration and a detailed briefing. You will then be assigned to a habituated mountain gorilla family based on your fitness level.

Accompanied by experienced ranger guides and trackers, venture deep into the ancient rainforest in search of these gentle giants. The trek may last anywhere between one and six hours depending on the gorillas' location.

Once the gorilla family is located, you'll spend one magical hour observing their natural behaviors. Watch dominant silverbacks protect the group, mothers nurture their infants, and playful juveniles interact within the family. This extraordinary wildlife encounter is widely regarded as one of the world's greatest wildlife experiences.

After the trek, return to the park headquarters to receive your official Gorilla Trekking Certificate before heading back to your lodge for relaxation.

After breakfast, bid farewell to Bwindi's mist-covered rainforest and begin your return journey to Kampala or Entebbe. Enjoy one final scenic drive through southwestern Uganda, passing tea plantations, Ankole long-horned cattle ranches, local markets, and beautiful rolling hills.

Stop at the Uganda Equator for lunch, souvenir shopping, and memorable photographs before continuing to Entebbe or Kampala, where your guide will drop you off at your hotel or the airport for your onward flight.

This concludes your unforgettable 7 Day Primates Safari, combining two of Africa's greatest wildlife encounters—chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park and gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park—with a classic wildlife safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park.