13-Days Uganda Gorilla Trek Exclusive budget Safari

Day 1
Our driver/guide will be at Entebbe Airport to pick you up from your flight. He will bring you to your hotel in Kampala. Depending on the time of your arrival, you might be able to explore Kampala. All activities today are at your own cost.
You will stay in a nice backpackers lodge with self-contained rooms. There are so many shopping malls, restaurants, banks, forex bureau next to the lodge.
Journey time: 1½ hours

Day 2
After breakfast, head to Murchison falls with a stopover at Ziwa rhino sanctuary. In the Rhino Sanctuary, you will have a safari-hike to the rhinos which will give you the opportunity to view them at close range. After having had lunch at the Rhino Sanctuary (not inclusive) you continue to the northern side of Uganda’s largest national park (3 hrs driving). You will be staying at a very nice camp, just outside the park, where you can relax the rest of the afternoon. Upon arrival, you will be led through a massive main tower towards the main building where the restaurant and roof terrace offer magnificent views of the River Nile. The camp is built in the style of the old forts and offers a great service.
You will stay in a safari tent furnished with 2 single beds. The safari tent is non- self-contained, but the communal ablution blocks are close by.

Journey time: 7 hours

Day 3
The morning, you get up for an early breakfast and then you go for your first game drive through the park. You will be eye-to-eye with the African animal kingdom: elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, lions, leopards, different species of antelope and many tropical birds. They are all there! In the afternoon you make a boat safari towards the Murchison Falls. Carefully watched by crocodiles, hundreds of hippos, buffaloes, water birds, apes and all the other thirsty wildlife that the Nile attracts you go to the bottom of the 43 meters high and famous Murchison Falls, which approaches you with a thunderous sound.

Day 4
In the early morning, you go for another game-drive or you can just relax at the lodge; the choice is yours. After an early lunch, you leave Murchison Falls National Park. On the way you will stop at the top of the Murchison Waterfalls: The views are amazing!! See where the world’s longest river explodes violently through a narrow cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment to plunge into a frothing pool 43m below. From here you’ll take a beautiful route through a valley, enjoy views on Lake Albert and small villages and stop for a relaxing night in a comfortable hotel in the cosy town of Hoima.

Day 5
Today, you will begin your journey to Kibale Forest. The drive is incredibly scenic, passing through tea plantations and the lush green countryside which characterizes so much of Uganda.
After about 6 hours driving, you stop for lunch in the cozy town Fort Portal (lunch is not inclusive). After lunch, you have time to walk around town and/or visit the local market.
On arrival at the forest, you will enter a completely different world… some serious monkey business! Although you are here specifically to track Chimps, the forest is home to at least 12 primate species including: the Red Tailed Monkey, Olive Baboon, Black and White Colobus Monkey, and the Blue Monkey. The bird life in the forest is also prolific and includes the beautiful Great Blue Turaco. If you are very lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of a meandering herd of Forest Elephant. You spend the late afternoon relaxing at the lodge, from which there is a lovely view of the forest and its wildlife, crater lakes, hippo, birds.

Day 6
Kibale Forest boasts the highest number of primate species in the world, including our delightful cousins, the chimpanzees. Today, in Uganda, there are approximately 5,000 chimpanzees left in the wild, which makes it a perfect place to spot them!
The experienced ranger takes you chimp tracking in the morning or afternoon; besides the chimps, you have the chance to see other monkey species that live in this tropical forest. A wonderful jungle trip is the result, finishing in an hour of eye to eye contact with the chimpanzees. We can however never guarantee you to see them, they are still wild animals!
Your swamp/crater lakes walk (2-3 hours) will take you through grassland, small communities and some beautiful scenery, where the locals are likely to greet you with enthusiastic waves. It is usual to spot 3 or 4 different primate species during this walk, though the highlight is catching a glimpse of the Great Blue Turaco!

Day 7
In the morning, you can relax at your lodge, make a Crater Lake hike or visit a nearby tea plantation where you will be able to assist the tea pickers and learn about how leaves are selected for the highest quality (All activities of this morning are at your own cost). You then continue your journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Lunch will be in Fort Portal or in a restaurant on the road (lunch is not inclusive). Queen Elizabeth is Uganda’s second largest park and is located base of the majestic Rwenzori Mountain range, adjacent to Lake Edward and Lake George. The park has prolific game, including Gazelle, Uganda Kob, Warthog and Waterbuck; Lions are often sighted both in and at the entrance to the park. Be prepared for huge numbers of Hippo and Elephant, and keep your eyes peeled for a Leopard lazing in the sunshine. You stay at lodge overlooking the savannah plateau from your lodge. You will go for an afternoon game drive into the park.

Journey time: 3½ hours

Day 8
After an early breakfast, you go for a long game drive at 6.30 a.m., in time to see the sun rise. You will search for all the wildlife in the park; Elephant, Buffalo, Lion, Waterbuck, Leopard, Uganda Kob, Warthog, etc.
In the afternoon, you will take a boat safari along the Kazinga Channel. Here, you will see a lot of hippos (more than you can possibly imagine!), as well as a variety of other animals which come to the waterhole to drink or bathe. You can expect to see: Buffalo, Crocodile, bathing Elephant, and a range of beautiful birds. This will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of your tour. After the boat-safari you game drive back to the lodge.

Day 9
Today you drive to Bwindi in the south-western part of Uganda; close to the borders with Rwanda and Congo. You cross a beautiful part of the country often referred to as ‘the Switzerland of Africa’.
Your accommodation is a lodge overlooking Bwindi Forest. You will sleep in one of their nice “lazy camping” safari tents. These are canvas camping tents with comfortable and big mattresses inside. As well your bed is made, so you don’t need to bring anything like sleeping bag, pillows or whatsoever! From here you will departure tomorrow for the gorilla tracking!

Day 10
Today is the big day… Prepare yourself for an encounter with one of Bwindi’s gentle giants: the rare Mountain Gorilla. For most people, this is the absolute highlight of their tour in Uganda.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest boasts both Mountain Gorillas and Chimpanzees – the only forest in Africa which can make this claim in fact. It also hosts five other species of primate, 113 species of mammal, over 200 butterflies and 360 birds.
The Gorillas you will track belong to one of nine habituated family groups who can tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period every day. Your trek will be an exciting journey along forested slopes, entwined vines, bushes and bamboo before you eventually reach the Gorillas’ habitat. En-route, your guide will point out signs of previous Gorilla activity, including dung, nests and chewed bamboo shoots.
The time taken to track the Gorillas can take as little as 2 hours to as much as 7 hours before one returns. Once the Gorillas have been located, your group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. Coming face-to-face with a Mountain Gorilla is a truly humbling and emotional experience. This is a fantastic and privileged opportunity to get up close and personal with Uganda’s very own ‘Gorillas in the Mist’.

Days 11-12
A three hours drive will bring you to. You will go to a beautiful island in Lake Bunyonyi, the “Lake of the little birds”. It’s one of the most beautiful places of Uganda.
Bushara Island is a wonderful place to relax surrounded by nature. The green hills and papyrus swamps offer many opportunities for bird watching and Eucalyptus trees and shady nooks along private paths provide quiet places to sit and read a book.

You stay in a simple but comfortable furnished safari tent with beautiful views of the lake. You have your private bush shower and bush toilet just behind your tent. The safari tents provide an authentic African experience. The volcanic lake is bilharzia-free and safe for swimming and canoeing.

Optional activities at/from the island:

– Walking, jogging, cycling;
– Bird Watching;
– Cultural and Historical tours;
– Canoeing and boat rides.

Journey time: 3 hours

Day 13:
After breakfast, you continue your drive back to Kampala or Entebbe (Airport). Of course, you stop at the equator, the best place for your souvenir shopping. Your driver/guide will bring you to your accommodation in Kampala/Entebbe or to Entebbe Airport (this is only possible if your departure flight leaves at 10 pm or later).

Accommodation for tonight is not inclusive in the program. In case you wish us to include one (or more) nights in Kampala and/or Entebbe, please let us know.

Journey time: 9-10 hours to Kampala / 10-11 hours to Entebbe

This is the end of what we hope has been a fabulous trip!