7-Day Uganda Primate and Wildlife Safari
7-Day Uganda Primate and Wildlife Safari: Offers an amazing wildlife and primate experience in Uganda. Visitors will meet the endangered mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, lions, elephants, buffaloes, and other African wildlife species. The safari also includes visits to ancestral places like the Igongo cultural centre and bird species. This safari has several adventure experiences, such as chimpanzee trekking, wildlife sightings, boat cruises, mountain gorilla encounters, and relaxation at Lake Bunyonyi. This safari offers a chance to fully enjoy nature and explore diverse wildlife species.
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport—Meet and greet and be transferred to your booked hotel in Entebbe City.
On arrival at Entebbe International Airport, our safari guide and a corporate representative will welcome and greet you. After getting transferred to your booked hotel in Entebbe town, you will get briefed about the 7-day Uganda Primate and Wildlife Safari. Additionally, you can explore the beautiful botanical nature gardens, which are located along the shores of Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest freshwater body. The gardens will introduce you to species like birds (Fish Eagle, Malachite Kingfisher, African Jacana, Lesser Jacana) and various primates such as vervet monkeys. Return to your, relax, have dinner, and an overnight stay.
Day 2: Entebbe City—Drive to Kibale Forest National Park—Bigodi Sanctuary Swamp and Community Tour
On your 7-Day Uganda Primate and Wildlife Safari, get your early morning breakfast and transfer to Kibale Forest National Park, “the primate capital of the world,” based on its large chimpanzee population, other primates, and several bird species. The park is a hub for East Africa’s largest population of L’hoest’s and red colobus monkeys. Other primates include blue monkeys, black-and-white colobus, baboons, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and several species of birds. Feel the scenic views of tea estates, green forests, and Rwenzori mountain ranges in a magical style. Take a stopover in Fort Portal for lunch, relax in the afternoon, proceed with your journey to the park, and check in at your reserved lodge before the Bigodi Nature Walk and community walk.
The swamp has several primate species like red-tailed, blue, black, and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, and other mammals. You will interact with the local people as you explore more about their culture and social lifestyle, including daily activities such as farming, gin making, juice making, craft making, coffee making, brewing, and more. Later, return to your lodge to relax, have dinner, and have an overnight stay.
Day 3: Kibale Forest National Park—Chimpanzee tracking safari experience—Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park—Visit Katwe salt mining community
Have breakfast and head to the park headquarters offices for a briefing about the pre-chimpanzee trekking. Get into the forest for a guided forest walk in search of chimpanzees. You will encounter several wildlife species, such as antelopes, birds, and primate species like red-tailed, blue, black, and white colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, and many others. When you meet these chimpanzees, you have 1 hour of observing and studying their behaviours, such as their playful habits, feeding, and nursing their babies as you take photos. After this experience, return to the park headquarters and have lunch. Later, head to Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of the famous parks harbouring several wildlife species with scenic views of Rwenzori Mountain ranges, crater lakes, and Kazinga Channel, a natural water passage that connects Lake George to Lake Edward. Upon arrival at the park, visit the Katwe community, famous for salt mining from Lake Katwe since the 16th century. Here, you will interact with the local people and explore as you learn their economic and social lifestyle with salt mining-related activities. Later, drive to check in at your booked hotel, relax until dinner, and have an overnight stay.
Day 4: Queen Elizabeth National Park—Morning game drive safari —Afternoon boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel—Evening game drive safari
On day four of your 7-Day Uganda Primate and Wildlife Safari, take your breakfast early in the morning and drive to the Kasenyi plains in the northern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you will see several wildlife species such as buffaloes, lions, leopards, elephants, waterbucks, jackals, Uganda Kobs, common warthogs, and several bird species. Take a short break, get refreshed, and take your lunch. After, transfer to Kazinga Channel for an afternoon boat cruise safari. You will see a variety of land and aquatic mammals, including the Nile crocodiles, African elephants, monitor lizards, and hippos, as well as several bird species, including the Pied and Malachite Kingfisher, African Skimmer, African Spoonbill, Pink-backed Pelicans, Saddle-billed Stork, African Jacana, and others. After your boat ride, take a game drive in the evening, primarily in search of the big game mammals and predators like lions, spotted hyenas, leopards, civets, and others. Later, return for dinner at the hotel and overnight.
Day 5: Queen Elizabeth National Park—Morning game drive safari—Game drive to search for the tree-climbing lions—Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Get up early, pack your travel bags, and have breakfast before heading to the park for additional wildlife and bird sightings. Game drives are some of the highlights of Queen Elizabeth National Park due to the big game mammals such as leopards, buffalos, lions, elephants, several primates, and antelopes that call it home. After the morning game drive, drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, where you will go on a game drive safari in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park to look for the magical tree-climbing lions. Have lunch and after proceed to the enchanted Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Check in at the lodge you reserved, have dinner, and have an overnight stay.
Day 6: Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park—Mountain gorilla trekking experience—Drive to Lake Bunyonyi
To improve your mountain gorilla trekking experience during your 7-day Uganda primate and wildlife safari, get up early and outfit yourself with all the gear you will need, including waterproof shoes, long-sleeved shirts, hiking boots, a camera, rain gear, a backpack, bottled water, and many others. Drive to the park headquarters for a pre-tracking briefing about the safety precautions of trekking mountain gorillas. The exercise may take 45 minutes to 4 hours while searching for these gentle giants. One gorilla family is assigned to a group of 8 people led by a ranger guide, and porters will help you carry your equipment and packed bag if necessary when trekking mountain gorillas.
Under the direction of your ranger guide, start your forest walk in search of the mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Along clear trails, you will encounter a variety of mammals, primates, and bird species, including duikers, forest hogs, bush pigs, bush elephants, and primates like red, blue, l’hoest, black, and white colobus monkeys. It is a thrilling and amazing experience to witness these mountain gorillas. You will spend an hour learning about their behaviours, including how they feed, interact with others, live, and groom their young, while you take as many special pictures as you can. Return to the starting point of the trip after this incredible experience to receive your gorilla trekking certificate as a token of gratitude in recognition of your enormous contribution to the conservation of these mountain gorillas in Uganda. Have refreshments and lunch, then drive to Lake Bunyonyi for a leisurely canoeing adventure. Enjoy dinner and spend the night at your reserved hotel.
Day 7: Lake Bunyonyi boat canoeing—Return to Entebbe International Airport
After a leisurely breakfast, you will embark on a 2-hour canoeing experience on the scenic and thrilling Lake Bunyonyi, which is defined by 29 islands. Under the guidance of a local canoe guide, you will get enough information concerning these islands, including the “punishment island,” which was used to punish girls who became pregnant before marriage by isolating them until their death, giving a lesson to the others. Return to the lodge to check out, and then embark on your journey to Entebbe International Airport with a visit to the Igongo Cultural Museum to understand the southwestern Ankole people’s culture.
Following your 7-Day Uganda Primate and Wildlife Safari, proceed to Kayabwe, the site of the historic water experiment at the Equator landmark, where it is thought that forces caused by earth movements are splitting the two hemispheres into the northern and southern hemispheres. Visit souvenir and artisan stores selling locally made, wholly Ugandan-based goods, and take unforgettable photos. Head to Entebbe International Airport to meet your return flight; this marks your 7-day Uganda primate and wildlife safari.
End of safari