This 9 days Uganda Primates and Wildlife Safari is an interesting luxury safari that will take you to Murchison Falls National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park where you will be able to view different animals like elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, hippos, warthogs, bushbucks, giraffes, Jackson’s hartebeest, oribi, lions, leopards, Nile crocodiles among others during the game drive and boat cruise. The 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari will also take you to Kibale Forest National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park where you will be able to spend time with the endangered mountain gorillas and chimpanzees in their natural environment.
Highlights of the 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Murchison Falls National Park
Day 2: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 3: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park-afternoon game drive
Day 6: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 7: Flight to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 8: Gorilla trekking experience
Day 9: Departure to Kigali
Detailed itineraries
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to Murchison Falls National Park via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Depending on your location on the first day of the 9 days of Uganda Primates and wildlife safari, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then start the journey to Murchison Falls National Park. The journey takes about 6 to 7 hours’ drive and on the way, you will have a stopover at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino tracking where after you will continue the journey with another stopover for lunch. After lunch, you will proceed to Murchison Falls National Park and upon arrival, you will drive directly to the top of the falls where you will enjoy great views of the waterfall, and water plashes, enjoy views the beautiful scenery among others. From the top of the falls, you will drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
After an early breakfast on the second day of the 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari, you will meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive in the park where you will be able to view animals like buffaloes, Jackson’s hartebeest, elephants, waterbucks, giraffes, Uganda kobs, oribi, warthogs among others. After the game drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch.
Boat cruise
After lunch you will go for an afternoon boat cruise to the bottom of the falls where you will be able to view hippos and crocodiles in the water, view other animals along the shores, and water birds among others. After the boat cruise, you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
After breakfast on the third day of the 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Kibale Forest National Park. On the way, you will have an en-route lunch and enjoy stunning views of the crater lakes, Rwenzori mountain peaks, tea and banana plantations among others. Upon arrival in the park, you will continue to check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Chimpanzee trekking
After an early breakfast on the fourth day of the 9 days Uganda Primates and Wildlife safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge and transfer you to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest with an experienced park guide who is well conversant with chimpanzee trekking trails. During chimpanzee trekking which takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours, you will be able to view different bird species, other primates, and plant species among others. Once the chimpanzees are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn about their behaviors and watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, playing, breastfeeding, resting, take photos and record the breathtaking moments. After the one-hour encounter with the chimpanzees, you will trek back to the starting point where you will meet up with your driver guide and drive to the lodge for lunch.
After lunch, you will go for a guided nature walk in the Bigodi swamp where you will be able to spot different primate species, birds, view plant and tree species, listen to sweet sounds of bird species in trees, and take beautiful pictures among others. After the swamp walk, you will return to the lodge for evening relaxation, dinner, and overnight.
Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park-afternoon game drive
After a relaxed breakfast on the fifth day of the 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park which takes about 2 to 3 hours drive. Upon arrival, you will check into the lodge for lunch where you will go for an afternoon game drive in the park where you will be able to view animals like elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, oribi, lions, leopards, hyenas among others. After the game drive, you will return to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience
After an early breakfast on the sixth day of the 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for an exciting game drive in Kasenyi plains where you will be able to spot animals like elephants, waterbucks, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, warthogs, bushbucks, view predators like lions, leopards among others. After the game drive you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.
Afternoon boat cruise
After lunch you will go for an amazing boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel a water channel that connects Lake Edward and Lake George. During the boat cruise you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, and warthogs among others drink water along the shores, view water birds like cormorants, hornbills, kingfishers, fish eagles among others. After the boat cruise which takes about 2 to 3 hours’ drive, you will return to the lodge for evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Flight to Bwindi impenetrable national park
After an early breakfast on the seventh day of the 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kasese airstrip for your domestic flight to Kihihi airstrip. Upon arrival at Kihihi airstrip, you will be welcomed by our driver guide to transfer to the lodge for lunch after you will either spend the rest of the day at leisure or go for a cultural tour where you will be able to visit the Batwa people, learn about their culture, way of living, farmlands, listen to their ancient stories, enjoy their traditional performances among others. After the cultural tour, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking
On the eighth day of the 9 days Uganda primates and Wildlife safari, you will have breakfast, carry a packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules and regulations of gorilla trekking. After the briefing, you will be allocated a gorilla family to trek and start trekking in the jungle with an experienced park guide. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking you will be able to view other primate species, birds, and plants and once the mountain gorillas are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn about their behaviors, habits, watch them feed, breastfeed, groom young ones, take photos and record the moments to show people back home after the safari. After the one hour with the gorillas, you will trek back to the starting point where you will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking and later meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Departure to Kigali
On the last day of the 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari, you will have breakfast, check out of the lodge, and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Kigali. On the way you will have en-route lunch and proceed to Kigali arriving early evening upon arrival, your driver guide will drop you off at Kigali International Airport for your departure flight or drop off at any place of advice.
End of 9 days Uganda primates and wildlife safari
Tour includes
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Bigodi swamp walk
- Park entrance fees/ game drives
- Boat cruise fees
- Rhino tracking
- Top of the falls
- Lion tracking experience
- Domestic flight fee (one way)
- Professional English-speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Ground transfers (in a 4WD vehicle)
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled drinking water
Tour excludes
- International air flight tickets
- Visas
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Life insurance
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.