The suggested 14-day adventure, including gorillas, chimpanzees, tree-climbing lions, and wildlife, takes you to Major Park in western Uganda. This trip starts from Entebbe to Kampala, and the drives take you to Kibale NP, Queen Elizabeth NP, Bwindi Impenetrable NP, Mgahinga Gorilla NP, and Lake Mburo NP. Expect to do adventures like gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, golden monkey tracking, tree climbing, lion tracking, volcanic hiking, game drives and boat cruises, horseback riding, and many more.
Each day of this trip starts with a breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the meal course. This trip suggestion is a mid-luxury trip and an all-inclusive trip, as mentioned in all the details of the trip below.
Day 1: Arrive in Uganda and transfer to Kibale National Park
Today, you will reach Uganda via Entebbe Airport, where you will meet and greet Early Trail Expeditions representatives. Note that this representative will be your next driver guide for the rest of your holiday in Uganda. Then he will guide and explain to you all about the whole trip. Then you will board for a drive to transfer to Kibale National Park in western Uganda. The drive will take about 4 hours, and upon reaching the park, you will check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation (midrange): Primate Lodge
Day 2: Chimpanzee Habitat
Today, after the well-served breakfast, we will hurry to the Kanyachu starting point for the day track. Chimpanzee Habituation is a full-day adventure where travelers head into the forest, search, and follow the chimpanzees. When the chimpanzees are found, trackers have to spend about 4 hours with the apes. So, be well prepared with packed meals, enough drinking water, and tracking gear. The chimpanzee habituation adventure is more than just a track, but a full day spent with the apes. The habituation process is aimed at making the chimpanzees used to human presence; these are known to be shy mammals, which in most cases shy away in cases of uncertainty. After the track, you will return to the starting point, refresh, and make your lunch. Then I will rest at your lodge for the rest of the hours. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Accommodation (midrange): Primate Lodge
Day 3: Bigodi Sanctuary Nature Walk and Bigodi Community Visit
This day, we will take a visit to the Bigodi Sanctuary to track various primates. Kibale National Park is known for hosting the highest number of primate species, about 13 primates. This is almost the biggest record in the world for one forest to host about 13 primate species. This makes Kibale Forest the world’s primary capital. Among the primates to track in Kibale Forest are black and white colobus, red-tailed monkeys, mangebay, baboons, bush babies, L’Hoest, vevert monkeys, pattas, and pottos, among others. The primate track is also accompanied by several bird species, amazing tree plantations, and several mammals like bushbucks, among others.
Then, with lunch en route, we will take an afternoon visit to the community at Bigodi village. The village will understand how the community is involved in the conservation of the protected areas around them. You can also decide to buy some of the souvenirs made from local materials from the wetland. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation (midrange): Primate Lodge
Day 4: Crater Lakes and Cave Visits and Hikes
Today morning, we will drive through Fort Portal and continue to Amabere Cave. These caves are backed up by an interesting story. In the legendary stories of the Bachwezi dynasty, the daughter of the King called Nyinamwiru was believed to have lost her breasts after her father cut them off. So, to reach the site, you have to slope under the caves of waterfalls. Then afterwards, you take a hike through Crater Lakes, which is an amazing hike that lasts for about an hour. Afterwards, you will drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Reaching the park in the evening hours, check-in at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation (Midrange): Park View Safari Lodge
Day 5: Game Drive and Boat Cruise
Today morning, with your packed breakfast, you will drive to the Kasenyi section of Queen Elizabeth National Park for an incredible game drive. The meaning of driving with a packed breakfast is to enjoy the morning bloody sunrise a bit; it’s very amazing. One of the rewarding game drives features a variety of wildlife species, including elephants, Uganda kobs, bushbucks, buffalos, lions, and warthogs, among many species to watch, accompanied by several bird species.
In the afternoon hours, with lunch en route, we will drive to the Mweya Peninsular for a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. The wild boat cruise is an opening for watching more animals. Several animals are seen coming to the channel banks to draw water, and aquatic life is seen either socked in water or lousily relaxed at the banks. Then, we will drive back to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation (Midrange): Park View Safari Lodge
Day 6: Visit Kyambura Gorge, Track Chimpanzee, and Drive to Ishasha
Today I will take a morning drive through the Kyambura Gorge, east of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The gorge is a tropic depression within the rift valley. The gorge is known for chimpanzee tracking and bird watching. Here, you will take a guided walk through the forests of Kyambura and also track chimpanzees. Afterwards, with lunch en route, we will take a drive to the Ishasha sector, then take the afternoon hours to track this amazing pride. The tree-climbing lions remain special for Ishasha in Queen Elizabeth National Park. On a game drive through the acacias of Ishasha Savannah, you find the Kings of the Jungle walking and lazily relaxing under tree branches. Then we will check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation (midrange): Ishasha Wilderness Camp
Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
This day will take a morning drive through the Ishasha sector, with the opportunity to watch lions on trees alongside several animals as you transfer to Bwindi. It’s a bit of a long drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, with lunch en route. Will reach the park in the evening hours and enter the park via the Nkuringo gate. Relax, enjoy your dinner, and stay overnight at your lodge.
Accommodation (Midrange): Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
Day 8: Trek Mountain Gorillas
Today the wakeup bell must ring earlier than any other date; hurry to the Nkuringo starting point for the trekking briefing. A group of trekkers, accompanied by an armed ranger guide, will embark on a search for the gentle giants. Deciding to trek at Nkuringo means you want that adventurous trek. The sector is considered to be the most challenging due to the nature of the landscape, which keeps rolling. And gorilla trekking adventures are limited to the central African jewelry of Virunga Conservation Area and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The trek lasts for about 30 minutes to about 4 hours to find your assigned habituated gorilla family. The trek involves walking through unmade paths, through moist, thick jungle, hikes and slopes through hills and valleys, and on finding the gorillas, it’s a tiresome moment. But if you set your eyes on the species, then you have to find out that all the tiresomeness has been forgotten. Finding the gorilla, you will have strictly one hour before them, then will be walking back to the starting point. You will be very exhausted; you just need to drive back to your lodge and relax.
Accommodation (Midrange): Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge
Day 9: Batwa and Visit Lake Mutanda
Today I will take a visit to the Batwa community and explore the lifestyle of the Batwa people. The Batwa people are also known as the forest pygmies, who once co-lived with the gorillas in the same forest. These people narrate their emotionally touching stories and offer entertainment moments with songs and dances. They can also decide to buy some of their handcrafted items to support their livelihood. Then we will drive to Lake Mutanda, take an evening boat ride, and afterward check-in at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation (midrange): Mutanda Lake Resort
Day 10: Golden Monkey Tracking and Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
This day, you will hurry to go and track the endangered golden monkeys. The golden monkeys are only endemic to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. The golden monkey tracking starts as early as 8 a.m., so you have to be at the center in Mgahinga by 7:30 a.m. for the morning session. The beautiful and nice-looking golden monkeys live in communities of over 30 individuals and more. These monkeys are habituated, meaning the tracker can have that close-up moment. The track in the volcanic forests of Mgahinga can last for about 30 minutes to 3 hours, and when you find the brownish monkeys, you have an hour in their presence.
After tracking these beautiful creatures, we will drive to Lake Bunyonyi, arriving in the evening hours to check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation (midrange): BirdNest Resort
Day 11: Stay and Explore Lake Bunyonyi
Spend the day exploring and relaxing at the amazing Lake Bunyonyi. This lake is the 2nd deepest lake in Africa, and it has a simple and unique landscape view. Reaching the lake, you will take a boat ride to one of the islands. Then we will check in at your lodge and relax under the melodies of many small birds, as the name suggests. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.
Accommodation (midrange): BirdNest Resort
Day 12: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park en route to Igongo Cultural Center
Today, transfer from Lake Bunyonyi in the morning and drive to Lake Mburo via Mbarara. Along your drive, you will be en route to the Igongo Cultural Center, where you will visit the museum, which narrates the past western culture and tradition of the Ankole people. Then you will also have your lunch at Igongo and continue to Lake Mburo National Park, reaching the park in the evening hours to relax. Check-in at your lodge, and at 7 p.m., we will take a night game drive. This night game drive on torches is very rewarding, with views of prides and predators actively hunting. However, there is more about the evening drive than bringing a night vision and mode of all wildlife. Then we will return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation (midrange): Arcadia Lodge
Day 13: Horse riding and a boat ride
This morning starts with a delicious breakfast, then a drive to Mihingo Lodge and a horse ride. The wild horse ride is one exciting thing that brings you close to nature and its treasures. The absence of elephants in Lake Mburo makes it possible to do wild horse rides. The horse rides take place on various trails and at different rates according to the desires of the guests. After the horse ride, we will refresh with lunch and take an afternoon boat ride on Lake Mburo. The boat ride is very rewarding, with various animal encounters, including buffalos, the highest concentration of impalas, and many other considerations. Returning to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Accommodation (Midrange): Arcadia Lodge
Day 14: Drive back to Kampala, fly back home
Today, alongside your served breakfast, we will take a drive back to Kampala. Along your drive from Lake Mburo, you will have a stopover at the Equator for photography and then hurry to Kampala. We will reach Kampala by late afternoon hours, and our driver will have you dropped off at Entebbe airport for your next flight back home.