10 Days of Wildlife and Primate Trekking
Overview
The 10 Days of Wildlife and Primate Trekking in Uganda safari is an extraordinary journey through Uganda’s most iconic national parks and wildlife destinations. This adventure combines gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park, thrilling wildlife encounters in Queen Elizabeth and Murchison Falls National Parks, a boat safari on the Nile, and rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
Perfect for nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts, this safari offers an opportunity to experience Uganda’s incredible biodiversity, stunning landscapes, and diverse ecosystems while encountering some of Africa’s most remarkable animals.
Safari Highlights
- Chimpanzee trekking
- Gorilla trekking
- Nature walks
- Game Drive
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe and Transfer to Hotel
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be welcomed by your guide and transferred to your hotel. Depending on your arrival time, you may relax at the hotel or enjoy views of Lake Victoria.
Accommodation: ViaVia Entebbe / 2 Friends Beach Hotel / Airport Guesthouse Entebbe
Meal Plan: Dinner
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
After breakfast, depart for Murchison Falls National Park. En route, stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for an exciting rhino tracking experience on foot.
After lunch, continue to Murchison Falls National Park and visit the top of the falls where the Nile squeezes through a narrow 7-meter gorge before plunging into the river below.
Accommodation: Pakuba Safari Lodge / Fort Murchison / Murchison River Lodge / Hornbill Bush Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3: Game Drive, Nile Boat Cruise and Top of the Falls Visit
Begin the day with a sunrise game drive in the northern sector of the park. Look out for elephants, lions, buffaloes, giraffes, leopards, hartebeests, and Uganda kobs.
After lunch, enjoy a boat cruise on the Nile to the base of Murchison Falls where large numbers of hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and birds can be seen along the riverbanks.
Accommodation: Pakuba Safari Lodge / Fort Murchison / Murchison River Lodge / Hornbill Bush Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
After breakfast, depart Murchison Falls and travel to Kibale Forest National Park. The drive passes through beautiful countryside, tea plantations, and scenic landscapes of western Uganda.
Arrive in the evening and check into your lodge.
Accommodation: Chimpanzee Forest Lodge / Turaco Treetops / Kibale Forest Camp / Isunga Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Chimpanzee Tracking and Bigodi Wetland Walk
After breakfast, report to Kibale Forest headquarters for a briefing before entering the forest in search of habituated chimpanzees.
After lunch, enjoy a guided nature walk in Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, famous for birds, monkeys, and diverse plant life.
Accommodation: Chimpanzee Forest Lodge / Turaco Treetops / Kibale Forest Camp / Isunga Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park and Evening Game Drive
After breakfast, drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Upon arrival, enjoy lunch and later proceed for an evening game drive in the Kasenyi Plains.
Look out for lions, elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, Uganda kobs, and numerous bird species.
Accommodation: Buffalo Safari Lodge / Twin Lakes Safari Lodge / Elephant Hab Lodge / Enganzi Game Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 7: Morning Game Drive, Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise and Transfer to Bwindi via Ishasha
Enjoy an early morning game drive before proceeding for the famous Kazinga Channel boat cruise.
After lunch, travel through the Ishasha Sector in search of the park’s famous tree climbing lions before continuing to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Accommodation: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge / Bakiga Lodge / Buhoma Community Haven Lodge / Gorilla Mist Camp
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 8: Gorilla Trekking Experience
After an early breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing before beginning your gorilla trekking adventure.
The trek may take several hours depending on the location of the gorilla family. Once found, spend one unforgettable hour observing the gorillas in their natural habitat.
Accommodation: Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge / Bakiga Lodge / Buhoma Community Haven Lodge / Gorilla Mist Camp
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 9: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi for Relaxation
After breakfast, transfer to Lake Bunyonyi, one of Uganda’s most beautiful destinations.
Spend the day relaxing by the lakeshore, enjoying canoe rides, birdwatching, island visits, or simply taking in the breathtaking scenery.
Accommodation: BirdNest Resort Bunyonyi / Arcadia Cottages Bunyonyi / Lake Bunyonyi Eco Resort / Bunyonyi Overland Resort
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 10: Return to Entebbe or Kampala
After breakfast, begin the journey back to Entebbe or Kampala. Stop at the Equator for photographs, lunch, and souvenir shopping before continuing to your hotel or Entebbe International Airport.
Accommodation: No Overnight Accommodation
Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch
Optional Activities
Murchison Falls National Park
- Hot Air Balloon Safari
- Nile Delta Boat Cruise
- Sport Fishing
- Bird Watching Safari
- Night Game Drive
Kibale Forest National Park
- Chimpanzee Habituation Experience
- Crater Lakes Tour
- Coffee Experience Tour
- Community Cultural Visit
Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Lion Tracking Experience
- Chimpanzee Tracking in Kyambura Gorge
- Maramagambo Forest Walk
- Katwe Salt Mining Tour
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Batwa Cultural Experience
- Gorilla Habituation Experience
- Waterfall Trail Walk
- Coffee Experience Tour
- Community Village Visit
Lake Bunyonyi
- Canoeing Experience
- Island Hopping Tour
- Ziplining
- Nature Walks
- Bird Watching
- Cultural Visits
Tour Includes
- Travel in a 4×4 car
- Professional guide
- Park fees
- Accommodation
- Meals
- All Activities In Itinerary
Tour Excludes
- Alcoholic drinks
- Laundry
- Tips
- Shopping
- Insurance
- Anything not included per itinerary
A Comprehensive Wildlife and Primate Circuit
This ten-day itinerary combines Uganda’s primate trekking highlights, gorillas in Bwindi and chimpanzees in Kibale Forest, with savannah wildlife destinations such as Queen Elizabeth National Park, giving genuine time to each stop rather than a rushed, compressed circuit covering the same ground in less time.
At this length, the itinerary balances higher-intensity trekking days with lower-key game drives and travel days, keeping the overall pace comfortable across ten days despite covering considerable ground across Uganda’s southwestern safari circuit.
Practical Notes
A Uganda e-visa or East Africa Tourist Visa, arranged before travel, is required for most nationalities, along with a yellow fever vaccination certificate if arriving from a country with risk of transmission. Travel insurance covering trekking or wildlife activities and medical evacuation is strongly recommended, and malaria prevention is worth discussing with a travel health clinic ahead of your trip.
US dollars printed after 2009 are widely accepted for park fees, permits and lodge bills, while Ugandan shillings are more practical for tips, markets and smaller day-to-day purchases along the route.
Because permits and lodge availability are limited, particularly during the June to September and December to February peak seasons, we recommend booking this itinerary at least three to four months in advance for peak-season travel.
Tipping is customary though not compulsory. Guides typically receive a tip at the end of any guided activity, generally scaled to group size, while your driver-guide is usually tipped separately at the end of the full trip.
A private 4×4 safari vehicle with an experienced English-speaking driver-guide accompanies you throughout this itinerary.
Who This Itinerary Suits
This itinerary suits travelers who want to see Uganda’s forest and savannah ecosystems in genuine depth over ten days, rather than a rushed circuit compressing the same destinations into a shorter, more tiring trip.
Given the number of permits and lodges involved across this length, we recommend booking well in advance, particularly for travel during the June to September or December to February peak seasons when demand for gorilla and chimpanzee permits is highest.
Additional Details
This itinerary typically alternates between Uganda’s dense montane forest, home to gorillas and golden monkeys, lowland rainforest at Kibale, home to chimpanzees and eleven other primate species, and open savannah at Queen Elizabeth National Park, giving genuine ecological range within a single well-paced trip rather than repeating similar terrain across multiple stops.
A Uganda e-visa or East Africa Tourist Visa, arranged before travel, is required for most nationalities, along with a yellow fever vaccination certificate if arriving from a country with risk of transmission. Travel insurance is strongly recommended, and malaria prevention is worth discussing with a travel health clinic ahead of your trip.
Gorilla Permits and Booking
Only a limited number of gorilla trekking permits are issued for Bwindi each day, one per visitor per habituated family, which keeps groups small and disturbance to the gorillas to a minimum — a maximum of eight visitors are allowed with each family per day. Because demand regularly outstrips supply during the peak dry seasons, permits are best secured well in advance of travel; we handle the full booking process through the Uganda Wildlife Authority as part of your itinerary so you arrive with everything confirmed. Each permit covers one hour with the gorillas once they are located, though the trek itself to reach them is unregulated in length. Visitors under fifteen years of age and anyone showing symptoms of a communicable illness are not permitted to trek, a rule designed to protect the gorillas, which share close to 98% of human DNA and are highly susceptible to human respiratory infections.
Tree-Climbing Lions of Ishasha
The Ishasha sector in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park is famous for a rare behavioural trait: lions here regularly climb into the branches of the sector’s large fig trees, reportedly to escape biting insects and the heat of the savannah floor, and to get a better vantage point for spotting prey. Spotting a pride draped over the low branches of a fig tree is one of the more memorable sightings on a Uganda safari, though it requires patience since the behaviour is not guaranteed on any single game drive. Ishasha is quieter than the park’s main Kasenyi plains, seeing far fewer vehicles, which makes for a more private and unhurried game-viewing experience.
Top of the Falls and Boat Cruise
Murchison Falls, where the entire Victoria Nile forces itself through a gap in the rock only a few metres wide before plunging some 43 metres into the Devil’s Cauldron below, can be experienced from two very different vantage points. A launch cruise along the Nile from the base of the falls brings you close to pods of hippos, basking crocodiles and elephants drinking at the water’s edge, with the roar of the falls building as the boat approaches. A short hike to the top of the falls, meanwhile, puts you directly beside the point where the river is compressed into that narrow gorge, and the raw power of the water at close range is something photographs rarely capture accurately. Most itineraries through Murchison Falls National Park combine both perspectives.
Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale Forest
Kibale Forest National Park protects one of the highest densities of primates in Africa, and its main draw is tracking habituated chimpanzee communities through the forest understory. Treks typically last one to three hours and reward visitors with close views of chimps feeding, grooming and moving through the canopy, along with their loud, distinctive pant-hoot calls echoing through the trees. Beyond chimpanzees, Kibale is home to eleven other primate species, including L’Hoest’s and red colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys and the elusive nocturnal potto, making it a rewarding stop even beyond the headline chimp trek. For visitors wanting a deeper experience, a full-day chimpanzee habituation permit allows several hours with a community from dawn, following researchers as they carry out their morning routine.
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