7-Day Uganda Primates & Wildlife Safari

Uganda’s great strength is contrast, and this itinerary makes the most of it. You move from chimpanzee forest to savannah wildlife and finally into the mountain rainforest of Bwindi. Seven days provides enough time to enjoy each ecosystem without turning transfer days into endurance tests.

Day 1 – Entebbe/Kampala to Kibale

Drive west toward Fort Portal and the Kibale forest region. Enjoy lunch en route and arrive with time to settle into your lodge. If energy and daylight allow, take an optional short community, crater or wetland walk.

Day 2 – Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale

After the ranger briefing, walk into Kibale with experienced guides to track a habituated chimpanzee community. Listen for calls and movement in the canopy as the forest reveals itself slowly. After the encounter, return for lunch and spend the afternoon at a relaxed pace, with an optional Bigodi-area experience.

Day 3 – Kibale to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Enjoy breakfast and drive south through crater-lake and Rift Valley landscapes toward Queen Elizabeth National Park. Arrive for lunch and take an afternoon/evening game drive, beginning the search for elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kob, lions and other species.

Day 4 – Queen Elizabeth Game Drive & Kazinga Channel

Start early with a longer wildlife drive. Return for brunch or lunch and then board the afternoon Kazinga Channel boat. The channel gives you a different, close-to-water perspective on hippos, birds, crocodiles and large mammals visiting the banks.

Day 5 – Ishasha Sector to Bwindi

Travel through the Ishasha sector, scanning fig trees and open plains for tree-climbing lions. Continue to Bwindi through increasingly mountainous terrain. Arrive at the lodge in the afternoon, prepare trekking equipment and rest.

Day 6 – Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi

Today belongs to the gorillas. Attend the official briefing and trek into the forest with guides and trackers. The walk may last a few hours or much longer depending on the family’s location. Once found, enjoy the permitted viewing time before returning. Spend your final safari evening in the highlands.

Day 7 – Bwindi to Entebbe/Kampala

After breakfast, begin your journey back to Entebbe/Kampala with lunch and comfort breaks along the road. Alternatively, the safari can be customized with a flight from Kisoro/Kihihi or a Lake Bunyonyi extension.