Ultimate Gorilla Safaris

Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe

Arrive at Entebbe International Airport, where your driver-guide will meet you and transfer you to your lodge on the shores of Lake Victoria. Depending on your arrival time, enjoy a relaxed afternoon exploring the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) or the Botanical Gardens, both a short drive from most Entebbe hotels. This is a good chance to shake off jet lag, exchange currency, and go over your safari logistics with your guide before the adventure begins. Overnight in Entebbe.

Day 2: Fly to Murchison Falls National Park

After breakfast, transfer to Kajjansi Airstrip (or Entebbe Airfield) for a scenic 1-hour domestic flight to Pakuba Airstrip in Murchison Falls National Park, avoiding the long 5-6 hour road transfer. On arrival, you’ll be picked up and driven to Paraa Safari Lodge, perched dramatically on the northern bank of the Nile River. After settling in and lunch, enjoy a short afternoon game drive in the Buligi area, known for its open savannah and excellent wildlife sightings including elephants, giraffes, buffalo, and lions. Overnight 1 of 3 at Paraa Safari Lodge.

Day 3: Murchison Falls Game Drive & Nile Boat Cruise

Rise early for a full morning game drive through the Buligi Peninsula, the prime wildlife circuit between the Victoria Nile and Albert Nile. This delta area hosts large herds of Rothschild’s giraffes, Uganda kob, buffalo, elephants, and healthy prides of lions, along with over 76 mammal species recorded in the park. Return to Paraa Lodge for lunch and rest during the heat of the day. In the afternoon, board a launch boat cruise on the Nile River heading upstream to the base of Murchison Falls, where the mighty Nile squeezes through a narrow 7-meter gorge before plunging 43 meters. The cruise offers superb views of hippos, Nile crocodiles, and abundant birdlife including the elusive shoebill stork. Overnight 2 of 3 at Paraa Safari Lodge.

Day 4: Top of the Falls Hike & Optional Activities

This morning, drive to the top of Murchison Falls for a close-up, thunderous view of the Nile crashing through the gorge — one of the most powerful natural spectacles in Africa. You’ll feel the spray and hear the roar as 300 cubic meters of water force through the narrow rocky cleft every second. Afterward, you have the option for a second game drive, a nature walk, or a relaxed afternoon at the lodge enjoying the Nile views, birdwatching from the terrace, or a swim. Overnight 3 of 3 at Paraa Safari Lodge.

Day 5: Fly to Kasese & Drive to Kibale Forest

After breakfast, transfer to Pakuba Airstrip for your flight to Kasese Airstrip, gateway to the western safari circuit. On arrival, your driver-guide will meet you for the approximately 1.5 to 2-hour drive to Kibale Forest National Park, passing through the lush, terraced hills of the Rwenzori foothills and tea plantations that blanket the region. Check into Chimpundu Lodge, nestled at the edge of the forest, and spend the afternoon settling in, enjoying the gardens, or taking a guided nature walk around the lodge grounds. Overnight 1 of 3 at Chimpundu Lodge.

Day 6: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale Forest

Kibale Forest is home to the highest concentration of primates in East Africa, and this morning you’ll head into the forest for a chimpanzee tracking experience. Guided by experienced trackers, you’ll follow habituated chimpanzee communities through the dense, humid forest, watching them forage, groom, and interact — with the once-in-a-lifetime chance of a full hour in their company once located. Along the way, keep an eye out for red colobus monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, and a dazzling array of forest birds. Return to the lodge for lunch and a relaxed afternoon. Overnight 2 of 3 at Chimpundu Lodge.

Day 7: Chimpanzee Habituation Experience

Today offers a deeper, more immersive primate encounter through the Chimpanzee Habituation Experience. Unlike the standard one-hour tracking permit, this activity allows you to spend up to four hours with a community of chimpanzees still being acclimatized to human presence, accompanied by researchers and trackers. You’ll observe their natural behaviors — nesting, calling, feeding — in a far more intimate, unhurried setting, offering unique insight into their social dynamics and daily life in the forest. Overnight 3 of 3 at Chimpundu Lodge.

Day 8: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park

After breakfast, depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park, roughly a 2 to 3-hour drive south through the scenic Fort Portal crater lakes region and the Rwenzori Mountains foothills. Arrive in time for lunch at Kyambura Game Lodge, perched on the edge of the dramatic Kyambura Gorge, often called the “Valley of Apes.” In the afternoon, enjoy a game drive through the Kasenyi Plains, one of the best areas in the park for spotting lions, including the famous tree-climbing lions in some sectors, along with large herds of Uganda kob, buffalo, and elephants. Overnight 1 of 3 at Kyambura Game Lodge.

Day 9: Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise & Game Drive

Spend the morning on a game drive through the park’s varied habitats, searching for lions, elephants, hyenas, and the park’s famous kob population. After lunch, head to the Kazinga Channel for one of Uganda’s most rewarding boat cruises. This 32-kilometer natural channel connects Lake Edward and Lake George and hosts one of the highest concentrations of hippos in Africa, along with Nile crocodiles, buffalo herds coming to drink, and prolific birdlife including African fish eagles, pelicans, and kingfishers. Overnight 2 of 3 at Kyambura Game Lodge.

Day 10: Optional Kyambura Gorge Chimpanzee Walk or Leisure Day

Use this extra day in Queen Elizabeth for an optional guided chimpanzee tracking walk into Kyambura Gorge itself, right below your lodge — a lush, riverine forest sunk within the savannah that harbors a small chimpanzee community along with other primates. Alternatively, opt for a relaxed morning game drive or birdwatching walk, as Queen Elizabeth boasts over 600 recorded bird species. Enjoy your final evening at the lodge overlooking the gorge. Overnight 3 of 3 at Kyambura Game Lodge.

Day 11: Drive to Ishasha Sector

Depart Queen Elizabeth this morning and drive south to the remote Ishasha sector, roughly a 2-hour journey through wild, open plains. Ishasha is famous throughout Africa for its tree-climbing lions, which rest draped over the branches of the sector’s iconic fig trees during the heat of the day — a rare behavior seen in only a couple of locations worldwide. Enjoy a game drive en route to your camp, watching for lions in the fig and acacia trees, along with topi, buffalo, and elephants roaming the less-visited plains. Overnight at Ishasha Wilderness Camp.

Day 12: Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (Buhoma Sector)

After an early breakfast and perhaps one last search for tree-climbing lions, begin the scenic drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, roughly 3 to 4 hours through winding hills and terraced farmland. Arrive at Bwindi Forest Lodge in the Buhoma sector, set right on the edge of the ancient rainforest — one of the oldest and most biodiverse forests in Africa, home to roughly half the world’s remaining mountain gorilla population. Spend the afternoon settling in, enjoying the forest views from your cabin, or taking an optional community walk to a local Batwa village. Overnight 1 of 2 at Bwindi Forest Lodge.

Day 13: Gorilla Trekking in Buhoma

This is one of the true highlights of your safari. After an early breakfast and a briefing at the park headquarters, set off into the forest with your ranger guide and trackers in search of a habituated mountain gorilla family. Trekking times vary from 1 to several hours depending on the gorillas’ location, through dense, steep, and often muddy terrain. Once located, you’ll spend a magical hour observing the gorilla family up close — watching silverbacks, mothers with infants, and juveniles going about their daily forest life. It is an intensely moving and unforgettable wildlife encounter. Return to the lodge in the afternoon to rest, reflect, and enjoy the forest surroundings. Overnight 2 of 2 at Bwindi Forest Lodge.

Day 14: Drive to Nkuringo & Gorilla Habituation in Rushaga

Depart Buhoma this morning for the drive to the Nkuringo sector of Bwindi, roughly 2 to 3 hours along scenic mountain roads with sweeping views over the Virunga volcanoes. Check into Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge, dramatically positioned on a ridge overlooking the forest and the volcanoes of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda in the distance. Depending on timing and permit arrangements, head to the neighboring Rushaga sector for the Gorilla Habituation Experience, which allows you up to four hours with a gorilla family still undergoing habituation, accompanied by researchers and trackers — a rarer and more in-depth experience than standard trekking, with far fewer visitors permitted per day. Overnight 1 of 2 at Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge.

Day 15: Gorilla Activity, Drive to Kisoro & Departure Flight

Depending on your permit schedule, enjoy a final gorilla-related activity in the morning, or a relaxed nature walk around Nkuringo enjoying the spectacular Albertine Rift views. Afterward, check out and drive approximately 1.5 hours to Kisoro, where you’ll connect with your scheduled flight back to Entebbe. On arrival in Entebbe, connect with your international departure flight, bringing your 15-day Uganda safari to a close.

Trip Highlights

• Three distinct wildlife ecosystems: savannah (Murchison Falls & Queen Elizabeth), tropical rainforest (Kibale & Bwindi), and the Nile River system
• Two primate signature experiences: chimpanzee tracking plus habituation in Kibale, and gorilla trekking plus habituation across three Bwindi sectors
• Tree-climbing lions in Ishasha, a rare behavioural spectacle
• Two boat cruises: Nile River below Murchison Falls, and the hippo-rich Kazinga Channel
• A mix of local flights and scenic road transfers that minimise long drive days while still showcasing Uganda’s dramatic landscapes