5 Days Gorilla and Chimpanzee Safari (Trekking Bwindi & Kibale)

After breakfast at your lodge, your safari guide will be there to pick you up, have a short briefing about your 5 Days Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking Safari, and travel to Western Uganda. Enjoy the 4 to 5-hour drive with scenic views of the countryside and a break at Fort Portal City for lunch and a brief city tour.

You will arrive at Kibale Forest in the afternoon, relax, and spend the night surrounded by the sounds of the tropical rainforest.

Accommodation & meals:

• Luxury: Kyaninga Lodge
• Mid-range: Primate Lodge/Turaco Treetops.
• Budget: Chimpanzee Guest House

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner 

After a sumptuous breakfast, you will transfer to Kibale National Park headquarters for a safety briefing about the dos and don’ts for chimpanzee trekking. After the briefing which commences your 5 Days Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking Safari experience, you will be led into the forest jungle to search for a troop of habituated chimps.

Chimpanzee tracking is relatively different from gorilla trekking. Chimps are very vocal, rarely stay in one place for too long, and troops can be very dramatic. The dominant chimp has to always be vigilant against stubborn members of the troop, which contrasts with a silverback, who only needs to show charisma to win the respect of his family.

Chimpanzee trekking usually takes between 2-6 hours, and after finding a habituated troop, you will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. After the allotted one hour, you will return to your lodge for lunch and rest.

In the evening, you will embark on a 3-hour wetland walk along the Bigodi swamp (home to a community-based project). You will enjoy the beautiful scenery and spot more primate species here, as well as a great collection of butterflies and birds.

After tracking the chimps and visiting the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary, you will wake up to a sumptuous breakfast and check out of the lodge as you wait for your safari guide to come pick you up.

A scenic 8-hour road trip to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park starts at around mid-day across rolling hills, cultivated terraces, and tropical rainforests. A beautiful landscape unfolds on the last hill at the end, with the majestic chain of the Virunga Volcanoes dominating the view.

You will observe the western arm of the Rift Valley and a huge swathe of primary forest that constitutes the Bwindi Forest—a breathtaking experience in southwestern Uganda. Upon arrival, you will check in, take a shower, and relax on the lodge premises while sipping a drink as you chat with other travelers. 

Accommodation & meals:

• Luxury: Mountain Gorilla Lodge/Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge.
• Mid-range: Gorilla Mist Camp/Rushaga Gorilla Camp/Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge.
• Budget: Gorilla Valley Lodge/Bwindi Forest Lodge/Nshongi Camp.

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner 

Wake up to a sumptuous breakfast, and then wait for your safari guide to transfer you to the park headquarters for a safety briefing. Briefing for gorilla trekking starts at 7:00 a.m. Gorilla families are assigned depending on the participant’s overall fitness and age. This is because some gorilla families are located deep in the forest jungle, which requires extra hours of tracking.

If you wish to visit a particular family, let us know in advance. You can also talk to the park rangers during the safety briefing and let them know your preferences. Porters are available for hire to help you out if you have extra luggage or camera equipment after the briefing.

Gorilla trekking involves passing through thickets, shrubs, steep slopes, and sometimes muddy terrain to search for a family of habituated gorillas. It takes between 2 and 6 hours, and after finding them, you will spend a maximum of one hour in their presence.

You will observe them munching, playing and grooming. The thrill of spending time observing these gentle and endangered giants is such an awesome and exciting experience that many find it to be a rare and moving opportunity. After spending the one hour allotted to you, you will return to the starting point to pick up your trekking certificate, and your guide will take you to the lodge for lunch and rest. 

In the evening, you will visit the Batwa pygmies, a primitive tribe of Uganda. The Batwa pygmies are believed to have lived in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for thousands of years before they were relocated due to forest conservation. You will experience their authentic culture, from music, dance, and folklore to their way of life.

After breakfast, enjoy another glimpse of the misty jungle as you drive back to Kampala or Entebbe through Mbarara and Masaka towns. You will have a lunch break at the Igongo Cultural Centre and another stop at the equator crossing in Kayabwe. You will also visit the Buganda Royal drum makers as you approach Kampala. You will be dropped off at your lodge or the airport for your departure flight.

The ride takes about 9 hours.

No accommodation
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

End of the 5 Days Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking Safari.