5 Days Uganda Primates Safari
Uganda is, by a wide margin, Africa’s best safari destination for primate tracking. Whether you’re chasing mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, golden monkeys, or one of the country’s many other primate species, Uganda delivers population numbers strong enough that a genuine sighting is far more a matter of when than if. Few countries anywhere on the continent can match this kind of primate diversity within a single, manageable itinerary.
Mountain gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking, and golden monkey tracking rank among Uganda’s most sought-after safari experiences. This 5 Days Uganda Primates Safari gives you the chance to do two of the three: chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park and gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. If you’d like to complete the set with golden monkeys as well, our 6-day option is built exactly for that.
Uganda Primates Safari Highlights
- Kibale Forest National Park
- Chimpanzee Tracking
- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Gorilla Trekking Experience
- Tree-climbing lions in Ishasha
Detailed Itinerary of 5 Days Uganda Primates Safari
Day 1: Transfer to Kibale National Park, Tea Plantation Visit
After meeting our Uganda safari guide at your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe, or on arrival at the airport, you’ll receive a full briefing before setting off for Kibale Forest National Park. The drive takes five to six hours, with a lunch stop en route.
Along the way, enjoy a visit to a tea plantation, learning how the crop is grown and harvested. From there, continue to your lodge, check in, and relax while taking in the scenic surroundings. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge.
Accommodation: Chimpundu Lodge (Lower-Luxury), Chimpanzee Forest Lodge (Mid-range), Kibale Forest Lodge (Budget).
Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner
Day 2: Chimpanzee Tracking, Bigodi Wetland
After an early breakfast at the lodge, drive to the Kanyanchu Visitor Centre for a briefing on the day’s chimpanzee tracking activity. You’ll be placed in a group of up to eight people, accompanied by trained rangers and guides.
You’ll then head into the forest in search of the chimpanzees, keeping an eye out along the way for other primates, birds, butterflies, and plant life. Once you locate the group, you’ll spend up to an hour observing them, playful, social, and endlessly entertaining to watch. Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale can take anywhere from thirty minutes to four hours or more, depending on where the group happens to be that day.
After the trek, return to the lodge for a hot lunch and some time to relax. Later in the afternoon, head out for a visit to Bigodi Wetland, taking in the scenery and the area’s rich birdlife. Return to the lodge afterward for dinner and an overnight stay as above.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via the Ishasha Sector
Following a hearty breakfast, set off for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, famous for its tree-climbing lions. You’ll have a genuine chance to spot these lions, along with other wildlife, along the way. Stop for lunch at a selected restaurant en route before continuing on to Bwindi.
Once you arrive, check in at your lodge and relax ahead of dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Mahogany Springs Lodge (Luxury), Buhoma Haven Lodge (Mid-range), Buhoma Community Rest Camp (Budget).
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After breakfast at your lodge, set off for your gorilla trekking experience in the rainforest that these remarkable animals call home. Once you locate a gorilla family, you’ll spend approximately one hour in their company, an encounter most travelers describe as genuinely life-changing. Depending on the family’s location and your own pace, the trek itself can take anywhere from one to six hours or more. Bring plenty of memory card space, since this is one experience you’ll want to capture in photos and video alike.
Afterward, meet your guide and return to the lodge for lunch and some downtime. If you’d like, round out the day with an optional Batwa cultural tour, offering a genuine window into the culture and way of life of the Batwa, the forest’s original inhabitants. You’ll also have the chance to meet local schoolchildren and interact with the community directly, if you’re up for it. Dinner and overnight stay as above.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Departure
Drive Time: Approx. 9 hours. Flight option available.
After a leisurely breakfast, check out and begin your transfer back to Kampala or Entebbe, with drop-off at your hotel or the airport in good time for your flight. This brings your 5 Days Uganda Primates Safari to a close.
Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch
End of 5 Days Uganda Primates Safari
Uganda Safari Price Includes:
- Pick-up and drop-off as indicated
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Chimpanzee tracking permit
- Park entry fees for clients and vehicle
- All accommodation as per itinerary
- 4×4 safari Land Cruiser with pop-up roof, and fuel
- Full-time English-speaking driver-guide
- All meals as indicated, including lunches en route during transfers
- Bottled mineral water while on safari
Uganda Safari Price Excludes:
- Visa fees and air tickets
- Travel insurance
- Optional activities
- Payment transfer fees
- Items of a personal nature, such as laundry, beverages, phone calls, alcohol, porters, tips, and souvenirs
- Anything not otherwise included in the itinerary
