10-Day Gorilla, Chimps and Rwenzori Holiday

• You'll be collected from the airport.
• Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.

Airport Pick up

Our driver/guide will wait for you at Entebbe International Airport and welcome you to Uganda. You will then be transferred to your hotel for dinner and an overnight stay. You will be briefed about your entire trip and receive the schedule for the next day.

Main Destination:

Entebbe (City)

Accommodation:

Papyrus Guest House

• Mid-range guest house located in Entebbe (City)

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Meals & Drinks:

• Dinner (Breakfast & lunch not included)
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

You will embark on a drive from Entebbe to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwestern Uganda. The 9-hour journey will take you through the Ugandan countryside with farms, small towns, plantations, and interesting landscapes on your way to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
There are plenty of interesting stopovers along the way, including lunch in Mbarara. You will reach your lodge in the evening.

Main Destination:

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)

Best Time To Visit June to August and December to February (Gorilla trekking is easiest)

High Season June to September (Gorilla permits are scarce)

Best Weather June to July and December to February (Less rainfall)

Wildlife in Bwindi Impenetrable NP

GorillaCommon

ChimpanzeeRare

ElephantRare

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

LionNone

Show more

GiraffeNone

LeopardNone

CheetahNone

BuffaloNone

ZebraNone

WildebeestNone

HippoNone

Accommodation:

Rushaga Gorilla Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located just outside Rushaga (Bwindi Impenetrable NP)

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Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Today is the big day! Prepare yourself for an encounter with the gentle giants; the rare mountain gorillas.
For most people, this is the absolute highlight of their trip. You will go into the forest in groups of not more than 8 in search of mountain gorillas. En route, your guide will point out previous signs of gorilla activity such as dung, nests, and chewed bamboo shoots.
Your trek will be an exciting journey along forested slopes, entwined vines, bushes, and bamboo. Upon finding the gorillas, you will spend a maximum of 1 hour with them, after which you will be led back to the starting point.

Main Destination:

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Gorillas)

Accommodation:

Rushaga Gorilla Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located just outside Rushaga (Bwindi Impenetrable NP)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Drive to Rwenzori Mountain National Park

We depart early today because it’s a fairly long drive to Mountain Rwenzori National Park. The drive takes approximately 8 hours.
You will reach Equator Snow Lodge early and have time to rest and get well-prepared to start your mountain climbing adventure.

Main Destination:

Rwenzori Mountains (Mountain Range)

Accommodation:

Equator Snow Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located near Rwenzori Mountains (Mountain Range)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Climb from Nyakalengija to Nyabitaba camp

In the morning after breakfast, you will be driven to Rwenzori National Park where you will meet your guides and porters. Your 3-day hike will begin at the gates of Mount Rwenzori National Park in Nyakalengija taking you through farmland to the park boundary. The trail then follows a thick forest along the Mubuku River, crossing its Mahoma River tributary before starting a long, steep climb up onto a massive ridge to reach Nyabitaba hut. During this part of the hike, you may hear chimpanzee and see black and white colobus, blue monkey and the brilliantly coloured Rwenzori turaco.
Duration of the hike: 6-7 hours.

Main Destination:

Rwenzori Mountains (Mountain Range)

Accommodation:

Nyabitaba Hut

• Budget mountain hut located in Rwenzori Mountains (Mountain Range)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Climb to John Matte's Hut

After breakfast, you will follow the trail from Nyabitaba that drops down through the forest to the Kurt Shafer Bridge, just below the confluence of the Mubuku and Bujuku rivers. Passing through the bamboo forest, traverse through a long and exhausting stretch of slippery moss-covered rock. From the Nyamuleju rock shelter, Mount Stanley and Mount Speke can be seen before passing into the zone of the giant heather, lobelia and groundsel.
Finally reach John Matte Hut after passing through the tiring bog, for dinner and overnight stay at the hut.

Main Destination:

Rwenzori Mountains (Mountain Range)

Accommodation:

John Matte Hut

• Budget mountain hut located in Rwenzori Mountains (Mountain Range)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Final Descent

After breakfast in the morning, take in the stunning views, pack your bags and prepare for your return trip. From John Matte's hut, you will follow the same trail to Nyabitaba's hut. Here you will have lunch. It will take you about 5-6 hours. After lunch, you will descend back to Nyakalengija and then proceed to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay. The descent from Nyabitaba to Nyakalengija will take 3 – 4 hours.

Main Destination:

Rwenzori Mountains (Mountain Range)

Accommodation:

Equator Snow Lodge

• Mid-range lodge located near Rwenzori Mountains (Mountain Range)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Transfer to Kibale National Park

After a 2-hour drive to Fort Portal, you can stretch your legs by going for a short hike around some of the Crater Lakes in this area. The views are stunning and with clear weather, you can even see the white peaks of the Rwenzori Mountains.
You will have lunch in Fort Portal as well and then a 2-hour drive to Kibale National Park. On arrival, you will enter a completely different world… some serious monkey business.
Although you are here specifically to track Chimps, the forest is home to at least 12 primate species including the Red-tailed Monkey, Olive Baboon, Black and White Colobus Monkey, and Blue Monkey.
The birdlife in the forest is also prolific and includes the beautiful Great Blue Turaco. If you are very lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of the meandering herd of African forest elephants.

Main Destination:

Kibale National Park (Chimps)

Best Time To Visit January to February and June to July (Chimp trekking is easiest)

High Season June to September (Peak time for Uganda)

Best Weather January to February and June to July (Least rain)

Wildlife in Kibale NP

ChimpanzeeCommon

ElephantOccasional

BuffaloOccasional

LionVery Rare

LeopardVery Rare

HippoRare

Show more

GiraffeNone

White RhinoNone

Black RhinoNone

CheetahNone

ZebraNone

WildebeestNone

Accommodation:

Kibale Forest Camp (Safari Tent)

• Mid-range tented camp located just outside Kibale NP (Chimps)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Chimp tracking and swamp walk

After early morning breakfast, your driver/guide will drive you to Kibale National Park office where you will be briefed about the activity of tracking chimpanzees in the wild.
You will then go on a guided primate walk in search of chimpanzees and 12 other primates including l’ Hoestes, Red colobus, blue, red-tailed monkeys, brown monkeys, and grey-cheeked mangabeys.
The park rangers will provide detailed explanations, not only on primates but on all the forest fauna and flora, and will ensure that your walk is informative and enjoyable.
After finding the chimps, you will spend 1 hour with them before heading back to the park offices.
You will go back to the lodge for lunch & refreshment.
After lunch, you will visit the community and take a walk in Bigodi Swamp – which is the home of the great blue Turaco bird. The swamp is home to around 200 bird species and 8 primate species. Later, return to your accommodation for dinner & overnight stay.

Main Destination:

Kibale National Park (Chimps)

Accommodation:

Kibale Forest Camp (Safari Tent)

• Mid-range tented camp located just outside Kibale NP (Chimps)

Meals & Drinks:

• All meals included
• Drinking water (Other drinks not included)

Return to Entebbe

After having breakfast, you will be driven back to Entebbe (approx. 8hrs) and you will arrive in time for your evening/night departure flight.

Main Destination:

Entebbe (City)

Accommodation:

No accommodation (End of tour)

Meals & Drinks:

• Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
• Drinks not included

• Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
• You'll be dropped off at the airport.