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8-Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking & Safari Tours

4.4/5  –  396 Uganda Reviews

No matter how many safaris you’ve done elsewhere in Africa, Uganda offers something fresh and different. True, like most other safari destinations, this lush equatorial country has some excellent savannah reserves and is home to all the Big Five (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino). But what makes Uganda stand out is its wealth of forest-associated wildlife: gorillas, chimps, a dozen or so monkey species, and a long list of birds that cannot easily be seen elsewhere. As a result, you’ll experience plenty of variety on a well-organized 8-day Uganda safari. Gorilla and chimp trekking through the jungle, boat trips on tropical waterways alive with hippos, and game drives in search of lions and elephants are just some of the highlights of this diverse land.

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6 Questions About 8-Day Uganda Safaris

1. Is 8 days a good amount of time for a trip in Uganda?
2. Where should I go on an 8-day safari in Uganda?
3. Which animals can I expect to see?
4. What is the best time of the year for a Uganda trip?
5. How much will an 8-day Uganda safari cost?
6. What beach extensions could be added to a Uganda trip?
 
 

6 Questions About 8-Day Uganda Safaris

Answered by Philip Briggs

Is 8 days a good amount of time for a trip in Uganda?

“Yes, 8 days is a good length for a safari that focuses on the highlights of southwest Uganda. It is enough time to track gorillas and chimps, which are the country’s most popular activities, as well as explore some of its aquatic and savannah habitats. That said, it pays to be realistic about what can be covered comfortably in 8 days. We recommend allowing a day or two longer for any itinerary that combines gorilla trekking and chimp trekking in the southwest with a safari in the more northerly Murchison Falls National Park and Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch.”

1

Where should I go on an 8-day safari in Uganda?

“Most 8-day Uganda safaris focus on the world-class southwestern cluster of national parks. This is the area to visit if you plan to track gorillas, as it’s home to Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks, the two places in Uganda where this can be done. Both these parks also offer other worthwhile activities, for instance, golden monkey trekking and volcano hikes in Mgahinga, and guided forest walks in Bwindi. Other highlights of the southwest are Queen Elizabeth and Kibale National Parks. Queen Elizabeth is a savannah reserve where plains wildlife includes elephants, tree-climbing lions and the prolific hippos that haunt the Kazinga Channel. Kibale is Uganda’s top chimp trekking destination, but it’s also good for other forest monkeys and birds, and the surrounding area contains some beautiful crater lakes. If a gorilla visit is not on your agenda, a great 8-day itinerary that offers a good chance of seeing all the Big Five combines Murchison Falls NP with chimp trekking in Budongo Forest and rhino trekking in Ziwa Rhino and Wildlife Ranch. A more off-the-beaten-track option is the far northeast, where Kidepo Valley National Park ranks as one of East Africa’s most underrated and untrammeled safari destinations. Four of the Big Five are present in Kidepo, and the fifth (rhino) can be seen en route at Ziwa. Other highlights of the east include cultural visits to Karamoja, the lovely Sipi Falls, and white-water rafting on the Nile River near the city of Jinja (on the shore of Lake Victoria).”

2

Which animals can I expect to see?

“You’ll encounter a diverse range of wildlife on any 8-day Uganda safari. Assuming that your itinerary includes one of the three major savannah reserves (Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and Kidepo Valley), you’re almost certain to see elephant, buffalo, warthog and a variety of antelope including the endemic Uganda kob. Lions are quite common in all these parks, and leopards are present but more secretive. Many other species are very site- or activity-specific. If you track gorillas in Bwindi or Mgahinga, you can be 99% confident of seeing these magnificent apes, while most chimp trekking sites boast a success rate above 80%. Likewise, you’re almost certain to get close to white rhinos if you track them in Ziwa. Giraffes are common in Murchison Falls, Kidepo Valley and Lake Mburo, and zebra also occur in the last two parks, but neither is present in Queen Elizabeth. Hippos are an abundant feature of boat trips in Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth and Lake Mburo, but absent from Kidepo Valley. Because Uganda incorporates so much forest, it is Africa’s most diverse safari destination for monkeys. Depending on where you visit, you might see the endemic Uganda mangabey and near-endemic Uganda red colobus, along with Rwenzori colobus, olive baboon, vervet monkey, patas monkey, red-tailed monkey and L’Hoest’s monkey. Birds are generally very conspicuous in Uganda and dedicated bird-watchers could hope to see up to 250 species in the space of 8 days.”

3

What is the best time of the year for a Uganda trip?

“You can track gorillas and chimps, and visit any of Uganda’s national parks, throughout the year. But the best time to travel is in the Dry seasons, which run from June to August and December to February. Gorilla trekking and other forest walks are easiest in dry conditions, and it is also when wildlife tends to be easiest to see. If you can’t make it to Uganda during those months, September and October are also good for travel. Try to avoid the peak rainy months of March to May and November if possible.”

4

How much will an 8-day Uganda safari cost?

“If you’re traveling to the southwest, expect to pay around US$2,500 to US$3,000 per person for a budget to mid-range 8-day safari that includes gorilla and chimp trekking. Prices of upmarket gorilla trekking tours that use more luxurious accommodations generally cost upwards of US$5,000 per person, more if domestic flights are involved. By contrast, 8-day safaris that focus on Murchison Falls or Kidepo Valley tend to be a lot cheaper than tours that include gorilla trekking. Rates are generally all-inclusive. The only extras will be drinks, tips and other one-off purchases.”

5

What beach extensions could be added to a Uganda trip?

“Because Uganda is a landlocked country, visitors seeking to combine a safari there with a few days relaxing on the beach generally fly on to neighboring Kenya or Tanzania. The offshore island of Zanzibar, which forms part of Tanzania, is probably the region’s most popular beach destination. But Kenya also enjoys plenty of Indian Ocean frontage. Within Uganda, Lake Bunyonyi is a great place to relax for a few days. For active travelers, the Nile River near the city of Jinja (on the shore of Lake Victoria) is popular as it offers good white-water rafting, kayaking, bungee jumping and quad biking.”

6

Uganda Reviews

4.4/5 396 Reviews
Expert
Mark Eveleigh  –  
United Kingdom UK

Mark is a travel writer who grew up in Africa and has written over 700 titles for Condé Nast Traveller, Travel Africa, BBC Wildlife and others.

Fantastic Wildlife and Some of the Friendliest People in Africa Make Uganda Unbeatable
5/5

I spent a month travelling around Uganda with a self-drive, expedition-prepared Landcruiser and visited almost every national park in the country. Uganda was a revelation! I had not expected such a richness of wildlife nor such great...

Full Review

Expert
Lizzie Williams  –  
South Africa ZA

Lizzie is a reputed guidebook writer and author of the Footprint guides to South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Mountain Gorillas, Chimps and Birds in Lush, Well-Watered and Incredibly Green Hills and Valleys
4/5

Most of the superlative descriptions you read about Uganda are totally true: it really is a place of shimmering lakes, lofty mountains and mysterious forests. Uganda is best known as the place to see mountain gorillas, and no safari to the...

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Markus Janser  –  
Switzerland CH
Reviewed: Nov 20, 2024
What a nice surprise
5/5

We (Father with two teenagers) headed of to a nine day private Safari in Uganda to see the Gorillas. And we did not get disappointed, we spent an hour with them, an amazing experience. However, we where surprised and charmed by the...

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Jorge Camacho  –  
Spain ES
Reviewed: Nov 5, 2024
Awesome experience
5/5

Our recent trip to Uganda could not have met our expectations more. The country has well deserved the title of ‘pearl of Africa’, the country is impressive, the landscapes are spectacular and having an endangered wonder like the gorilla...

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Leah  –  
Canada CA
Reviewed: Oct 23, 2024
A beautiful country with exceptional service industry and private wildlife encounters
5/5

We travelled through Uganda and Tanzania over three weeks. The time we spent in Uganda was incredible. The country is a lot quieter to travel through, which makes the game drives feel intimate when you have the wildlife all to yourself...

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Val  –  
Australia AU
Reviewed: Oct 12, 2024
A new adventure every day
5/5

We toured Uganda for 17 days mid range accommodation. We took many game drives, launch trip on Kazinga Channel, gorillas and Chimpanzee trekking, plus visted Lake Bunyonyi and local villages. We had the most amazing holiday with many...

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All 396 Uganda Reviews