8-Days of Lion, Gorilla, Chimpanzee Trekking & big five Tour

On your early morning arrival, you will be picked up at the airport and transferred to your hotel in Entebbe. The name Entebbe literally translates to “seat” since it was the seat of government before independence. The city is set on the shores of Lake Victoria. Check in and go on a cultural discovery tour to visit one of the most historic sites dedicated to the original Buganda peoples, the Kasubi Tombs. This traditional structure is recognized as a World Heritage Site and is the burial ground for the Buganda Royal Family. Later in the afternoon, you will visit the Ndere Cultural Centre to learn more about the diversity of Ugandan culture with dance, music, & drama. Ndere troupe performs only on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays afternoons. But a private arrangement can be made at an extra group cost not individual on a specific date. Accommodation:

Karibu Guest House – mid range

Hotel Number 5 – high end

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 2 - Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

After breakfast, your guide will drive you to Queen Elizabeth National Park, home to a high concentration of Uganda’s mammals such as: tree climbing and savannah lions, elephants, warthogs, Uganda kobs, water buck, cape buffalo, hippos, leopards, as well as many birds. Queen Elizabeth National park is located at the base of the majestic Rwenzori Mountain range, adjacent to Lake Edward and Lake George. Lions are often sighted both in and at the entrance to the park. Have a hot lunch along the way and after lunch, continue your journey to the park. In the late afternoon, you will relax at the lodge. Queen Elizabeth is about 467 km away from Entebbe with an approximate estimated driving time of 7 hours. Dinner will be served in the evening. Overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation:

Marafiki Safari lodge – mid range

Elephant Plains lodge – high end

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3 – The big four in Queen Elizabeth National Park

After breakfast, go on a morning lion tracking excursion. This activity gives you a unique opportunity to see king of the African jungle at a close range and also get to learn the habits of the lions from an experienced guide. Transfer back to the lodge after the excursion and spend the rest of the morning at leisure.

At 2pm, you will enjoy the slow 2 hour boat cruise in the Kazinga Channel, a natural canal that joins Lakes Edward and Lake George. The canal offers great chances to enjoy the scenery, spotting large herds of elephants and buffaloes. Predators as well as nocturnal animals normally come to the shores in the late afternoon to quench their thirst. Also you will see a wide array of colorful birds soaring near to the water surface. In the evening, go on a game drive around the northern sector of the park called Kasenyi, or better known as the “Kobs Mating Ground”. In this open savannah area, you will find hundreds of Uganda kobs and have a chance to see their breeding behaviors. The kob is an elegant antelope, similar to the impala, which lives in harems up to twenty females, leaded by one dominant male. Consequently, it is not exceptional to encounter a hungry lion in this area, waiting for his chance to pounce on one of the unsuspecting animals. Big herds of buffaloes, giant forest hog, warthogs, monitor lizards and sometimes a lonely elephant or hyena can be seen during a game drive in Kasenyi as well. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation:

Marafiki Safari lodge – mid range

Elephant Plains lodge – high end

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 4 – Chimpanzees at Kyambura Gorge

Today, you will visit the Kyambura Gorge, located in the North-eastern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park. A hike through the gorge gives you the opportunity to see habituated chimpanzees and other types of primates including red-tailed monkey, black-and-white colobus monkey, baboons and velvet monkeys. Although the chance of spotting chimpanzees is only 50%, the landscape is among the most impressive in Uganda and is absolutely worth it! The tour lasts between one to three hours and the tracking starts at 08:00am daily. You are only allowed to spend a maximum of one hour around the chimpanzees. Overnight at your accommodation

Accommodation:

Marafiki Safari lodge – mid range

Elephant Plains lodge – high end

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Alternatively, chimpanzee trekking can also be done in Kalinzu Forest Reserve located in about 10 km in Bushenyi District West of Ishasha sector within Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Day 5 – Tree-climbing lions in Ishasha

Have breakfast then set off for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with an en-route game drive through Ishasha, the remote, southern sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park – famously known for the tree-climbing lions. It is a beautiful route with the Rwenzori Mountains on your right side and the green valley on the left. This is one of the most amazing scenic views you will experience, getting there in time for lunch and have some rest in your accommodation. While lion cubs around the world frequently climb trees for fun, adults rarely do. The adult lions in Ishasha are an exception to this. It is thought that they sit in the branches to get away from the tsetse flies and to enjoy a cool breeze. The chance of spotting these lions is about 70% though sometimes they are really hard to spot (most especially when they’re down in the grassland looking for prey). Hoping you get the chance to spot them, the sight will be spectacular!

The drive from Ishasha in Queen to Buhoma area in Bwindi covers an approximate total estimated distance of 68 km in 2 hours. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation:

Haven Lodge Buhoma– mid range

Mahogany Springs lodge – high end

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 6 - Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable forest National Park

This morning, you will have to wake up very early and depart the lodge at 7:30am together with your packed lunch and plenty of clean drinking water for the gorilla trekking experience, one of the most exciting wildlife experiences in the world. Adventurously track through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest before you encounter any gorillas and observe them closely while they eat, play with the young ones, rest and act like humans. A unique and inspiring experience which one can’t miss! The gorillas are shy and peaceful and it is an unforgettable experience to watch them interact. There are always park guides with you who interpret the flora and fauna and the lifestyle of the gorillas. Trekking can take from 30 minutes to 7 hours, depending on how far the group family you are tracking is. When you get to them, you will spend 1 hour with them. You will have a picnic lunch with you from the lodge. After the excursion, transfer back to your lodge, freshen up and spend the rest of the afternoon at leisure. Dinner will be served at your lodge.

Accommodation:

Haven Lodge Buhoma– mid range

Mahogany Springs lodge – high end

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Optional: Gorilla Habituation in Rushaga - 1500 USD per permit

Gorilla habituation can only be done in Uganda, in Rushaga which is the southern sector of Bwindi. There are two gorilla family groups that are being habituated and one can be part of that habituation program with researchers from Uganda Wildlife Authority. Instead of 8 people as is the case of gorilla tracking, only 4 people are allowed to participate in the gorilla habituation. You will spend 4 hours with the gorilla family being habituated from the time you find where they nested the previous night; learning about their behaviours and so on. Your data collected will be added into the data base and even when you go back home and are still interested in updates about the gorilla family you habituated, they will be availed to you. The activity begins at 7am, with a team of trackers, researchers and ranger guides. Overnight at Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge/Mutanda Lake resort.

Day 7 – Zebras in Lake Mburo

After breakfast, you will drive to Lake Mburo National Park, a natural heaven for fauna and flora. Lake Mburo National Park is a compact gem, located conveniently close to the highway that connects Kampala to the parks of western Uganda. It is the smallest of Uganda’s savannah national parks covering a total area of 370 square kilometres and underlain by ancient Precambrian metamorphic rocks which date back more than 500 million years. It is a home to 350 bird species and wildlife.

Small though the park is, it is famous for its large number of zebras, great sceneries starting from the rolling hills, the lush forests to the Savannah grasslands, and seasonal swamps to lakes with large numbers of hippos. Other wildlife in the park include: impala, eland, buffalo, oribi, Defassa waterbuck, leopard, hyena, topi and reedbuck. The lakes’ banks teem with animals and birds hence, offering a unique safari experiences.

Take the trail to the top of the hills and see Lake Mburo and beyond. From this vantage point, you will have a great view of 9 of the thirteen lakes surrounding Lake Mburo. Five of these lakes lie within the park’s borders. Lake Mburo forms part of a 50km-long wetland system linked by a swamp. Once covered by open savanna, Lake Mburo National Park now contains much woodland as there are no elephants to tame the vegetation. The drive from Buhoma sector in Bwindi to Lake Mburo covers a total distance of about 310 km with an approximate estimated driving time of 6 hours.

In the evening, you will have a boat ride along the lake where you will have a chance to see different animals. Dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Accommodation:

Rwakobo Rock/cottage – mid range

Mihingo lodge – high end

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 8 – Departure to Entebbe

Have an early morning breakfast then depart to Entebbe with a quick stopover at the Uganda Equator crossing sign in Kayabwe for a popular photo opportunity. Upon arrival in Entebbe, transfer to Entebbe International Airport for your onward journey.

The drive from Lake Mburo to Entebbe covers an approximate total estimated distance of 280 km in about 5 hours.

The cost per person is for a group of upto 4 clients.

Included:

 A 4x4 safari land cruiser Vehicle & fuel

 English speaking driver guide

 All meals as described in the itinerary

 All lunches mentioned on the itinerary

 All park's activities entry fees

 Government taxes

 Bottled drinking water

 Gorilla permits

 Chimpanzee permits

 Boat ride -Lake Mburo

 Top of Trail visit

 Kazinga boat ride

 Lunches mentioned in the itinerary

 AMREF evacuation services

 Airport transfersKasubi

 RoyalTombs visit

 Ndere Cultural Centre entry fees

Excluded:

 Uganda entry visa fees

 International travel insurance

 Tips

 Personal Expenses

 Alcoholic beverages