5-Day Gorillas, Chimpanzees and Tree-Climbing Lions

After breakfast, your safari guide will meet you and depart by road to Queen Elizabeth National Park. We will stop at the equator for pictures and then continue to Mbarara town for lunch. Queen Elizabeth National Park covers 1,978 sq km and lies north and south of the equator in Southwestern Uganda.

The park has a wide range of vegetation, from open savannah and rainforest to dense papyrus swamps, brooding crater lakes and the vast Lake George.

Wake up for an early breakfast then head to Kyambura Gorge for a chimpanzee trek for up to 4 hours with a tracker and guide. The reserve is home to a community of over 30 chimpanzees.

In the afternoon, go for a boat trip. This allows you to experience wildlife up close where hippos huff and spray mere feet away, buffalo linger in the shallows and a tremendous variety of birds grace the grasses on the river edge. You will even spot elephants on the river banks coming for a drink and bath.

We return to the lodge for dinner. Spend the early evening at the lodge enjoying the pool which overlooks the Kazinga Channel and observe animals from the pool deck.

This day starts with an early morning game drive to the Ishasha sector to look for tree-climbing lions and other wildlife like Uganda kobs and topis. Many animals will cross your path. Have your picnic lunch along the shores of the river while viewing hundreds of hippos outside the water as they bask in the sun.

Exit the park at around 3:00 pm and depart by road to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park situated in Southwestern Uganda. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest comprises 331 sq km of jungle containing both montane and lowland forest only accessible on foot. It has 120 species of mammals, the most famous being the mountain gorillas. There are hiking trails where you can see a variety of birds and primates.

You will have an early breakfast then transfer to the park headquarters to join other trackers for a briefing about the gorilla trekking rules at 7:45 am. You will trek through thick creepers and undergrowth with your guides to find the gorillas, which can take between 1 and 4 hours. The steeply forested landscape is incredibly dense but crisscrossed by numerous animal trails, allowing access for tourists. You will have 1 hour to stay with the gorillas once they are sighted.

Afterward, drive to Lake Bunyonyi through a beautiful part of the country often referred to as the “Switzerland of Africa” because of its unique cool weather despite being near the equator. In the evening, go for an optional boat ride on the lake to discover the scattered islands or relax at the lodge. After the boat ride, return to the lodge and rest.

Have a relaxed breakfast at the lodge terrace while viewing the beautiful islands of the lake and the picturesque hills as you prepare for your return journey to Kampala. Expect a stopover at Mbarara town for lunch and a cup of homemade organic coffee. You will also stop at the Uganda Equator for memorable photos and souvenir shopping. Proceed with the journey to Kampala to arrive in the late afternoon or evening to be dropped off at your hotel, residence or the airport.