5 Day Gorilla Habituation Safari in Bwindi Impenetrable Gorilla Park

On arrival at Entebbe International Airport, meet your Kenzi Safaris driver-guide who will welcome you to Uganda and provide a short briefing about your safari.

Transfer to your hotel in Entebbe, check in and spend the rest of the day relaxing after your journey.

Depending on your arrival time, additional activities around Entebbe can be arranged on request.

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and begin your journey towards Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwestern Uganda.

Your first major stop will be at the Equator in Kayabwe, where you can take photographs, stretch your legs and browse locally made crafts and souvenirs.

Continue through Uganda's countryside with lunch along the way.

The journey offers changing views of small towns, farmland, rolling hills and the beautiful landscapes of southwestern Uganda.

Arrive in Bwindi in the late afternoon or evening, check in at your lodge and relax as you prepare for your gorilla habituation experience the following morning.

Today is the highlight of your safari — the Gorilla Habituation Experience in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

After an early breakfast, collect your packed lunch and transfer to the designated park headquarters.

Meet the ranger team for a briefing about the experience, forest guidelines and how to behave around the mountain gorillas.

You will then enter the rainforest accompanied by experienced guides and begin your search for a gorilla family undergoing habituation.

The experience can take much of the day, depending on the location and movement of the gorillas.

Once the gorillas are located, you will have an extended period of up to four hours with them, giving you more time to observe their behaviour, movements and interactions in their natural environment.

The experience also provides an opportunity to learn more about the work involved in gradually getting wild gorillas accustomed to the presence of researchers and visitors.

After your time with the gorillas, trek back to the starting point and meet your Kenzi Safaris driver-guide for your transfer back to the lodge.

Spend the evening relaxing after your day in the forest.

Gorilla Habituation Note

The Gorilla Habituation Experience is different from standard gorilla trekking.

Standard gorilla trekking provides the permitted viewing period with an already habituated gorilla family. Gorilla habituation allows visitors to spend up to four hours with a gorilla family undergoing the habituation process once the gorillas are located.

The experience involves longer periods in the forest and can be physically demanding. A reasonable level of fitness is therefore recommended.

Local porters are available to carry backpacks and provide assistance along more challenging sections of the trail. Hiring a porter also provides direct support to communities surrounding Bwindi.

After breakfast, head out for a guided nature walk in the Bwindi area.

Explore the forest with an experienced guide while enjoying its vegetation, birdlife, streams and beautiful natural surroundings.

Depending on the selected trail, the walk may include waterfalls and opportunities to observe some of the smaller wildlife and primates found within the forest.

After the nature walk, return to your lodge for lunch and some time to relax.

In the afternoon, visit a Batwa community for a cultural experience.

Learn about the Batwa's traditional relationship with the forest, their history, customs and traditional ways of life.

The experience may include storytelling, demonstrations, music and traditional performances while providing an opportunity to interact with members of the local community.

Return to your lodge for dinner and your final night in Bwindi.

After breakfast, check out of your lodge and begin the journey back towards Kampala or Entebbe.

Enjoy views of southwestern Uganda's countryside along the way, with stops for refreshments and lunch during the journey.

Arrive in Kampala or Entebbe later in the day.

Your Kenzi Safaris driver-guide will drop you at your hotel or Entebbe International Airport, marking the end of your 5-Day Gorilla Habituation Safari in Bwindi.