5 Days Uganda Safari – Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi Impenetrable Gorilla Trekking

After breakfast, meet your Kenzi Safaris driver-guide and begin your journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Enjoy the changing scenery as you travel through Uganda’s countryside, small towns, farmland and rolling landscapes. There will be stops along the way for refreshments, lunch and a chance to stretch your legs.

Arrive at Queen Elizabeth National Park and check in at your lodge. Depending on your arrival time, you will head out for an evening game drive to begin exploring the park.

Look out for elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, warthogs, waterbucks and other wildlife before returning to the lodge.

Start the day with an early breakfast before heading into the Kasenyi Plains for a morning game drive.

The open grasslands provide excellent opportunities to search for lions, elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, hyenas and, with some luck, leopards.

After the game drive, return to the lodge for lunch and some time to relax.

In the afternoon, enjoy a boat safari along the Kazinga Channel, a natural waterway connecting Lake George and Lake Edward.

The cruise offers excellent close-up views of hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes and many water birds along the shoreline.

After the boat safari, return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

After an early breakfast, drive to Kyambura Gorge for your chimpanzee trekking experience.

Following a briefing from the ranger guide, descend into the forested gorge and begin your search for chimpanzees.

The gorge is home to several primate species as well as colourful forest birds and other wildlife. Walking through its tropical forest provides a completely different experience from the open savannah of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

After the trek, continue your journey towards Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

The drive takes you through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, an area known for its tree-climbing lions. Sightings cannot be guaranteed, but you may have an opportunity to spot them resting in large fig trees.

Continue through the beautiful countryside to Bwindi, arriving at your lodge in the evening.

Today is the highlight of your Uganda safari — gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

After an early breakfast, transfer to the park headquarters with your packed lunch. You will meet the ranger guides for a briefing about the trekking experience and the guidelines to follow while in the forest.

You will then enter the rainforest and begin your search for a habituated mountain gorilla family.

The trek can take several hours, depending on the gorillas' location and the condition of the forest trails. Along the way, enjoy Bwindi’s thick vegetation, forest sounds and beautiful scenery.

Once the gorillas are located, you will spend the permitted viewing time observing them in their natural habitat. Watch them feed, rest, interact and move through the forest under the guidance of your ranger.

After the trek, return to the lodge and spend the rest of the day relaxing.

An optional community experience can also be arranged for travellers interested in learning more about the communities living around Bwindi.

Gorilla Trekking Note

Gorilla trekking involves walking through natural forest terrain, and the length and difficulty of the trek can vary depending on the location of the gorilla family.

You do not need to be an experienced hiker, but a reasonable level of fitness is recommended.

Local porters are available to help carry backpacks and provide assistance along difficult sections of the trail. Hiring a porter also directly supports people from communities surrounding the national park.

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

Enjoy the beautiful countryside along the way, with a stop around the Equator area for lunch, photographs and an opportunity to browse locally made crafts and souvenirs.

Continue to Kampala or Entebbe, where your Kenzi Safaris driver-guide will drop you at your hotel or Entebbe International Airport.