Chimps & Gorillas of Uganda

Overview

Discover the emblematic wildlife of Uganda with expert local guides who know their habitats inside out

Uganda is a nature documentary come true. Get the best seat in the house on this true adventure into the heart of Africa. Kibale Forest is possibly the best place in the world to track chimpanzees, while Lake Mburo National Park is home to zebras, giraffes and the elusive leopard, and Queen Elizabeth National Park is the place to spot tree-climbing lions. In Bwindi, we hike through thick vegetation with expert guides to spend an hour with mountain gorillas – one of the great wildlife-watching experiences. This itinerary is valid for departures from 1 Feb, 2026 to 16 Dec, 2026. For other departure dates, please contact us.

Highlights

Discover Uganda’s incredible wildlife with the guides who know them best
Track chimpanzees and other primates in Kibale Forest with an expert local guide
Trek through Bwindi Impenetrable Forest to spend an unforgettable hour with mountain gorillas
Search for tree-climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Game drive in Lake Mburo National Park, home to zebras, giraffes and impala

Included

All accommodation: 10 Classic nights (hotels/lodges)
All breakfasts, 10 lunches and nine dinners
Immersive itinerary with all transport (including specially designed 4×4 vehicles) and listed activities
Expert tour leader to enhance your adventure
Arrival transfer for any flight, group departure transfer available
One chimp permit and one gorilla permit

Not included

Request a single room if required, purchase travel insurance and arrange any visas and vaccinations.

Itinerary

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Day 1: Adventure starts in Entebbe
Our adventure begins in Entebbe, a city on the north shore of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa. As many flights arrive late in the evening, there are no activities scheduled today. Want more time in Entebbe? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative. Upgrade to a lake-view room at the 2 Friends Hotel – speak to your sales representative for more details
Day 2: Drive to Kibale Forest
After breakfast, say hi to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. After this we leave Entebbe and begin our journey to Kibale Forest. The drive time depends, in large part, on traffic in Kampala but should take approximately seven hours. Upon arrival, we can relax at our lodge. Kibale Forest National Park is home to 13 primate species: there are nine diurnal primates, including vervet, red-tailed, L’Hoest’s, red colobus, black-and-white colobus and blue monkeys, plus grey-cheeked mangabey, olive baboons and, the most famous of all, chimpanzees. Although chimp sightings are not guaranteed, the odds of encountering them are very good. Upgrade to a luxury cottage today – speak to your sales representative for more details
Day 3: Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale; visit Bigodi wetlands
After an early breakfast, we head into the depths of the lush, green Kibale Forest in search of chimpanzees. While trekking, we are surrounded by birdsong and can expect to see at least five or six types of primates, most probably grey-cheeked mangabeys, red-tailed monkeys and, of course, chimpanzees. The walking is generally fairly easy with well-maintained trails and reasonably flat terrain, but we follow our guide's latest information on where the chimpanzees are located, meaning we have no fixed route − walking conditions therefore vary between different trips. Leaving the forest, you're welcome to enjoy a coffee at Cafe Kibale, a wonderful cafe providing free hospitality training to young people from the surrounding communities. After an incredible morning, we head back to our accommodation for lunch, before a 10-minute drive to the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary in the Magombe wetland. The sanctuary is a major tourist attraction in the Kibale Forest area and is operated by the Kibale Association for Rural and Environmental Development, a community-based organisation. It’s also a natural haven for birds and other monkeys, such as vervets, olive baboons, and colobus monkeys, which we hope to spot with the help of our community guide. Upgrade to a luxury cottage today – speak to your sales representative for more details
Day 4: Optional second chimpanzee trek; Crater Lakes hike
There is the option of doing a second chimp trek this morning to increase the probability of seeing them (due to limited permit availability, we recommend you prebook the second chimp trek). In the afternoon, we embark on the Crater Lakes hike around Kibale National Park. This two to three-hour tour offers the chance to explore the beautiful crater lakes at the edge of Kibale. Upgrade to a luxury cottage today – speak to your sales representative for more details
Day 5: To Bwindi National Park
Drive to Bwindi National Park today, which takes approximately eight hours. We stop for a picnic lunch en route, before taking the Katungulu-Ishasha route, which includes a game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park. This biodiverse safari park is the best place in Uganda to see tree-climbing lions, while also being home to elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, and other wildlife.
Day 6: Day at leisure with optional activities
A day to relax before we go in search of gorillas! You have the opportunity to join an optional activity (see Extra Expenses for prices). These include the Batwa experience, a three to four-hour cultural experience, in which you can learn about the lives of the indigenous Batwa people, a forest walk, or the Ride 4 a Woman community experience. We also enjoy a picnic lunch today.
Day 7: Mountain gorilla tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
For many, observing a wild mountain gorilla is one of the most emotional wildlife experiences possible. Tracking these gentle giants can take anything from under an hour to more than six, depending on where the family is located. The number of permits allocated daily are limited so we recommend early booking. If the permits for gorilla families close to where we stay are unavailable, there are more permits for another area of the park, though this will mean a long drive to the trek start point. The trek itself can be along steep, slippery trails and through the bush so you should be in reasonable physical condition, but the rewards of spending an hour with our close cousins more than makes up for the effort of getting to them.
Day 8: Optional second mountain gorilla trek
Today is a free day and there is the option of getting a second gorilla permit for this day, though due to the limited number of permits, this should be obtained at time of booking. For those who choose not to go on a second gorilla trek, there are other walks you can do nearby or you can relax at our lodge, reminiscing about the previous day’s encounters. On some departures, due to the availability of permits, we may have to swap these two days over with the free day (and optional second gorilla trek) on Day 6 and the included gorilla trek on Day 7 or we may have to split the group to trek with gorillas across both days.
Day 9: To Lake Mburo National Park
Leaving the forests, we head towards Lake Mburo National Park. En route, we stop in Mbarara for lunch. The drive should be about five hours (not including stops). Lake Mburo is the only place in southern Uganda where you can see zebras, giraffes and impala and is a great place to try to see leopards. It is also home to more than 300 bird species and offers the possibility of game walks and game drives.
Day 10: Game drive; optional game walk or boat safari
Today we go on a final game drive looking for plains wildlife. The park has a network of game tracks in the eastern part of the park passing a variety of landscapes: acacia woodland, wetlands, grassy hillsides, rocky outcrops and seasonally flooded valley floors. The early morning and late afternoon are the best times to roam the park in search of wildlife. There is also the option of tracking game on foot through the savannah and going on a boat excursion, particularly good for birdlife. You also have the option of going on an early morning game walk. Accompanied by a ranger guide, you walk to a salt lick where many animals are attracted to the salty rocks. At this time of day, you may encounter hyenas returning to their dens and hippos retreating to the lake. The lake itself is rich with a diversity of animals and plants, and these can be viewed clearly on a boat trip. These include crocodiles, hippos and birds, such as pelicans, black crakes, herons, cormorants and fish eagles, but you may also see the rare shoebill stork if you are lucky.
Day 11: Drive to Entebbe where this adventure ends
Today is our final day and we return to Entebbe and the shores of Lake Victoria. The driving time depends on the amount of traffic in Kampala, but we make regular stops to break up the journey, including a picnic lunch. En route back to Entebbe, we visit Mabamba Swamp (Mabamba Bay Wetland System), which lies about 25mi (40km) from Entebbe. The swamp, said to support more than 190,000 birds, is the perfect spot in Uganda for watching the globally threatened shoebill stork and the papyrus yellow warbler. We arrive into Entebbe in the early evening. If time permits, you guide will take you for dinner (own expense) before dropping you at the airport. If you’d like a little more time, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay in Entebbe.

Important Information

The trip destination

Food

The service can be either à la carte or buffet, depending on the lodge. For early game drives, and to maximise the time spent in the parks, a packed breakfast or lunch may be provided in some instances. The food provided is a mix of good local and international food throughout. It is possible to cater for vegetarians or those with special requirements; however, please make sure you advise your sales representative at time of booking. Please note: The availability of certain specialised products for restricted diets (eg gluten-free or dairy-free) is minimal or non-existent in Uganda and we strongly recommend you bring these specialised dietary items from home.

Weather

The wettest areas are concentrated along the shores of Lake Victoria and the western mountain districts. Although rains are normally more frequent during the two rainy seasons (April-May and October-November), wet spells can occur during the dry season, so please come prepared. Uganda can be visited at any time, the weather is pleasant for much of the year over most of the country and temperatures are never excessively high.

The temperatures are usually cooler at night and this depends more on the altitude than on the actual area of the country.

Is this trip for you?

This trip is graded Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate) with a Wildlife Rating of Four. For more information on our trip gradings please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page or our Wildlife Holidays page for more on our Wildlife Ratings. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us.

The Moderate grade applies specifically to the gorilla and chimp treks, the rest of the itinerary is graded Easy. Reasonable fitness is required for chimpanzee and gorilla tracking.

Gorilla trek: Owing to the terrain and the need to explore to find gorillas, the trek doesn’t follow a path in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest; instead, the guides cut a route through the undergrowth. Expect a minimum of three hours of walking on rough terrain, with the possibility of climbing up to 8,553ft (2,607m); steep ascents and descents over muddy slopes are the norm. Strong footwear is essential and we recommend hiring a local porter to help you carry your bag/camera equipment and provide a steady, supportive hand (porters are arranged and paid for locally on the day).

This is a busy and active trip with some early starts as we explore as much as we can of this wonderful country. There are some long drives, sometimes on bad roads, but we use comfortable safari vehicles and the fantastic scenery does make time on the drives go by.

Booking conditions: At the time of booking, a £900 (or equivalent in booking currency) non-refundable deposit is required to cover the cost of the gorilla permit and a £260 (or equivalent in booking currency) non-refundable deposit is required to cover the cost of the chimp permit. If for any reason we are unable to secure the permits and must cancel the trip, you receive a full refund.

If you would like a second gorilla or chimp trek, please request this at time of booking, an extra deposit is required. However, we only request the extra permits once the trip has been guaranteed as, otherwise, they must be paid in full even if the trip doesn’t run. Once the extra gorilla or chimp permits have been requested, the deposits are non-refundable.

AVAILABLE DATES	PRICE (1 ADULT)	PRICE (1 CHILDREN)	Single room supplement	TRAVEL STATUS
Sat, 01 Aug 2026 / Tue, 11 Aug 2026	NOK 83 190 NOK 74 990	On request	NOK 10 415	On request
Sat, 12 Sep 2026 / Tue, 22 Sep 2026	NOK 84 535 NOK 80 370	On request	NOK 10 415	On request
Sat, 05 Dec 2026 / Tue, 15 Dec 2026	NOK 84 535 NOK 76 200	On request	NOK 10 415	On request
Sat, 30 Jan 2027 / Tue, 09 Feb 2027	NOK 88 435	On request	NOK 10 350	On request
Sat, 20 Feb 2027 / Tue, 02 Mar 2027	NOK 85 745	On request	NOK 10 350	On request
Sat, 26 Jun 2027 / Tue, 06 Jul 2027	NOK 88 435	On request	NOK 10 350	On request
Sat, 10 Jul 2027 / Tue, 20 Jul 2027	NOK 88 435	On request	NOK 10 350	On request
Sat, 21 Aug 2027 / Tue, 31 Aug 2027	NOK 88 435	On request	NOK 10 350	On request
Sat, 04 Sep 2027 / Tue, 14 Sep 2027	NOK 85 745	On request	NOK 10 350	On request
Sat, 22 Jan 2028 / Tue, 01 Feb 2028	NOK 88 705	On request	NOK 10 820	On request
Sat, 19 Feb 2028 / Tue, 29 Feb 2028	NOK 88 705	On request	NOK 10 820	On request
Sat, 10 Jun 2028 / Tue, 20 Jun 2028	NOK 88 705	On request	NOK 10 820	On request
Sat, 24 Jun 2028 / Tue, 04 Jul 2028	NOK 88 705	On request	NOK 10 820	On request
Sat, 08 Jul 2028 / Tue, 18 Jul 2028	NOK 88 705	On request	NOK 10 820	On request
Sat, 22 Jul 2028 / Tue, 01 Aug 2028	NOK 88 705	On request	NOK 10 820	On request
Sat, 26 Aug 2028 / Tue, 05 Sep 2028	NOK 88 705	On request	NOK 10 820	On request
Sat, 09 Sep 2028 / Tue, 19 Sep 2028	NOK 88 705	On request	NOK 10 820	On request
Sat, 04 Nov 2028 / Tue, 14 Nov 2028	NOK 84 670	On request	NOK 10 820	On request
Sat, 09 Dec 2028 / Tue, 19 Dec 2028	NOK 88 705	On request	NOK 10 820	On request

AVAILABLE DATES	PRICE (1 ADULT)	PRICE (1 CHILDREN)	SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENT	TRAVEL STATUS
Sat, 01 Aug 2026 / Tue, 11 Aug 2026	NOK 83 190 NOK 74 990	On request	NOK 10 415	On request
Sat, 12 Sep 2026 / Tue, 22 Sep 2026	NOK 84 535 NOK 80 370	On request	NOK 10 415	On request
Sat, 05 Dec 2026 / Tue, 15 Dec 2026	NOK 84 535 NOK 76 200	On request	NOK 10 415	On request
Sat, 30 Jan 2027 / Tue, 09 Feb 2027	NOK 88 435	On request	NOK 10 350	On request
Sat, 20 Feb 2027 / Tue, 02 Mar 2027	NOK 85 745	On request	NOK 10 350	On request
Sat, 26 Jun 2027 / Tue, 06 Jul 2027	NOK 88 435	On request	NOK 10 350	On request
Sat, 10 Jul 2027 / Tue, 20 Jul 2027	NOK 88 435	On request	NOK 10 350	On request
Sat, 21 Aug 2027 / Tue, 31 Aug 2027	NOK 88 435	On request	NOK 10 350	On request
Sat, 04 Sep 2027 / Tue, 14 Sep 2027	NOK 85 745	On request	NOK 10 350	On request
Sat, 22 Jan 2028 / Tue, 01 Feb 2028	NOK 88 705	On request	NOK 10 820	On request
Sat, 19 Feb 2028 / Tue, 29 Feb 2028	NOK 88 705	On request	NOK 10 820	On request
Sat, 10 Jun 2028 / Tue, 20 Jun 2028	NOK 88 705	On request	NOK 10 820	On request
Sat, 24 Jun 2028 / Tue, 04 Jul 2028	NOK 88 705	On request	NOK 10 820	On request
Sat, 08 Jul 2028 / Tue, 18 Jul 2028	NOK 88 705	On request	NOK 10 820	On request
Sat, 22 Jul 2028 / Tue, 01 Aug 2028	NOK 88 705	On request	NOK 10 820	On request
Sat, 26 Aug 2028 / Tue, 05 Sep 2028	NOK 88 705	On request	NOK 10 820	On request
Sat, 09 Sep 2028 / Tue, 19 Sep 2028	NOK 88 705	On request	NOK 10 820	On request
Sat, 04 Nov 2028 / Tue, 14 Nov 2028	NOK 84 670	On request	NOK 10 820	On request
Sat, 09 Dec 2028 / Tue, 19 Dec 2028	NOK 88 705	On request	NOK 10 820	On request

Chimps & Gorillas of Uganda

Overview

Itinerary

Photos

Important Information

Prices / Dates