Sample Itinerary - Luxury Gorillas, Chimps and Wildlife of Uganda

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Day 1

    

Entebbe

Day notes

Arrive in Uganda at Entebbe Airport where our representative will assist you to your hotel.

Overnight at Hotel No. 5

Transfer from Entebbe International Airport [EBB] to No.5 Boutique Hotel

Details  
Mode

Transfer

Pick up

Entebbe International Airport [EBB]

Drop off

No.5 Boutique Hotel

Check-in to No.5 Boutique Hotel

Included:

(dinner)

Day 2

    

Southern Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day notes

Transfer from your hotel to Entebbe airport where a representative will assist you with your domestic flight to Kasese airstrip, where you will be welcomed by your guide who will provide knowledge and assistance throughout your safari.

Drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park on the way to Kyambura Gorge Lodge. Enjoy pre-dinner cocktails on the veranda overlooking the savannah plains with the magnificent Rwenzori Mountains in the distance.

Flying time between 1 to 1.5 hours, driving time 2 hours.

Overnight at Kyambura Gorge Lodge (lunch, dinner).

Check-out from No.5 Boutique Hotel

Transfer from No.5 Boutique Hotel to Entebbe Domestic Airport

Details  
Mode

Transfer

Pick up

No.5 Boutique Hotel

Drop off

Entebbe Domestic Airport

Scheduled Flight from Entebbe Domestic Airport to Kasese Airport [KSE]

Details  
Mode

Scheduled Flight

Departure

Entebbe Domestic Airport

Arrival

Kasese Airport [KSE]

Transfer from Kasese Airport [KSE] to Kyambura Gorge Lodge

Details  
Mode

Transfer

Pick up

Kasese Airport [KSE]

Drop off

Kyambura Gorge Lodge

Check-in to Kyambura Gorge Lodge

Included:

(breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 3

    

Southern Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day notes

Enjoy an early breakfast and set out for a morning game drive for the best wildlife viewings in the park. Depending on the season the wildlife seen varies. The Kasenyi plains are excellent for sighting lion and large herds of Uganda kob. The Mweya peninsula is one of the best places to look for leopard, which live in the dense, scrubby thickets.

You can visit and participate in the Kyambura Gorge Eco-tourism Project, or try roasting coffee with the Kyambura Women’s Coffee Cooperative, go birding in the Kyambura reclaimed wetlands, and plant a tree seedling in the wildlife buffer zone.

Overnight at Kyambura Gorge Lodge.

Expert tips:

The Kyambura Wetland Walk offers a 2-hour guided experience through a 45-acre wetland area, which has been regenerating after years of being used as an illegal brick works. Now home to over 200 species of birds, mammals, and primates, this project showcases conservation and community efforts.

The Kyambura Women’s Coffee Cooperative offers vocational training and a sustainable income source for twenty local women, many facing significant challenges. They cultivate over 2,500 coffee plants organically, which are processed locally and served at Volcanoes Safaris lodges. This initiative not only supports these women but also serves as a wildlife buffer, mitigating human-wildlife conflicts. Contributions help expand the project and sustain the community.

Included:

(breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 4

    

Southern Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day notes

After breakfast walk from the lodge directly down into Kyambura Gorge, to search for the ‘Lost Chimpanzees of Kyambura’. The gorge is an extraordinary natural environment and forms a stark contrast to the surrounding grasslands. Here you can track one of our closest animal relatives: the chimpanzee. This group of isolated chimps are quite mobile and viewing can be unpredictable but the walk itself is exciting and enchanting.

In the afternoon take a cruise on the Kazinga Channel, which flows between Lakes Edward and George. Kazinga is home to one of the greatest concentration of hippo in Africa and herds of elephant, buffalo and other animals come to drink at the waters edge. The channel is a magnet for waterbirds, with great flocks of pelicans and others birds on the shore, and a great spot to see African fish eagle.

After your boat cruise harvest honey with the Kyambura bee-keeping cooperative, see a performance from the Omumushaka Dance Group, and go on a gorge walk to see birds, monkeys and other wildlife around Kyambura Gorge Lodge.

Overnight at Kyambura Gorge Lodge 

Expert tips:

Experience the thrill of chimpanzee trekking in the natural high canopies and across river bridges. Starting from Kyambura Gorge Lodge, the 2-3 hour trek involves navigating steep gorges and log bridges, demanding agility and fitness. Nearby Kalinzu Forest also offers a glimpse into the lives of 40 habituated chimpanzees.

 

Included:

(breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Chimp permit

Day 5

    

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Day notes

After breakfast at the lodge your safari now continues to the primeval Bwindi forest. Driving through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park who can look for the famous tree-climbing lions. The fascinating journey through the rapidly changing landscape takes you up in the highlands to Bwindi Lodge situated on the edge of the impenetrable forest.

Enjoy pre-dinner cocktails on the veranda overlooking the dramatic Bwindi Forest with the calls of more than 150 bird species echoing in the distance.

Approximate driving time 5-6 hours.

Overnight at Bwindi Lodge .

Check-out from Kyambura Gorge Lodge

Transfer from Kyambura Gorge Lodge to Bwindi Lodge

Details  
Mode

Transfer

Pick up

Kyambura Gorge Lodge

Drop off

Bwindi Lodge

Check-in to Bwindi Lodge

Included:

(Breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 6

    

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Day notes

After enjoying an early breakfast, you set off gorilla tracking. Trekking through the steep, densely forested hills and then finally coming across the gorillas camouflaged in the vegetation is an inspiring and privileged moment. Tracking in the Bwindi forest can be steep and requires stamina as some gorilla families can be more elusive, and tracking can take a full day, especially if it is wet and muddy.

Visit the award-winning Bwindi Bar on the way back to the lodge after your gorilla trek and celebrate with the signature Gorillini cocktail! Bwindi Bar provides hospitality training to young disadvantaged youth from the neighbouring communities.

Approximate driving time up to 2 hours, depending on the location of the gorilla groups.

Overnight at Bwindi Lodge 

Expert tips:

Trekking mountain gorillas in dense African forests is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Groups of eight visit per day, maintaining a 10m distance to protect the gorillas. Treks last 3-8 hours, requiring some fitness, but all levels are accommodated for this unforgettable adventure.

Included:

(breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Gorilla hiking permit $800 pp

Day 7

    

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Day notes

Either go for a second gorilla trek (additional permits required, upon payment of supplement and subject to availability), choose from one of the following community and conservation activities:

Take a guided walk in the rainforest to a beautiful waterfall and enjoy a guided birding walk along the Munyanga River Trail. Visit the Bwindi Community Hospital and learn about their gorilla conservation at the Conservation Through Public Health centre. Enjoy a demonstration of our local tea processing cooperation at Bwindi Lodge.

Overnight at Bwindi Lodge 

Expert tips:

Join a veterinarian from Gorilla Doctors for an enlightening briefing on gorilla health and conservation strategies. Learn about their unique One Health approach and life-saving veterinary practices dedicated solely to the conservation of endangered mountain and eastern lowland gorillas.

Included:

(breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Day 8

    

End of Itinerary

Day notes

Transfer from Bwindi lodge to Kihihi airstrip for your morning or afternoon return flight to Entebbe and connect in time for your international flight.

Approximate Travel Times: Flying 1 to 2 hours; Driving 2 hours.

Please book international flights departing after 8pm.

 

Check-out from Bwindi Lodge

Transfer from Bwindi Lodge to Kihihi Airstrip [KHX]

Details  
Mode

Transfer

Pick up

Bwindi Lodge

Drop off

Kihihi Airstrip [KHX]

Scheduled Flight from Kihihi Airstrip [KHX] to Entebbe Domestic Airport

Details  
Mode

Scheduled Flight

Departure

Kihihi Airstrip [KHX]

Arrival

Entebbe Domestic Airport

Transfer from Entebbe Domestic Airport to Entebbe International Airport [EBB]

Details  
Mode

Transfer

Pick up

Entebbe Domestic Airport

Drop off

Entebbe International Airport [EBB]

Included:

(Breakfast at the lodge)

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