8 day Primate & Culture Group Safari

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport (EBB), you will be warmly welcomed by your professional safari driver-guide, marking the start of your Ugandan adventure in the Pearl of Africa. After completing immigration and baggage formalities, you’ll be transferred to your lodge, where you can unwind and settle in after your journey. If your arrival schedule allows, you may choose to take an optional excursion to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, a well-curated sanctuary showcasing Uganda’s primates, reptiles, and birdlife, or to the Entebbe Botanical Gardens, renowned for their lush greenery, vibrant bird species, and playful vervet monkeys, all set against the serene backdrop of Lake Victoria. This gentle introduction offers a first taste of Uganda’s remarkable wildlife and natural beauty, providing a calm yet engaging start before the adventures ahead. Overnight in Entebbe.Overnight in Entebbe.

Drive: Entebbe → Kibale (Fort Portal/Kanyanchu area) is typically a 5–6 hour scenic road journey (tarmac + last stretch on murram). Expect breaks for lunch in Fort Portal.

Afternoon: Bigodi Wetland & community walk (how it runs):

After your arrival at your booked hotel, you will check in and later head out for your afternoon swamp and community experience.  Led by an English-speaking local/ site guide. The swamp walk typically follows raised boardwalks, footpaths and a canopy and takes ~2–3 hours at a relaxed pace. The swamp is a home to over 200 bird species (Great Blue Turaco is a flagship), small primates (red-tailed monkeys, colobus), and abundant wetland plants.  Your guide will be able to explain the significance of the plants and shrubs you encounter on the walk, and explain how they are used traditionally to heal different diseases

The community walk component includes short village visits ,  you’ll meet women’s groups,  learn how locals prepare banana gin,  coffee experience, if time allows, you may also visit the vanilla plantations, to learn how the vanilla growing process is done. Later you will drive back to your lodge for dinner and overnight relaxation.

Why this matters: Bigodi is both a superb, accessible birding/primate spot and a model of community conservation, revenue from walks funds education, health and local conservation.

Morning — chimp trek (how it is organized):
after your breakfast, you will drive to Kanyanchu park offices,  on arrival,  will do registration, after which you will be briefed buy Rangers who will explain rules and confirm permits. After your briefing, you will either start from the offices walking, of first take a short drive to the starting point.  Group composition: Kibale typically limits each chimp trek to small groups (commonly 6–8 people), guided by a ranger plus trackers who go ahead to locate the habituated troop. Expect 2–4 hours in the forest total  though time depends on how far the chimps are that day. Once the troop is found you are allowed one hour to observe their feeding, play and social behavior. Photography without flash is allowed.

Afternoon — transfer to queen Elizabeth national park.
• After the chimp experience and lunch, you head south towards queen Elizabeth national park. You will embark on 3 hours’ drive to queen Elizabeth national park, transversing through the volcanic district of fort portal, with views of mt Rwenzori

Kyambura Gorge, often called the “Valley of the Apes,” is a striking geographical feature located in the eastern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park in southwestern Uganda. The gorge stretches about 16 kilometers long and descends over 100 meters deep, cutting dramatically through the surrounding savanna. Formed by the erosive and faulting action of the Kyambura River, it is characterized by dense tropical rainforest contrasting sharply with the open grasslands above.

Kyambura Gorge is best known for being home to one of the few habituated chimpanzee communities in Uganda, making it a key site for chimpanzee trekking. Besides chimpanzees, the gorge supports diverse wildlife, including red-tailed and black-and-white colobus monkeys, hippos, and numerous bird species such as the African finfoot and crowned eagle. The rich vegetation and enclosed microclimate create a lush, green corridor that serves as a vital ecological refuge within the larger savanna ecosystem of Queen Elizabeth National Park.

After briefing, you will enter this geographica phenomenon in search for our closest living relatives, when you encounter them, you will have an hour with them. After this ecounter, you will drive back to your lodge for lunch, before driving to mweya peninsula for your afternoon boatcruise.

The Kazinga Channel boat cruise is an unforgettable highlight of your visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park. This relaxing experience takes you along the Kazinga Channel, a beautiful 32-kilometer natural waterway connecting Lake George and Lake Edward. The cruise offers one of the best opportunities in Uganda to see a wide variety of wildlife up close, all from the comfort of your boat.

As you glide slowly along the channel, you’ll spot large pods of hippos wallowing in the water, Nile crocodiles sunbathing on the banks, and elephants and buffaloes coming down to drink. The channel is also a bird lover’s paradise, home to hundreds of species including African fish eagles, kingfishers, herons, and pelicans. Your guide will share fascinating insights about the animals, birds, and the surrounding ecosystem throughout the cruise.

Boat trips typically last about 2 hours and depart either in the morning or late afternoon, when wildlife is most active and the light is perfect for photography. The scenery is spectacular—the calm waters framed by open savanna

Today begins with an early morning game drive in the Kasenyi Plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of the park’s most scenic and wildlife-rich areas. As the sun rises over the rift valley, you’ll explore the open savanna where animals are most active at this time of day. The Kasenyi region is particularly known for its large herds of Ugandan kob, which attract predators such as lions and leopards. You may also encounter elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, and a variety of bird species, making for an exciting and picturesque safari experience. Your guide will help you spot wildlife and share insights about the park’s ecosystems and animal behavior.

After the game drive, you’ll return to your lodge for breakfast or an early lunch before beginning your transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The journey takes you through the scenic landscapes of southwestern Uganda, with views of rolling hills, tea plantations, and traditional villages along the way. You’ll arrive at Bwindi in the late afternoon or evening, settling into your lodge nestled on the edge of the forest.

Bwindi’s cool mountain air and lush greenery mark a striking contrast to the savanna plains—an ideal setting to relax and prepare for the gorilla trekking adventure that awaits the next day.

Morning — gorilla trekking :

Early arrival: Meet at the parks  sector office ( the gorilla trekking permit is what determines where your tracking will be, so here your lodge may change if you are assigned a permit in a different sector, the park has 4 sectors and among the me BUHOMA, RUHIIJA, RUSHAGA AND NKURINGO. Depending on your lodge location, your guide will tell you when to sett off, you should be at the office by about 07:30–08:00 for registration and mandatory briefing. Rangers check permits and passports.

Group size & the trek: Uganda allows a maximum of 8 people per habituated gorilla family; you’ll be assigned a ranger and often trackers and porters (porters are available locally for carrying bags or for guests who need help on steep sections . NB. PORTERS ARE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, especially if you are not sure about your hiking capabilities, the cost of a porter is 20usd or the equivalent in Ugandan shillings 80,000).

Early in the morning before your arrival, The trackers move ahead to find the family; the walking time varies enormously — treks can be 30 minutes if the group is nearby or 4–6 hours (or more) if they’re high up or deep in the forest. When the gorillas are located you are allowed one hour with them.

During the encounter — strict rules: keep ~7 meters distance when possible, speak softly, follow the ranger’s instructions, do not eat/drink near gorillas, wear a face mask (to reduce the risk of disease transmission). Photography is permitted without flash; if a gorilla approaches closely, your guide will give the correct, immediate instructions (crouch, look down, remain calm). After this experience, return to the starting point, you will find your guide waiting for you, after this you will, embark on your journey to Kisoro

Afternoon — transfer to Kisoro:
• After the trek and lunch, you’ll transfer to Kisoro (gateway to Mgahinga and Lake Mutanda). The drive time varies by sector; from many Bwindi points to Kisoro expect ~1.5–4 hours depending on route and exact sector. If you are visiting Mgahinga the Kisoro base is convenient for the golden-monkey trek the next day.

You will start the day with beakfast, after with you will drive to Mgahinga, after arrival you will receive briefing at the Mgahinga park entrance (park rangers brief you on behavior around golden monkeys — these are active, fast and live in bamboo/forest on volcanic slopes). Permits are required and tracking typically gives one hour with the monkeys; prior booking will be organized by our office. The habitat is often steep and mixed bamboo/forest, so sturdy footwear and moderate fitness are needed. Here the porters are highly recommended, due to the rugged terrain unless you are experienced with mountain climbing. When you finally encounter them, you will spend an hour with them, enjoy their interactions, later descend back to the starting point, you will find your guide waiting for you, after this you will be transferred to Bunyonyi for your relaxation.

Afternoon — transfer to Lake Bunyonyi:
• Short transfer from Kisoro to Lake Bunyonyi (approx 2.5hours ). On arrival, check into lakeside accommodation and relax; an optional evening canoe ride or island stroll is a lovely finish to the day. Lake Bunyonyi’s calm waters and islands offer scenic relaxation after two high-energy trekking days.

Morning at Bunyonyi: optional, choose from a dugout-canoe island-hop (Punishment Island, Childrens’ Island), a village walk, birding or a short hike to view the Virunga volcanoes. Canoes are locally made and paddled by guides; these are peaceful, culturally rich experiences. Many lodges can arrange a 1–3 hour guided canoe/boat trip.

Afternoon — transfer to Kigali:
• Drive from Lake Bunyonyi area to the Gatuna/Katuna border and onward to Kigali. The trip typically takes ~3–4 hours door-to-door to Kigali (border formalities vary; plan 30–90 minutes for immigration). Make sure passports, visa documents (or East Africa tourist visa) and Yellow Fever card are on hand for exit/entry formalities.