Day 1: Pickup from Kampala/Entebbe and Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
On the first day of your safari, your driver-guide will pick you up from your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe, or from Entebbe Airport. The journey to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park will take around 8 hours, but the scenic drive offers beautiful views and gives you a chance to experience local communities along the way. There will be a stop at the Equator for photographs and a break for lunch en route. Depending on time and requests, additional stops can be made. On arrival, you will check into Rushaga Gorilla Camp, your accommodation for the night, where you can relax and enjoy dinner before heading to bed.
Accommodation: Rushaga Gorilla Camp
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Distance: 522 km / 8 hours
Day 2: Gorilla Tracking Experience
After breakfast at your lodge, you will drive to the park headquarters for a briefing by Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers. They will assign you to a gorilla family group for the trek. Gorilla tracking typically starts from the area where the gorillas were last seen the previous day. You will trek through the dense forest, which can be physically demanding, but the experienced rangers will guide you through, ensuring your safety and sharing interesting facts about the gorillas and the forest.
Once you find the gorillas, you will have one hour to observe and interact with them, capturing photographs and watching their natural behaviors. The trek can vary in length, depending on the location of the gorillas and weather conditions, but the success rate is over 99%. After your gorilla encounter, you will return to the starting point, where you can collect your certificate of successful gorilla tracking. Return to Rushaga Gorilla Camp for relaxation, lunch, and dinner.
Accommodation: Rushaga Gorilla Camp
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Distance: Approx. 6 hours (Trekking time)
Day 3: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, you will begin your journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The drive will take about 5 hours, and you will enjoy scenic views along the way. Once you arrive at the park in the afternoon, you will check into Elephant Hab Lodge. After settling in, you will embark on an evening game drive through the park, searching for late-grazing animals. Queen Elizabeth is home to the Big 4 (elephants, lions, buffaloes, and leopards), along with a variety of other mammals and over 600 bird species. After the game drive, return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Elephant Hab Lodge
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Distance: 146 km / 5 hours
Day 4: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Cruise on Kazinga Channel
Your day begins early with a breakfast before heading out for a morning game drive in the Kasenyi Plains. The drive will last 2-3 hours and offer opportunities to see animals like elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, kobs, and bushbucks. After the game drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation. In the afternoon, you will take a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, which connects Lake George and Lake Edward. The boat ride is one of the highlights of the safari, offering views of hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes, and a variety of bird species. Afterward, return to Elephant Hab Lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Elephant Hab Lodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Duration: 3 hours
Day 5: Visit Katwe Salt Lakes and Drive Back to Kampala/Entebbe
On the final day of the safari, you will have a morning game drive through the Mieya Peninsula or, alternatively, visit the Katwe Salt Lakes, where you can observe traditional salt mining activities. After the morning adventure, you will have lunch before embarking on the 7-hour drive back to Kampala or Entebbe, where you will be dropped off at your hotel or the airport.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Distance: 391 km / 7 hours
