10-Day Uganda Gorillas, Chimps & Big Five Safari

Welcome to Uganda, the Pearl of Africa. Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be welcomed by a professional Enjobe Safaris driver-guide holding a personalised welcome sign.

After completing immigration procedures and collecting your luggage, you will receive assistance before transferring to your selected lodge in Entebbe.

The drive from the airport will be short, allowing you to settle in comfortably after your international journey. Depending on your arrival time, you may spend the remainder of the day relaxing at the lodge, walking around the surrounding area or preparing for the adventure ahead.

Your driver-guide will provide a short briefing about the safari, including the planned departure time for the following morning. Dinner and overnight will be at your selected lodge in Entebbe.

After breakfast, you will travel to Mabamba Bay Wetland, one of Uganda’s best-known birdwatching destinations and one of the most reliable places to search for the rare shoebill.

Depending on the location of your lodge and prevailing conditions, you may reach Mabamba by road or by a combination of road and boat transportation. At the wetland, you will board a traditional canoe accompanied by an experienced local birding guide. You will slowly navigate through channels of papyrus, water lilies and floating vegetation while searching for the prehistoric-looking shoebill. Other possible bird sightings include African jacanas, malachite kingfishers, pied kingfishers, purple herons, African fish eagles, egrets, cormorants and numerous wetland species.

Shoebill sightings cannot be guaranteed, but the peaceful canoe experience and rich birdlife make Mabamba Bay a rewarding destination. After the excursion, you will return to your lodge in Entebbe for lunch and a short period of relaxation.

In the afternoon, you will visit Entebbe Botanical Gardens. Located near the shores of Lake Victoria, the gardens contain tropical trees, medicinal plants, open lawns and pockets of natural forest. During the guided walk, you may see black-and-white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys and a variety of birds. The visit provides a relaxed introduction to Uganda’s natural environment before the longer safari journey begins.

You will later return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

After an early breakfast, you will leave Entebbe and begin the journey towards Murchison Falls National Park.

The drive takes you north through Kampala and several roadside towns before arriving at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary which is home to Uganda’s population of southern white rhinos and offers visitors the opportunity to track them on foot in the company of trained sanctuary rangers.

After receiving a safety briefing, you will walk through the sanctuary while your ranger searches for the rhinos and explains their behaviour, conservation history and importance to Uganda’s wildlife restoration efforts. The experience brings you remarkably close to these impressive animals while following strict safety and conservation guidelines. After rhino tracking, you will have lunch along the route and continue towards Murchison Falls National Park. Upon arrival, you will enter the park and transfer to your lodge.

Where arrival time and park conditions permit, you will enjoy a short evening game drive in search of elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, hartebeests, warthogs and other wildlife. If you arrive late, you will proceed directly to the lodge and prepare for the following day’s full safari experience.

Dinner and overnight stay will be at your selected lodge

After an early breakfast, you will begin a morning game drive in Murchison Falls National Park which is Uganda's largest protected wildlife area and contains open savannah, woodland, wetlands and sections of the River Nile.

During the game drive, your driver-guide will explore wildlife-rich areas in search of lions, elephants, Cape buffaloes, giraffes, Uganda kobs, Jackson’s hartebeests, oribis, warthogs, spotted hyenas and leopards. The cooler morning hours provide some of the best opportunities to observe wildlife before the temperatures rise. You will return to the lodge for lunch and a short period of relaxation.

In the afternoon, you will transfer to the River Nile for a scenic boat cruise towards the base of Murchison Falls. As the boat travels upstream, you may encounter large groups of hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes and numerous bird species along the riverbanks. Possible bird sightings include African fish eagles, pied kingfishers, red-throated bee-eaters, herons, egrets, cormorants and African jacanas.

The cruise continues towards the point where the Nile is forced through a narrow rocky gorge before plunging into the river below. You will enjoy views of the powerful waterfall from the boat before returning downstream. After the cruise, you will transfer back to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

After an early breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and begin the long but scenic journey to Kibale National Park. The drive takes you through northwestern and western Uganda, passing rural communities, farmland, forests, tea-growing areas and beautiful countryside. You will stop for lunch along the route before continuing towards Fort Portal and the Kibale region.

Upon arrival in the Kibale area, you will proceed for a guided Bigodi Swamp and community walk. The Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary is managed through a community-based conservation initiative and is known for its primates, birds, butterflies and wetland vegetation. Possible sightings include black-and-white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys and several bird species. The community section of the experience may introduce you to traditional farming, coffee growing, banana cultivation, local foods, medicinal plants, crafts and daily rural life. After the walk, you will transfer to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Because the journey from Murchison Falls to Kibale is long, the timing and length of the Bigodi experience may be adjusted according to road conditions and the your arrival time.

After an early breakfast, you will transfer to the chimpanzee trekking briefing point at Kibale National Park.

Kibale is one of Africa’s most important primate habitats and is widely recognised as one of the world's leading chimpanzee trekking destination. At the briefing point, you will meet Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers and receive instructions about forest safety, chimpanzee behaviour and trekking procedures. You will then enter the tropical rainforest accompanied by experienced trackers.

As you move through the forest, listen for the loud calls of chimpanzees and watch for movement in the tree canopy. Other possible primate sightings include red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, black-and-white colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys and olive baboons which might also be spotted during the trek.

Once the chimpanzees are located, you will spend a memorable hour observing them as they feed, groom, communicate, rest and move through the forest. After the trek, you will return to the lodge or a nearby restaurant for lunch.

You will then begin the drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The journey passes through the scenic Fort Portal and Kasese region, with views of tea plantations, crater lakes, rural communities and the distant Rwenzori Mountains. You will stop at the Kikorongo Equator landmark for photographs and the experience of standing between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

After the Equator stop, you will continue to your lodge in or near Queen Elizabeth National Park. Dinner and overnight will be at the lodge.

After an early breakfast, you will begin a morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The park is known for its varied landscapes, including open savannah, wetlands, forests, crater lakes and the wildlife-rich Kazinga Channel.

Your driver-guide will explore the Kasenyi Plains or another productive wildlife-viewing area according to current animal movements. Possible sightings include lions, elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs, bushbucks, spotted hyenas and leopards. The cooler morning temperatures provide excellent opportunities to observe predators and grazing animals before they retreat from the midday heat. After the game drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation.

In the afternoon, you will transfer to the Kazinga Channel for a boat cruise. The Kazinga Channel connects Lake George and Lake Edward and supports one of the largest concentrations of hippos in Uganda. During the cruise, you may see hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes, monitor lizards and numerous waterbirds along the shoreline. The boat provides excellent opportunities for photography and allows you to observe wildlife from a different perspective. After the cruise, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

After breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and begin the journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The drive takes you through the scenic landscapes of southwestern Uganda, passing rural communities, farmland, rolling hills and forested areas.

Depending on your assigned gorilla trekking sector and the location of your lodge, the route may pass through different sections of the Queen Elizabeth region and neighbouring districts. You will stop for lunch along the route before continuing towards Bwindi. As you approach the national park, the landscape becomes increasingly mountainous, with terraced hillsides, winding roads and dense rainforest which is one of Africa’s oldest and most biologically diverse forests. It is internationally known for protecting a significant population of endangered mountain gorillas. You will arrive at your lodge in the afternoon or early evening and check in.

Your driver-guide will brief you about the following day’s gorilla trekking experience, including what to wear, what to carry and what to expect during the trek. You will have dinner and an early night in preparation for the adventure the following day.

Today marks one of the most anticipated moments of your Uganda safari. After an early breakfast, you will transfer to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park headquarters with your original passport, packed lunch, drinking water and trekking equipment.

At the park headquarters, you will meet Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers and receive a detailed briefing about gorilla trekking procedures, forest safety and conservation guidelines. You will then be assigned a habituated gorilla family and placed in a small trekking group.

Accompanied by experienced rangers and trackers, you will enter the ancient rainforest and begin searching for the mountain gorillas. The trek can last between two and several hours, depending on the gorillas’ location, movements and the condition of the forest trails. The experience may involve steep slopes, thick vegetation, mud and uneven terrain. Hiring a local porter is strongly recommended, as porters provide valuable assistance while directly benefiting from the income earned. Once the gorilla family is located, you will spend one extraordinary hour observing the gorillas as they feed, rest, groom, play and interact. You will have opportunities to take photographs while following the instructions provided by your ranger. After the encounter, you will trek back to the park headquarters and receive a gorilla trekking certificate. You will then return to the lodge for lunch and relaxation.

Later in the afternoon, you will participate in a respectful, community-led Batwa cultural experience. During the visit, members of the Batwa community may share stories about their forest heritage, traditional survival methods, medicinal plants, songs, dances and cultural practices. The experience provides an opportunity to learn about Batwa history while supporting community livelihoods and cultural preservation. You will return to the lodge for dinner and your final overnight stay on safari

After breakfast, you will check out of the lodge and begin the return journey to Entebbe. The drive takes you through the beautiful hills and rural landscapes of southwestern Uganda. You will stop for lunch and comfort breaks during the journey. You will make a short stop at the Uganda Equator in Kayabwe for photographs, souvenir shopping and refreshments. You will then continue to Entebbe, arriving in the evening.

Your driver-guide will drop you at your hotel, residence or Entebbe International Airport depending on your departure flight schedule, marking the end of your 10-Day Uganda Gorillas, Chimps and Big Five Safari.

Guests departing Uganda on the same day should book a late-night flight. An additional night in Entebbe is recommended for travellers who prefer a more relaxed conclusion to the safari.