This 10 Days Uganda Primates and Bird Watching Safari Tour leads you to the most iconic safari destination to go for primate encounters especially the endangered mountain gorillas and chimpanzee individuals as well as leading you to the paradise of birding site.
You will visit places like; Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park both home to great creatures ‘’mountain gorillas’’ located in the southwestern region of Uganda. Visit Kibale Forest National Park home to the kingdom of primates mainly the chimpanzees and other 13 primate species and your safari journey ends with a visit to Mabamba Bay wetland ‘’known as the best birding site in Uganda’’. This trip starts and ends in Entebbe or Kampala.
Detailed Itinerary
Day1: Travel to Kibale National Park
On day 1 of the 10 Days Uganda Primates and Bird Watching Safari Tour, depending on the traveler’s point of location, our driver guide will pick you up and brief you about the trip. Then head to Kibale Forest National Park passing through several towns of Mityana, Mubende, Kyenjonjo, and the beautiful town of Fort Portal. This trip journey is rewarding with scenic spectacular views of tea plantations, and rolling hills thus providing a great opportunity for photographs. You will have lunch en route. Arrive at the park late afternoon and then check in at our lodge and relax as you prepare for the next day’s activity. Dinner and overnight stay at Chimpanzee Forest Lodge – Mid-range, Chimpundu Lodge
Day 2: Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale Forest
You will wake up early, and have breakfast with packed lunch, and then our driver guide will drive you to Kanyanchu Visitor Centre for briefing and grouping. Chimpanzee tracking activity is done in a group of 6 people led by a ranger guide who accompanies you into the forest to track the chimpanzees after the briefing. The activity can take 2 to 6 hours to locate the chimpanzees, their location depends on the availability of fruits and food in the forest. But as you can be trekking for these great apes there is a great chance of seeing other primates like the Vervet monkey, Black and White colobus monkeys, Red colobus monkeys, and Blue monkeys among others. After locating the chimpanzees, you will be given one hour to enjoy your time with them as they fight, feed, slap trees, chant, and swing from tree branches before tracking back to the lodge. Dinner and overnight at the lodge above
Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After morning breakfast, you will meet your driver guide, and transfer you to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Arrive at the park, check into your lodge and have lunch. After lunch, relax at the lodge as you get ready for your next day. Dinner and overnight stay at IChumbi Gorilla Lodge –Mid-range / Buhoma Lodge – Luxury Accommodation
Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi
Gorilla Trekking; Wake up early in the morning have breakfast with your packed lunch and drinking water. You will be transferred to the gorilla trekking headquarters for a pre-gorilla tracking briefing at 8: am. After briefing, meet up with the park ranger guide to lead you into tracking trails of these gentle giants. The experience can take 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on their location. Once you allocate them 1 hour is given to you to spend time observing the gorillas as they interact with each other as well as enjoying photo shooting. You will then, hike back to the Centre to be rewarded with your gorilla certificate. Dinner and Overnight.
Day 5: Leisure at the Hotel/Lodge
On this day, you will stay at leisure at your comfortable lodge. Enjoy the unwinding and fresh breathtaking adventure. Around lunchtime, you will enjoy a sumptuous lunch in a beautiful dining area as you get rewarded with a spectacular view of the nature around. Dinner and overnight stay at the above lodge.
Day 6: Transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
After enjoying your relaxed breakfast at the lodge, followed by check out and transfer to Mgahinga National Park. Arrive in time at the park, check into the lodge relax, and later have lunch.
After lunch, you will rest the whole at your lodge or option go visit the Batwa pygmies. Dinner and overnight stay at Lake Mulehe –Mid-range, Mount Gahinga Safari Lodge – Luxury
Day 7: Gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
After an early breakfast on the seventh day of the 10 Days Uganda Primates and Bird Watching Safari Tour, you will carry packed lunch from the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to drive you to the park headquarters for a briefing. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the jungle in search of the mountain gorillas which takes about 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will be able to view other primate species such as l’hoest monkeys, chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, different plant species, birds many more.
When you find the mountain gorillas you will be allowed to spend an hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you a gainful opportunity to observe their habits, behaviors, watch gorillas feed, breastfeed, groom young ones, take photos and record the breathtaking moments to show people back home after the safari. After the one-hour encounter with the gentle giants hike back to the park headquarters where you will be rewarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking. After drive back to the lodge. Dinner and Overnight stay at the above lodge.
Day 8: Leisure at the Hotel/Lodge
On this day, you will stay at leisure at your comfortable lodge. Enjoy the unwinding and fresh breathtaking adventure. Around lunchtime, you will enjoy a sumptuous lunch in a beautiful dining area as you get rewarded with spectacular view of the nature around. Dinner and overnight stay at the lodge above.
Day 9: Transfer back to Entebbe
After morning breakfast, on this day, you will wake up have a sumptuous breakfast, embark back to Entebbe with an impressive stop over at the equator for memorable photography and lunch en route. Then after, continue a drive straight to the Entebbe at your booked hotel. Arrive in the evening, check-in, and rest as you get ready for the next day activity. Dinner and overnight stay at Best Western Hotel-Mid-range
Day 10: Visit Mabamba Bay Wetland and Departure
After morning breakfast, start the journey to Mabamba Bay wetland. Upon arrival, you will board a canoe boat to sail you around the wetland with great chances of viewing plenty of rare water bird species as well as fishermen who mostly populate the neighboring water body and wetland itself. Shoe bills are the main spotted bird here by the bird lovers.
Other birds to be photographic include the purple heron, African jacana, Black Kite, African fish eagle, Pied and malachite, Kingfisher, Yellow-billed duck, White-faced whistling duck, Cattle egret, Long-toed lapwing, Spur-winged lapwing, Papyrus gonolek, Hammerkop, Black-winged stilt, Common and wood sandpiper many more. Birding along Mabamba wetland is best done on wooden motorized boats which is used to ride through the waterways to access different areas of the swamps while searching for the shoebill and other water birds while enjoying the spectacular of the wetland outlay. After your bird photography experience, drive back to your hotel or be dropped to any advised place.
End of the 10 Days Uganda Primates and Bird Watching Safari Tour.
Tour Inclusions;
- Ground transportation /Air transfer and pick-ups
- Park entrance fees
- Gorilla permits
- Chimpanzee permits
- Full Board accommodation and all meals
- Bottled water on the safari trip
- Activities as described within the itinerary
- Knowledgeable English-speaking driver guide.
Tour Exclusions;
- Costs of the Visa
- International flights
- Personal-related expenses –tipping
- Extras at the hotel like catholic and soft drinks.
