Day 1:

Arrive in Uganda

Arrive through Entebbe International Airport where after entry visa clearance you will be welcomed by our experienced driver guide who will transfer you to Kampala Serena Hotel, a five-star oasis of cool and green, within a peaceful neighborhood that hosts some of Uganda’s hallmark structures-like the Parliament. This five-star hotel boasts of 17 acres of beautifully manicured gardens and a sensational pond—that overlooks its Olympic size swimming pool. This and the other luxurious amenities of the hotel will reward you with the utmost comfort.

Day 2:

Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park.

After breakfast, drive to Kibale Forest National Park through Uganda’s western lush highlands decorated with tea, coffee and banana plantations. Your jaws will drop in awe as you marvel at breathtaking landscapes that sit in the shadows of Rwenzori, Africa’s third highest Mountain. You will be checked in at Ndali Lodge that sits on a beautiful crater lake rim and is 45 away from in Kibale Forest National park, famous home of the largest concentration of chimpanzees in Africa, as well as a bewildering variety of other primates, birds and butterflies. The Lodge is part of the 1000-acre farm with a Vanilla processing plant; while here, you can take a walk around, past alcohol brewing in oil drums, through banana plantations, vanilla plantations, coffee terraces, plots of cassava, groundnuts, sorghum and millet. Below the lodge, on the lake itself, is a sturdy jetty, set in the most tranquil and secluded spot and frequented by 5 different species of Kingfisher.

Day 3:

Chimpanzee Trekking

Take an early breakfast and be transferred to the nearby briefing area where you will be welcomed by the park ranger guide. He will give you a detailed brief on dos and don’ts of chimp tracking before leading you into the forest for a lively adventure. Kibale Forest National Park harbors the greatest variety and concentration of primates found anywhere in East Africa. It has over 13 different species including the Black-and-white Colobus Monkey, Blue Monkey, Red-tailed Monkey, Grey-cheeked Mangabey and Bushbaby. The dense forest hosts a population of more than 1,000 wild chimpanzees. Your guide will draw your attention to an evocative pant-hoot call that marks your proximity to the delightful apes.  Spend a full hour watching them feed, socialize and rest before trekking back to your lodge for a hot lunch—made of fresh organic foods.  Return to the lodge for a relaxed evening and sundowner.

Day 4:

Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

After breakfast, drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park through en route banana plantations, crater lakes with fascinating shapes and rolling hills. Proceed along the western Rift Valley that leads to Mweya Safari Lodge. This five-star resort hovers on a peninsula protruding into the Kazinga Channel. At night, interesting guests including hippos and warthogs are usually seen grazing by your windows.

After lunch, you will be transferred to the nearby docking area for a relaxing boat cruise on Kazinga channel for great wildlife views including elephants, crocodiles, hippos, buffalos and hundreds of birds.

Day 5:

Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

 Take a relaxed breakfast, checkout of your room and drive to Ishasha sector, home to the famous tree-climbing lions. This is the second known population that climb trees as part of their day-to-day behavior (the other is found in Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania). Several theories have been advanced for this behavior of lions including a speculation that these lions climb trees to protect themselves against the biting tsetse flies. Others claim that they seek shelter in the tree branches from the heat.

 After an experience with Lions, go to the nearby Ishasha Wilderness Camp for lunch and later exit Ishasha to Bwindi through the green villages of Kigezi, the scenery gradually changes from open savanna to mountain slopes covered in dense rain forest. You will be checked in at Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp, a contemporary-yet-classic lodge that blends in sensitively with the dramatic African mountain landscape and, situated uniquely inside the national park,  only minutes away from the start of your gorilla trekking adventure.

Days 6:

Mountain Gorilla Tracking Experience

A day in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park offers you a rare encounter with wild mountain gorillas. This is no doubt the absolute highlight of a tour to Africa for most visitors. It is a humbling experience to stand meters from the gentle giants as they eat, rest, play and bond with their young ones. After a briefing by park authorities, you will embark on a forest trek lasting from one-five hours, depending on the location of the gorillas as they range spontaneously in the thick forest. There are 10 habituated gorilla families and you will be privileged to encounter and spend time with one of the families that have both young and old members! You will enjoy an exciting journey along forested slopes, bushes and bamboo before you eventually reach the gorilla family. Coming face-to-face with a mountain gorilla is a truly awesome and emotional experience. You will return to the lodge to relax and in the evening go for a short community visit to interact with the Batwa, the Pygmies who were evicted from the forest to pave way for gorilla conservation. They will demonstrate how they used to live in the forest. Get back to the hotel for dinner.

Day 7:

Fly to Entebbe and Depart

Today marks the end of your safari. After breakfast, your guide will transfer you to Kihihi airstrip that is 1.5hours away from Bwindi for a pre-arranged chartered flight to Entebbe. You will be transferred to Boma Hotel for a day room to relax and refresh as you wait for your departing flight. Have a farewell complementary meal with our director before your transfer to the airport.