7 Days Chimpanzee & Gorilla
Tracking Uganda Safari

Early morning pickup from Kampala and drive west towards Kibale. You pass through rolling hills and banana plantations, with a stop at the equator crossing for a quick photo. The route continues through Fort Portal town, surrounded by tea estates and the Rwenzori Mountains. You arrive at your lodge in the late afternoon — settle in, have dinner and receive a briefing on chimpanzee tracking the following morning.

Morning briefing at Kibale Forest National Park headquarters, then into the forest with your ranger guide. Kibale is home to one of Africa's largest habituated chimp communities — you may hear them before you see them. Once found, you spend one hour watching them feed, groom and move through the canopy. Other primates including red-tailed monkeys and L'Hoest's monkeys are common along the way. In the afternoon, a guided walk through the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary adds papyrus swamps, sitatunga antelope and excellent birdlife to the day.

Drive south from Kibale, stopping at the Kichwamba escarpment for sweeping views over the Rift Valley and Queen Elizabeth's open plains below. Arrive at your lodge for lunch, then head out for an afternoon game drive on the Kasenyi Plains — the park's main wildlife area, known for Uganda kob, elephants, buffalo, waterbuck and lions. The open savannah is a complete contrast to the forests of the past two days.

Morning tracking at Kyambura Gorge — a forested ravine carved into the savannah, sometimes called the Valley of Apes. You descend into the gorge on foot and follow a habituated chimp community through dense riverine forest, with open plains above you on both sides. It is a very different setting to Kibale and one of Uganda's more unusual wildlife experiences. In the afternoon, board a boat for the Kazinga Channel cruise — two hours on the water watching hippos, crocodiles, elephants and buffalo at close range, with outstanding birdlife throughout.

Drive south through the Ishasha sector — keep your eyes on the large fig trees for Uganda's famous tree-climbing lions. The road then climbs into the highlands of southwestern Uganda, through terraced hillsides and tea farms, before arriving at the ancient montane forest of Bwindi. Settle in at your lodge, rest in the afternoon and attend a full gorilla tracking briefing in the evening — what to wear, how to behave and what to expect on the trail tomorrow.

The day most people come to Uganda for. You're at the park headquarters by 7:00 am for your briefing, then assigned to a gorilla family and into the forest. The trek takes one to eight hours depending on where the family has moved — steep, dense and occasionally muddy, but your ranger leads the way. When you find them, you spend one full hour with the gorillas at close range. The silverback resting a few metres away, young ones playing, females feeding quietly. It is hard to describe — most people find it takes a while to process afterwards. Return to the lodge for lunch, and the afternoon is yours to rest.

After breakfast, begin the 7 to 8 hour drive back to Kampala through green hills, crater lakes and small towns. Stop for lunch on the way — your guide will suggest a good spot. Optional detour through the Lake Mburo area if time allows. You arrive in Kampala in the early evening, in time for an onward flight or a final night in the city. Hotel accommodation in Kampala can be arranged on request.