11 Days Gorilla Trekking Safari
The 11 days gorilla trekking safari is an interesting and exceptional safari that starts and ends in Entebbe Uganda. The safari will take you to the most interesting destinations in Uganda including Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Lake Mburo National Park and Mabamba Swamp where you will be able to spot the illusive shoebill stork. During the 11 days gorilla trekking safari, you will be able to view different animals including elephants, rhinos, waterbucks, lions, leopards, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, giraffes, Jackson’s hartebeest, Nile crocodiles, hippos, warthogs, zebras, topi, elands, impalas, oribi, bushbucks among others during the game drives and boat cruise. You will also be able to spend time with the endangered mountain gorillas and chimpanzees in their natural environments.
Highlights of the 11 days gorilla trekking safari
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Kampala/ Entebbe
Day 2: Birding at Mabamba Swamp
Day 3: Transfer to Murchison falls national park via Ziwa Rhino sanctuary
Day 4: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 5: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 7: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 8: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 9: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 10: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park-walking safari
Day 11: Morning game drive and departure to Kigali
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Kampala or Entebbe
Depending on your location on day 1 of the 11 days gorilla trekking safari, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then transfer to a hotel in Kampala or Entebbe for relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Birding at Mabamba Swamp
After breakfast on day 2 of the 11 days gorilla trekking safari, our safari driver will pick you up from your hotel with your packed lunch, brief you about the safari, and then transfer to Mabamba wetlands which is located around the shores of Lake Victoria and is one of the best birding sites in Uganda that offers visitors an excellent birding experience and an encounter with different bird species. Mabamba swamp is also one of the few places in Uganda where there are higher chances of encountering the prehistoric shoebill stork. You will take a canoe ride at Mabamba where you will get closer to different bird species that reside here. You may also see the rare shoebill stork and other bird species. After the birding excursion, you will return back to the hotel for dinner and overnight as above.
Day 3: Transfer to Murchison falls national park via Ziwa rhino sanctuary
After breakfast on day 3 of the 11 days gorilla trekking safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with our driver guide to start the journey to Murchison Falls National Park which is located in the northwestern part of Uganda. On the way you will have a stopover at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino tracking where after you will continue the journey with another stopover in Masindi for lunch. After lunch, you will proceed the journey to Murchison Falls National Park and upon arrival, you will go for an optional evening game drive where you will be able to view animals like buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, elephants, and giraffes among others heading back to their resting areas. After the game drive you will drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive,
After an early breakfast on day 4 of the 11 days gorilla trekking safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive where you will be able to view the early risers. During the game drive you will be able to spot large herds of elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs, giraffes, lions, and leopards, and view several bird species among others. After the game drive you will return to the lodge for lunch.
Afternoon boat cruise, after lunch you will go for an exciting boat cruise to the bottom of the falls where you will get a chance to view large herds of hippos and crocodiles in water, buffaloes, elephants, antelopes along the shores, view aquatic birds like kingfishers, cormorants, bee-eaters, hornbills among others. After the boat ride you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
After breakfast on day 5 of the 11 days gorilla trekking safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Kibale Forest National Park. On the way, you will have an en-route lunch and enjoy spectacular views of the local people, farmlands, traditional homesteads, Rwenzori Mountains, and tea plantations with stopovers to take photos and stretch your legs. Upon arrival in Kibale Forest National Park, you will connect to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After an early breakfast on day 6 of the 11 days gorilla trekking safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge and transfer you to the Kanyachu Visitors Centre for a chimpanzee trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the forest in search of the chimpanzees which takes about 2 to 5 hours depending on where the gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. Once the chimpanzees are located, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their habitat which gives you a chance to learn more about their habits, watch them feed, breastfeed, play, rest, take photos, and record videos.
After the one hour with the chimpanzees, you will return to the lodge for lunch where after you will check out and start the journey to Queen Elizabeth national park. Upon arrival, you will go for an optional evening game drive where you will be able to view animals like buffaloes, elephants, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs, lions, leopards among others. After the evening game drive, you will connect to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive,
After an early breakfast on day 7 of the 11 days gorilla trekking safari, your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to go for a morning game drive/ lion tracking experience in Kasenyi plains. During the game drive you will have great views of the sunrise, big four mammals which are lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, other animals like waterbucks, bushbucks, Uganda kobs, and views of different bird species among others. After the game drive you will return to the lodge for lunch.
Afternoon boat cruise, after lunch you will go for an amazing boat cruise along Kazinga channel a 40km long channel that connects Lake George and Lake Edward. During the boat cruise, you will be able to view large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in the water, buffaloes, elephants, warthog’s drinking water along the banks, view water birds among others. You will also be able to see the fishermen along the shores preparing their fishing gear for night fishing and take beautiful pictures among others. After the boat cruise, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 8: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
After breakfast on day 8 of the 11 days gorilla trekking safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park. On the way, you will have en-route lunch and then proceed the journey to Bwindi impenetrable national park, upon arrival you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 9: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking,
After an early breakfast on day 9 of the 11 days gorilla trekking safari, you will carry a packed lunch and your driver guide will pick you up from the lodge to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations of gorilla trekking. After the briefing, you will start trekking in the jungle which takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on where the mountain gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will have views of mammals, other primates, and different bird species among others, and once the gorillas are found you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, breastfeeding, playing, grooming young ones, observe their behaviours, take photos and record the breath-taking moments.
After the encounter with the gentle giants you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking, meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 10: Transfer to Lake Mburo national park-afternoon walking safari
On day 10 of the 11 days gorilla trekking safari, you will enjoy breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your guide to transfer to Lake Mburo National Park. Upon arrival in the park, you will connect to your lodge for lunch.
After lunch, you will go for a guided walking safari where you will get up-close and personal with different wildlife species including, listen to sweet sounds of bird species, spot different bird species among others. After the nature walk, you will return to the lodge for evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 11: Morning game drive and departure to Kampala
After an early breakfast on the last day of the 11 days gorilla trekking safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your guide to go for a morning game drive in the park where you will be able to view various wildlife species including zebras, warthogs, topi, waterbucks, impala, giraffes, buffaloes, oribi among others.
After the game drive you will drive out of the park and start the journey back to Kampala with en-route lunch at the Equator where after you will continue the journey to Kampala arriving early evening and upon arrival your driver guide will drop you off at Entebbe international airport for your departure flight or drop off at any place of advise.
End of 11 days gorilla trekking safari
Tour includes
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Lion tracking experience
- Park entrance fees/ game drives
- Boat cruise fees
- Birding at Mabamba swamp
- Rhino tracking
- Professional English-speaking driver guide
- Full board accommodation
- Ground transfers (in a 4WD vehicle)
- Vehicle and fuel
- Bottled drinking water
Tour excludes
- International air flight tickets
- Visas
- Optional activities not included on the itinerary
- Life insurance
- Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, and tips among others.
