13 Days Luxury Gorilla, Chimpanzee, and Rwenzori Tour
The 13 Days Luxury Gorilla, Chimpanzee, and Rwenzori Tour is an interesting safari that will take you to Kibale forest national park also known as the primate capital, Queen Elizabeth National Park which is the second biggest national park, Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mount Rwenzori national park in western part of Uganda. During the 13 days luxury gorilla, chimpanzee and Rwenzori tour, you will be able to engage in game drives and boat cruise where you will view different animals including elephants, waterbucks, lions, leopards, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, Nile crocodiles, hippos, warthogs, topi, oribi, bushbucks among others. You will also engage in an adventurous gorilla and chimpanzee trekking experience where you will be able to spend time with the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees in their natural habitat. You will also climb mount Rwenzori where you will be able to spot different bird species, enjoy the cool and quiet environment, view different plant and tree species among others.
Highlights of the 13 days luxury gorilla, chimpanzee and Rwenzori tour
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel
Day 2: Transfer to Kibale forest national park
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking and transfer to Kasese
Day 4: Nyakalengija (1600m) – Nyabitaba hut (2660m)
Day 5: Nyabitaba hut (2660m) – John Matte hut (3420m)
Day 6: John Matte hut – Bujuku hut (3,962m)
Day 7: Bujuku hut – Kitandara hut (4,023m)
Day 8: Kitandara hut – Guy Yeomen hut (3,505m)
Day 9: Descend back from Guy Yeoman hut to Nyakalengija and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
Day 10: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
Day 11: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 12: Gorilla trekking experience
Day 13: Departure to Kampala
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Pick up and transfer to a hotel in Entebbe
Depending on your arrival time at Entebbe international airport on day 1 of the 13 days luxury gorilla, chimpanzee and Rwenzori tour, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then transfer to a hotel in Entebbe for dinner and overnight.
Day 2: Transfer to Kibale forest national park
On day 2 of the 13 days luxury gorilla, chimpanzee and Rwenzori tour, your driver guide will pick you up from the hotel to start the journey to Kibale Forest National Park. On the way you will have a stopover for en-route lunch and then proceed with spectacular views of the local people, farmlands, traditional homesteads, Rwenzori Mountains, tea plantations among others. Upon arrival in Kibale forest national park, you will connect to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 3: Chimpanzee trekking experience and transfer to Kasese
After an early breakfast on day 3 of the 13 days luxury gorilla, chimpanzee and Rwenzori tour, you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kanyachu visitors center for a chimpanzee trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will be allocated a habituated chimpanzee family and start trekking in the forest which takes about 30 minutes to 5 hours depending on where the chimpanzees 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, different bird species, animals among others and 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 their behaviors, habits, watch them feed, breastfeed, play, rest, fight, groom young ones, take photos and record videos.
After the encounter with the chimpanzees, you will return to the lodge for lunch where after you will check out to transfer to Kasese and upon arrival, you will connect to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Nyakalengija (1615m) – Nyabitaba hut (2651m)
On day 4 of the 13 days luxury gorilla, chimpanzee and Rwenzori tour, you will have an early breakfast, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the Rwenzori hike to John Matte. After the briefing, you will be allocated experienced park guides, porters and then start hiking from Nyakalengija passing through the Bakonzo homesteads, tropical forest with lush bushes, elephant grass. During the hike, you will be able to view some animals like elephants, dukers, primates like chimpanzees, l’hoest monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, spot different bird species like the Rwenzori Turaco, Rwenzori Batis, Handsome Francolin among others. The hike from Nyakalengila to Nyabitaba hut is about 8km and upon arrival you will have dinner and overnight at Nyabitaba Hut.
Day 5: Nyabitaba hut (2651m) – John Matte hut (3505m)
After an early breakfast on day 5 of the 13 days luxury gorilla, chimpanzee and Rwenzori tour, you will meet up with your guides and porters to continue the hike in the forest to Kurt Schuffer bridge which is located at the junction of Mubuku and Bujuku rivers and takes about 30 minutes trek. You will proceed through the bamboo and montane forest with slippery rocks covered with moss and you will be able to view various bird species. You will continue to Nyamulejju rock shelter where you will enjoy stunning views of Mount Stanley and Mount Speke on a clear day and also have a lunch break. The Nyamulejju rock shelter is where the first hikers used to camp for an overnight and after the lunch break, you will proceed through alpine forest to John Matte Hut which is located near River Bukuku where you will take a cold bath from if you want. The trek from Nyabitaba to John Matte Hut takes about 11km and upon arrival, you will have dinner and overnight.
Day 6: John Matte hut – Bujuku hut (3,962m)
On day 6 of the 13 days luxury gorilla, chimpanzee and Rwenzori tour, you will continue the hike from John Matte hut to Bujuku hut which is the base of Mount Speke. The trek is challenging due to mud and takes about 4 to 5 hours with stunning views of Mount Baker, Mount Speke, mount Stanley and Lake Bujuku. When you reach at Bujuku hut, you will have dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Bujuku hut – Kitandara camp (4,430m)
On day 7 of the 13 days luxury gorilla, chimpanzee and Rwenzori tour, you will start the hike from Bujuku hut through lowlands, woodland and the right path will lead you to Elena camp which is the most elevated camp for clients who wish to climb Margherita crest. During the trek which takes about 5 to 6 hours, you will pass through Scott Elliot and offers beautiful views of Bujuku valley, Mount Baker and Mount Stanley. You will finish the trek at the hut besides the lower Lake Kitandarafor dinner and overnight at Kitandara camp.
Day 8: Kitandara hut – Guy Yeomen hut (3,261m)
After breakfast on day 8 of the 13 days luxury gorilla, chimpanzee and Rwenzori tour, you will continue the trek from Kitandara hut to Guy Yeoman hut. The hike takes about 5 hours to reach the new, fresh field path (4282m) and you will have great insight of the falls at Kabumba cave, Congo in the west and Mount Stanley in the north. You will take on the long high alpine mossy and then start descending downhill through the steep rocky trails and the rock shelter at Bujongolo which is the base camp for the historic expedition by the Duke of Abruzzin in 1906. You will have dinner and overnight at Guy Yeoman hut upon arrival which is located close to Mubuku river and offers amazing views of Mount Baker.
Day 9: Descend back from Guy Yeomen hut to Nyakalengija and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park
On day 9 of the 13 days luxury gorilla, chimpanzee and Rwenzori tour, you will have breakfast, enjoy great views and later meet up with your guides and porters to descend back to Nyabitaba and later to Nyakalengija, passing through Mubuku River. Upon arrival, you will have lunch where after you will transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park and upon arrival in the park, you will connect to your lodge for an evening relaxation, dinner and overnight.
Day 10: Morning game drive/ lion tracking experience and afternoon boat cruise
Morning game drive,
After an early breakfast on day 10 of the 13 days luxury gorilla, chimpanzee and Rwenzori tour, 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, 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 water, view buffaloes, elephants, warthogs drinking water along the banks, view water birds among others. After the boat cruise you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 11: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
After breakfast on day 11 of the 13 days luxury gorilla, chimpanzee and Rwenzori tour, 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 a stopover in Ishasha sector where you will be able to view the tree climbing lions lying in acacia/fig tree branches during the game drive. After the game drive, you will proceed with another stopover for en-route lunch. Upon arrival in Bwindi impenetrable national park, you will check into the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 12: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi impenetrable national park
Gorilla trekking,
After an early breakfast on day 12 of the 13 days luxury gorilla, chimpanzee and Rwenzori tour, you will carry 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 6 hours depending on where the gorillas are located. During trekking, you will have views of mammals, other primate species, 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 behaviors, 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 and return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 13: Departure to Kampala
After breakfast on the last day of the 13 days luxury gorilla, chimpanzee and Rwenzori tour, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey back to Kampala with en-route lunch on the way. Upon arrival, your driver guide will drop you off at Entebbe international airport for your departure flight or drop off at any place of convenience.
End of 13 days luxury gorilla, chimpanzee and Rwenzori tour
Tour includes
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Chimpanzee trekking permit
- Lion tracking experience
- Park entrance fees/ game drives
- Boat cruise fees
- Rwenzori hike fee
- 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, tips among others
