7-Day Uganda Gorillas, Chimps & Game Safari

Pickup : Entebbe Airport
Drop-off : Entebbe / Kigali Airport

Tour Overview

This 7-Day Uganda Gorillas, Chimps & Game Safari takes you from the misty rainforest of Kibale, where wild chimpanzees swing freely through the canopy, to the open savannahs of Queen Elizabeth National Park, where lions climb fig trees and elephants wade into cool channels. Every day builds toward the highlight of any Uganda Gorillas, Chimps & Game journey — sitting quietly with a mountain gorilla family deep inside Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. This Uganda Gorillas, Chimps & Game itinerary weaves together primate trekking, thrilling game drives, a scenic boat cruise, and a touch of local culture into one unforgettable week. Iconic Africa Safaris takes care of every logistical detail — airport transfers, park permits, lodge bookings — so all you need to do is arrive, explore, and soak it all in.

Cost Includes

Transportation (Car, Fuel, Driver Guide)
Meals & Accommodation as mentioned
Gorilla Trekking Permit
Chimpanzee Trekking Permit
Chimpanzee Trekking Permit
Kazinga Channel Boat
Government Taxes

Cost Excludes

International Flights
Accommodation Before and After your Trip
Optional Batwa Cultural Experience
Bigodi Sanctuary Nature Walk
Sourvenirs
Tips & Porter Hiring

Travel Plan

Day 1: Entebbe to Kibale Forest National Park

Your Iconic Africa Safaris guide will be waiting for you at Entebbe International Airport (or your hotel), ready to load your bags into a comfortable 4×4 Land Cruiser and set off for Kibale Forest. The drive takes about 6 to 7 hours, and it’s the kind of journey where you don’t want to fall asleep. You’ll roll past the shores of Lake Victoria, through busy trading towns, across rolling farmland, alongside dramatic tea estates, and past crater lakes that catch the afternoon light. By the time you check into your lodge, the forest just beyond your window is already humming with life.

Meal Plan: Half-Board
Accommodation: Chimpanzee Forest Lodge (Budget) | Turaco Treetops (Mid-Range) | Chimpundu Lodge (Luxury)

Day 2:Chimpanzee Trekking and Optional Bigodi Nature Walk

You’ll be up by 5:30 AM, greeted by a chorus of birdsong from the canopy outside. After a warm breakfast and a strong cup of Ugandan coffee, it’s a short drive to Kanyanchu Visitor Centre for the 7:30 AM ranger briefing. Groups are kept small — just six trekkers per group— to protect the chimps, and your guide will walk you through the etiquette before you head in. Deep in the rainforest, you’ll often hear the chimps calling long before you spot them swinging, grooming, or feeding overhead. The trek can run anywhere from two to five hours, moving through one of the richest chimp habitats on the planet, home to over 1,500 individuals. You’ll head back to the lodge with a memory card full of photos and stories to match.

In the afternoon (Optional Activity), meet your local guide at Bigodi Community Centre around 3:00 PM for an easier two-to-three-hour walk through papyrus wetlands. Keep your eyes up for some of the 200-plus bird species here, including bright turacos and hornbills, while red colobus and black-and-white colobus monkeys crash through the branches above. Your guide will point out plants used in local cooking and traditional medicine along the way — a quiet, grounding end to a day full of wildlife.

Meal Plan: Full-Board
Accommodation: Chimpanzee Forest Lodge (Budget) | Turaco Treetops (Mid-Range) | Chimpundu Lodge (Luxury)

Day 3: Kibale Forest to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Leaving Kibale’s forest behind, you’ll cover roughly 60 kilometres over a 2-to-3-hour drive that keeps changing character — tea plantations first, then glassy crater lakes, then wide-open savannah under a huge sky. After checking in and resting a little at your lodge, you’ll head out again for an evening game drive across the plains. Keep watch for the Big Four here — elephants, buffaloes, lions, and leopards — alongside Uganda kobs, impalas, topis, waterbucks, warthogs, and eagles circling overhead.

Meal Plan: Full-Board
Accommodation: Kazinga Wilderness Camp (Budget) | Buffalo Safari Lodge (Mid-Range) | Elephant Plains Lodge (Luxury)

Day 4: Kasenyi Game Drive and Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise

You’ll set off at 6:00 AM into the Kasenyi Plains, where elephants, buffaloes, and lions are often on the move at first light, and kobs, warthogs, waterbucks, topis, and impalas graze across the golden grass while you scan the trees for a resting leopard. Later in the day, you’ll board a boat for a cruise along the Kazinga Channel — one of the best wildlife viewing experiences in Africa. Elephants and buffaloes come down to drink, hippos surface and submerge in groups, crocodiles sun themselves along the banks, and pelicans crowd the shoreline with dozens of other bird species. Keep your camera close — this stretch of water rarely disappoints.

Meal Plan: Full-Board
Accommodation: Kazinga Wilderness Camp (Budget) | Buffalo Safari Lodge (Mid-Range) | Elephant Plains Lodge (Luxury)

Day 5: Ishasha Game Drive and Drive to Bwindi

At 6:00 AM you’ll enter Ishasha’s southern sector, your best shot at spotting the famous tree-climbing lions draped across fig-tree branches while kobs and topis graze in the grass below. After a 2-3 hours in this sector, you’ll drive straight on to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, arriving by mid-afternoon with time to settle in and rest before the next day’s main event.

Meal Plan: Full-Board
Accommodation: Gorilla Leisure (Budget) | Ichumbi Safari Lodge (Mid-Range) | Gorilla Safari Lodge (Luxury)

Day 6: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi

You’ll wake somewhere between 5:30 and 6:00 AM for a solid breakfast before heading to park headquarters for the 7:30 AM briefing. Rangers will run through the ground rules clearly — stay at least 10 metres away, keep your voice down, skip the flash photography, and never touch the gorillas. Groups of eight set off into the forest by 8:00 AM with armed rangers, guided by radio updates from trackers already ahead. Depending on where the gorillas have wandered, the hike itself can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 7 hours. When you finally find the family, there’s a natural, respectful hush that falls over the group. You’ll get exactly one hour with them — watching them feed, groom, play, and care for their young, with silverbacks beating their chests and infants tumbling curiously close. Afterward, you’ll collect your trekking certificate and spend the rest of the day resting, browsing local crafts, or joining the optional Batwa Cultural Experience.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Gorilla Leisure (Budget) | Ichumbi Safari Lodge (Mid-Range) | Gorilla Safari Lodge (Luxury)

Day 7: Return to Entebbe or Kigali

You have a choice of routes home. Driving back to Entebbe takes about nine to ten hours, with a photo stop at the Kayabwe Equator line along the way. Alternatively, Kigali is only four to five hours away and makes for a meaningful final stop — visit the Kigali Genocide Memorial to honour the lives lost in 1994, browse Inema or Niyo Art Centres for Rwandan paintings and sculpture, or wander Kimironko Market for fabrics, handwoven baskets, and fresh produce before heading to the airport.

Meal Plan: Breakfast & Lunch

Accommodation: None — available on request

Answered FAQs

Can this Uganda Gorillas, Chimps & Game itinerary be customized or done privately?

Yes, this itinerary is designed as a private safari, meaning your vehicle, guide, and pace are yours alone rather than shared with strangers. Iconic Africa Safaris can adjust the route, extend your stay in any one location, swap the Kigali return for the Entebbe route (or vice versa), or add extra activities like the Batwa Cultural Experience or an additional gorilla trekking day for a second, different encounter.

Families, honeymooners, and small groups traveling together often ask for small tweaks — a later start time, an extra rest day in Queen Elizabeth National Park, or a different accommodation tier for part of the trip. Since this Uganda Gorillas, Chimps & Game safari already balances primates, game viewing, and culture well. It’s worth discussing your priorities upfront — whether that’s more photography time, more relaxed pacing, or a specific wildlife sighting you’re hoping for — so your guide can plan accordingly.

What's the difference between the budget, mid-range, and luxury lodges listed?

The accommodation tiers reflect differences in comfort and service rather than access to wildlife, since all three tiers on this itinerary put you close to the same trekking and game-viewing areas. Budget lodges offer comfortable, clean rooms with the essentials covered, ideal for travelers who’d rather spend on activities than accommodation. Mid-range options add more spacious rooms, better dining, and often nicer views or grounds. Luxury lodges like Chimpundu Lodge, Elephant Plains Lodge, or Gorilla Safari Lodge bring higher-end finishes, more attentive service, and sometimes extras like private decks or spa facilities. Let us know your preferences and budget, and we will adjust the lodge selections while keeping the itinerary and game-viewing quality identical.

When is the best time of year to do this Uganda Gorillas, Chimps & Game safari?

Uganda can technically be visited year-round, but the two dry seasons — roughly June to Late September and December to February — are the most comfortable for trekking, since trails are less muddy and slippery. That said, this Uganda Gorillas, Chimps & Game safari still works well in the wetter months if you don’t mind occasional rain showers and a bit more mud underfoot, and wildlife viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park remains strong throughout the year.

The wetter seasons also mean fewer crowds at trekking sites and sometimes better rates on accommodation and discounted gorilla, chimps permit fee in April, May, November. Birdlife tends to be especially active during the rains, which is a bonus if you’re doing the Bigodi Nature Walk.

If your schedule is flexible, aim for the dry months for easier hiking conditions, but don’t feel like you need to avoid the rest of the year — Uganda’s forests and savannahs are rewarding in any season.

What should I pack for chimp trekking, gorilla trekking, and the game drives?

Layers work best, since mornings in the forest are cool but temperatures rise quickly once the sun is up. Bring sturdy, broken-in hiking boots with ankle support, gardening gloves for gripping vegetation on steep sections, and long trousers tucked into your socks to guard against biting ants and nettles. A lightweight rain jacket is essential regardless of season, since Uganda’s forests can produce a downpour with little warning. For the game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, neutral-coloured clothing, a hat, sunscreen, and binoculars will serve you well. A good camera with a zoom lens is worth the extra weight, particularly for the tree-climbing lions in Ishasha and the primates in Kibale and Bwindi.

Don’t forget facemask, insect repellent, a reusable water bottle, and a small daypack for trekking days. Cash in Ugandan shillings or US dollars is useful for tips and souvenirs along the way.

How physically demanding is the trekking on this itinerary?

Both the chimp trek in Kibale and the gorilla trek in Bwindi involve walking on uneven forest terrain, sometimes uphill, sometimes through mud or dense vegetation, so a reasonable level of fitness helps. Chimp trekking usually runs two to five hours, while gorilla trekking is far less predictable — anywhere from 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on where the family has moved that morning. Neither requires technical climbing skills, but you should be comfortable walking for extended periods at a moderate pace, sometimes on slippery slopes. Porters are available in Bwindi for a small fee and are genuinely worth hiring, even if you’re fit, since they also help support the local community.

If you have joint issues or limited mobility, let us know in advance so we can advise on pacing, porters, or alternative arrangements. Most travelers on this Uganda Gorillas, Chimps & Game safari manage the treks comfortably with a bit of preparation and a decent pair of hiking boots.

Are gorilla and chimpanzee permits included in the price?

Yes, gorilla and chimpanzee permits are included in the final quoted price for this Uganda Gorillas, Chimps & Game safari, unless you specifically request to purchase them separately. This makes budgeting simple, since the figure you’re quoted already accounts for both the Uganda Wildlife Authority gorilla permit and the chimp trekking permit, alongside your accommodation, transport, and guided activities. Gorilla permits are limited in number each day and need to be secured well in advance, especially during peak season, so having them bundled into your booking means Iconic Africa Safaris handles that reservation on your behalf rather than leaving you to chase availability yourself.

If you’d prefer to arrange permits independently — for example, if you’re combining this trip with other operators or have specific dates in mind — just let us know, and the quote can be adjusted accordingly.

Which travelers can book this Uganda Gorillas, Chimps & Game adventure?

This itinerary is flexible enough to suit almost anyone, which is part of why it’s such a popular Uganda Gorillas, Chimps & Game safari. Sole travelers are welcome and often paired with a private guide and vehicle for the full week, giving total control over pacing without needing to join a group. Couples and honeymooners frequently choose this route for the mix of adventure and romance — quiet forest walks by day, candlelit dinners at lodges like Chimpundu or Gorilla Safari Lodge by night.

Families are welcome too, though age limits apply: children under 15 cannot join gorilla trekking, and those under 12 cannot join chimpanzee trekking, since both activities have official minimum-age rules. Younger children simply stay back at the lodge with alternative activities arranged while the adults trek, then everyone reunites for the rest of the day.

Researchers and wildlife enthusiasts benefit from Kibale’s dense chimp population and Queen Elizabeth’s biodiversity for closer, longer observation. Iconic Africa Safaris can adjust pacing, accommodation, and add-ons to match your group’s needs.