Safari overview
Primates and Wildlife adventure is ideal for those ready to look out for primates (Gorillas & Chimpanzees), and the big game in seven nights without crossing borders.
The trip starts with Kibale Forest National Park, home to about 13 primate species with the chimpanzee being the superstar, different Colobus monkey species, colorful forest Birds and some of the oldest trees in Africa.
Queen Elizabeth National Park with a backdrop of the Rwenzori Mountains, dotted with crater Lakes, escarpments, tropical forests and the equator line. This provides perfect habitats and roaming grounds for big game and unique Birds. Ishasha sector spices up the park with unique tree climbing lions.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park offers the ultimate gorilla trekking experiences. The evergreen and moist forest is home to over 50% of the remaining mountain Gorillas on earth.
Itinerary at a glance.
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe international airport – Uganda.
Day 2: Scenic flight to Kasese – drive to Fort-portal/Kibale Forest.
Day 3: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale Forest National Park & Bigodi swamp walk.
Day 4: Kibale Forest NP – Queen Elizabeth NP- Boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel.
Day 5: Predator Research experience – Afternoon game drive – Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Day 6: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Day 7: Gorilla Tracking & Afternoon Optional community activities.
Day 8: Fly to Entebbe – international flight – optional day excursions/Day room.
Safari description.
Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe international airport – Uganda.
Adventure Consults’ airport staff will meet you on arrival, assist through customs, get the luggage, and hand over to the field guide for a transfer to the hotel.
Depending on arrival time, you may have a briefing on your safari today/tonight or can opt to get a briefing the following day before setting off to the field.
Overnight accommodation included on Bed & Breakfast basis.
Most recommended hotels in Entebbe are 10 – 20 minutes’ drive from the airport.
Inclusions: Bed & Breakfasts basis.
Excludes: All meals and Drinks.
Day 2: Flight from Entebbe to Kasese and drive to Kibale National Park.
There are 2 daily flight departures (0700 hours & 1200 hours). If booked on a 0700 hours flight, you have the option of having breakfast at the hotel or request for a box/packed breakfast.
At an agreed time, meet the guide the lobby and transfer to Entebbe international airport for your bush flight to, – check in time is one hour in prior the flight. Note that flight schedule can change and sometimes at short notice or no notice due to unforeseen circumstances.
Baggage restrictions on domestic flights: Maximum luggage weight is 15 kgs /33lbs in soft-sided bags. Standard luggage should have the three dimensions of 24 inches (60cm) height, 18 inches (45cm) length, and 13 inches (33cm) width. Any excess luggage can be paid for at 5$ per Kg depending on space availability or can make advance reservation. Alternatively, any extra baggage can be kept in Entebbe at the hotel, to be returned to you at the end of the trip.
The caravan Bush planes, with experienced pilots fly at low altitudes thus providing magnificent views of Lake Victoria with her lush islands and forested Entebbe town. As you fly towards the western side of the country, keep an eye through the window for the incredibly beautiful landscapes dotted with rolling hills, Lakes, Rivers, swamps, and road networks. Before landing at Kasese airstrip, expect a grand welcome by the magical snow-capped Rwenzori Mountain Range.
Adventure Consults’ guide will be waiting to welcome you at Kasese airstrip with a cup of coffee or soft drink, go through registration at the airstrip offices and start the journey to Fort Portal.
The 2 hours’ drive (+/-) will drive you through the shadow of the fabled “Mountains of the Moon” – Rwenzori. Lunch will be at the lodge.
The afternoon will be spent at leisure or head out for a crater walk or hike to the top of the world where you will enjoy views of the village farmlands, rural homesteads, and lots of Birds, or play soccer with the locals. You may take a rim walk or go cycling, go swim in the nearby crater lake or book a spa treatment.
Today’s afternoon activity will depend on the lodge you are staying. In all cases, activities offer the best authentic cultures, history and in-depth understanding the locals’ day-today lifestyles.
Meals and Overnight accommodation included at the Lodge.
Standard inclusions: All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner).
Some lodges include both alcoholic and none-alcoholic drinks with exclusion of premium drinks.
Standard exclusions at most lodges: All drinks.
Day 3: Chimpanzee Tracking – Kibale Forest NP and Bigodi swamp walk
Breakfast at the lodge or have a packed breakfast (depending on departure time from the lodge you are booked to stay).
The day starts with be a detailed briefing at Kanyancu park Headquarters. You will then be assigned a guide and enter the forest for an escorted forest walk and search for the elusive Chimpanzees.
The moist evergreen Kibale Forest National Park is home to the highest concentration of primates in the world – 13 species, including the very ‘local-ized’ Red Colobus as well as L’Hoests monkey.
While in the forest, the guide will give detailed explanations on more than just primates. The forest is endowed with some of the oldest trees in Africa out of which some are medicinal, and others are used by Chimpanzees for communication. Your walk will be interestingly informative and exciting. You don’t have to be a birding enthusiast to enjoy the competition of Chimpanzee calls and bird sounds.
Lunch options: a locally prepared Uganda meal is highly recommended for today’s lunch, and this will be at Tinka’s homestay. Alternatively, drive back to your lodge for lunch (discuss with the guide about lunch preference a day before).
This afternoon, you have an option to relax at the lodge or pick one of the available activities.
One of famous and most interesting community activities is the Bigodi swamp walk for primate and birding adventure. The approximately 4.5 Km round walk takes you through a swamp that shelters over 200 species of birds that include Great Blue Turacos, Papyrus gonolek, Blue, Crowned eagles, Purple-breasted sunbirds, African Pitta, Papyrus Canary, and many more swamp endemics.
During this wetland walk, you are likely to see more primates such as Olive baboons, Black and White Colobus, Red Tailed monkeys, L’Hoests Monkeys, Vervet Monkeys, and Blue Monkeys among others.
You will walk through homesteads as the site guides share exciting details of their lifestyles, history, and culture.
A relaxed afternoon is equally good option as you get an opportunity to enjoy the property facilities, have a swim as you wait for the sunset moment.
Meals and Overnight accommodation included at the Lodge.
Standard inclusions: All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner).
Some lodges include both alcoholic and none-alcoholic drinks with exclusion of premium drinks.
Standard exclusions at most lodges: All drinks.
Day 4: Kibale Forest NP – Queen Elizabeth NP- Boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel
0800 hours; start for Queen Elizabeth National Park. Your first stop will be Kasese town with views of the magnificent snow-capped Rwenzori Mountain Range. You have an option to stop by the Rwenzori founders’ gallery for the finest artwork made out of bronze. If you love first class galleries with resident artists, this the right place.
After a short break, proceed to the equator crossing point. There are only 13 countries on earth that are crossed by the equator, and Uganda is one of them. Today, you will have an opportunity to stand at the center of the earth, take amazing photographs and listen to various stories/beliefs related to this spot. The stories here are both scientific, factual and others are cultural related.
Proceed to the lodge, arriving in time for lunch.
In the afternoon, depart for the Mweya pier in time for the 1400 hours boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. The channel is a 32-kilometer – long natural water stretch that links Lake Edward and George.
The boat cruise on the channel provides the best opportunities for up-close animal and Bird viewing. It’s at this spot that you will get the best wildlife photography opportunities. Queen Elizabeth National Park’s bird life is so rich, colorful, and stupendous totaling to 600 recorded Bird species.
Meals and Overnight accommodation included at the Lodge.
Standard inclusions: All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner).
Some lodges include both alcoholic and none-alcoholic drinks with exclusion of premium drinks.
Standard exclusions at most lodges: All drinks.
Day 5: Morning Predator research experience – Afternoon game drive.
Predator research experience starts at crack of dawn!
Have a snack along with a hot beverage of your choice. Meet the wildlife experts for briefing then hop onto one of Adventure Consults’ jeeps and head out to look for Big cats including the Lion and Leopard.
Your guides on this bespoke adventure are members of a local predator research team that has been doing carnivores research in Uganda’s park for close to two decades.
You will get an opportunity of learning how to use telemetry in search for lion prides that freely roam this vast savannah. Undoubtably, this experience is ideal for anyone interested in wildlife photography at all levels. The drives are conducted in designated offroad routes hence assured of close encounters with other wildlife as well. During the drive, the wildlife partners will discuss human-animal conflict in communities around the park, veterinary issues within the park, and lion family dynamics as part of a very in-depth game drive experience.
A midmorning Picnic Breakfast shall be served. Rangers are available to ensure safety. The community craft market, facing Lake Bunyampaka is one of our popular breakfast spots. While here, you might see the colorful flamingos in a distance but this depends on the season. The spot also provides an opportunity for craft shopping.
A lunch break, siesta then after go for an afternoon/evening drive. ‘
Weather permitting, go for a sundowner and have a taste of Uganda’s finest gin, and a mix of both local and premium drinks as you wait for the sunset moment. Please note that soft drinks and snacks are on house. All alcoholic drinks are excluded.
Meals and Overnight accommodation included at the Lodge.
Standard inclusions: All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner).
Some lodges include both alcoholic and none-alcoholic drinks with exclusion of premium drinks.
Standard exclusions at most lodges: All drinks.
Day 6: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Start for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Along the way, keep an eye out for more that uganda has got to offer. Beautiful landscapes, people, butterflies and wildlife.
Today’s drive will be via the Ishasha sector, famous for its tree climbing Lions and multitude of animals.
The drive from Mweya sector to Ishasha is about two and a half hours, and a short game drive will take about one hour. While in Ishasha area, expect to see large herds of Cape buffaloes, Uganda Kobs, African bush elephants, Defassa waterbucks, Topis, bushbucks and lots more. If you are lucky, you might have an encounter with the ‘super stars’ of the area are the tree-climbing lions that often spend the afternoons relaxing on fig-tree branches.
The Tree-climbing lions are magical and exceptional. There are only two known tree climbing lion populations in the world – one in Ishasha and the other in Tanzania’s Lake Manyara. Several theories explain the reason why these lions climb trees and one of them is that it is a way of protecting themselves from the biting tsetse flies while others believe the lions climb the trees to escape the stifling heat on the ground and catch a cool breeze. The other extraordinary feature on Ishasha lions is their black manes – quote unique!
Lunch will be at Simba café for a local dish or pick from the chef’s special/ala’carte menu.
The Simba café and restaurant is part of Save Wildlife Uganda project; an Adventure Consults’ initiative aimed at empowering the local communities. The day-to-day management of the project is by men and women who were previously poachers, but now are the amazing ambassadors of conservation.
The stop at the Save Wildlife Center is more than just for a meal or coffee but you will have an opportunity to check out and purchase beautiful crafts made out of local material. You will be amazed by the art pieces that were made using material previously used for catching animals (poaching). All profits from sales at the center, directly go to supporting communities neighboring the National park.
After a good meal, proceed to Bwindi, arriving at the lodge late afternoon/evening.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has got almost 400 species of plants, providing habitat for over 120 mammal species (including 11 primates), 346 species of birds (including 23 highly localised Albertine Rift endemics), 202 species of butterflies, 100 species of ferns, 27 species of frogs, chameleons, geckos and many other endangered species. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is notable for being home to over 50% of the approximately 1,060 Mountain Gorillas still living on earth.
A relaxed afternoon. You will later meet at the fireplace for an evening full of whispers from the wild and look up in the sky for the bright stars.
Meals and Overnight accommodation included at the Lodge.
Standard inclusions: All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner).
Some lodges include both alcoholic and none-alcoholic drinks with exclusion of premium drinks.
Standard exclusions at most lodges: All drinks.
Day 7: Gorilla tracking – Afternoon visit to Gorilla lab and Ride for a woman project.
Today is dedicated to visiting the Gorillas.
Departure time depends on proximity of the sector/Gorilla family you are booked. This is in tandem with lodge location.
While in Northern Bwindi, you have access to Gorilla families of Buhoma or Ruhija sectors. If booked for Ruhija, departure is at 0600hrs and if Buhoma area, departure is at 0700hrs
Breakfast is always ready by 0500 hours. You can opt to have it at the lodge or get or can opt for packed breakfast – discuss with the guide and front desk a night in advance.
Mandatory briefing is always at the park headquarters, then after enter the forest for a fun-filled adventurous day.
The rainforest is spectacular, heavily vegetated, and dense landscape crisscrossed by numerous animal trails, allowing access for trekkers. The time taken to find the Gorillas depends on Gorilla movements and in most cases, they are either looking for food or simply taking time to walk in their territory. Most importantly, all trekkers move at the pace of the slowest person.
When you find the Gorillas, you are allowed to spend 60 minutes/one hour with them, so always spare the last 20 minutes for observation and connection for everlasting memories. Follow this link for more useful information about Gorillas.
A box lunch is available with an option for a warm lunch at the lodge (depending on the day’s tracking duration).
In the afternoon, you have an option to visit Dr. Gladys’ Conservation through Public Health (CTPH) center. This is a non-profit organization that promotes conservation by improving the quality of life of the people living around protected areas. CTPH focuses on human and wildlife coexistence in and around protected areas. It’s at this center that samples from the Gorillas are examined as part of the health observation process to ensure the good health of Gorillas. The team of vets at the center, will take you through detailed explanation and experiments of their day-to-day work that focuses on the heath of animals and local communities.
Your afternoon walk will end with a visit to Ride for a woman project, a charitable organization set up to support women struggling with poverty, HIV and domestic violence. Your visit indirectly supports the project work and while here, you may participate in basketry, weaving, and have an opportunity for craft shopping. You can as well place your order for African designed cautions, dresses, wrappers, table mats and all that has got an African touch on it! The ladies will ensure your orders are ready for collection in the shortest time possible.
Meals and Overnight accommodation included at the Lodge.
Standard inclusions: All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner).
Some lodges include both alcoholic and none-alcoholic drinks with exclusion of premium drinks.
Standard exclusions at most lodges: All drinks.
Day 8: Scenic flight from Kihihi airstrip to Entebbe Airport – international return flight.
Two flights available everyday (0900 hours and 1400-hour departures). Check in time is one hour in advance. Flight schedules and duration can change and sometimes at short or no notice due to unforeseen circumstances.
Departure time from the lodge to be communicated the previous evening. Meet your guide at the lobby and transfer to Kihihi airstrip for your flight to Entebbe Airport.
The earliest flight arrives Entebbe airport at 1125hrs (+/-). If you have a connecting on an international/regional flight today, ensure it’s scheduled to depart Entebbe not earlier than 1345hrs.
On arrival at Entebbe airport, you will be directed through to customs and connect to your international/regional flight.
If you have more than 4 hours layover, Adventure consults have got exciting offers to make your day more relaxing.
- Complementary transfer to the nearby restaurant (outside the airport) where you will have an early lunch (on own account), then later transfer back to the airport in time for your flight.
- Day room at a hotel near Entebbe airport. This will be on payment of supplement and advance reservation is a requirement.
- Optional day activities to keep you busy and get to see more of Entebbe. Please ask for detailed info and related costs to ensure reservations are in place. For more information, please follow this link.
Accommodation options.
We have long term contracts and partnerships with all hotels and lodges in East Africa. The accommodations are carefully handpicked to suite every traveler’s specification. The listed options are simply a guideline, so please discuss with us for more options.
Uganda’s National parks have got a wide array of accommodation options. Some facilities are inside the park and others all outside but within proximity of park activities. All facilities have unique locations with either magnificent views of the savannah plains, lakes, rivers, mountains, or facing a forest canopy.
Accommodation options in Entebbe/Kampala;
- Hotel Number 5.
- Lake Victoria Serena Golf resort and spa.
- The Boma hotel.
- Papyrus Guesthouse.
- Entebbe forest lodge.
- 2 Friends Beach Hotel.
Accommodation options in Kibale Forest National Park
- Volcanoes Kibale Lodge.
- Ndali Lodge.
- Kyaninga Lodge.
- Chimpundu Safari Lodge
- Crater Safari Lodge.
- Primate Lodge Kibale.
- Turaco Treetops.
- Kibale Forest Camp.
- Papaya Lake Lodge.
- Isunga Lodge.
- Kibale Forest Lodge.
- Tabebuia Spa and Safari Resort.
- Guereza Canopy Lodge.
Accommodation options in Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Kyambura Gorge Lodge.
- Elephant Plains Lodge.
- Honey Bear Bush Camp.
- The River Station.
- Mweya Safari Lodge.
- Katara Lodge.
- Buffalo Safari Lodge.
- Ishasha Wilderness Camp.
- Parkview Safari Lodge.
- Kasenyi Safari Camp.
- Ihamba Lakeside Safari Lodge.
- Ishasha Jungle lodge.
- Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge.
Accommodation options in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge.
- Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Lodge.
- Silverback Lodge
- Buhoma Lodge.
- Mahogany Springs lodge.
- Trekkers Tavern Lodge.
- Kiho Gorilla Safari Lodge.
- Buhoma Community Haven Lodge.
- Engagi Lodge.
- Ride 4 a woman Cottages.