10 Day Uganda Safari with Gorilla & Chimpanzee Trekking

OVERVIEW

This safari stitches together Uganda’s two most powerful primate encounters with a proper savannah chapter in between. It starts in Kibale’s rainforest for chimpanzees — loud, fast, unpredictable — then drops into Queen Elizabeth for lions, elephants and the Kazinga Channel’s wildlife theatre. From there, the route runs south into Bwindi for the mountain gorillas, before easing out through Lake Mburo so the long drive back never feels like a dead day. The pacing is designed like the best itineraries from top operators: one big focus per day, no unrealistic stacking, and recovery built in where it matters.

Your Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival in Entebbe

Arrive in Entebbe and meet your private guide. Tonight is about landing softly — dinner, rest, and a calm start before the road safari begins.

If you arrive early, a lakeside sundowner or a quiet walk through the gardens is the perfect reset. You’ll thank yourself tomorrow.

Accommodation:

Luxury: Hotel No.5

Mid-range: The Boma Hotel

Budget: ViaVia Guest House

Meals: Dinner

Day 2 – Journey to Kibale Forest National Park

The drive west moves through farming country and tea estates as the air cools near the Rwenzori foothills and crater-lake landscapes.

Arrive with time to settle in on the forest edge. As evening drops, listen for primate calls carrying through the canopy — your first hint of what tomorrow holds.

Accommodation:

Luxury: Kibale Lodge (Volcanoes Safaris)

Mid-range: Turaco Treetops

Budget: Kibale Forest Camp

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3 – Chimpanzee Trekking & Bigodi Wetland

This morning you enter Kibale with trackers to search for chimpanzees. The forest feels still until it isn’t — branches shake, calls echo, and a troop bursts into motion above you.

After lunch, Bigodi Wetland shifts the mood: slower trails, rich birdlife, and excellent chances for red colobus and black‑and‑white colobus in a community-run reserve.

Accommodation:

Luxury: Kibale Lodge (Volcanoes Safaris)

Mid-range: Turaco Treetops

Budget: Kibale Forest Camp

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4 – Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

You leave the forest behind and descend into the Rift Valley — crater lakes on the hillsides, then open plains stretching toward the Rwenzori range.

A late‑afternoon game drive is your first taste of Queen Elizabeth. Elephant herds and buffalo are common, and the light across the savannah can be unreal.

Accommodation:

Luxury: The River Station (Wildplaces)

Mid-range: Enganzi Game Lodge

Budget: Simba Safari Camp

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 5 – Game Drive & Kazinga Channel Boat Safari

Dawn game drives on the Kasenyi plains are when Queen Elizabeth is most honest: lions on patrol, kob herds tightening, and tracks telling stories your guide can read.

The afternoon is for the Kazinga Channel — a wildlife corridor where hippos dominate the water and elephants line the banks in numbers that rarely disappoint.

Accommodation:

Luxury: The River Station (Wildplaces)

Mid-range: Enganzi Game Lodge

Budget: Simba Safari Camp

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6 – Ishasha Tree‑Climbing Lions & Transfer to Bwindi

You travel south into Ishasha, scanning fig trees and open plains for the famous lions that choose branches over grass when the day heats up.

Later you climb into Bwindi’s highlands. The road tightens, the air cools, and rainforest thickens around you — the shift is dramatic, and it’s exactly the point.

Accommodation:

Luxury: Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp

Mid-range: Mahogany Springs Lodge

Budget: Buhoma Community Rest Camp

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 7 – Gorilla Trekking & Optional Community Visit

The ranger briefing sets expectations clearly, then you enter the forest in a small group with trackers. The pace is steady, the terrain can be steep, and the search is part of the story.

Your hour with the gorillas is pure intensity — close, quiet, and unforgettable. If you finish early enough, you can add a short, community-led cultural visit in the afternoon (optional); otherwise, the best plan is simple: shower, rest, and let it sink in.

Accommodation:

Luxury: Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp

Mid-range: Mahogany Springs Lodge

Budget: Buhoma Community Rest Camp

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8 – Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

Today you leave the gorilla highlands and head north‑east through Ankole’s long‑horned cattle country — a scenic, natural decompression after trekking.

Arrive in Lake Mburo with time for an afternoon game drive or a gentle boat cruise. It’s a smaller park, but it delivers classic savannah scenes without the crowds.

Accommodation:

Luxury: Mihingo Lodge

Mid-range: Rwakobo Rock

Budget: Eagle’s Nest

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9 – Walking Safari & Mburo Wilderness Time

Step out on foot with a ranger in the cool morning air. Seeing zebra and impala at ground level changes the whole feeling of safari — quieter, closer, more real.

The afternoon is yours: a second game drive, a boat ride, or simply lodge time with views over the acacia woodland. This day is here on purpose — it prevents the itinerary from ending in exhaustion.

Accommodation:

Luxury: Mihingo Lodge

Mid-range: Rwakobo Rock

Budget: Eagle’s Nest

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10 – Return to Entebbe

A final short drive through Mburo often produces the last wildlife surprises of the trip — giraffe, zebra, and that clean, open savannah light.

Continue to Entebbe with an Equator stop for photos and lunch, then onward to the airport for your departure.