Gorillas in Bwindi & Queen Elizabeth Wildlife Safari (9 Days Classic Circuit)

Day 2: Fly Entebbe to Kisoro You'll catch an early morning domestic flight from Entebbe to Kisoro to kick off your Uganda Gorillas and Wildlife Safari with Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The one-hour flight goes over Lake Victoria, beautiful central plains, into the rolling hills of the southwest region with cultivated terraces, tropical rainforest, bamboo forest, and the majestic chain of the Virunga Volcanoes. Our driver will pick you up from Kisoro Airstrip and transfer you to the lodge. In the afternoon, you can walk the Batwa Forest Trail in Buniga Forest, a pocketed forest close to the lodge. The Batwa people showcase their ancient cultural tales, hunting and survival skills on the trail. Alternatively, from Kisoro Airport, join our walking safari guide in Kisoro Town for a community walk, canoeing excursion on Lake Mutanda, and nature hike through communities & cultivated garden trails. It is an immersive off-the-beaten-track walking adventure connecting you with the local people and environments. It takes you to some of the most incredible scenes of rugged southwestern Uganda. The walking safari takes about 4-5 hours to Lake Mutanda, where the driver will pick you up for lunch before continuing to your night's stay at Nkuringo. Staying at: Nkuringo BWindi Gorilla Lodge Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

Day 3: The Gorilla Trek in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Imagine waking up as the mist swirls around your lodge, nestled on the edge of the ancient Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. This dense rainforest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the last remaining homes of the magnificent mountain gorilla. After a hearty breakfast, you meet your guide and a small group of fellow adventurers at 7:30 am, with your packed lunch and gear. Hearts pounding with anticipation, you step into the emerald green undergrowth, a world of tangled vines, giant ferns, and echoing birdsong. The gorilla trek is a challenge, but oh so rewarding. You'll clamber up muddy slopes, push through thick vegetation, and feel the thrill of the unknown with each step. Your guide, an expert tracker, reads the forest like a book – a broken branch, a faint trail, fresh dung – all clues leading you closer to the gorillas. Suddenly, a rustle in the leaves, and your guide signals to stop. Your heart thumps in your chest. It's time. There, through the foliage, you see them – a mighty silverback male, mothers cradling their young, playful juveniles tumbling in the leaves. Time seems to melt away as you observe these gentle giants in their natural habitat. Their movements are surprisingly human-like, their eyes filled with an ancient wisdom. For a precious hour, you're a visitor in their world, privileged to witness a bond with our closest primate relatives. The experience will leave you feeling humbled, exhilarated, and deeply connected to African wilderness. You'll be out of there relatively by 2:00 pm; you'll have your lunch somewhere in the jungle and get back to your cottage for the evening. Don't the after-dinner talk in the lounge. Staying at: Nkuringo Bwindi Gorilla Lodge Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), and Dinner.

Day 4: Walking Safari Across Bwindi You'll get on the trail at about 8:30 am after a short briefing with your walking safari guide at the lodge. You must hit the trails in the misty early morning hours so that the intense afternoon sunrays find you under the jungle canopy. You'll travel with a local guide and two gun-bearing rangers for security. Go light; just your backpack with lunch, a camera, and walking. It takes about 4-5 hours to walk the trail. Two trails meet somewhere in the jungle and meander down to Buhoma town; you'll have to select one. The longer one takes about six plus meanders along the Kashasha river and over several ridges. The shorter one starts at Kashasha River, down Nteko valley, and meanders along Ivy River. You must drive about 15 kilometers to Nteko village to start the Ivy River Trail. However, both trails deliver the same jolt of adventure for intrepid travelers. The richness of this UNESCO Worl Heritage site and the benefits of walking in an untamed rainforest to your health is just enough to lure you to this Uganda gorillas & wildlife safari package. The local guide will be your connection to this impenetrable jungle, with occasional sightings of prominent inhabitants like chimpanzees, forest elephants, birds, monkeys, and butterflies. On the other side, you'll check in a forest cottage in Mahogany Springs Lodge, in the spring valley overlooking the Bwindi, now a penetrable forest. Staying at: Mahogany Springs Lodge Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), and Dinner.

Day 5: Optional Activities This day, we allow you to pick something you can do that matches your physical ability and interest, considering you tracked gorillas the previous day. Some travelers prefer trekking gorillas for the second time. Besides, it's a different trekking sector, a different experience. Yes, it's possible. But you must have booked your trekking permit before the beginning of the trip. The second option is to visit with the Batwa forest people on their time-lapse cultural trail. Check out the medicine man, and dance to their ancient tunes. From the trail, you can walk through local markets or check out some rural development organizations. Another optional activity is to visit the Ride 4 A Woman Charity Organization. The charitable organization was established to support Bwindi women struggling with poverty, HIV, and domestic violence. Take a walk around the campus and learn a few creative skills like local basket weaving, sewing, and pottery. Staying at: Mahogany Springs Lodge Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), and Dinner.

Day 6: Buhoma to Queen Elizabeth via Ishasha This morning, you leave the mountains, and the rainforests, and the gorillas behind and drive down the rift valley to Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will drive through the Ishasha sector, a Tree-climbing Lions' territory. You may see these lazy giant cats lounging in fig tree branches if you're fortunate. As we traverse to your safari camp on the edge of the sector, you could encounter some savannah favorites like antelope species, elephants, buffalo, and maybe an occasional leopard. Staying at: Ishasha Wilderness Camp Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed), and Dinner.

Day 7: Queen Elizabeth National Safaris Get chance to reach close to Africa safari’s big game players on an early morning or evening game drive and a boat safari on Kazinga Channel, famous for hosting the largest population of hippos. While on a game drive on Kasenyi tracks, you will encounter animals like enormous herds of elephants and buffalo. You’ll also spot many interesting antelope species such as Uganda kob, topi, and bushbuck. The giant forest hog is unusually easy to spot. Search around the Kasenyi tracks for the elusive leopard. On the Kazinga Channel boat safari trip that will set off at 14:00, you’re able to catch sight of elephants, buffalo, waterbuck, Uganda kob, and large hippo pods daily. Keep an eye open for the enormous water monitor lizard, which is common in the riverine scrub, as well as crocodiles. You’ll also see the giant forest hog, leopard, and lion. The odds of seeing predators and other nocturnal creatures coming to drink are highest in the late afternoon. You'll stay at: Elephant Plains LodgeMeals: Breakfast, Lunch (Packed), Dinner

Day 8: Morning Game Drive This Africa safari doesn’t get any better with a third day in the African savanna plains: what a vacation. After an early morning hot cuppa or caffeine fix, your safari guide will whisk you off in his 4×4 truck into the misty light to catch the golden sunrise over a live lion hunt and morning rise for most animals. Along the Kasenyi tracks, you may sight lions, cape buffalos, elephants, warthogs, waterbucks, spotted hyenas, Mangoose, kobs, and with much luck, the sneak leopard is often spotted. After the morning game drive, have breakfast at the camp and stay in the rest of the day to take in the African air. You'll stay at: Elephant Plains LodgeMeals: Breakfast, Lunch (Packed), Dinner

Day 9: Fly Mweya Airport to Entebebe After breakfast proceed to Mweya Penisular for scheduled flight to Entebbe – relax at Papyrus Guesthouse and later transfer for evening flight. End of the Classic Primates & Wildlife Safari. Accommodation (Optional): Papyrus GuesthouseMeals: Breakfast, Lunch (packed)