Safari Itinerary

DAY 1: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park for Wildlife Safari.

Following a welcome breakfast and 6 days Gorilla Bwindi and Wildlife Safari tour briefing from your G S Uganda Travel guide, we depart for southwestern Uganda. Our scenic drive includes two captivating stopovers: first, at Mpambire a local community renowned for its traditional drum and craft-making, where you can admire the artistry and purchase unique souvenirs. Next, we cross the iconic Equator line a celebrated geographical landmark for the perfect photo opportunity and experiment. We then continue to our lodge for the evening.

Arrive at Lake Mburo National Park in the early afternoon and enjoy lunch amidst the park’s natural beauty, with wildlife and birds already in view. Afterwards, embark on your first thrilling game drive. Keep your eyes peeled for zebras, giraffes, topis, buffaloes, elands, impalas, warthogs, waterbucks, and a host of other animals.

Accommodation: (Full Board)
Up-market: Mihingo Lodge / Mantana Tented Camp/ Archadia Cottages
Moderate: Lake Mburo Safari Lodge/ Rakobo Rock
Low Budget: Rwonyo Campsite

DAY 2: Scenic Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.

After an early breakfast we embark on the scenic drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest via Mbarara town. We drive through stunning volcanic landscape adorned with steep sided hills covered from top to bottom in neatly terraced plantations of bananas, tea and thick maintained forests to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for gorilla trekking.

The Bwindi area is a highly fertile, mountainous region with steep sided hills covered from top to bottom in neatly terraced rows of cultivation. You are really driving through the “Banana Republic” with banana plantations all around you, steep hills, small rivers – just amazing Gorilla Trekking & Wildlife Safari scenery. Arrive late afternoon at the park and check-in at accommodation.

Accommodation: (Full board basis)
Up-market:Buhoma Lodge / Mahogany Lodge
Moderate:Engagi Lodge/ Silverback Lodge / Gorilla Safari Lodge/ Lake Kitandara Camp
Low Budget: Travellers Rest Hotel, or Ruhija Gorilla Friends Camp or Buhoma Community Camp ground

DAY 3: Gorilla trekking Experience in Bwindi National Park.

After an early breakfast, proceed to the park headquarters for an essential pre-trek briefing. Then, the adventure truly begins. You will spend the day trekking through the impenetrable forest, a journey that culminates in the trip’s pinnacle moment: a breathtaking, face-to-face encounter with endangered mountain gorillas. This is an experience you will carry with you forever.

We will trek through the dense rainforest and bamboo-covered slopes, led by an expert guide and trackers, in search of a mountain gorilla family. The hike can be physically demanding, but the moment you lock eyes with a majestic silverback, every effort is instantly rewarded. Upon locating the family, you will be guided to a viewing distance of approximately six meters. There, you will spend a magical hour sitting in quiet observation, captivated by their gentle human-like expressions and profound presence..

Gorilla trekking is unpredictable. It’s difficult to foresee how many hours you will hike. The gorilla excursion can take from 2 up to 8 hours. Expect to walk along distance in steep and muddy conditions, sometimes with rain overhead, before you encounter any gorillas. A good physical condition before you book the Gorilla Trekking & Wildlife Safari is recommended. For conservation purposes, time spent with the gorillas is limited to one hour. A ranger will brief you on how to behave with the gorillas.

While most of today’s forests are no more than 12,000 years old, Bwindi’s vegetation has been weaving itself into tangles over at least 25,000 years, in the process accumulating a lengthy species list. This includes 310 species of butterfly, 51 reptiles, 200 trees, 88 moths and an exceptional 120 types of mammal including 10 primates. The latter includes chimpanzee, L’Hoest’s, red tailed and blue monkey, black and white colobus, baboon, and Bwindi’s most famous resident, the mountain gorilla.

Apart from gorilla trekking, Bwindi is a prime destination for birdwatchers. Its 350 species include seven which are IUCN red data listed and 90% of all Albertine rift endemics, species which are difficult or impossible to see in any other part of East Africa.

Accommodation: (Full board basis)
Up-market:Buhoma Lodge / Mahogany Lodge
Moderate:Engagi Lodge/ Silverback Lodge / Gorilla Safari Lodge/ Lake Kitandara Camp
Low Budget: Travellers Rest Hotel, or Ruhija Gorilla Friends Camp or Buhoma Community Camp ground

Day 4: Wildlife Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park – Ishasha Sector.

After breakfast, we journey south through stunning savannah grasslands to the remote Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This less-traveled wilderness offers an exclusive sense of solitude and is renowned for its exceptionally high game densities. As a key migration corridor between Uganda and the DRC, Ishasha is famed for hosting some of the largest elephant herds in the country, promising an unforgettable wildlife spectacle.

As we enter the park, we do a game drive in search of the wild game. We continue and drive to the northern circuit which is the area near the main road known for its tree climbing lions. We look particularly at the many fig trees where lions like to stay. But we also visit the Uganda kob mating ground which is their preferred hunting area.

Accommodation: (Full board basis)
Up-market/ Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge or Jacana Safari Lodge
Mid-range: Queen Elizabeth Safari Lodge
Budget price: Simba Safari Camp

DAY 5: Game Drive Safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

We embark at dawn for a thrilling game drive along the Kasenyi Plains in the park’s northern sector, prime territory for tracking lions, elephants, and solitary buffaloes. The early hour offers the best opportunity to witness predators in action, drawn by the area’s vast population of Uganda Kob. This region provides exceptional chances to observe a wide array of wildlife at remarkably close range. Later, the adventure continues on the water with an afternoon launch cruise down the Kazinga Channel, a magnet for animals and a superb venue for bird watching.

This gives you the opportunity to view wildlife up close: hippo’s huff and spray at a mere feet away from the boat, buffalo linger in the shallows. The shores of the channel are also home to an array of birds including pink backed pelicans, pied and malachite kingfishers, saddle billed stork and many others.

Accommodation: (Full board basis)
Up-market/ Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge or Jacana Safari Lodge
Mid-range: Queen Elizabeth Safari Lodge
Budget price: Simba Safari Camp

DAY 6: Scenic Journey to Kampala via the Crater Lakes & Baboon Cliffs.

Breakfast and head for Kampala (about 5 hours driving) via Mubende. This route travels through breathtaking scenery and delightfully rolling plantations, some of the best in Uganda.

Depending on how much time we have on us we can tour around Kampala’s crafts and souvenirs markets at Buganda Road near Watoto Church or national theater after which you will be transferred to your hotel or to Entebbe airport for your onward flight.

End of 6 days gorilla Bwindi and wildlife safari holiday.