5 Days Uganda Safari (Gorilla Trekking and Wildlife)
The 5 Days Uganda Safari Adventure – Gorilla Trekking and Wildlife is an interesting package taking tourists to the remarkable Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for gorilla trekking and cultural walks as well as the beautiful Queen Elizabeth National Park for wildlife viewing and the refreshing boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel.
Located in the south-western side of Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the most popular gorilla trekking destinations sheltering more than half the World’s surviving population of mountain gorillas in more than 40 families, 20 of which are habituated for trekking.
Bwindi Forest was gazetted into a National Park in 1991 and was later declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is found in the western part of Uganda at the backdrop of the Rwenzori Mountains and offers a medley of wonders including over 95 species of mammals as well as over 600 species of birds. This biodiversity hotspot was gazetted in 1952 as Kazinga National Park and presently extends for an area of 1978 square kilometers.
Summary of things to expect during the 5 Days Uganda Safari
- Track one of the habituated gorilla families in Bwindi.
- Encounter numerous mammal species during game viewing.
- Visit the Batwa communities.
- Have an exciting boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel.
- A smooth ride with our comfortable 4X4 Vehicles.
- A number of stopovers for lunch and Uganda Equator.
Itinerary highlights of the 5 Days Uganda Safari
- Day 1: Drive from Kampala to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
- Day 2: Game viewing and Launch cruise.
- Day 3: Ishasha Game drive and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
- Day 4: Gorilla trekking and evening cultural visit.
- Day 5: Departure.
Detailed itinerary of the 5 Days Uganda Safari
Day 1: Drive from Kampala to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Wake up early and have breakfast so that you are picked up from the Hotel or place of residence at 6:30 am for a journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park through the Kampala-Masaka road.
The 6-7 hours’ journey involves two stopovers and the first one is at the Uganda Equator crossing in Kayabwe where you will spend at least 30 minutes taking photos of this remarkable landmark and experimenting how water drains (clockwise or anti-clockwise) when placed in the northern and southern hemispheres.
Continue with the journey until Igongo Cultural Center and Country Hotel for your mouth-watering local/traditional and international dishes as well as an optional tour of the local Museum known as “Erijukiro” Museum to have a view on some of the original artifacts of the Ankole people.
The journey continues through Mbarara the land of milk and honey, Bushenyi where the cool air and lush vegetation will leave you open-mouthed, yet your arrival at Queen Elizabeth National Park will introduce you to real Paradise.
Accommodation Options
Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge or Kyambura Game Lodge, Midrange: Enganzi Game Lodge, Jacana Safari Lodge or Bush Lodge, Budget: Kazinga Channel View Resort, Tembo Safari Lodge or Simba Safari Camp.
Meal Plan: Lunch and dinner.
Travel Time: 6-7 hours.
Day 2: Game viewing and Launch cruise
The fatigue due to the journey on the previous day will require enough rest and the comfort in the wilderness will offer the best sleep. Get up early for breakfast and start the game drive by 6:30 am for a chance to encounter the lions and leopards returning from their hunt.
The Queen’s mile as well as Kasenyi tracks within the vast savannah plains reward tourists with the opportunity of sighting numerous wildlife species including side-striped jackals, elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, warthogs, bushbucks, waterbucks, Topis, and elands.
A game drive doesn’t mean that your options will be limited to wildlife but also introduces you to the numerous bird species like Chapin’s flycatcher, martial eagles, black bee-eaters, and many others.
Return to the Lodge to freshen up, have lunch and relaxation. The afternoon will be for the boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, lasting about 2 hours and will be filled with surprises like spotting huge Nile crocodiles and hippos lazing on the banks of the channel as well as Uganda kobs, elephants and buffaloes drinking or cooling their bodies during the hot sunshine.
Birds in large numbers will also be spotted during the boat cruise and the must-see species are the African fish eagles, pink-backed pelicans, African skimmer and Martial eagles among others. Continue to the Lodge for a quick snack and have a brief evening game drive to spot the nocturnal mammals such as leopards, spotted hyenas, and lions.
Accommodation Options
Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge or Kyambura Game Lodge, Midrange: Enganzi Game Lodge, Jacana Safari Lodge or Bush Lodge, Budget: Kazinga Channel View Resort, Tembo Safari Lodge or Simba Safari Camp.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Day 3: Ishasha Game drive and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Have your breakfast and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through Ishasha sector, on the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Passing through the Ishasha sector guarantees you of encountering the mysterious tree-climbing lions resting on fig tree branches and other animals, especially Uganda kobs as well as buffaloes grazing within the vast savanna plains.
Have your lunch at Savannah Hotel in Kihihi and reach the Buhoma sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the later afternoon to check-in at the Lodge for dinner, overnight, and relaxation.
Accommodation options
Luxury: Buhoma Lodge/Mahogany Springs Camp, Midrange: Silverback Lodge, Lake Kitandara Bwindi Camp or Engagi Lodge, Budget: Buhoma Community Rest Camp or Bwindi View Bandas.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Day 4: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi and evening cultural visit
Breakfast will be served early so that you can find your fellow gorilla trekkers at the Park Headquarters at 7:00 am for briefing. Be briefed on how to behave when in the presence of Mountain gorillas and your expectations of the activity.
Be assigned to the gorilla family and move or be driven to the trailhead to start the 2-4 hours trek in the thick jungles to search for the allocated gorilla family.
The trek is usually challenging and involves going through muddy trails, scratching, and misty vegetation but the face to face encounter with the mountain gorillas and spending one hour with them is rewarding. After spending quality time with them, descend to the trailhead and back to the Lodge for lunch.
After enjoying your lunch and relaxing, head for a relaxed evening walk to the nearby Batwa community to have an insight on how they lived in the forest before eviction. You will see their traditional houses, see some of the plants used for medicinal purposes, see how they use sticks to make fire and be entertained in their traditional dances.
Dinner and overnight:
Luxury: Buhoma Lodge/Mahogany Springs Camp
Midrange: Silverback Lodge, Lake Kitandara Bwindi Camp or Engagi Lodge
Budget: Buhoma Community Rest Camp or Bwindi View Bandas.
Meal Plan: Full-board.
Day 5: Departure
Start the most important meal of the day from the Lodge earlier before checking-out and leaving for Kampala or Entebbe. This 8-9 hours journey involves one stopover in Mbarara Town for lunch and continuing straight to Kampala or Entebbe International Airport for your return flight (if it’s at 21:00hours and beyond). Alternatively, if your flight is earlier, you can depart through Kigali International Airport which is 3-4 hours’ away.
End of the 5 Days Uganda Safari
Inclusions
- Gorilla permit.
- Park entrance and ranger fees.
- Transport with our 4 WD vehicle and fuel.
- Bottled water throughout the safari.
- Boat cruise fees.
- Full-board accommodation for four days.
- Meals including the en-route ones as per the meal plan.
- Airport transfer as long as your flight is on the same day the safari ends.
- Relevant Government taxes.
- Full-time English-speaking driver.
- All activities on the itinerary.
- Border crossing (if departing through Kigali).
Exclusion
- International flights.
- Personal expenses like tips, laundry fees, and beverages, personal insurance.
- Extra activities not included in the itinerary.
- Visa fees.
- Accommodation in Kampala or Kigali except if arranged in advance.
Things to carry
- Gorilla permit
- E-ticket and passport.
- Long-sleeved shirts to protect your arms from being scratched by tree branches or being bitten by insects.
- Waterproof backpack for carrying all the things you need during trekking.
- Long trousers to protect your legs.
- Waterproof hiking boots for hiking through the muddy forest floors.
- Rain jacket.
- Shorts for game drives.
- Pair of binoculars.
- Non-flash camera for taking photos of mountain gorillas.
- Wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses to protect the head and eyes from the scorching sunshine.
- Flip-flops.
- Swimsuit.
- First Aid kit.
- Toiletries.
Best Time for the 5 Days Uganda Safari
You can visit Uganda at any time for the 5 Days Uganda safari – Gorilla Trekking & Wildlife Safari but the months of January, February, June, July, August, September, and December are perfect for both gorilla trekking and game viewing because, for the latter, most animals are concentrated at the water drinking points while for the former, forest trails are less muddy and slippery which makes the activity enjoyable.
These months are however also the peak months with demand for gorilla permits being high and safari lodges being on high demand thus it is important to book for this adventurous tour at least 3 months in advance.
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