Best Gorilla Tour
Best Uganda gorilla tour is a Gorilla trekking trip to Uganda. The best Uganda gorilla tour takes you to network of Uganda National parks. These parks sprawl across both sides of the Equator. Best Uganda gorilla tour visits Murchison Falls and Kibale Forest.
You will also go to Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi and Lake Mburo National parks. There is a Best Uganda gorilla tour break in Lake Bunyonyi.
Best Uganda Gorilla Tour Attractions
Attractions on this African safari tour in Uganda includes trekking mountain gorilla trekking. This Best Uganda gorilla tour also has chimpanzee treks. There are game drives, boat cruise and birding, and scenery.
The Best of Uganda gorilla tour is ideal for those who want to discover Uganda. You will interact with the close cousins of man, the Mountain Gorillas and chimps!!! Find the Best of Uganda gorilla tour itinerary below:
Best Uganda Gorilla Tour Itinerary
DAY 1: ENTEBBE – KAMPALA
Meet and greet at Entebbe International Airport by our Uganda Safari rep. You will be warmly welcomed into the country. A brief on the 14 days Best Uganda gorilla tour will follow. Enjoy a transfer to Kampala. Here you will be dropped off at Hotel Africana for overnight ob bed and breakfast.
Day 2: KAMPALA – MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK
Your Best Uganda gorilla tour takes a drive northwest early morning. This is through the famous Luwero Triangle and Masindi Town. You will be heading to Murchison Falls National Park. Your arrival at the Murchison falls safari lodge will be in time for lunch.
In the afternoon you will visit the top of the Falls. From here you can see the Nile’s beauty perfected! Marvel at the Nile, compressing through a 7-metre canyon dropping 40 meters down. This is with a thunderous roar, creating a beautiful rainbow.
Look at ‘The Murchison Falls’ and enjoy the sunset as you return to the lodge. Dinner and overnight will be at Paraa Safari Lodge.
About Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s largest National Game Park, comprised of the Bugungu and Karuma Wildlife Reserves and covering about 3,840 square kilometers of protected area.
The park gets its name from the sensational Murchison Falls, where the longest river in the world, the Nile, forces through a tiny chasm of about 7 meters wide to explode into a violent tempest in a whirlpool about 43 meters below.
It becomes a calm river that attracts lot of wildlife along its banks including many buffalos, waterbucks, elephants, and hogs that throng the river banks to drink fresh water, cool off the scorching heat, and eat fresh grass.
The Nile is also home to one of Africa’s densest hippo and crocodile population plus many water birds including the world’s most accessible wild population of the rare shoebill stork.
Day 3: MURCHISON FALLS
Early breakfast will start your Best Uganda gorilla tour day. Embark on a game drive to the northern bank. Your guide will help you spot elephant, lion, cape buffalo, Roth child’s giraffe and hartebeest. Other animals include waterbuck, oribi, bushbuck, bohor reed buck and hyena.
On a lucky day you may spot the leopard. You will return back to the lodge for lunch. Later embark on a boat cruise upstream t on the calm Victoria Nile. This will be to the base of the falls stopping just tens of meters from the ‘Devil’s Cauldron’.
Marvel at the toothsome hippos, crocodiles and over the 17km stretch you may see elephant, waterbuck and Uganda Kob. You will see of many birds, species like goliath heron, Egyptian goose, pelican bee-eater, kingfisher, hornbill, cormorant and the rare shoebill stork.
After taking shorts of the photogenic Murchison Falls on your Uganda Safari holiday, return to Paraa Lodge. Dinner and overnight will be at Paraa Safari Lodge.
Day 4: MURCHISON FALLS – KIBALE FOREST NP
Start your day very early with breakfast. It will be all day drive south via Hoima to Fort Portal through verdant countryside. You will see traditional homesteads and farms.
Fort Portal rests in the shadow of the fabled Mountains of the Moon. Your Best Uganda gorilla tour drive takes approximately 8 hours. You will arrive for dinner and overnight at Primate Lodge.
Kibale National Park
Kibale National Park is home to a vast number of species of birds as well as the greatest variety and concentration of primates found anywhere in East Africa; 13 remarkable primate species, including L’Hoests and red colobus monkeys flourish within the park.
Add to this to the fact that the elusive forest elephant move seasonally through the forest and you can see why Kibale National Park is a superb safari destination.
The park itself is easily accessible with a good internal infrastructure; many of the facilities are community based, thus providing the local population with the necessary revenue to ensure the long-term protection of the area.
Kibale is an excellent park for exploring on foot with good paths that lead deep into the forest and it is one of the best places in Africa to search for chimpanzees in their natural habitat.
Day 5: KIBALE FOREST NATIONAL PARK
This day of Best Uganda gorilla tour starts with breakfast. This is to be followed by transfer to Kibale Forest National Park HQ. The Forest is reputed to have the greatest variety of primates. It also has the highest concentration of primates in East Africa.
Enjoy a guided nature walk in the tropical rainforest. You will be searching for wild chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys. Return to your lodge for lunch and a short rest. In the afternoon explores the Crater Lake region, which has many crater lakes.
Later, sit back and relax as you let a traditional dancing group entertain you’re your dinner and overnight will be at Primate Lodge.
Day 6: SEMULIKI NATIONAL PARK
Best Uganda gorilla tour has an early departure after breakfast. You will be going to the hot springs. You will also crown the day on Best Uganda gorilla tour in the pygmy villages. These are located near the Ituri Rainforest. The visit to the villages has proven to be an interesting cultural experience.
You will have lunch arranged for you to be served as a picnic while you experience the “real Africa”. Return for dinner and overnight at Primate Lodge.
Semuliki National Park
The Semuliki National Park protects an extension of the Ituri forest in the Democratic republic of Congo. It is located in western Uganda on the flow of the Rwenzori Mountains. It is the only tract of true low land tropical forest in East Africa.
It covers an area of 220km2 with altitude of 670m-760m above sea level. It is the only host of true lowland tropical forest in East Africa and contains features associated with Central Africa rather than Eastern Africa.
River Semuliki is the international boundary between Uganda and DR Congo. The park is dominated by the eastern most extension of the Ituri forest of the Congo Basin.
Day 7: KIBALE FOREST - QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK
Start your Best Uganda gorilla tour day with an early breakfast. Proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park following the mystical Ruwenzori Mountain Range. As you go through the game park, you might spot some animals.
Enjoy the unique 2-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel into Lake Edward. The boat cruise passes through possibly the highest concentration of hippos. This offers an excellent platform for photography, bird watching and game viewing.
The prolific bird life is colorful and stupendous, with well over 550 resident species. You will have dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge.
About Queen Elizabeth National Park
The Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) is Uganda’s most-visited game reserve. The national park is located in western Uganda, spanning the districts of Kasese, Kamwenge, Bushenyi and Rukungiri.
Its location is approximately 376 kilometres (234 mi), by road, southwest of Kampala, Uganda’s capital and largest city. The town of Kasese lies just outside the northeastern edge of the park, while the town of Bushenyi is situated just outside the park’s southeastern boundaries.
Queen Elizabeth National Park occupies an estimated 1,978 square kilometres (764 sq mi), of which about 17% lies in Kasese District, 50% in Bushenyi District and an estimated 33% lies in Rukungiri District.
The area of the park extends from Lake George in the northeast to Lake Edward in the southwest and includes the Kazinga Channel that connects the two lakes.
The park is named after Queen Elizabeth II and was established in 1954. QENP is known for its wildlife, and, although many animals were killed in the Uganda-Tanzania War, many species have recovered, including hippopotamuses, elephants, leopards, lions and chimpanzees.
It is now home to 95 species of mammal and over 500 species of birds. The area around Ishasha in Rukungiri District is famous for its tree-climbing lions, whose males sport black manes, a feature unique to the lions in this area.
Day 8: QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK
A day spent in Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will sample the diverse eco-system of grassy plains, tropical forest and rivers. There are also swamps, lakes and volcanic craters. These are home to an incredible abundance of wildlife.
Have an early morning Game drive in the park. Here you have an opportunity to view the massive Rwenzori as backdrop. This provides excellent opportunities to see lion, leopard, giant forest hog. Other animals include Cape buffalo, elephant, defassa waterbuck, Uganda Kob, topi and bushbuck.
These are memorable methods of discovering a vast array of African wildlife. Return back for dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge.
Day 9: QUEEN ELIZABETH – BWINDI NATIONAL PARK
Start your Best Uganda gorilla tour day with an early breakfast. You will then depart Kigezi Highlands. The area is nicknamed ‘Switzerland of Africa’ due to the terraced hillside and winding roads.
You will go to Bwindi through the Ishasha sector. This area is known for the tree climbing lions. Dinner and overnight at will be at Engangi Lodge.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is found in the southwestern part of Uganda in the East Africa region. The National Park shares the high levels of the endemisms of the Albertine Rift.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park’s geology comprises of quartzite, Precambrian shale phyllite, granite, quartz and schist. The National park is found at the edge of the Western Rift Valley which is at highest parts of the Kigezi Highlands. This was formed by the up-warping of the Western Rift Valley.
The topography of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is very rugged, with different narrow valleys connected by rivers which include Ivi, Ihihizo, Munyaga, Ishasha, and Ntengyere Rivers flowing into Lake Edward, Lakes Mutanda, Bunyonyi and steep hills.
The altitudes in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is between 1,190 to 2,607 metres above sea level and about 60% of the park has an elevation of about 2,000 metres. The lowest area of the park is found at its most northern tip and the highest is Rwamunyonyi hill on the eastern edge of the park.
DAY 10: BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK
Start your day with an early morning breakfast. This will be followed by entry into the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. The forest offers a dramatic, steeply forested landscape and is incredibly dense. It is crisscrossed by numerous animals’ trails allowing access to tourists.
Mammals recorded include the endangered Mt. Gorilla and the rare golden monkey. There are also buffalo, forest elephant, black-fronted duiker, bushbuck and leopard. This park is best known for the fascinating gorillas. The time taken and the terrain vary. This is determined by the movements of the marvelous primates.
The thrill of spending time and observing the gorillas is a rare moving. When on Best of Uganda gorilla tour, it is awesome and an exciting adventure. The gorilla is a shy and peaceful animal and it is an unforgettable experience to watch them.
Those on Best of Uganda gorilla tour that are not trekking will have community. Dinner and overnight will be at Engangi Lodge.
Day 11: BWINDI – LAKE BUNYONYI
As an option, you can have a guided nature walk in Bwindi. You may choose from one of the 5 trails or the New Village trail. After a rigorous day at Bwindi, most clients will welcome some relaxing moments. This will be on the shores of the peaceful lake Bunyonyi.
The options while Best Uganda gorilla tour here are birding, cycling, swimming or canoeing. Your meals and overnight will be at L. Bunyonyi Resort.
Day 12: LAKE BUNYONYI – LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK
Early in the morning your Best Uganda gorilla tour embarks on a 3 hours drive. This will take you to Lake Mburo National Park. You will have an evening game drive or a walk. This is done under the escort of an armed ranger.
The Kopjes are particularly interesting and camouflage klipspringers and topis. It is amusing to see zebra grazing alongside the long horned Ankole cattle. Return to your safari lodge for lunch and rest. This should be taken leisurely enjoying the view of the lakes in this park.
Enjoy the boat ride on Lake Mburo and get quite close to the crocs and hippos. Your overnight will be at Rwonyo Safari Camp.
Lake Mburo National Park
Covering 260 km2, Lake Mburo National Park is located close to Mbarara district. Lake Mburo national park, Uganda is found in an area covered in dense acacia woodland and not like other wildlife reserve in the country; L. Mburo National Park is habitat to amazingly different fauna.
It’s the leading Uganda safari destination for people interested in viewing the huge eland antelopes, buffaloes, zebras, impala plus topis. Its exceptional bird species associated to acacia includes the uncommon Shoebill stork.
It’s amazing landscape having grassy hills plus spectacular lake shores features forest galleries, valleys rich with acacia trees, seasonal plus permanent swamps all of which are habitat to a diversity of wildlife.
Within this National Park you can enjoy a wonderful Uganda safari or even a tour here since there are 5 lakes within the park; home to crocodiles, hippos, plus a diversity of water birds, and its border swamps are a great hideout for mysterious papyrus associated species of animal like the sitatunga antelopes and the black or red and yellow papyrus gonolek.
Although it is the smallest Savannah national park in Uganda, Its combination of habitats includes dry hillsides, forests, rocky outcrops, open & wooded Savannah’s, bushes and thickets which will certainly offer a memorable impression to all its visitors.
Day 13: LAKE MBURO NATIONAL PARK – KAMPALA
After breakfast, your Best Uganda gorilla tour takes a leisurely drive. You will be heading back to Kampala. This will be punctuated with a stopover at the Mpigi Royal Drum Makers. Here you will watch the ceremonial drums being crafted. They make use of methods passed down through the generations. Your overnight will be at Metropole Hotel on bed and breakfast.
Day 14: DEPARTURE
Depending on the departure time, go for a city tour. You may also visit the craft markets before climaxing your Best Uganda gorilla tour. This will be with a transfer to Entebbe airport to catch your flight back home.
End of 14 Days Best Uganda Gorilla Tour
14 Days Best Uganda Gorilla Tour Costs
The 14 Days Best Uganda Gorilla Tour cost includes
- Accommodation with meals as per program
- Bottled water
- All Park Entrance Fees
- Private safari-vehicle
- An English speaking guide
- 1 X Uganda gorilla permit
- 1 X Chimpanzee Permit
- Government taxes
- Lots of fun and African sunshine
The 14 Days Best Uganda Gorilla Tour cost does not include
- Items of personal use
- All drinks, beverages and alcohol other than what is served at breakfast
- Deviation from the Itinerary
- Visa
- Tips and porterage
- Insurance
What you carry for your 14 Days Best Uganda Gorilla Tourr:
- Sun glasses
- Camera gear
- Heavy and light clothes
- Sturdy hiking boots
