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Gorillas & Wildlife
Savannah game, a boat on the Kazinga Channel, chimpanzees, the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha, and one morning with a gorilla family — then two nights to rest on Lake Bunyonyi.
The trip most people should take. Eight days is long enough to see the country change around you — from the open plains of Lake Mburo to the forest at Bwindi — and short enough to fit a normal holiday.
At a glance
| Length | 8 days, 7 nights |
|---|---|
| Gorilla treks | One |
| Parks and places | Lake Mburo · Queen Elizabeth · Kalinzu Forest · Ishasha · Bwindi Impenetrable Forest · Lake Bunyonyi |
| Starts and ends | Entebbe International Airport |
| Accommodation | Full board throughout, in the lodges named below |
| Price | being finalised — ask for a quote |
Day by day
- Day 1
Arrive at Entebbe
We meet you at Entebbe International Airport and take you to your guest house nearby. If your flight lands early there is time to walk down to the lake before dinner.
Overnight: Airport Guest House
- Day 2
To Lake Mburo — boat and evening game drive
An early breakfast and the drive south-west, stopping at the Equator for the photograph everyone takes. In the afternoon a boat on the lake for hippos and crocodiles, then an evening game drive in search of zebra, eland, buffalo and — with luck — a leopard. Mburo is the only park in Uganda with impala and the only one you can walk in.
Overnight: Eagle’s Nest
- Day 3
To Queen Elizabeth — tea country
Another game drive before we leave, then the road north through the tea plantations. Lunch at the lodge, and out again in the late afternoon for lions, elephant, buffalo and antelope on the Kasenyi side.
Overnight: Bush Lodge
- Day 4
Queen Elizabeth — the Kazinga Channel
A morning game drive, then back for lunch. In the afternoon a boat along the Kazinga Channel, which holds the densest concentration of hippos anywhere in the world; elephants come down to drink and the banks are thick with birds.
Overnight: Bush Lodge
- Day 5
Chimpanzees, then Ishasha
An early start for chimpanzee tracking in the forest at Kalinzu. You are given a ranger guide at the visitor centre and you walk until you find them. Picnic lunch, then south to Ishasha, where the lions climb the fig trees — nobody is quite sure why they do it here and almost nowhere else.
Overnight: Ishasha Jungle Lodge
- Day 6
To Bwindi
A last morning game drive in Ishasha, then the climb into the hills and the forest. The road gets slower and greener the whole way. Evening free before the trek.
Overnight: Bakiga Lodge
- Day 7
Gorilla trekking, then Lake Bunyonyi
Breakfast, then the visitor centre for the briefing and your group allocation. The walk can take two hours or eight — the gorillas move, and the trackers go ahead at first light to find them. You have one hour with the family. Afterwards we drive to Lake Bunyonyi, and if there is light left, a boat out among the islands.
Overnight: Bunyonyi Overland Camp
- Day 8
Back to Entebbe
The drive back for your flight home. It is a long road; we leave early and stop where you want to.
What is included
- Vehicle, fuel and a driver-guide throughout
- All accommodation as listed, full board
- Park entrance fees and boat trips
- Gorilla and chimpanzee permits, booked in your name
- Bottled water in the vehicle
- Airport pick-up and drop-off
What is not
- International flights and Uganda visa
- Travel insurance — required, see booking terms
- Drinks, tips and personal spending
- Optional activities not listed above
About the gorilla permit
The permit is included in the price and bought in your name from the Uganda Wildlife Authority — currently USD 800 each for foreign non-residents, less in April, May and November. We pass it through at cost and send you the reference number so you can see it is real.
UWA takes full payment when the permit is booked and does not hold them, so a trek is only confirmed once the permit is paid. How permits work →