5 Days Bwindi Gorilla and Wildlife Viewing Safari
5 Days Bwindi Gorilla and Wildlife Viewing Safari : Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a home to half the world’s population of great mountain gorillas and other wildlife species and the main location to do gorilla trekking. The park is located in the southwestern region of Uganda, approximately 9 to 10 hours’ drive from Kampala, the capital, to access the main destination. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest has attracted a lot of tourists to come see these unique apes in their natural environment.
However, our itinerary is a combined tour package of 5 days of Bwindi gorillas and a wildlife viewing safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park, the second-largest national park in Uganda and the top-visited national park on a Uganda wildlife safari.
In Bwindi National Park, you will do Gorilla trekking and in Queen Elizabeth National Park, you will adventure into a game drive or wildlife viewing and a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel that connects Lake George and Lake Edward in the park.
Queen Elizabeth is a popular destination for unique tree-climbing lions, which can be spotted in few destinations on African safaris and with the largest population of hippos in the world to be encountered along Kazinga Channel. The Kazinga Channel will expose more of the wildlife species than any other viewing area in the park, though the Ishasha sector is famous for tree-climbing lion viewing, and both are positioned within the park.
You will also visit the famous Bwindi Impenetrable Forest national park to have a chance of trekking one of the habituated gorilla families in one of the four gorilla sectors: Buhoma, Rushaga, Ruhija and Nkuringo. This 5-day Bwindi Gorillas and Wildlife Safari starts and ends in Kampala or Entebbe.
Highlight of 5-Day Bwindi Gorilla and Wildlife Viewing Safaris
Day 1: Travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 2: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Buhoma Region
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Day 4: Morning Game drive and Afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga Channel
Day 5: To Kampala / Entebbe Airport.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Travel to Bwindi, Visit Lake Bunyonyi
Travel to Bwindi: After your aroma tea breakfast served at the hotel in Kampala or Entebbe town, your safari driver will pick you up and drive you in a southwestern direction with a short briefing about the 5-day Bwindi Gorilla and Wildlife viewing safaris. As you proceed to drive, you will have a first stopover at the Equator in Kayabwe for photography and water experiments as well as enjoying the north to south hemisphere and visiting craft shops around. After proceeding to drive to Mbarara for lunch en route. After lunch, you will drive through a rewarding countryside with banana plantations, farms and beautiful rolling hills of Kigezi; if time still allows, visit Lake Bunyonyi, known as the Switzerland of little birds. Arrive in Buhoma Sector at your booked accommodation unit—Buhoma Community Rest Camp or Engagi Lodge or Silverback Lodge.
Accommodation Options
Meals: Lunch and Dinner
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking
Gorilla Trekking: Wake up early in the morning and have a heavy breakfast. With packed lunch boxes, your safari driver guide will drive you to the meeting center for a briefing about rules for gorilla trekking at 7:30 am. Then exactly at 8:00am your guide will lead you to the assigned gorilla group through a dense, thick forest as you trek in search of gorillas. This trek can take you 3 to 7 hours a day depending on the gorilla’s location.
But it is an extraordinary feeling being with these unique apes, with whom we share 98% close DNA, yet they are endangered creatures. Once gorillas are located, one hour will be given to you to spend with them, enjoying their amazing lifestyle as well as capturing photographs. Return back to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay in the same lodge unit.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth: After breakfast, check out of Bwindi and drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park and arrive early afternoon; have lunch at Queen Elizabeth Safari Lodge. After lunch, relax a bit at the lodge. Then proceed to an evening game drive in the open savannah plain in Kasenyi.
At the Kasenyi plains, you will be able to adventure among an abundance of wildlife species, including elephants, leopards, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, hyenas, warthogs, antelopes, and lions, among others. You can also drive to the Kazinga Channel, where you will be able to spot large schools of hippos and water bird species. After, return back to the lodge.
Accommodation Options
Meal plan: Lunch and Dinner
Queen Elizabeth Safari Lodge
Elephant Hab
Pumba safari cottages
Day 4: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon boat cruise
Morning Game Drive: You will wake up, have breakfast, and drive back for the morning game drive. You’ll adventure to species that you could have missed out on in the evening game drive. You will be able to see leopards before they return back to their hideouts, hyenas. You will also drive to the Ishasha sector to explore the tree-climbing lions and other animal species. Drive back to the lodge for lunch and relax.
Boat Cruise: After having lunch, your driver will drive you to Kazinga Channel, the best place to enjoy a boat cruise with a rewarding sight of schools of hippos and Nile crocodiles in the water as well as other animals quenching for water. Watch water bird species like the African Skimmer, Yellow-billed Stork, African Finfoot, Blue-headed Bee-eater, Martial Eagle, and White-tailed Lark, among others.
Day 5: Depart to Kampala or Entebbe or the airport.
Depart: After morning breakfast, check out of the lodge and drive back to Kampala or Entebbe International Airport to board a flight back home.
End of 5-day trip Itinerary
The trip includes
Gorilla trekking permits
Boat cruise fees
Transport to and from
Accommodation
Fuel
Knowledgeable English-speaking guide
The trip excludes:
International Airport
Personal expenses: tips, laundry services, drinks, and extra money.
