Day 1: Airport pick up
Your guide will be at Entebbe Airport to pick you up from your flight and take you directly to your lodge in Kampala. Depending on the time of your arrival, you may be able to explore the sites in and around Kampala.

You will stay in a nice lodge with beautiful views on Lake Victoria. The hotel has cosy safari style furnished rooms, equipped with satellite TV, fridge bar, telephone, fan, balcony with lake-view and a comfortable bathroom.

Journey Time: 1 Hour
Accommodation: Cassia Lodge
Meal Plan: No meals inclusive

Cassia Lodge
Cassia Lodge offers an astonishing view over Lake Victoria and the city. With an excellent international cuisine in a serene environment, you will be able to unwind after – or before your tour in Uganda. In addition, they have wireless Internet connection, a large swimming pool and 20 spacious rooms with satellite television, bar and balcony overlooking the lake.

Day 2: Transfer to Kibale National Park.
After early breakfast, you will be transferred to Kibale National Park. Kibale National Park is the world’s primate capital and is home to 13 species of monkeys and man’s closest cousins; the Chimpanzees. Other animals like the rare African Golden cat, pottos, and bush babies call this Park home, and a very dense population of butterflies. Keep an eye out for black-and-white colobus monkeys you continue the scenic drive to the lodge, which is set on a crater lake against a backdrop of high peaks.
Journey Time: 8 hours
Accommodation: Kibale Forest Camp
Meal Plan: All meals

Kibale Forest Camp offers a unique classic canvas experience in the form of African-style safari tents set in a lush forested surrounding. Complemented by excellent food and service it forms your perfect base to explore the area.

The safari tents are comfortably furnished with twin or double beds. Each tent has its own private en suite bathroom with an eco-friendly toilet, a dressing room and a bush shower.

Day 3: Chimpanzee tracking- Bigodi wetland swamp walk.
Today you will wake up early to go to the park head offices to be briefed about your chimp tracking experience. Kibale Forest National park boasts the highest number of primate species in the world, including the chimpanzees. Approximately 5,000 chimpanzees live in the wild in Uganda, which makes it a perfect place to see them

An experienced ranger will take you chimp tracking chimp in the morning or afternoon; you might also see other monkey species that live here. Once you locate the chimpanzees you will have a full hour of eye-to-eye contact with them. Since they are wild animals, we can never guarantee you to see them and might have to settle with hearing their hoots and hollers.

In the afternoon after lunch, you will go for the guided swamp walk. The walk (2-3 hours) will take you through grassland, small communities and some beautiful scenery, where the locals are likely to greet you with enthusiastic waves. It is usual to spot three to four different primate species during this walk, though the highlight is catching a glimpse of the great blue turaco!
Optional: Chimpanzee habituation tracking

At an additional fee of only $70 US Dollar per person, you can do the chimpanzee habituation tracking instead of the regular chimpanzee tracking. This will take all day and you will be 100% sure to have a very close encounter with our cousins. Book this in time because only 6 persons per day are allowed to go. Your swamp walk can be postponed to the next morning before heading to Queen Elizabeth National park
Journey Time: 15 minutes each way
Accommodation: Kibale Forest Camp
Meal Plane: All meals

Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast, your guide will drive you to Queen Elizabeth National Park, home to a high concentration of Uganda’s mammals that include tree climbing and savanna lions, elephants, wart hogs, Uganda kob, water buck, cape buffalo, hippos, leopards, as well as more than 600 species of birds that include the African spoon bill, pied kingfishers, fish eagles, pelicans, vultures

Queen Elizabeth National park is Uganda’s second largest park, located at the base of the majestic Rwenzori Mountain range, adjacent to Lake Edward and Lake George. The park has game including Uganda kob, warthog and waterbuck. Lions are often sighted both in and at the entrance to the park. Be ready to see huge numbers of hippos and elephants, and keep your eyes on the lookout for a leopard lazing in the sunshine.
In the late afternoon you will relax at the lodge. You will stay in a nice lodge, overlooking the Lake George.
Journey Time: 3 ½
Accommodation: Marafiki Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: All meals

Marafiki Safari Lodge is in a unique location and has been designed and handcrafted using local materials, fitted by artisans from the local community. Overlooking Lake George in the Queen Elizabeth National Park it offers private luxury safari tents on raised wooden floors and canvas walls that can be rolled up to allow you to sit comfortably watching the Savannah Plains with breath taking views across the park and the Rwenzori and Virunga mountains.

Day 7: Game drive & Kazinga channel boat safari
Today you wake up early. A little before sunrise coffee, tea and donuts will be served in the lounge before we head out for a long game drive in time to see the first rays of light. You will search for all the wildlife in the park and are likely to come across Elephant, Buffalo, Lion, Waterbuck, Leopard, Uganda Kob, and many Warthogs.

A well-deserved brunch will be served back at the lodge in the late morning. In the afternoon you will take a boat safari along the Kazinga Channel which joins Lake George and Lake Edward.

Here, you will see a lot of hippos (more than you can possibly imagine!), as well as a variety of other animals which come to the waterhole to drink or bathe. You can expect to see buffalo, crocodile, bathing elephant, and a range of beautiful birds. This will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of your tour.

After the boat-safari you game drive back to the lodge.
Accommodation: Marafiki Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: All meals

Optional activity: Hot Air Balloon Safari:
Experience the wildlife of Queen Elizabeth national park in a new, unique way. Wake up early to catch the sunrise, as you silently fly over the plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Admire the herds of buffaloes, elephants and enjoy the serene tranquility of the African bush…

You will take off early at dawn for a flight that lasts for approximately 1 hour. Rise as the sun rises and floats in whatever direction the winds of the morning takes you. Fly higher than the trees and hills and enjoy the best of Uganda, with many great photo opportunities of the scenery and wildlife below.

After a smooth landing you can celebrate this amazing adventure with a glass of sparkling juice before returning to your lodge to continue your safari.
Costing: $380 us dollar p.p.
Optional activity: Lion Tracking:

For visitors who yearn to get up close to wild African fauna, a research trip is a rewarding adventure. This new and unique experience allows visitors to actively participate in monitoring some of lions in the park, using locator devices and learn habituation calls, as well as monitoring weather, surroundings and behavior. The results are added to researchers’ databases, contributing valuable information to the overall understanding of wildlife ecology – and helping to conserve this wonderful ecosystem. This will as well give you a 95% chance to see the lions!

The number of people on each outing is limited in order to reduce stress on the animals and to increase the quality of the experience for visitors.

The experiential tourism activities currently available are Mongoose Tracking, Lion Tracking, Hippo Census, and Bird Counts.

Experiential tours last between one and three hours. They usually take place in the early morning or evening, or occasionally at night. All activities must be booked through the Visitor Information Centre in Mweya at least 24 hours in advance.
Cost: $85 us dollar p.p.
Optional activity: Kyambura Gorge

Another optional activity in Queen Elisabeth N.P. is to visit the Kyambura Gorge. A hike through the gorge gives you the opportunity to see habituated chimpanzees and other types of primates including red-tailed monkey, black-and-white colobus, baboons and velvet monkeys. Although the chance of spotting chimpanzees is only 50%, the landscape is among the most impressive in Uganda and is absolutely worth it!
Cost: $50 US Dollar p.p.

Day 8: Transfer to Ishasha sector
After breakfast you will proceed to the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park, the famous Ishasha area, for a game drive searching for the tree climbing lions.

Ishasha is home to the famous tree-climbing lions. While lion cubs around the world frequently climb trees for fun, adults rarely do. The (adult) lions in Ishasha are an exception to this. It is thought that they sit in the branches to get away from the tsetse flies and to enjoy a cool breeze. If you are lucky you might spot a few during your game drive.

You will overnight at Enjojo Lodge, which is surrounded with acacia forest, lush vegetation with palm trees and scattered grasslands. Find birds, monkeys, and other wildlife around your cottage.
Journey Time: 2 hours
Accommodation: Enjojo Lodge
Meal plan: All meals

Enjojo lodge is bordering the Ishasha sector of Queen Elisabeth NP. The lodge is situated on 40 hectares amidst acacia forest, lust vegetation with palm trees and scattered grass line. There is a lot of birdlife around and herds of elephants, buffaloes and antelopes, but also vervet monkeys and the black and white Colobus monkey are regularly spotted around the lodge.

The thatched cottages at Enjojo Lodge have an en-suite bathroom and an outdoor shower. On the wide verandas you can relax and overlook the surrounding bush and savanna, it is the perfect place for a quiet and intimate retreat. The cottages are interlinked with an elevated wooden walkway.

Day 9: Transfer to Bwindi
Today after breakfast, you will be transferred to Lake Mutanda in the south-western part of Uganda; close to the borders with Rwanda and Congo. You will see a great country-side, bamboo forest and have great views over the Virunga Mountains. For lunch you will stop at a local restaurant on the road
Journey Time: 6 hours
Accommodation: Mutanda Lake resort
Meal plan: All meals

Mutanda Lake Resort
Mutanda Lake Resort offers most likely the best view in Uganda! Perched on a peninsula in Lake Mutanda (see photo), in the shadow of the Virunga Mountain Range, Mutanda Lake Resort offers comfortable accommodation combined with the most beautiful views on planet earth. Situated between Kisoro town, Mgahinga and Bwindi National Parks the Resort makes a perfect base for gorilla trackers, volcano hikers, bird lovers as well as those looking for a secluded place in nature. The cuisine is among the best in Uganda.

Activities on the lake are organized by the lodge and the lake is safe to swim as it’s Bilharzia free

Day 10: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Forest
Today after early breakfast, you will be transferred to the park headquarters for briefing about gorilla tracking. You will encounter one of Bwindi’s endangered mountain gorillas. For most people this is the absolute highlight of their tour in Uganda.

Bwindi Impenetrable national park boasts both mountain gorillas and chimpanzees – the only forest in Africa that can make this claim. It also hosts five other species of primates, 113 species of mammals, over 200 species of butterflies and 360 species of birds. The gorillas you track are habituated and can tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period of time, every day.

The time taken to track the gorillas can be as few as 2 hours to as many as 7 hours. Once the gorillas have been located, your group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. Coming face-to-face with a mountain gorilla is a truly humbling and emotional experience. This is a fantastic and privileged opportunity to get up close and personal with Uganda’s very own ‘Gorillas in the Mist’.
Journey Time: 1 hour each way
Accommodation: Mutanda Lake Resort
Meal plan: All meals

Optional Activities:
Batwa Trail: During this moving tour, the Batwa demonstrate hunting techniques; gather honey; point out medicinal plants and demonstrate how to make bamboo cups.

Guests are then invited to the sacred Ngarama Cave, once home to the Batwa King to be entertained by traditional music and dance.

Village Walk: Overlooking the imposing hillsides of Bwindi Impenetrable forest, with the mist swirling over the summits, this is one of the most dramatic settings for your cultural tour! Among others, meet a traditional healer, who not only treats the sick, but uses his knowledge to conserve and educate about the various medicinal plants.
Accommodation: Mutanda Lake resort
Meal plan: All meals

Day 10: Transfer to Parc National des Volcans, Rwanda
Today, after early morning breakfast, you will cross the border into Rwanda with about 2 hours at the border. You will check into your lodge and in the afternoon, you will relax.
Journey Time: 3 hours
Accommodation: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge
Meal plan: All meals

Mountain Gorilla View Lodge (Mid-range)
Situated on the edge of the dense forest that makes up Parc National Des Volcans, this lodge offers an excellent resting place before and after your visit with the gorillas. From the large rooms, you can look out over the expansive lawns and tropical rainforest with the mighty Mount Sabinyo that rising up in the background like a Mt. Olympus of the Virunga range. In the evening, enjoy a camp fire and some entertainment from a local dance troop.

You can upgrade to the 5 Volcanoes lodge which is one of the most beautiful lodges in the country. It has stunning beautiful views

Day 11: Gorilla tracking and Iby’iwacu cultural tour
Today after breakfast, you will drive into the park about 30 minutes to the Office Rwandais du Tourisme et Des Parc Nationaux (ORTPN). The head ranger of the ORTPN will divide you into groups based on interest and fitness. From here your driver/guide will take you as close as possible to the starting point of your tracking. You will track one of the habituated Gorillas groups. The time taken to track the gorillas can take as little as half an hour to as much as 8 hours!
Your track will be an exciting journey along forested slopes, entwined vines, bushes and bamboo before you eventually reach the gorillas’ current location. Your guide will point out signs of previous gorilla activity, including dung, nests and chewed bamboo shoots. Once the gorillas have been located, you will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. Coming face-to-face with a mountain gorilla is a humbling and emotional experience. This is a fantastic and privileged opportunity to get up close and personal with Rwanda’s own ‘Gorillas in the Mist’.

In the afternoon, you will go to Iby’iwacu Cultural Village, a Non-Profit umbrella organization that aims at improving the lives of reformed poachers and communities around Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park through provision of conservation incentives, supporting community enterprise development and livelihood-based projects

It provides tourists experiences beyond wildlife. It has created a new understanding of tourism among tourists, rural communities, tour operators, but also has changed the traditional perceptions of tourism in Rwanda.
Journey Time: 15 minutes by car, tracking time varies
Accommodation: Mountain Gorilla View Lodge
Meal plan: All meals

Day 12: Golden Monkey Tracking
Today, you will go for golden monkey tracking. Golden monkeys are now considered one of most endangered primates in Africa. You will return to the lodge, have lunch and after lunch, you will be driven to Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city. You will have a guided city tour to the genocide cite and to the craft market.
Journey Time: 3 hours
Accommodation: Flame Tree Lodge
Meal plan: Breakfast and lunch

Flame Tree Village (mid-range)
Flame Tree Village is strategically located in the quiet suburb of Nyarutarama in Kigali.

It boasts a total of 20 spacious villas that are not only comfortable, but provide a tranquil, homely experience. We provide free Wi-fi internet connection as well as a well-stocked pool bar. The residence has a pool as well as an in-door restaurant and an outdoor sitting area.
Airport transfer

Today, depending on your flight time, you will be transferred to Kigali airport for your out bound flight

Dates
This is a private tour; departure can be organized for anytime throughout the year subject to the availability of accommodation and transport.

Hotel booking!
The bookings with the hotels mentioned in the program depend on availability. Reservations will only be made after your booking.

In case the mentioned hotels are not available during the requested period, we will do our utmost best to book a hotel in the same class for you (of course we will only do this after consulting you). It is not possible to ‘reserve’ gorilla and chimpanzee permits. Therefore, we can only buy them after your booking and down-payment and also it all depends on availability.

Transport
Our standard offering for mid-range tours is a 4wd minibus with pop-up roof for easy safari viewing. All passengers will have a dedicated window seat. Your professional and courteous driver/guide will be at your disposal for questions or translations.

Safari inclusions

• Entrance fees to the tourist sites Including  protected areas mentioned.
• Full board accommodation on safari.
• Chimpanzee and Gorilla tracking permit.
• A professional English speaking driver/ guide.
• Bottled water when on safari.
• Fees for activities of tourists.

Safari Exclusions

• Laundry services
•  Beverages/drinks of personal nature like alcohol.
•  Airport transfers arranged on request.
• Visas
• Other activity fees that are not mentioned in the itinerary.
• Tips for drivers/guides and other staff members.
• International flights arranged on request.
• Domestic flights arranged on request.
• Any other extras not mentioned in the itinerary.