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8 Day Gorilla Tracking Tour

Overview

This 8 day Gorilla Tracking Tour offers an unforgettable adventure through some of Uganda’s most stunning national parks. Your journey begins with a game drive and boat ride in Lake Mburo National Park, searching for wildlife. Next, you’ll venture to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for a once-in-a-lifetime gorilla trekking experience. The tour continues to Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you’ll enjoy a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel and a thrilling game drive. From there, you’ll head to Kibale National Park for chimpanzee trekking and a walk in the Bigodi Wetland. The tour concludes with a return drive to Entebbe, perfectly timed for your outbound flight. This comprehensive tour starts and ends in Entebbe or Kampala and is conducted under our new post-lockdown safari guidelines.

8 Days Gorilla Tracking Tour Summary

Day One: Pickup from your hotel and transfer to Lake Mburo National Park for a game drive and a boat ride on the lake.
Day Two: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Day Three: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi.
Day Four: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park for an evening game drive.
Day Five: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel.
Day Six: Morning game drive followed by a transfer to Kibale National Park.
Day Seven: Chimpanzee trekking and a walk in the Bigodi Wetland.
Day Eight: Transfer back to Kampala/Entebbe, marking the end of your 8-day adventure.

TRIP ITINERARY

Tour Plan

Day 1

Arrival at Entebbe International Airport

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be greeted and transferred to your hotel for the night. The next morning, after breakfast, you will set off for Lake Mburo National Park, driving through the charming small towns of Uganda. Along the way, you’ll stop at the Equator crossing in Kayabwe for photographs and some informative talks and experiments. Upon arrival at the park, you will enjoy an en route game drive as you proceed to your lodge for check-in and lunch. In the afternoon, embark on a boat ride on the lake to search for hippos, crocodiles, and a variety of water birds.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Accommodation: Lake Mburo Safari Lodge or Rwakobo Rock
Drive Time: 5-6 hours

Day 2

Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After breakfast, embark on an en route game drive through Lake Mburo National Park. Continue your journey to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park in southwestern Uganda. The drive offers stunning scenic views of Uganda’s green rolling hills, dotted with banana and tea plantations. Enjoy lunch en route and arrive at Bwindi in the evening, ready for the next day’s adventure.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Accommodation: Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge or Trekkers Tavern Lodge
Drive Time: 6-7 hours

Day 3

Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Start your day with an early breakfast and pack a lunch. By 7:45 am, report to the Park Headquarters for registration and join other trackers for a briefing on the dos and don’ts of gorilla tracking. Your guides will lead you through dense forest creepers and undergrowth in search of the gorillas. This trek can last from half an hour to most of the day, depending on the movement of the gorillas. The forest is steep and densely forested, but the trails used by animals make it accessible for tourists. Encountering these majestic and endangered creatures in their natural habitat is an extraordinary experience.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Accommodation: Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge or Trekkers Tavern Lodge

Day 4

Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

This morning, depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park, enjoying the beautiful scenery along the way. You will arrive at your lodge in time for lunch. In the afternoon, embark on a game drive in the Kasenyi plains, where you will have the chance to see savannah wildlife, including herds of buffaloes, antelopes, elephants, and possibly wild cats such as lions and leopards.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Accommodation: Elephant Hab Lodge or Pumba Safari Lodge
Drive Time: 4-5 hours

Day 5

Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Boat Cruise on Kazinga Channel

Begin your day with a return trip to the Kasenyi plains for a morning game drive. This gives you another chance to spot wildlife you may have missed the previous day. After the game drive, head back to the lodge for lunch. In the afternoon, make your way to the jetty along the Kazinga Channel for a scenic boat cruise. This boat ride offers excellent opportunities to view a variety of animals, including hippos, elephants, buffaloes, crocodiles, and numerous water birds that frequent the channel to drink.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Accommodation: Elephant Hab Lodge or Pumba Safari Lodge

Day 6

Morning Game Drive and Transfer to Kibale National Park

After an early breakfast, embark on another morning game drive in the Kasenyi area of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Here, you will search for elephants, buffaloes, wild cats, and different species of antelopes such as waterbucks and Uganda kobs, as well as a variety of savannah birds. Following the game drive, you will have lunch at the lodge. After lunch, drive to Kibale National Park, arriving at your lodge in the evening.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Accommodation: Chimpanzee Forest Guest House or Isunga Lodge
Drive Time: 3-4 hours

Day 7

Chimpanzee Tracking and Bigodi Wetland Walk

After breakfast, transfer to Kibale National Park Headquarters at Kanyanchu. Here, you will join other trekkers for a briefing before heading into the forest for chimpanzee trekking. A well-trained and experienced ranger/guide will lead your guided primate walk through Kibale Forest National Park, home to a habituated community of chimpanzees. You will spend an hour with these great apes, observing their behavior and taking photographs. Kibale National Park is also home to 13 other primate species and numerous forest birds, making it a paradise for bird lovers. After lunch, proceed to Bigodi Wetland for a guided walk. This walk provides opportunities to see additional primates and several bird species. It also offers a chance to appreciate the conservation efforts of the local community. You may choose to support these efforts through voluntary donations.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Accommodation: Chimpanzee Forest Guest House or Isunga Lodge

Day 8

Departure

This morning, after breakfast, you will be transferred to Kampala or Entebbe International Airport for your onward flight. This marks the end of your 8-day Gorilla Tracking Tour

Meal Plan: Breakfast

INCLUDES & EXCLUDES

Includes

Airport transfers on the first and last day
Gorilla Permits
Kibale Chimpanzee Permit
Transport in a 4×4 safari vehicle
Services of an English-speaking driver/guide
Fuel for the entire trip
Accommodation and meal plan as per the itinerary
All Park entrance fees
Drinking water while in the vehicle

Excludes

Pre and post tour accommodation in Entebbe or Kampala
International airfares
Uganda Visa (USD50.00 which can be paid on arrival at the Airport

TOUR MAP

GENERAL FAQs

General FAQs

Can I reschedule or cancel this trip?

Rescheduling: You can reschedule this trip as a private tour to any date within 12 months at no additional cost.
Booking Deposit: A 30% deposit of the total tour price is required to secure your booking. The remaining balance is due 45 days before the tour departure date. Bookings not secured with the appropriate deposit will be released.
Cancellation Policy:
- Cancel between 90 and 45 days before departure: 20% penalty of the tour price.
- Cancel within 45 days of departure or no show: 100% penalty of the tour price.

Availability and Accommodations

Reservations: Accommodation and activity availability is not guaranteed until reservations are confirmed with the final itinerary and deposit payment. If any quoted accommodations are unavailable, we reserve the right to substitute them with suitable alternatives, which may affect the final quoted price.

Insurance

Requirement: All clients must have medical and travel insurance to cover unforeseen circumstances.

Rates

Subject to Change: Tour rates are subject to change without notice. We will make every effort to maintain rates, but changes in government taxes or operating conditions may be passed on to clients.

Permit Cancellation Policy

Uganda Gorilla Permit Cancellation Policy

Guarantee: A Gorilla Permit is guaranteed only upon receipt of the deposit ($800 per person per trek) as it must be paid immediately to the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Cancellation Fees

More than 90 days before tracking: 25% cancellation fee.
89 to 46 days before tracking: 50% cancellation fee.
45 to 9 days before tracking: 75% cancellation fee.
8 to 0 days before tracking: 100% cancellation fee.

Important Information

Age Requirement: The minimum age for gorilla tracking is 15 years.
Health: Visitors with flu or other airborne diseases will not be allowed into the rainforest jungle to see the gorillas.
Safety Protocols: Masks must be worn at all times, and a distance of 10 meters must be maintained between you and the gorillas.

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