10-Day Uganda Wildlife Tour: Gorillas, Chimps & Big Five

Track gorillas through dense forest, then watch tree-climbing lions from open savannah

A 10-day guided tour through Uganda's three premier wildlife parks: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Kibale Forest National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park. You'll trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi, track chimpanzees in Kibale, and spot lions, elephants and hippos on game drives and boat cruises. The itinerary includes all permits, accommodation, transport and a live English-speaking guide.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Arrival and Entebbe visit

• Arrive in Entebbe
• Meet company representative
• Transfer to accommodation
• Visit Entebbe botanical gardens
• Return to lodge for dinner

Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls

• Breakfast
• Transfer to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
• Rhino tracking session
• Drive to Murchison Falls National Park
• Evening snacks and dinner
• Overnight at lodge

Day 3: Game drive and boat cruise

• Breakfast
• Morning game drive
• Return to lodge for lunch
• Afternoon boat cruise to falls
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 4: Transfer to Kibale Forest

• Breakfast
• Drive to Kibale Forest National Park
• Arrive and check in lodge
• Optional walk around camp
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 5: Chimpanzee tracking and swamp walk

• Breakfast
• Briefing at Kanyanchu headquarters
• Chimpanzee tracking hike
• Return to lodge for lunch
• Afternoon Bigodi swamp walk
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth Park

• Breakfast
• Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Ishasha
• Check in lodge
• Evening game drive with sundowners
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 7: Game drives and Kazinga cruise

• Early morning game drive at Kasenyi plains
• Return to lodge for lunch
• Afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga channel
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 8: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Park

• Breakfast
• Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
• Lunch
• Visit Batwa community forest tour
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 9: Gorilla trekking and Lake Bunyonyi

• Breakfast
• Gorilla trekking briefing and hike
• One hour with gorillas
• Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi accommodation
• Dinner and overnight stay

Day 10: Departure to Entebbe Airport

• Breakfast
• Drive from Lake Bunyonyi to Entebbe Airport

The experience

The tour opens in Entebbe with a visit to the botanical gardens, then moves north to Murchison Falls National Park for a rhino tracking session at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary (a 2–3 hour walk on foot with a ranger) before game drives and a boat cruise to the base of the falls where hippos and crocodiles gather along the Victoria Nile. From there you drive west across Uganda to Kibale Forest, where chimpanzees live in troops of up to 100 members. The tracking happens in groups of six, hiking through the forest for 2–3 hours in search of the primates. Once found, you get an hour to interact and photograph them before returning to the lodge.

Queen Elizabeth National Park comes next, reached by driving through the Ishasha sector where tree-climbing lions rest in fig trees. You'll do morning game drives across the Kasenyi plains (expect waterbucks, leopards, elephants and buffalo), then take a 2–3 hour boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, a narrow waterway connecting two rift valley lakes where animals congregate to drink and graze. The final stretch takes you to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, where you spend an afternoon with the Batwa community, the forest's original inhabitants, who guide you through the woodland on their own terms. The next morning comes the main event: gorilla trekking in groups of eight, allocated a specific family to track. The hike can take 2–8 hours depending on where the gorillas have moved, and the forest is steep and dense, but when you reach them you get a full hour to watch and photograph these brown-eyed relatives before hiking back out.

After gorilla trekking you transfer to Lake Bunyonyi, a crater lake ringed by islands where you can take a canoe out on the water if you choose. The final day is a morning drive back down to Entebbe International Airport. Throughout the tour, accommodation is in budget lodges near each park, bottled water is provided on all drives, and your guide handles navigation and wildlife interpretation in English.

What’s included

• Gorilla and chimpanzee permits.
• private transportation throughout the 10 days.
• accommodation in budget lodges near each park.
• all park entry and game drive fees.
• boat cruises on the Victoria Nile and Kazinga Channel.
• bottled drinking water on safari.
• a live English-speaking guide.
• pickup included.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 05:30

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (15 and older) · Child (5 to 14 years) · Infant (under 5)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 4 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 14 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortInfant seats availableNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Big Apes Africa Safaris

Is this one for you?Book this if you're arriving at Entebbe without your own transport. The private vehicle and guide move you through Kibale, Bwindi, and Queen Elizabeth across ten days, eliminating the need to coordinate separate transfers between parks.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 14 years); Infant (under 5).

How long does it actually take to find and track the gorillas in Bwindi?

Gorilla trekking in Bwindi takes 2–8 hours depending on where the gorilla family has moved through the forest that day. The hike is steep and demanding, but once you locate them you spend a full hour observing and photographing before returning to the lodge.

What's the difference between the chimpanzee tracking in Kibale and the gorilla trekking in Bwindi?

Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale happens in groups of six and lasts 2–3 hours. You hike through the forest and may encounter other primates like colobus and red-tailed monkeys along the way. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi is in groups of eight and can take much longer, up to a full day, because the terrain is steeper and the gorillas range more widely through the impenetrable forest.

Will I see lions on this tour?

Yes, tree-climbing lions are found in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, which you drive through on the way to Bwindi. You may spot them resting in fig trees during the game drive. You'll also see lions during the morning game drives on the Kasenyi plains in Queen Elizabeth.

What animals can I expect to see on the Kazinga Channel boat cruise?

The Kazinga Channel cruise lasts 2–3 hours and passes hippos, crocodiles, waterbucks and other species that come to the water to drink and graze. The channel connects two rift valley lakes and is especially productive during the dry season.

Do I need to be very fit to do this tour?

The tour requires at least a moderate level of physical fitness. Gorilla trekking involves hiking through steep, dense forest for up to 8 hours, and chimpanzee tracking is a 2–3 hour forest walk. Game drives and boat cruises are less demanding, but the overall itinerary involves multiple days of activity in challenging terrain.