12-Day Big 5, Chimp & Gorilla Trekking Safari from Kampala
Rhino tracking, chimp encounters, gorilla trekking, and tree-climbing lions across Uganda's four premier parks
A 12-day guided safari from Kampala covering Murchison Falls, Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth, and Bwindi national parks, with gorilla trekking in Bwindi and chimpanzee tracking in Kibale. The itinerary includes Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for white rhino tracking, a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, the Ishasha sector's famous tree-climbing lions, and a final birding expedition to Mabamba Swamp for shoebill storks. An English-speaking guide leads the tour in an air-conditioned vehicle with hotel pickup from Kampala. Children from age 1 are welcome.
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Step-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and Kampala city tour
- Arrive at Entebbe International Airport
- Meet representative and receive briefing
- Drive to Kampala
- Visit Kasubi Tombs
- Explore Kabaka’s Palace
- Visit Buganda Parliament
- Climb Gaddafi National Mosque minaret
- Visit Owino and Nakasero markets
- Check in at lodge and have dinner
Day 2: Transfer via Ziwa Rhino sanctuary
- Breakfast at hotel in Kampala
- Drive to Ziwa Rhino sanctuary
- Track southern white rhinos
- Have en-route lunch
- Continue to Murchison Falls National Park
- Visit Murchison Falls
- Transfer to lodge for dinner and overnight
Day 3: Game drives and boat cruise
- Early morning game drive in Murchison Falls
- Breakfast break
- Continue game drive
- Lunch at lodge
- Afternoon Nile River boat cruise
- Evening game drive
- Dinner and overnight at lodge
Day 4: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
- Breakfast at lodge
- Check out and load bags
- Drive to Kibale Forest National Park
- Stop at Butiaba Escarpment for Lake Albert view
- Lunch en route
- Drive through Fort Portal tea plantations
- Check in at lodge for dinner and overnight
Day 5: Chimpanzee tracking and community walk
- Early breakfast
- Briefing at park headquarters
- Chimpanzee tracking trek
- Observe chimpanzees and other primates
- Lunch
- Evening tour of Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary
- Community walk in Bigodi
- Dinner and overnight at lodge
Day 6: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Early breakfast at lodge
- Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Visit Katwe Salt Lake and salt extraction
- Visit Lake Munyanyange bird habitat
- Evening game drive in Kasenyi plains
- Dinner and overnight at lodge
Day 7: Game drive, boat cruise and transfer
- Morning game drive in Kasenyi plains
- Lunch
- Boat safari on Kazinga Channel
- Transfer to Ishasha sector
- Check in at lodge for dinner and overnight
Day 8: Ishasha game drive and transfer to Bwindi
- Breakfast at lodge
- Photographic safari in Ishasha sector
- Look for tree climbing lions
- Lunch
- Drive to Bwindi National Park
- Dinner and overnight at lodge
Day 9: Gorilla tracking and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
- Early breakfast and pack lunch
- Pre-trek briefing
- Gorilla trekking experience
- Receive conservation certificate
- Drive to Lake Bunyonyi
- Dinner and overnight at resort
Day 10: Boat ride and transfer to Lake Mburo
- Breakfast
- Morning boat cruise on Lake Bunyonyi
- Visit Akampene (Punishment Island)
- Lunch en route in Mbarara
- Drive to Lake Mburo National Park
- Check in at lodge for dinner and overnight
Day 11: Nature walk and transfer to Entebbe
- Breakfast
- Nature walk in Lake Mburo National Park
- Drive to Jinja
- Bungee jumping experience
- Stop at equator for water experiment
- Drive to Entebbe
- Check in at lodge for dinner and overnight
Day 12: Shoebill tracking and departure
- Breakfast
- Drive to Nakiwoggo Landing site
- Boat ride to Mabamba Swamp
- Shoebill stork and bird watching
- Return to lodge for lunch
- Transfer to Entebbe International Airport
The experience
How do you fit the Big 5, primates, and Uganda's rarest birds into one trip without rushing? This 12-day circuit solves that by building the route around what takes time to find: gorillas need a full day of trekking, chimps reward patience, and the shoebill appears only if you're on the water at the right hour. You start in Kampala with a city tour of the Kasubi Tombs and Kabaka's Palace, then move north to Murchison Falls, where a 3-hour Nile boat cruise and multiple game drives let you hunt for lions, leopards, and the park's Nubian giraffes. The drive south to Kibale takes you through tea plantations and past the Butiaba Escarpment. Once there, a full day of chimpanzee tracking in the forest, known as the world's primate capital, puts you face to face with 15 primate species, then a community walk through Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary rounds out the cultural side.
Queen Elizabeth National Park gets two full days: the Kasenyi plains for morning game drives, the Kazinga Channel for a boat safari thick with hippos and crocodiles, and the Ishasha sector for the tree-climbing lions that lounge in fig trees. The transfer to Bwindi can run up to 7 hours depending on road conditions, but the payoff is the gorilla trekking day: an early start, a pre-trek briefing on safety and etiquette, and a trek that ranges from 45 minutes to 6 hours depending on where the gorilla family is that day. You trek with an experienced guide and armed rangers, and once you locate the gorillas, you get a full hour watching them under the silverback's gaze. Lake Bunyonyi follows for recovery, with a morning boat ride exploring its islands before you head to Lake Mburo for a two-hour nature walk where wildlife crosses your path on foot.
The final days wrap up the rare sightings: a stop at the equator for the water experiment and a photo at the monument, then Mabamba Swamp for shoebill stork tracking by small boat along Lake Victoria. The swamp is an Important Birding Area where you'll also spot weaver birds, herons, egrets, pelicans, and cormorants. An air-conditioned vehicle carries you throughout. Your guide speaks English and handles all logistics, including pickup from your Kampala hotel on day one and drop-off at Entebbe airport on day twelve.
What’s included
- Air-conditioned vehicle throughout the 12 days.
- English-speaking guide.
- hotel pickup from Kampala on day one.
- park entry to Murchison Falls, Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth, and Bwindi national parks.
- Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary tracking.
- chimpanzee tracking in Kibale with a full hour of observation.
- gorilla trekking in Bwindi with up to an hour observing the gorilla family.
- boat cruises on the Nile River at Murchison Falls and the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth.
- Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary community walk.
- Lake Bunyonyi boat tour.
- Lake Mburo nature walk.
- shoebill stork tracking at Mabamba Swamp.
- accommodation at lodges each night.
- meals at each lodge.
Before you book
Prices and times updated 15 days ago
Operated by Exclusive Gorilla Vacations
Is this one for you?The 12-day length is what lets you spend a full day trekking for gorillas and another tracking chimps, rather than rushing both into a week. Early starts (6 am game drives, pre-dawn boat departures) and variable trek lengths (especially the gorilla day, which can run 6 hours) mean this suits travelers with flexible energy and time, not a fixed daily schedule.
Traveler reviews
Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Youth (17 to 29 years); Child (4 to 16 years); Infant (1 to 3 years).
What's the difference between gorilla tracking and chimpanzee tracking on this tour?
Chimpanzee tracking happens in Kibale Forest on day five: you trek through dense forest with an expert guide to locate and observe chimps and other primates like colobus monkeys and baboons for about an hour, then return for a community walk in Bigodi. Gorilla tracking in Bwindi on day nine is a full-day commitment: you trek into the forest for 45 minutes to 6 hours depending on the gorilla family's location, then spend an hour observing them once found, with an armed ranger and guide accompanying a group of up to eight trekkers.
How much walking and hiking is involved each day?
Most days combine vehicle game drives with short walks: the Murchison Falls section has early morning and evening drives plus a 3-hour boat cruise. Kibale's chimpanzee tracking is a forest trek of variable length, followed by an evening community walk. The gorilla trekking day in Bwindi is the most demanding, with a trek lasting anywhere from 45 minutes to 6 hours through forest terrain depending on where the gorillas are. Lake Mburo includes a two-hour nature walk. Other days are primarily driving between parks with stops at landmarks like Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and the equator.
What wildlife can I actually expect to see on this safari?
The Big 5 (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, rhino) appear across the parks: rhinos at Ziwa Sanctuary, lions and leopards in Murchison and Queen Elizabeth, tree-climbing lions in Ishasha, and buffalo and elephants throughout. Primates include chimpanzees in Kibale, mountain gorillas in Bwindi, and colobus and blue monkeys in multiple parks. Hippos and crocodiles appear on boat cruises. The Kazinga Channel is known for high concentrations of both. Birdlife is constant, with over 40 species at Lake Munyanyange and the shoebill stork as the finale at Mabamba Swamp.
Are meals and accommodation included in the price?
The tour includes an air-conditioned vehicle and an English-speaking guide throughout the 12 days. Accommodation at lodges is arranged at each stop (Fairway Hotel in Kampala, Pakuba Safari Lodge at Murchison Falls, Turaco Treetops near Kibale, Buffalo Safari Lodge and Ishasha Jungle Lodge in Queen Elizabeth, Rushaga Gorilla Lodge in Bwindi, Bunyonyi Overland Resort at Lake Bunyonyi, Rwakobo Rock Lodge at Lake Mburo, and Entebbe Airport Guest House on the final night). Meals are included as part of the daily itinerary at each lodge.
What should I pack for gorilla trekking in Bwindi?
Wear long trousers, a long-sleeved shirt, waterproof shoes, a jacket, hat, and gloves. The forest is unpredictable and dense vegetation can scratch exposed skin. Bring a packed lunch for the trekking day, a camera with a good zoom, and binoculars for spotting birds and smaller primates along the way. The guide and lodge will brief you on safety and etiquette before you set out.
12-Day Big 5, Chimp & Gorilla Trekking Safari from Kampala
12d · EN · at your hotel
from US$ 4,300 per person
5.006 reviewsVerified traveler reviews via our booking provider