8-Day Uganda Safari: Gorillas, Chimps & Four National Parks

Mountain gorillas live in one forest on earth, and you walk to meet them on day four.

An 8-day guided safari from Kampala through four Ugandan national parks, tracking mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable and chimpanzees in Kibale Forest, with game drives and boat cruises spotting lions, elephants, hippos and crocodiles. All transport from Kampala airport, accommodation, park fees and activities are included. A live English-speaking guide leads the entire journey.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Pick up and Transfer to Lake Mburo

• Pick up from hotel or airport
• Stop at Equator Kayabwe for photos
• Proceed to Lake Mburo National Park
• Lunch in Mbarara

Day 2: Morning Game Drive and Boat Cruise

• Morning game drive in Lake Mburo
• Lunch at hotel
• Afternoon boat cruise on Lake Mburo

Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi National Park

• Breakfast at lodge
• Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
• Lunch en-route at selected restaurant
• Enjoy views of African hills and plantations

Day 4: Ultimate Gorilla Tracking Experience

• Breakfast at lodge
• Drive to gorilla tracking briefing point
• Gorilla tracking in Bwindi forest
• Return to lodge
• Optional Batwa community walk

Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

• Breakfast at lodge
• Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Ishasha sector
• Lunch en-route
• Spot lions, elephants, giraffes

Day 6: Game Drive, Boat Cruise and Transfer

• Early morning game drive in Kasenyi plains
• Lunch
• Afternoon boat cruise on Kazinga Channel
• Transfer to Kibale National Park

Day 7: Ultimate Chimpanzee Tracking

• Breakfast at lodge
• Chimpanzee tracking and bird watching
• Observe various primates and birds

Day 8: Drive Back to Kampala

• Breakfast at lodge
• Drive back to Kampala
• Lunch en-route
• Arrive Kampala and transfer to airport or hotel

The experience

The route moves west from Kampala through Lake Mburo National Park first, where a morning game drive puts you in front of antelopes, buffaloes, leopards and warthogs, then a boat cruise on the lake itself brings hippos and crocodiles within arm's reach. From there the road climbs into Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a forest so dense it shelters the world's remaining mountain gorillas. On day four you trek into that forest at dawn with a packed lunch and a guide, moving through the vegetation until you find a family group and sit with them for an hour: the closest living relative to humans, and the rarest primate on the continent.

Day five crosses into Queen Elizabeth National Park via the Ishasha sector, where lions rest in the branches of acacia trees, a behavior almost nowhere else on earth. A morning game drive through the Kasenyi plains follows, then an afternoon boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, a waterway connecting two lakes where elephants wade to drink and massive schools of hippos surface around the boat. The final two days belong to Kibale Forest and chimpanzee tracking: a walk through dense tropical forest where you listen for calls, move toward them, and emerge into a clearing where a troop feeds and moves through the canopy above you. The return to Kampala on day eight follows the same route in reverse, with lunch en route and an afternoon arrival at the airport or your hotel.

Pickup happens at your hotel or the airport depending on where you land, and the driver-guide handles all driving across the eight days. Accommodation is at mid-range lodges near each park. Drinking water is provided throughout. The itinerary assumes a moderate pace of travel between parks and early starts for wildlife viewing, when animals are most active. Gorilla and chimp tracking both involve walking on forest trails, and the briefing before each trek explains the physical demands and what to expect.

What’s included

• Roundtrip airport or hotel pickup with driver-guide.
• all transportation between parks in a safari vehicle.
• seven nights accommodation at Mburo Safari Lodge, Bahoma Community Haven Lodge and Kibale Forest Camp.
• all park entry fees for non-residents.
• morning and afternoon game drives at Lake Mburo and Queen Elizabeth.
• boat cruises on Lake Mburo and the Kazinga Channel.
• mountain gorilla tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
• chimpanzee tracking and bird watching in Kibale Forest.
• all meals except dinners on days two through seven.
• drinking water on all days.
• live English-speaking guide for the entire eight days.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (5 and older) · Under 5: can't be booked

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 3 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by Emmkamp Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you're arriving without a rental car or prefer not to drive. Your guide handles all transport and navigation across four parks and two forest treks over eight days.

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Top questions

What's the difference between gorilla tracking and chimpanzee tracking on this safari?

Mountain gorilla tracking in Bwindi happens on day four: you trek into the forest with a guide and packed lunch, find a family group, and spend an hour observing them at close range in their habitat. Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest on day seven follows a similar structure (you walk through the forest listening for calls and move toward a troop), but chimps are more mobile and vocal, and the forest canopy is denser, so the experience emphasizes sound and movement over the stationary observation gorillas allow.

How much walking and hiking is involved each day?

Most days include a game drive or boat cruise with minimal walking. Gorilla tracking on day four and chimpanzee tracking on day seven involve forest walks that vary in length and terrain depending on where the animals are that morning. The briefing before each trek explains the specific conditions. Other days are primarily driving between parks, with short stops at viewpoints or the equator in Kayabwe on day one.

What animals will I actually see on this safari?

Lake Mburo delivers antelopes, buffaloes, leopards, warthogs, hippos and crocodiles. Queen Elizabeth adds lions (including the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha), elephants, giraffes, Uganda kobs, water bucks and crocodiles. The Kazinga Channel boat cruise brings elephants wading to drink, large hippo schools, basking crocodiles and water birds including African fish eagles and pied kingfishers. Kibale Forest offers chimpanzees, black-and-white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys and forest birds like the great blue turaco and tinker bird. Mountain gorillas are the focus of day four in Bwindi.

What's included in the price, and what do I need to pay separately?

All transportation, accommodation, park fees for non-residents, activities, taxes and drinking water are included. Tips are not included. The guideline is US$10 per person per day. Personal items like souvenirs, travel insurance and visa fees are separate. Any government increase in taxes or park fees after booking may be added.