5 Days Gorilla Tour and Queen Elizabeth National Park Wildlife Safari – Uganda
The 5-day self-drive safari takes you to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for mountain gorilla trekking and to Queen Elizabeth National Park for wildlife watching, a boat cruise on the Kazinga channel, and Chimpanzee tracking in Cyambura gorge. This 5-day Gorilla and wildlife safari is a lifetime adventure experience!
If you have little time in the country but and interested in exploring these amazing primates and other Uganda attractions; we also have short gorilla trekking safaris like the 3 days gorilla trekking to Bwindi National Park, or the 4 days wildlife safari to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Below is the day by day 5 day Uganda gorilla safari itinerary;
Day 1: Entebbe to Bwindi National Park
Visit the home of the rare and endangered mountain gorillas
On the first day of your safari, Safari Car Rental Uganda Ltd will organize the delivery of your safari vehicle, and the agent from the company will meet your hotel in Entebbe and shortly brief you about the car, and then you will sign the car rental contract, show your passport and identity card and lastly do the payments and there you will be set to drive off and start your 5-day self-drive safari. From there you will drive southwestwards to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Enjoy the scenic view journey to the southwestern part of the country with a stop in Mbarara Town for en-route lunch before continuing to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
It will take you approximately 8 hours to drive from Entebbe to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, meaning you will arrive at the park in the late afternoon for dinner and overnight at Mahogany Springs Lodge, Gorilla Mist Camp, or Gift of Nature.
Day 2: The Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest
On the second day, you will have early breakfast at the lodge, get some packed lunch, bottled mineral water, and tracking gear, then drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park headquarter from where you will get a short briefing from the range guide on how you have to behave when you with the mountain gorillas in the jungle and then you will enter the vehicle again and drive to the starting point for gorilla trekking where you will leave the vehicles and enter the thick jungle and the tracking of gorillas starts. You will follow the trail that will take you through a thick forest with steep and slippery floors. The tracking may take 2-6 hours depending on the movement of the gorilla families in their natural habitat. after tracking and finding where these primates are, you will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them as you take photos, record videos, and ask questions you need to know about these animals.
After an hour with the gorillas, you will return to your lodge for relaxation, and in the evening, you may choose to go for a community walk, where you will visit the Batwa community which will give you lots of entertainment and you will get to learn more about the unique behaviors of these short people.
Day 3: From Bwindi Forest – Queen Elizabeth National Park
After breakfast at the lodge, you will set off and drive for approximately 280km from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park to Queen Elizabeth National Park, passing through the Ishasha sector which is dominated by acacia trees. When passing through the Ishasha sector expect to see the tree-climbing lions and a variety of unique bird species and beautiful butterflies en route.
You will reach Queen Elizabeth National Park late evening and check in at Mweya Safari Lodge, Katara Lodge, or Bush Lodge for late lunch and relax as you wait for dinner and overnight at the lodge.
Day 4: Morning Game Drive and afternoon Boat Cruise
On this day you will have breakfast at the lodge and then go to enjoy an early morning game drive to catch up with the early risers and predators returning to their hiding places. On the game drive in the park expect to see a variety of wildlife including lions, Hyenas, leopards, bushbucks, antelopes, and many more before they hide in their hideouts.
After this morning game drive, you will drive back to the lodge for late breakfast; relax as you wait for lunch and an afternoon boat cruise. After lunch, you will go and enjoy an amazing boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel where you will be able to enjoy a scenic view of the park. On the boat cruise, you will get a chance to see a variety of water-loving animals and birds like crocodiles, elephants, buffalos, hippos, antelopes, and much more. Also, bird lovers will not miss the opportunity to see a variety of water-loving bird species like the black bee-eater, the heron, kingfisher, falcons, eagles, and much more. Take as many photos as you can since the boat provides a clear platform for photography.
After the boat cruise, you will return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.
Day 5: Chimps Tracking – Return to Kampala
On the last day, you will transfer to Kyambura Gorge for chimpanzee tracking and other primates. Among the other primates, you will watch here include; colobus monkeys and others. After this amazing primate tracking safari in Kyambura Gorge, you will return to the lodge for lunch, and later you will hit the road back to Kampala with an en-route stop at the equator for lunch and also take photos at the Equator before proceeding to Kampala to catch your departure flight or for dinner and overnight at your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe.
The agent from Safari Car Rental Uganda Ltd will either find you at the lodge or at the airport and pick up the safari vehicle to return to the office.