15-Day Gorilla and chimps Trekking, Big 5 and Nature Sighting Safari

The headline experience is a rare combination of mountain gorilla tracking, chimp trekking, and classic safari in one long trip. You move from the Nile and Murchison Falls to Kibale’s forests, Queen Elizabeth’s savannah, the gorilla country of southwestern Uganda, and the open plains around Lake Mburo.

I like the private format, since your guide can adjust the pace and spend more time on wildlife sightings. I also like the range of activities: rhino tracking, a Nile boat ride, a swamp walk, chimpanzee tracking, gorilla trekking, canoeing, and guided walks all appear in one itinerary.

The main drawback is the amount of driving. Fifteen days sounds leisurely, but Uganda’s parks are spread across the country, and several days include long road transfers. Confirm the exact gorilla park, lodge names, and accommodation category before paying, since parts of the written plan contain conflicting details.

Key points to know before booking

• Gorilla and chimp tracking are the main events: You get a close forest encounter with gorillas and a full hour with habituated chimpanzees.
• Murchison delivers variety early: Rhino tracking, game drives, hippos, crocodiles, birds, and the Nile at Murchison Falls all appear near the start.
• The safari is private: Only your group takes part, with a dedicated guide and vehicle.
• The route covers a lot of Uganda: Expect long transfers between parks, but also changing scenery, villages, tea country, volcanic hills, and lakes.
• The $5,000 price includes major trip costs: Accommodation, meals, transfers, and listed activities are included, helping limit surprise expenses.
• Details need checking: Day 1 lists two different Kampala hotels, and the gorilla day refers to Mgahinga after several days centered on Bwindi.

A big Uganda journey, not a quick wildlife getaway

This is the sort of safari you choose when you want to see several sides of Uganda rather than stay in one park. The route combines open-country game viewing with forest walks and time around lakes, so the days do not all feel alike.

You begin at Entebbe Airport, where an Ngoni Safaris representative meets you and transfers you to your accommodation. If you land early, you may have time for a late afternoon ride around Kampala. If your arrival is tiring, the sensible choice is to rest, eat dinner, and save your energy for the road ahead.

The first day also includes the possibility of visiting Mabamba Swamp near Entebbe for shoebill birdwatching. The schedule describes a view of Lake Victoria near the lodge, but the timing should be confirmed with the operator because airport arrival times can vary.

Days 1 to 3: rhinos, lions, and the Nile at Murchison Falls

The drive toward Murchison Falls National Park gives you an early taste of Uganda beyond the capital. A stop at Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary adds a useful conservation element and gives you a chance to track rhinos on foot for about an hour.

This is your first Big Five opportunity, although the full set is not guaranteed. Rhinos are the key attraction here, while lions, elephants, buffaloes, and leopards are sought in the national parks later in the trip. The term Big Five describes a set of species, not a promise that all five will appear.

Murchison Falls is Uganda’s largest national park. Its broad plains support lions, giraffes, hartebeests, buffaloes, elephants, and Uganda kob. Along the Nile, hippos and crocodiles gather in large numbers, while birdwatchers can look for species such as the shoebill, Goliath heron, secretary bird, dwarf kingfisher, and black-chested snake eagle.

Day 3 starts with an early game drive, which is useful for cooler conditions and active wildlife. After a break and lunch, you take a boat trip toward the base of Murchison Falls. From the water, hippos, crocodiles, and waterbirds become the focus, and the perspective is quite different from a vehicle safari.

A hike to the top of the falls is offered as an option. It can be strenuous, so you should decide based on your fitness and the heat. If you skip the hike, the itinerary allows time to visit the viewpoint by vehicle the next morning before continuing to Kibale.

Days 4 to 6: Kibale’s chimpanzees and Bigodi wetlands

The transfer to Kibale Forest National Park is one of the more scenic road days. You pass villages, green farmland, hills, and tea plantations. This is a good stretch for watching daily life through the vehicle window, though the road time may feel long after the earlier Murchison transfer.

Kibale is known for primates. The forest can reveal chimpanzees, black-and-white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and grey-cheeked mangabeys. You also have a day for the Top of the World Hike, with an easier route and a more challenging route.

The viewpoint hike is best attempted early, before the day becomes hot. It is not just a filler activity. After several safari drives, walking uphill and looking over the countryside gives you a change of pace. Still, the plan calls it strenuous, so it may not suit every member of a private group.

The central Kibale experience comes on Day 6 with chimpanzee trekking. A ranger first explains the rules, then leads you into the forest in search of the chimps. Once the group is found, you are allowed one full hour with them.

That hour is valuable because chimpanzees are active, social, and often moving through the trees or feeding on forest fruit. Sightings are not as predictable as seeing animals gathered at a waterhole, so patience matters. Wear practical walking clothes and expect uneven forest conditions.

Later, the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary adds another kind of nature walk. The swamp supports several primate species and many birds. You are not simply repeating the chimp trek. Bigodi gives you a slower walk through wetland habitat, with attention spread across plants, monkeys, and birdlife.

Days 7 to 9: Queen Elizabeth’s water, plains, and tree-climbing lions

Queen Elizabeth National Park brings you back into open country, with the Rwenzori Mountains nearby and Lakes Edward and George shaping the area. The park supports elephants, buffaloes, lions, Uganda kob, waterbucks, bushbucks, giant forest hogs, and many bird species.

Your first major activity here is a boat safari along the Kazinga Channel, which links Lake George and Lake Edward. The channel is known for concentrations of hippos, elephants, crocodiles, and waterbirds. This is one of the easiest wildlife sessions of the trip physically, since you can watch from the boat instead of walking or sitting in a moving vehicle.

The next morning, a game drive crosses the Kasenyi plains. Lions are a major target, while leopards are possible but difficult to find. You may also see elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kob, waterbucks, bushbucks, and giant forest hogs.

An afternoon drive through the explosion crater area focuses on scenery as well as wildlife. Expect broad views and volcanic features, with buffaloes and elephants among the animals that may appear. This is a quieter contrast to the morning search on the plains.

Day 9 takes you toward Ishasha, the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park. The area is famous for its tree-climbing lions. The chance of seeing them is described as about 70 percent, but that should be treated as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Lions may be resting in the grass instead of sitting in a tree.

Ishasha also supports Uganda kob, elephants, buffaloes, and warthogs. The extra drive to this area makes sense if tree-climbing lions are high on your list, but it adds another road segment before the gorilla portion of the trip.

Days 10 to 12: gorilla country and Lake Bunyonyi

The journey then turns toward Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, one of Uganda’s major mountain gorilla areas. The forest is steep, dense, and physically demanding. The itinerary allows a quieter arrival day, which is exactly what you want before a gorilla trek.

The gorilla day begins with breakfast and a ranger briefing. You then enter the forest and follow animal trails through thick vegetation. The time spent walking depends on where the gorilla group is located, and the terrain can be steep.

Once you find the group, you are allowed one hour in its presence. That limit protects the animals and keeps the encounter controlled. The experience is less like a zoo visit and more like a careful search through a living forest, followed by a short, intense period of observation.

The schedule later identifies Mgahinga Gorilla National Park as the destination for the gorilla activity, while the preceding day refers to Bwindi. These are separate national parks, so this is an important point to settle before booking. Ask Ngoni Safaris exactly where your permit is held, which park you will enter, and which lodge is reserved.

Day 12 includes a Batwa trail experience connected with the forest around Mgahinga. Batwa guides explain how their communities used the forest for shelter, food, medicine, and protection. This adds cultural context to the forest visit, but you should approach it with respect and listen carefully to how the experience is presented.

The day ends at Lake Bunyonyi, a welcome change after the steep gorilla country. The lake is a place to slow down, eat, and recover rather than chase another major wildlife sighting.

Day 13: choose between canoeing, birds, and forest time

Lake Bunyonyi gives the itinerary one of its more flexible days. You may visit the Orugano rainforest, spend time with Batwa communities, or take a canoe trip among the lake’s islands.

The canoe option offers a close look at the lake and its island stories from a traditional dugout canoe. The plan also notes more than 300 bird species in the area, making this a good day for anyone who prefers patient observation to vehicle-based game viewing.

I would keep this day flexible. After gorilla trekking, you may want a gentle canoe ride rather than another forest walk. If you still have energy, the forest or community option provides more active time.

Days 14 and 15: zebras and walking safari at Lake Mburo

The final park is Lake Mburo National Park, reached by way of the terraced Kigezi hills and Mbarara. The scenery changes again, with open areas suited to zebras, eland, topi, impalas, warthogs, Uganda kob, and buffaloes.

An afternoon game drive gives you a last chance to search for wildlife from the vehicle. Lake Mburo is especially useful for species that may not dominate the earlier parks, including zebra and eland.

The final morning is more personal. An armed Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger leads a guided nature walk, where you may encounter zebras, giraffes, eland, topi, antelopes, and buffaloes at closer range. Hyenas may be returning to their dens after a night of activity.

The walk also reaches a hilltop viewpoint overlooking Lake Mburo and several surrounding lakes. Ending on foot gives the trip a fitting change from the long drives and game-viewing circuits. The itinerary says the tour then returns to the accommodation for checkout and begins the journey back to the meeting point.

What the $5,000 price really covers

At $5,000 per person, this is a major purchase, but the price includes many costs that can quickly add up on a private Uganda safari. Accommodation, meals, transfers, and the listed activities are included. Drinks are included, although premium wine and liquor may cost extra.

You are also paying for a private arrangement rather than joining a large shared vehicle. That matters when you want to linger at a lion sighting, shorten a walk, or adjust a rest period. A private guide can also help manage the demanding transitions between parks.

The value depends heavily on the exact accommodation and on whether the gorilla permit is included in the quoted price. The supplied plan says accommodation is included, but it does not clearly list each lodge or identify the permit cost separately. Ask for a written cost breakdown before booking.

There are also inconsistent accommodation details. Day 1 names Acactus Hotel Kampala and Cassia Lodge, while the description attached to Cassia Lodge refers to a location near Bwindi, which does not fit the opening night in Kampala. Treat that as an error to clarify, not as a minor detail.

Guide quality and the private safari advantage

The strongest practical advantage is having one guide with your group throughout the route. Ngoni Safaris guides named in past trip accounts include Allan, James, David, Robert, Elly, Hamza, and Charles. Sedrick is also described as a responsive trip planner who helped shape itineraries and answer questions.

You should not assume a particular guide will be assigned unless Ngoni confirms it. Still, the repeated praise for patient drivers, trip planning, wildlife explanations, and attention to personal wishes suggests that guide quality is an important part of the company’s service.

The itinerary is also described as adjustable. If you are more interested in birds than town visits, or prefer extra rest after gorilla trekking, ask what can be changed without affecting permits and park bookings.

Fitness, packing, and the pace you should expect

The gorilla trek, chimp trek, Top of the World Hike, Batwa trail, and Lake Mburo walking safari all require some walking. The gorilla trek is the most demanding because the forest is steep and dense, and the distance depends on the gorilla group’s movements.

You should be comfortable with long vehicle transfers as well. This is a countrywide route, not a compact circuit. The reward is variety, but the cost is time on the road.

Useful priorities include sturdy walking shoes, light layers, rain protection, insect protection, and a small day bag for forest activities. These items are practical suggestions based on the walking and weather conditions described, not a published packing list.

The tour is private, and the activity notes say most people can participate. Service animals are allowed, and the starting point is near public transportation, but you should discuss any mobility limits with the operator before booking because several activities take place on uneven ground.

Should you book this Uganda safari?

Book it if you want one long trip that joins gorillas, chimps, Big Five wildlife, birds, wetlands, lakes, and cultural encounters. It suits you best if you value a private guide, want the major national parks in one route, and can handle long drives and active forest days.

Think twice if you want a slow, lodge-centered holiday or if your priority is seeing every Big Five animal. Leopards are difficult to spot, tree-climbing lions may be hidden in grass, and wildlife sightings cannot be promised.

Before paying, get written confirmation of the gorilla park, permit inclusion, all lodge names, the Day 1 hotel, and the final airport transfer. With those points settled, this is a strong choice for a first major Uganda safari, especially if gorilla and chimp trekking are at the top of your list.

FAQ

Where does the safari start?

The tour starts at Entebbe International Airport in Entebbe, Uganda.

Where does the safari end?

The activity ends back at the starting meeting point.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately 15 days.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your group participates in the activity.

Is pickup offered?

Yes. Pickup is offered, with the listed starting point at Entebbe Airport.

Are meals included?

Yes. All meals are included. Premium wines and liquors may not be included.

What parks are visited?

The route includes Murchison Falls National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Bwindi or Mgahinga gorilla area, and Lake Mburo National Park. Lake Bunyonyi is also included as a destination.

Does the tour include gorilla tracking?

Yes. Gorilla tracking is included, with one hour allowed near the gorilla group once it is located.

Does the tour include chimpanzee trekking?

Yes. Chimpanzee trekking takes place in Kibale Forest National Park, and one full hour is allowed with the chimpanzees after they are found.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

You can cancel for a full refund if you cancel at least three full days before the local start time. Cancellations or changes made less than three full days in advance are not refunded or accepted.