Luxury Ugandan Gorilla Trekking and Safari Adventure
Ugandan safaris may not draw as much attention as the ultra-luxury lodges of its smaller neighbor, Rwanda, but the massive country offers one of the most diverse wildlife experiences in Africa. It is most well known for being home to a majority of the last remaining mountain gorillas, but visitors can also see chimpanzees and take a classic savannah safari, complete with lions, leopards, and elephants. Start your trip in Murchison Falls for the game drives and chimpanzee trekking before flying south for gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. End your trip along the Nile River for a bit of relaxation or white water rafting.
Uganda offers one of the most diverse wildlife experiences in Africa, and this itinerary covers all of the highlights, including gorilla trekking, safari, and the Nile River.
Because of its high elevation, Uganda has relatively pleasant temperatures year-round. This trip can be taken any month, but conditions will be better during the drier months of December to March and June to August.
On arrival at Entebbe International Airport in Uganda, you will be welcomed by your guide, who will then drive you to your hotel, Latitude 0º in Kampala, where you can unwind after your flight.
After breakfast, you will drive to the legendary Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest national park. En route, you will stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary to see the Southern White Rhinos that have been re-introduced in Uganda. Arrive in Murchison Falls and settle in at Nile Safari Lodge. The thatched luxury bandas are extremely spacious and located in the heart of the park along the Victoria Nile River.
After an early breakfast, take a game drive in the national park across the savannah, palm forest, and grassland to Lake Albert. En route, you may encounter lions, leopards, buffalo, elephants, and plains game like hartebeest. The area also offers fabulous birding, and you can see species such as the lanky secretary and beautiful carmine bee-eater. In the afternoon, take a private sundowner boat ride up the Nile to Murchison Falls. The spectacular falls are created when the Nile squeezes through small gaps in the rock, and crocodiles bask at its base.
In addition to safari, you can also go chimpanzee trekking in nearby Budongo Forest National Park. On your last morning in Murchison Falls, you will start with an early briefing at park headquarters. Your experienced guide will then lead you into the forest to find the chimps as they awake in the dawn light. There are almost 5,000 chimpanzees in Uganda, and the country is also home to eight species of primates, including three species of colobus that you may also see on your hike. Return to the lodge in the afternoon for a sundowner and hike near the falls.
After a morning game drive in the park, take an afternoon flight to Kihihi Airstrip, where you will meet with a guide who will drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This region is true to its name and consists of densely forested mountains that conceal endangered mountain gorillas as well as chimpanzees. Check into Bwindi Lodge, a unique luxury hotel on the border of the park, and turn in early to be ready for gorilla trekking the next morning.
Rise before dawn for gorilla trekking the next morning. This 2 – 6 hour hike isn’t always easy, but it’s one of the most exciting wildlife experiences on earth. You will be led by an experienced ranger who can tell you more about the diverse flora and fauna of the park. Once you have located a habituated gorilla family, you can spend one hour with the group, who may be resting, grooming, feeding, or playing with their children.
On your second morning, you will head out once again to meet a second gorilla family. If you have time in the afternoon, you can relax in the lodge or visit local artisans or a bar and restaurant supported by the lodge in a nearby village. Ugandans are famously friendly, so spending time in the community is quite enjoyable if you have the time.
After breakfast, fly back to Entebbe and enjoy the beautiful aerial view of southwestern Uganda. Upon arrival, you will be driven to Jinja, the source of the Nile. Your hotel is Wildwaters Lodge, a luxury camp perched along a dramatic stretch of rapids.
Now that you’ve been on safari and seen both gorillas and chimpanzees, you will have a couple of days to relax or choose your own adventure. Guests can go white water rafting or kayaking on the Nile, horseback riding through local villages, or simply lounge by the pool overlooking the river.
After breakfast, return to Entebbe for your international flight.
Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountains hold some of the tallest peaks in Africa, and they are scarcely visited compared to Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya. The treks are indeed challenging, but you will almost have exclusive access to remote and scenic wilderness areas on your trek. Active travelers and adventurers should consider adding a few days for climbing a peak before relaxing on the Nile. Ask us for a custom quote on your trek, as it is not included in the price below.
Accommodation and Activities:
Flights:
Optional activities:
Nile Safari Lodge: all meals per day, all hot beverages and bar snacks, house drinks and house wines, laundry
Bwindi Lodge: all meals, soft drinks, standard and premium alcoholic drinks, cellar collection wines (except French champagne), single malt whiskeys, laundry services, any activities at the lodges, and all massages
Wildwaters Lodge: all meals and drinks except for premium brands
Latitude 0: only bed and breakfast
Price Includes:
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