Chimps & Gorillas of Uganda

Our adventure begins in Entebbe, a city on the north shore of Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa. As many flights arrive late in the evening, there are no activities scheduled today. Want more time in Entebbe? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative. Upgrade to a lake-view room at the 2 Friends Hotel – speak to your sales representative for more details

After breakfast, say hi to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead. After this we leave Entebbe and begin our journey to Kibale Forest. The drive time depends, in large part, on traffic in Kampala but should take approximately seven hours. Upon arrival, we can relax at our lakeside lodge. Kibale Forest National Park is home to 13 primate species: there are nine diurnal primates, including vervet, red-tailed, L’Hoest’s, red colobus, black-and-white colobus and blue monkeys, plus grey-cheeked mangabey, olive baboons and, the most famous of all, chimpanzees. Although chimp sightings are not guaranteed, the odds of encountering them are very good. Upgrade to a luxury cottage today – speak to your sales representative for more details

After an early breakfast, we head into the depths of the lush, green Kibale Forest in search of chimpanzees. While trekking, we are surrounded by birdsong and can expect to see at least five or six types of primates, most probably grey-cheeked mangabeys, red-tailed monkeys and, of course, chimpanzees. The walking is generally fairly easy with well-maintained trails and reasonably flat terrain, but we follow our guide's latest information on where the chimpanzees are located, meaning we have no fixed route − walking conditions therefore vary between different trips. Leaving the forest, you're welcome to enjoy a coffee at Cafe Kibale, a wonderful cafe providing free hospitality training to young people from the surrounding communities. After an incredible morning, we head back to our accommodation for lunch, before a 10-minute drive to the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary in the Magombe wetland. The sanctuary is a major tourist attraction in the Kibale Forest area and is operated by the Kibale Association for Rural and Environmental Development, a community-based organisation. It’s also a natural haven for birds and other monkeys, such as vervets, olive baboons, and colobus monkeys, which we hope to spot with the help of our community guide. Upgrade to a luxury cottage today – speak to your sales representative for more details

There is the option of doing a second chimp trek this morning to increase the probability of seeing them (due to limited permit availability, we recommend you prebook the second chimp trek). In the afternoon, we embark on the Crater Lakes hike around Kibale National Park. This two to three-hour tour offers the chance to explore the beautiful crater lakes at the edge of Kibale. Upgrade to a luxury cottage today – speak to your sales representative for more details

Drive to Bwindi National Park today, which takes approximately eight hours. We stop for a picnic lunch en route, before taking the Katungulu-Ishasha route, which includes a game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park. This biodiverse safari park is the best place in Uganda to see tree-climbing lions, while also being home to elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, and other wildlife.

A day to relax before we go in search of gorillas! You have the opportunity to join an optional activity (see Extra Expenses for prices). These include the Batwa experience, a three to four-hour cultural experience, in which you can learn about the lives of the indigenous Batwa people, a forest walk, or the Ride 4 a Woman community experience. We also enjoy a picnic lunch today.

For many, observing a wild mountain gorilla is one of the most emotional wildlife experiences possible. Tracking these gentle giants can take anything from under an hour to more than six, depending on where the family is located. The number of permits allocated daily are limited so we recommend early booking. If the permits for gorilla families close to where we stay are unavailable, there are more permits for another area of the park, though this will mean a long drive to the trek start point. The trek itself can be along steep, slippery trails and through the bush so you should be in reasonable physical condition, but the rewards of spending an hour with our close cousins more than makes up for the effort of getting to them.