Gorillas of Uganda Overland Safari & Participation Camping

Arrive at any time. Tonight after a brief welcome meeting, choose to get to know your group members with an optional group dinner at a nearby local restaurant in Kampala not far from the campsite.

Cross over the equator today in the Lando en route from Kampala to Lake Bunyonyi. The name Bunyonyi means ‘place of many little birds’ and the lake’s winding shores encircle 29 islands surrounded by steep terraced hillsides. Upon arrival enjoy free time to get to know your surroundings and opt to swim in the calm waters.

Spend the day on a mountain gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Hike deep into the jungle through volcano forests alongside a park ranger in search of these mountain gorillas in their natural habitat. Please be ready for a challenge as the treks can vary in length and difficulty. Note: Ugandan authorities are fiercely protective of this natural treasure, and currently permit only a maximum of eight people, per day, to visit a given gorilla family. The group will be split into different sub-groups for the trek, and depending on the number of travellers, different sub-groups may do their trek on different days.

Explore Lake Bunyonyi with a full day of free time. There are many optional activities to choose from like, swimming, hiking, canoeing, bird watching, or taking a motorboat tour of the lake. In the evening, relax together with the whole group at the lodge. Please keep in mind that some members of the group will do the gorilla trek on this day and have the free day in Lake Bunyonyi the day before.

Drive through the Ugandan countryside on the journey to Kalinzu Forest Reserve, which is further north in the country. The reserve is adjacent to Queen Elizabeth National Park and offers a great variety of landscapes to view wildlife. Spend the afternoon at your leisure here.

Rise early this morning for an included chimpanzee tracking excursion within the lush Kalinzu Forest Reserve with a ranger. Later, the group will visit a tea plantation before arriving at Lake Mburo. Then, you can choose to book an afternoon boat cruise, or get to know the local area on foot.

Today the group will travel back across the equator to Uganda, which happens to be one of the few countries where it’s possible to cross over this boundary on land. Along the way, make a stop for lunch at the G Adventures-supported AidChild Equation Café & Gallery. Arrive to Jinja in the evening.