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7 days · Uganda · Mid-range

7 Days Uganda Primates & Cultural Safari

Seven days pairing Uganda's primates with its landscapes and communities: chimpanzees in Kibale, a community walk at Bigodi, Queen Elizabeth National Park, gorilla trekking in Bwindi and a restful night on Lake Bunyonyi.

  • 7 days
  • Uganda
  • Mid-range
  • Starts Entebbe or Kampala
  • Ends Entebbe or Kampala
Forested hills descending to Lake Bunyonyi in Uganda

Safari snapshot

At a glance

The essentials for comparing this journey before you enquire.

Duration
7 days
Country
Uganda
Destinations
Kibale Forest · Queen Elizabeth · Bwindi Impenetrable Forest · Lake Bunyonyi
Safari style
Mid-range
Price
Price subject upon request
Starts
Entebbe or Kampala
Ends
Entebbe or Kampala

Best for

  • Primate lovers
  • Cultural travellers
  • Couples

The route

A round trip from Entebbe or Kampala

  1. Stop 1Entebbe or Kampala
  2. Stop 2Kibale Forest
  3. Stop 3Queen Elizabeth
  4. Stop 4Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
  5. Stop 5Lake Bunyonyi
  6. Stop 6Entebbe or Kampala

Safari highlights

What shapes the journey

  • Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest
  • Bigodi wetland community walk
  • A mountain gorilla trek in Bwindi
  • Lake Bunyonyi's terraced hills

Day by day

Seven days, day by day.

The plan is a guide: timings may change with road and park conditions and your group's interests. Wildlife sightings can never be guaranteed.

Sunlit trail through Kibale National Park forest

Day 1

Entebbe or Kampala → Kibale

West towards the Rwenzori

Leave Entebbe or Kampala and travel west through farmland and small towns to Fort Portal, where tea estates cover the hills and, on clear days, the Rwenzori Mountains rise on the horizon. Arrive in the Kibale area in the afternoon, where crater lakes sit among the hills. Settle into your lodge near the forest; the evening is free to relax and enjoy the crater-lake landscape around you.

Overnight
Kibale · lodge
Main activities
Long transfer

Day 2

Kibale Forest

Chimpanzees and the Bigodi wetland

Join a morning chimpanzee tracking walk with Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers in Kibale Forest, which also shelters red colobus, black-and-white colobus and grey-cheeked mangabey. In the afternoon, take a guided walk through the community-run Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a good place for birds and monkeys, where local guides explain how the project supports village life. Together the two walks show the forest from very different angles.

Overnight
Kibale · lodge
Main activities
Chimpanzee tracking · Bigodi wetland walk
Forest canopy filling Kyambura Gorge in western Uganda

Day 3

Kibale → Queen Elizabeth

Crater lakes and the Kazinga Channel

Drive south past crater lakes and along the edge of the Rwenzori foothills to Queen Elizabeth National Park, where the forest gives way to open savannah. After lunch, take a boat trip along the Kazinga Channel, where hippos, buffalo and elephants often gather at the water's edge and pelicans, kingfishers and fish eagles are commonly seen. Return to your lodge for dinner as the sun sets over the park.

Overnight
Queen Elizabeth · lodge
Main activities
Kazinga Channel boat trip

Day 4

Queen Elizabeth → Bwindi

Morning drive and the Ishasha sector

Set out early on a game drive across the Kasenyi plains, where Uganda kob graze and lions sometimes hunt in the cool of the morning. Then continue south through the Ishasha sector, known for lions that climb fig trees, before climbing into the hills to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for the night. The day moves from open savannah to steep, forested ridges, a striking change of scenery.

Overnight
Bwindi · lodge
Main activities
Morning game drive · Ishasha game drive en route
Cultivated slopes beside Bwindi's forested hills

Day 5

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Gorilla trekking day

After the ranger briefing, trek into the forest with guides and trackers to find a habituated mountain gorilla family; the walk can be short or take most of the day. Spend up to an hour with the gorillas once found. In the afternoon, a guided community walk introduces the people who live around the forest (optional).

Overnight
Bwindi · lodge
Main activities
Gorilla trek · Optional community walk

Day 6

Bwindi → Lake Bunyonyi

To the lake of little birds

Drive through the terraced hills of Kigezi to Lake Bunyonyi, a deep, island-dotted lake whose name is often translated as the place of little birds. The winding road offers wide views over farmed valleys. Spend the afternoon at leisure — a canoe or boat trip between the islands can be arranged — and enjoy a quiet evening beside the water, a restful pause after the gorilla trek.

Overnight
Lake Bunyonyi · lodge
Main activities
Optional canoe or boat trip
Lake Bunyonyi below green terraced hills

Day 7

Lake Bunyonyi → Entebbe or Kampala

Return journey

After breakfast, leave Lake Bunyonyi for the long drive back to Entebbe or Kampala, passing through Mbarara and the rolling cattle country of south-western Uganda. You cross the equator, where there is time for a stop and photographs. Arrive in the evening for a drop-off at your hotel or the airport, bringing your Uganda primates safari, from Kibale's chimpanzees to Bwindi's gorillas, to an end.

Main activities
Equator stop · Long transfer

Recommended accommodation

Where you stay.

Named properties are the ones used for this package. Nights listed by category are confirmed with your quotation, subject to availability.

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Kibale · 2 nights

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Queen Elizabeth · 1 night

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Bwindi · 2 nights

Accommodation category

Overnight at the lodge

Mid-range · Lake Bunyonyi · 1 night

What’s included

Clear from the start.

  • Transport in a 4×4 safari vehicle with a pop-up roof
  • Accommodation as per itinerary
  • Services of an English-speaking driver-guide
  • Park entrance fees for the scheduled activities
  • Drinking water in the vehicle

What’s not included

No hidden assumptions.

  • International flights and visa fees
  • Travel and personal insurance
  • Alcoholic and soft drinks
  • Optional activities not listed in the itinerary
  • Tips and gratuities

Your written quotation confirms the exact inclusions for your dates.

Flexible pricing

A clear quote for your journey.

The final price depends on when and how you travel: season, group size, accommodation level and private or shared transport.

Pricing

Price subject upon request

We quote this journey individually because travel dates, group size and accommodation availability change it significantly.

What affects the final price?

  • Travel dates and season
  • Group size
  • Accommodation availability
  • Private or shared vehicle
Request Exact Quote Ask on WhatsApp (opens WhatsApp)

Made around you

Make this safari yours.

Where operationally possible, a local planner can help adapt the journey without losing the route’s natural rhythm.

  • Travel dates and pace
  • Adding or removing nights where the route allows
  • Accommodation choices, subject to availability
  • Combining with another destination
Customise This Safari

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External review source

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Read our reviews on Tripadvisor

Before you travel

Safari questions, answered clearly.

How much does the 7 Days Uganda Primates & Cultural Safari cost?

The 7 Days Uganda Primates & Cultural Safari is quoted individually (price subject upon request), because travel dates, group size and accommodation availability change the cost. Share your dates and a planner will send an exact quotation.

Where does this safari start and finish?

It starts and finishes in Entebbe or Kampala. Your planner can advise on arrival and departure arrangements.

Where will I stay?

Nights are listed as “overnight at the lodge”: the specific property is confirmed with your quotation, subject to availability.

Is the day-by-day plan fixed?

Not yet. The plan shown is a suggested outline for this route; the final day-by-day itinerary, activities and timings are confirmed with your quotation.

What is the minimum age for gorilla trekking?

The Uganda Wildlife Authority sets a minimum age of 15 for gorilla trekking; your planner confirms the rules in force when you book. Younger travellers can take part in other activities while the group treks.

Is a gorilla sighting guaranteed?

No. Trekking groups set out to find habituated gorilla families, but wildlife is never guaranteed. Treks can take from under an hour to most of a day, depending on where the family has moved.

Is the gorilla permit included?

Gorilla trekking permits are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, are limited in number and must be secured in advance. Whether a permit is included, and its current cost, is confirmed in your quotation.

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Destinations on this route

Start planning with a local expert

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Tell us your dates, travel style and what matters most. A Nairobi-based planner can shape the details with you.

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