A 5-day gorilla and chimpanzee safari to Kibale and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Parks is a fantastic chance for tourists who want to learn about primates. The safari combines chimpanzee trekking in Kibale National Park with gorilla tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You might get a chance to see black and white colobus monkeys, baboons, pottos, Vervet monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and many more primates while looking for the chimpanzee and gorilla primates in these two forest national parks. The 5-day safari to see primates in Uganda will begin and end in Kampala.
After going on a mountain gorilla hike in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, we’ve added a cultural visit to the Batwa people and a wildlife walk in the Bigodi swamp to see more primates. Let’s talk more about the main location according to the travel itinerary;
The ideal destination to see habituated wild chimpanzees is Kibale National Park. With about 15000 chimps, Kibale Forest is frequently referred to as the Primates’ capital of the world and is considered the best location in the world to see wild chimpanzees. Thus, chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park’s main draw. Twelve different primate species, including the nocturnal potto and patas monkeys, butterflies, moths, woodland critters, and uncommon tree species, can all be seen by travelers.
Bwindi is one of Uganda’s popular national parks. The park contains the greatest population of mountain gorillas in the world and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Although they are infrequently spotted while gorilla trekking and on a nature stroll through the forest, Bwindi also boasts chimpanzees, other smaller primates, and forest mammals. In Bwindi, more than 20 gorilla groups are accessible to tourists. Visits to the Batwa pygmy community offer a unique opportunity to explore their culture, making them one of the best things to do in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Once you’ve gone gorilla trekking in the morning, you may use the opportunity to read about their fascinating history.
Safari highlights
- Kibale chimpanzee tracking in Kibale National Park
- Visiting the Bigodi Wetlands
- Gorilla trekking in Bwindi
- Visiting the Batwa communities
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Kibale national park
You will be met and welcomed by our professional driver, who will inform you on the entire trip before driving you to Kibale Forest National Park. Around five hours are spent traveling through stunning countryside landscapes, with a lunch stop in Fort Portal and a quick tour of the city’s stunning landmarks. Go ahead and arrive at Kibale National Park in the evening. Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee forest guest house Kyaninga Lodge, Primates Lodge
Day 2: Chimpanzee trekking
Get up early and have breakfast before driving to the Kibale National Park headquarters for training on safety measures to take while trekking. You will be split up into groups of eight, and you will be placed with a chimpanzee family. Chimpanzees typically reside in small groups of between 50 and 150 people during the day to avoid competition for food. Chimpanzee tracking is different from gorilla tracking in that chimpanzees are rarely still for extended periods of time and are highly mobile. Chimps are quite vocal, love residing on tree branches, and form theatrical groupings. Chimpanzee trekking takes two to five hours, and after you reach the primates, you have just an hour to observe them, take pictures and films, and learn about their habits. After having lunch and resting at the resort. You go on a nature walk in the Bigodi wetland later in the day to see more of the 13 recognized monkey species and a few different bird species.
Dinner and overnight at Chimpanzee forest guest house Kyaninga Lodge, Primates Lodge
Day 3: Transfer to Bwindi impenetrable National park
You will drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park after breakfast. passing individuals working on fields and banana plantations In order to get to Bwindi National Park, the driver will take you through Kasese town, where you can see the Hima cement factory and copper, before crossing to go through Queen Elizabeth National Park. Many wildlife, like Uganda kobs, elephants, buffaloes, and lions, can be seen. When you reach in the evening, check-in and unwind. Dinner and stay at Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge, Bakiga lodge, and Mahogany Springs lodge.
Day 4: Gorilla trekking and community walk
Have breakfast first thing in the morning, then your driver will transport you to Park Headquarters in Ruhija for a briefing. You will learn about the history of the park, how to interact with gorillas, what to carry, and the dos and don’ts of gorilla trekking. You will also learn about the other park attractions. After that, gorilla families will be assigned to you based on your level of fitness because some of the groups are very far into the jungle, requiring additional hours of tracking.
Trekking demands moving through dense, thorny trees, high terrain, and occasionally muddy conditions during the rainy season. If you have extra luggage, you can hire a porter. Once the gorillas are located, you will be given an hour to spend with them and observe their behavior while taking lots of pictures. After that, you’ll walk back to the park office to pick up your gorilla certificate before returning to the resort to eat lunch and unwind.
You will participate in a community walk later that evening to visit the Batwa pygmies, who spent a long time living in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest before moving their dwellings to the forest’s edges. You will learn about their culture, the traditional herbal medicines they use to heal illnesses, their lifestyle, how they survive in the jungle, and other things about them while being amused by their traditional songs and dances. After dinner, head back to Rushaga Gorilla Havens Lodge for the night. Mahogany Springs and the forest lodge near Bwindi.
Day 5: Transfer back to Kampala for departure
After breakfast, you’ll check out of the hotel and the driver will start the eight-hour trip back to Kampala via the Mbarara-Masaka route. Along the way, there will be lots to see, including a stop at the Igongo Cultural Center, the crossing of the equator in Kayabwe, and Buganda Royal Drum Makers as you get closer to Kampala. You will stop for lunch en route at either the Igongo Cultural Center or the equator before arriving in Kampala in the evening. If you have a night flight out, the driver will drop you off at the airport in Entebbe instead of your accommodation.
Visitors who wish to cut down on the number of days they spend in Uganda on a safari by just doing gorilla trekking should look at our 3-day trip to Bwindi which includes Lake Bunyonyi. Our 9-day Uganda wildlife package is available if you want to spend extra time on your wildlife excursions.
End of the safari
