6 Day Uganda Double Gorilla Trekking Safari – Gorillas, Chimps and Wildlife Encounters

Your safari begins with a pick-up from Entebbe or Kampala by your private Wild Compass Africa driver-guide. Travel southwest toward Lake Mburo National Park, passing through changing countryside and rural communities as you leave the capital behind.

Lake Mburo is Uganda’s only protected area where zebras and impalas are particularly common, and it is also home to giraffes, elands, buffaloes, topi, warthogs and a variety of antelope species. The park’s mixture of open grassland, woodland and wetlands makes it well suited to exploring both by vehicle and on foot.

Arrive at your lodge and have lunch before taking some time to settle in. Later in the afternoon, head out for your first game drive, exploring the park as wildlife becomes more active toward the cooler hours of the day.

Your guide will follow the available tracks and recent wildlife activity, with opportunities to look for the park’s resident herbivores as well as predators such as leopard and spotted hyena.

Return to the lodge after the game drive for dinner and your first night in Uganda’s wildlife country.

Begin the morning with a guided nature walk in Lake Mburo National Park. Walking with an experienced ranger provides a different perspective of the park, allowing you to follow animal tracks, identify plants and observe wildlife at closer range. Zebras, impalas, giraffes and other antelope are frequently encountered, while the surrounding woodland and grassland support a variety of bird species.

After the walk, return to the lodge for breakfast before continuing toward Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Arrive in the park and continue to your lodge, with time for lunch before your afternoon activity.

Later, head to the Kazinga Channel for a boat safari. The channel connects Lakes Edward and George and is one of the best places in Queen Elizabeth National Park to observe wildlife from the water.

As you cruise along the channel, look for large groups of hippos in the water, Nile crocodiles along the banks and elephants and buffaloes coming down to drink. The shoreline and surrounding vegetation also attract numerous waterbirds, including African fish eagles, kingfishers and other wetland species.

After the boat safari, return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Start the day early with chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge. The gorge lies within Queen Elizabeth National Park and provides a forested corridor where chimpanzees and other primates can be tracked.

After a briefing, descend into the gorge with your ranger and trackers as you search for the habituated chimpanzee community. Along the way, the forest provides opportunities to observe other primates, birds and signs of wildlife within the gorge.

After the trek, continue south through Queen Elizabeth National Park toward the Ishasha sector. Depending on timing and wildlife conditions, enjoy game viewing through this southern section of the park, which is known for its tree-climbing lions. Other wildlife may include elephants, buffaloes, topi, antelope and numerous bird species.

Continue toward Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, leaving the open savannah of Queen Elizabeth behind as the landscape rises into the forested highlands of southwestern Uganda.

Arrive at your lodge near Bwindi and settle in. The remainder of the afternoon is free to rest ahead of your first gorilla trek the following morning.

After an early breakfast, transfer to the relevant Bwindi park headquarters for registration and a pre-trek briefing from Uganda Wildlife Authority staff and your trekking guides.

Your first gorilla trek then begins on foot through the forested slopes of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The duration and difficulty of the trek can vary considerably depending on the location of the gorilla family assigned to your group.

Your guides and trackers will follow signs of the gorillas through the forest, including feeding sites, nests and other recent activity. The walk itself offers opportunities to observe the forest ecosystem and other species along the way.

Once the gorilla family is located, you will spend the permitted viewing time observing the group from within the established trekking guidelines. You may see adults feeding or resting, younger gorillas moving through the vegetation and different members of the family interacting with one another.

After the trek, return to the lodge for lunch and time to rest. The remainder of the afternoon can be kept relaxed after the demands of the trek.

This is your first gorilla encounter of the safari, with a second trek planned for the following day, giving you the opportunity to experience another gorilla trekking outing rather than treating the first trek as your only encounter.

Today you return to the forest for your second gorilla trekking experience.

Depending on permit availability and the sector assigned, your second trek may involve a different habituated gorilla family and a different part of Bwindi. This provides another opportunity to observe gorilla behaviour and gives you a chance to experience the forest from a new route and perspective.

After the morning briefing, begin the trek with your ranger guides and trackers. The time spent in the forest will depend on the location of the gorilla family and the conditions on the day.

When you find the group, take time to observe their behaviour, social interactions and movement through the forest. A second trek can be particularly rewarding for travellers interested in wildlife photography, behaviour and gaining a broader understanding of mountain gorillas.

After the trek, return to the lodge for lunch and a well-earned afternoon of rest. Enjoy a relaxed final evening around the lodge and reflect on two days spent in the Bwindi forest.