Day-by-Day Details

Day 1 – Arrival and Transfer to Kibale Your driver-guide collects you from the airport or hotel for the roughly five-hour drive to Kibale, passing through Mubende, Kyenjojo, and the lush, tea- and banana-covered town of Fort Portal, with views of the Rwenzori range along the way. After settling in at the lodge and having lunch, you’ll take a swamp walk in the afternoon, a good chance to see colobus and red-tailed monkeys, local farming life, and various bird species.

Day 2 – Chimp Trekking and Transfer to Queen Elizabeth After breakfast, head to the Kanyachu visitor centre for a briefing before entering the forest with a Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger. Along the way to the chimps you may spot red-tailed monkeys, black-and-white colobus, and grey-cheeked mangabeys. Once the chimp group is located, you’ll spend an hour observing them before returning for lunch and continuing on to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Day 3 – Game Drive and Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise An early game drive in the Kasenyi area offers a good shot at seeing lions and hyenas while they’re most active. After lunch back at the lodge, an evening boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel brings you close to hippos, elephants, buffalo, crocodiles, monitor lizards, and abundant birdlife like kingfishers, fish eagles, pelicans, and African darters.

Day 4 – Tree-Climbing Lions and Transfer to Bwindi Drive roughly two hours to Ishasha in the park’s southern sector, passing through Maramagambo, Uganda’s largest rainforest. This area is known for its tree-climbing lions, and you may also see topis, hyenas, leopards, elephants, and buffalo. Lunch is served near the Congo border before you continue on through terraced hillside farmland to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for dinner and rest ahead of gorilla trekking.

Day 5 – Gorilla Trekking After breakfast, groups are assembled and assigned a ranger guide (with armed escorts) at the park office. Trackers use radio communication to pinpoint the gorillas’ location. Once found, you’ll spend an hour watching the group feed, play, and rest — the highlight of the trip — before trekking back and heading to the lodge for dinner.

Day 6 – Travel to Jinja A scenic drive east through Uganda’s rolling, terraced hill country (often called the “Switzerland of Africa”) takes you to Jinja. Lunch is served en route, with a stop at the equator for photos, souvenirs, and a break.

Day 7 – White Water Rafting on the Nile Your driver drops you at the launch point, where rafting guides brief and equip you before a full day of rapids on the Nile. Afterward, you’re driven to your overnight accommodation.

Day 8 – Return to Entebbe A morning pickup takes you back toward Kampala via Mabira Forest, then on to Entebbe in time for your flight.

Pricing (per person, USD)

What to Pack

• Water filtration tablets (chimp trekking is physically demanding)
• Waterproof, skid-resistant boots
• A rain jacket (Kibale sees frequent rain)
• Light snacks for energy during treks
• Lightweight long trousers and long-sleeved shirts (Kibale’s undergrowth is dense)
• Socks you can tuck trousers into, to keep insects out
• Gardening-style gloves for grabbing branches and thorny plants
• A camera without flash

What’s Included

• Airport transfers
• 7 nights’ accommodation and meals
• Bottled water
• Rafting, gorilla trekking, and chimp tracking permits
• Queen Elizabeth National Park entry fees and game drives
• Kazinga Channel boat safari
• English-speaking driver-guide and 4×4 safari vehicle

What’s Not Included

• Uganda visa
• Tips for driver and guides
• Souvenirs
• Travel insurance
• Flights
• Drinks at accommodations
• Laundry