The 4-day Uganda gorilla trekking and chimpanzee tour is designed to focus on the country’s two primary primates: the mountain gorillas in Bwindi and the chimpanzees in Kibale National Park. This tour is ideal for those with limited time who still wish to experience the incredible adventure of tracking these remarkable primates. It can commence or conclude in Entebbe, Uganda, or Kigali, Rwanda, with the flexibility of starting any day, accommodating at least one participant. The journey begins at 8 AM from your hotel or the airport. Depending on permit availability, you will trek either the gorillas first, followed by the chimps, or vice versa. Transportation is provided in a private 4×4 safari land-cruiser, but during forest treks, you may share the experience with other visitors. Trekking mountain gorillas is exclusively available at a more reasonable rate in Bwindi National Park, with a permit cost of USD 800 per person. The fees for both gorilla and chimp tracking are included in the overall tour price, and you can schedule the safari on any date when permits permit. Additionally, you may choose to launch the tour from Kigali and conclude it in Kampala or Entebbe, and there is also the option to extend your trip with a safari to Tanzania and Zanzibar.
Tour Highlights
Overview of the 4-Day Uganda Gorilla Tracking and Chimpanzee Tour
This 4-day adventure begins with a scenic drive to Bwindi for gorilla trekking, followed by a journey through Queen Elizabeth National Park to Kibale, where you’ll explore some of Africa’s most splendid tropical rainforests for chimpanzee trekking. This trip combines gorilla trekking in Bwindi, home to the endangered mountain gorillas, allowing you to earn two degrees in primate trekking amidst Uganda’s top-ranked, pristine natural landscapes.
- Day 1: Meet your guide/driver at your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala at 7 am to commence the Uganda gorilla tracking and chimpanzee tour. Enjoy a scenic drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, with stops at the Equator and breathtaking views along the way.
- Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
- Day 3: Travel to Kibale National Park.
- Day 4: Participate in chimpanzee tracking in Kibale, where you will encounter 11 other primate species before departing from Entebbe Airport.
Detailed Tour itinerary.
Uganda 4-Day Gorilla Trek and Chimpanzee Tracking Tour – Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Kibale Chimp Trek – (Gorillas, Chimps Trek)
Day 1: Journey to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park (flight option available)
Our 4-day gorilla and chimpanzee tracking tour in Uganda will begin with your tour guide meeting you at your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala at 08:00 AM. The guide will provide a detailed briefing about the itinerary before we embark on an approximately 7-hour drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
During the journey, you will have opportunities to engage with local communities, take breaks at traditional village farms, explore fruit markets, craft shops, and stop at the equator for photographs.
We will enjoy lunch at a pleasant restaurant in Mbarara city before continuing our drive through the scenic mountains, lush tropical rainforests, and bamboo forests en route to Bwindi. We anticipate arriving in Bwindi around 4 PM, followed by dinner at the lodge or camp where we will be staying overnight.
Accommodation options in Bwindi (all on a full board basis).
Up-market: Mahogany Lodge or Buhoma Lodge or Four Gorillas Lodge or Bwindi Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge
Moderate: Haven Lodge Bwindi or Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge or Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
Low Budget: Gorillas Conservation Camp or Ruhija Gorilla Friends Camp or Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodge.
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
After enjoying breakfast, you will attend a morning briefing before embarking on the main adventure of the trip—gorilla trekking, which could extend throughout the day.
Accompanied by a guide and trackers, you will navigate through the rainforest and slopes covered in bamboo as you search for a family of mountain gorillas. Although the trek can be challenging and lengthy, the moment you spot a majestic silverback, any discomfort will fade away. Once the gorillas are located, you will be led to within six meters of them, allowing you to spend an hour observing their expressive eyes and behavior.
The gorilla trekking experience is highly variable. It’s challenging to predict the duration of your hike, with excursions ranging from 2 to 8 hours. Be prepared for a long journey through steep, muddy terrain, often in the rain, before you encounter the gorillas. It is advisable to be in good physical condition. For the sake of conservation, your time with the gorillas is restricted to one hour, and a ranger will provide guidance on appropriate behavior during the visit.
Accommodation options available (all on full board basis).
Up-market: Mahogany Lodge or Buhoma Lodge or Four Gorillas Lodge or Bwindi Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge
Moderate: Haven Lodge Bwindi or Lake Mulehe Gorilla Lodge or Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge
Low Budget: Gorillas Conservation Camp or Ruhija Gorilla Friends Camp or Rushaga Gorilla Haven Lodge.
Day 3: Journey from Bwindi to Kibale National Park for Chimpanzee Trekking
After a hearty breakfast, we set off early to drive through the rolling hills of southwestern Uganda, aiming for the lush and scenic Fort Portal region. Our route includes a mix of asphalt and dirt roads, allowing us to pass through traditional Ugandan villages where locals cultivate millet, sorghum, beans, and maize. The vibrant, undulating hills here present excellent opportunities for photography.
As we near Fort Portal, nestled at the base of the Rwenzori Mountains, we enter Uganda’s renowned tea plantation area. A vast expanse of green stretches endlessly ahead, providing a striking contrast to the landscape we’ve just traversed.
If your gorilla trekking took place in the Buhoma or Ruhija areas of Bwindi, you could consider a brief game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park to spot tree-climbing lions and other wildlife; however, please note that entrance fees for both yourself and the vehicle will apply.
Kibale Accommodation options available (all on full board basis)
Up-market: Ndali Lodge or Crater Safari Lodge
Moderate: Isunga Lodge or Turaco Treetops Lodge or Kibale Forest Camp (in rooms) or Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse
Low Budget: Kibale Forest Camp (in tents) | Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse (in the main house with shared bathroom).
Day 4: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale National Park & Depart back to Entebbe
Unlike the gorilla tracking in Bwindi, Kibale chimpanzee trekking is rather softer and less physically demanding. The forest landscape is generally a gentle slope, so you won’t be hiking a lot. There are two chimpanzee tracking sessions, at 8 am and 11 am and we plan to be on the former so that we have enough time to drive to Kampala/ Entebbe afterward. Typically, we locate the chimps by listening for their pant-hooting calls, then hustle to the area from which they are calling. We get to observe them as they feed in fruiting trees, lounge, and socialize with each other, or even, occasionally hunt.
Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale is set to reward you more compared to other African forests because of the richer biodiversity in the park. It is inhabited by three large communities of chimps, each numbering more than 100 individuals. Each community has a complicated social structure. The big adult males dominate the group and defend the community territory against incursions by male outsiders; the females usually wander in small family groups.
If all goes well, you can as well expect more than 11 other primate’s species encounters in Kibale black and white colobus monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, red-tailed monkeys, bush babies, and pottos. Also, the many bird species like the yellow-spotted nicator, rumped tinker bird, little greenbul, green-breasted pitta, crowned eagle, and black bee-eater keep the forest lively as you go about the chimpanzee trekking. Be keen on this walk for unexpected encounters with the other species of mammals like elephants in the jungle.
We shall end the Uganda gorilla tracking chimpanzee trek tour with our return drive to Entebbe Airport or Kampala city if you are not planning on flying out today. This route travels through breathtaking scenery and delightfully rolling plantations, some of the best in Uganda, arriving in Kampala in the early evening.
The drive should be about ±5 hours and we expect to be in Entebbe at about 6:30 pm.
What is Included in the 4-Day Uganda Chimps and Gorilla Trekking Tour Package
- Three nights of accommodation during your chimpanzee and gorilla tracking adventure as specified in the itinerary.
- All meals are provided, excluding breakfast on the first day.
- A single gorilla tracking permit for each participant.
- A chimpanzee tracking permit for Kibale National Park.
- Sightseeing activities as detailed in the scheduled itinerary.
- Park entrance fees.
- General entry fees.
- Transportation via a private 4WD vehicle, along with a knowledgeable English-speaking tour guide.
- Additional guides will be included when necessary.
What is Not Included
- Airfare and associated departure taxes.
- Travel documents (such as visas).
- Travel and health insurance.
- Optional extra activities.
- Charges for excess baggage.
- Tips and gratuities for guides and accommodation personnel.
- Laundry services.
- Drinks aside from bottled water provided in the vehicle and with meals.
- Personal expenses, including phone calls, postage, etc.
