13 Day Uganda Safari with Gorillas, Chimps & Tree climbing lions

Uganda packs an astonishing range of wildlife into this 13-day circuit. You move from the roaring Murchison Falls and open savannah to Kibale’s chimpanzee forest, Queen Elizabeth’s hippo-filled Kazinga Channel, and Bwindi’s steep gorilla country. The headline attractions are the mountain gorilla trek and Ishasha’s famous tree-climbing lions, but the smaller moments often matter just as much.

I like the way this trip combines major wildlife experiences with different ways to see them: game drives, boat cruises, forest walks, chimpanzee tracking, and a canoe ride on Lake Bunyonyi. I also like that gorilla and chimpanzee permits are included, since those are costly and difficult parts of planning separately. The main drawback is the amount of time spent on the road. Several driving days last four to seven hours, and the gorilla trek can take two to seven hours over muddy, slippery ground.

The five details that shape this safari

• Murchison Falls and Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary: Start with rhino tracking, then search Uganda’s largest national park for lions, elephants, giraffes, buffalo, and hippos.
• Kibale chimpanzee tracking: Walk through forest habitat used by chimps, colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and grey-cheeked mangabeys.
• Queen Elizabeth’s water and wildlife: Pair game drives with a Kazinga Channel cruise, where hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffalo, and water birds gather.
• Ishasha tree-climbing lions: The chance of seeing these lions is listed at about 70 percent, but sightings are never guaranteed.
• Bwindi gorilla trekking: Expect a demanding forest walk and one quiet hour with a habituated gorilla family.
• Lake Bunyonyi and Lake Mburo: The final days slow the pace with canoeing, a hilltop view, and a guided nature walk.

What the $5,500 price really covers

At $5,500 per person, this is not a budget safari. It is a private, 13-day route with transport, full-board meals, park fees, gorilla permits, and chimpanzee permits included. Those permits alone make a major difference to the value, especially because the gorilla visit is the trip’s defining expense.

You also get drinking water each day and transport throughout the route, unless you choose optional activities. Accommodation is included at places such as Via Via Guest House, Pakuba Safari Lodge, Isunga Lodge, Gorilla Mist Camp, and Eagles Nest Camp. The exact room quality and setting vary from stop to stop, so I would ask Pamoja Tours and Travel for the confirmed accommodation list before paying.

The price does not include international flights, visas, travel insurance, personal purchases, extra nights before or after the safari, or tips. A tipping guideline of $10 per person per day is supplied, so budget about $130 per person if you follow it.

Optional costs include a Kampala city visit, a hot-air balloon safari in Murchison Falls, chimpanzee habituation, and the Lake Katwe salt-mining experience. These can add interest, but the main wildlife program is already full. You will not need to add extras simply to have a worthwhile trip.

Entebbe arrival and the long road to Murchison Falls

Your first day is deliberately easy. A Pamoja Tours and Travel driver-guide meets you at Entebbe International Airport and takes you to Via Via Guest House for dinner and the night. A Kampala city visit is available at extra cost, but I would not force it into the arrival day unless your flight lands early and you feel rested.

Day two is the first serious transfer. After breakfast, you drive toward Murchison Falls National Park, with a stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino tracking and lunch. The listed drive takes about seven hours, so this is primarily a travel day with one important wildlife break.

The rhino stop gives the safari a useful conservation angle. You are not simply waiting for the next park. You get a chance to track one of Africa’s most threatened large mammals on foot, then continue to Pakuba Safari Lodge for dinner and rest. A hot-air balloon safari is offered as an optional activity in Murchison Falls, but it should be treated as an add-on rather than part of the core program.

Murchison Falls combines open plains and roaring water

Day three begins with an early game drive across the rolling plains of Uganda’s largest national park. The early start is worthwhile because animals are generally easier to find during the cooler morning hours. The program lists lions, giraffes, hartebeest, buffalo, and elephants, along with birds such as the secretary bird and black-chested snake eagle.

The afternoon boat cruise changes the pace. Instead of looking across grassland from a vehicle, you watch the Nile gather force as it reaches the base of Murchison Falls. Hippos, crocodiles, and water birds are regular targets for your camera, and the river gives you a close look at how wildlife uses the water’s edge.

You can also hike to the top of the falls. The walk is described as strenuous, so bring proper shoes and do not treat it as a casual stroll. The payoff is the view of the water charging through the narrow gorge before dropping into the river below. It is one of the trip’s most dramatic settings, but the day is active and you may be ready for an early night.

Kibale puts chimpanzees at the center

Day four takes you south to Kibale National Park. The drive, listed at about four hours, passes villages, green farmland, hills, and tea plantations. This is a good window into rural Uganda, though you should expect road time rather than a full day of activities.

Kibale is known for its primates. You might see chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and red-tailed monkeys in the forest. The accommodation is Isunga Lodge, with full-board meals included.

On day five, you go to Kanyachu park headquarters for a briefing before entering the forest. Chimpanzee tracking is less predictable than a standard savannah game drive. You follow signs of movement and listen for calls, then move through the trees in search of the troop. The program allows about four hours for the activity, followed by lunch.

The late-afternoon Bigodi Swamp Walk makes this day especially well balanced. It adds birds and more monkey sightings without repeating the same forest activity. If you want a longer, more research-focused encounter, chimpanzee habituation is available for an additional fee. That option should appeal to you only if you are happy to spend more time waiting and observing rather than simply finding the animals.

Queen Elizabeth offers Uganda’s best mix of wildlife and water

Day six transfers you to Queen Elizabeth National Park after breakfast. The journey takes about three hours and may offer clear views of the Rwenzori Mountains. After lunch at the lodge, you can relax or choose a Lake Katwe visit.

Queen Elizabeth protects savannah, bushland, wetlands, and forest at the foot of the Rwenzori range. The Kazinga Channel links Lake George and Lake Edward, creating one of the safari’s best places to watch animals at close range. Its hippo population is a major attraction, and Nile crocodiles and water birds add variety.

Day seven starts before sunrise with a game drive. You might see elephants, buffalo, and antelope, with lions or leopards possible if conditions cooperate. Later, the Kazinga boat cruise brings you close to hippos and may show elephants and buffalo coming to drink.

The cruise is valuable even if the morning drive is quiet. Water concentrates animals, and you can watch their behavior without the constant movement of a vehicle. Bring binoculars and keep your camera ready, especially near the banks.

Lion tracking and Ishasha’s unusual cats

Day eight adds an activity that is different from ordinary game viewing: an early-morning lion tracking experience in the Kasenyi Plains sector. The groups are limited to reduce stress on the lions and improve the quality of the encounter. You may also see other wildlife during the outing.

This is an important distinction. Lion tracking is not a promise of a close sighting. It is a more focused activity that can help you understand how researchers monitor the animals. After lunch, Lake Katwe’s salt-mining experience is an optional addition.

Day nine is devoted to the Ishasha sector, famous for lions that rest in fig trees and other broad-canopied trees. The stated chance of seeing them is about 70 percent, but even that figure should not turn into an expectation. Wildlife ignores schedules. When the lions stay hidden, the area still offers Uganda kob, Cape buffaloes, elephants, and warthogs.

You stay at Topi Lodge before moving on to Bwindi. This day is worth keeping even if the lions are your main goal, since Ishasha provides a different setting from the open plains around Kasenyi.

Bwindi makes the gorilla permit worthwhile

Day ten is another transfer day, taking about four hours to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Gorilla Mist Camp is listed as the accommodation, with full-board meals. Use the afternoon to rest, organize your day pack, and prepare for a walk that can be much harder than the word tracking suggests.

Bwindi is home to roughly half of the world’s mountain gorilla population, divided among habituated family groups. The forest also supports other primates, mammals, butterflies, and birds. The appeal is not only the gorillas. You are entering a thick, wet forest with its own sounds, plants, and pace.

The gorilla trek on day 11 can last from two to seven hours, depending on where the family has moved. Expect forested slopes, mud, slippery ground, tangled vines, thick vegetation, and bamboo. Rangers may point out nests, dung, and chewed shoots before the group is found.

Once you reach the gorillas, your viewing time is limited to one hour. That limit protects the animals and keeps the encounter quiet. You need patience here. The best part may be a small moment: a young gorilla watching you, a large silverback shifting position, or a family feeding in the foliage.

Wear sturdy footwear and carry only what you need. The data supplied for this tour does not specify porter arrangements, so ask about that before departure if you want help with a bag or difficult sections of the trail.

Lake Bunyonyi gives the route a needed pause

Day 12 begins with a canoe ride on Lake Bunyonyi, often called the little Switzerland of Africa. The outing takes you past the islands that make up the lake. Afterward, you drive toward Lake Mburo National Park with lunch along the way, then continue to Eagles Nest Camp.

This is a smart break after the gorilla trek. You exchange steep forest paths for quiet water and a slower morning. The listed timing for this stop is unusually short, so confirm how much time is actually planned for the canoe ride. The itinerary also labels the day under Lake Mburo while describing the Lake Bunyonyi activity, so the final schedule should be checked carefully.

Lake Mburo ends the safari on foot

The final morning offers a guided nature walk with an armed Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger. You may encounter zebras, giraffes, eland, topi, antelopes, and Cape buffaloes. Seeing animals while walking gives the last day a more personal feel than another vehicle-based drive.

The trail climbs toward the hills, where you can look across Lake Mburo and see nine of the twelve lakes surrounding the park. After the walk, you return for checkout and drive to Entebbe Airport, stopping at the equator for lunch and souvenir shopping.

The final transfer is listed at about two hours, but airport timing matters. If your international flight leaves the same day, confirm the planned departure time and allow a generous margin. An additional night in Entebbe may be the calmer choice, though it is not included.

Transport, guides, and the feel of a private safari

This is a private tour, so only your own group participates. That gives you more control over photo stops, rest breaks, and the pace of each day than a large group departure usually allows.

The safari vehicles used for this program have air conditioning, four-wheel drive, pop-up roofs, charging ports, a refrigerator, Wi-Fi, and drinking water. Those features matter on long transfers and dusty game drives. The pop-up roof is particularly useful for viewing animals while standing safely inside the vehicle.

Amos is a guide name worth requesting if he is available. Ben and Rita are also associated with the guiding team. The supplied information points to strong praise for guide professionalism, vehicle comfort, safety, and organization. Still, guide availability can change, so ask Pamoja Tours and Travel to confirm who will lead your departure.

Who should book this Uganda itinerary?

I would choose this safari if you want Uganda’s major wildlife experiences in one private circuit and you are comfortable with long drives. It suits active visitors who can manage forest walks, an occasional strenuous climb, early starts, and changing weather.

It is less suitable if you want a slow holiday with short transfers or luxury accommodation at every stop. The itinerary keeps moving, and the gorilla trek is physically demanding. You also need to accept that sightings, especially leopards and tree-climbing lions, cannot be guaranteed.

The package earns its price through permits and variety. You get rhinos, chimps, gorillas, savannah wildlife, a major waterfall, two boat experiences, lion tracking, and a walking safari. Few Uganda routes offer that many distinct activities in 13 days.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if gorillas are your priority but you also want a serious wildlife circuit rather than a single-purpose trek. Request Amos if possible, confirm the exact lodges and final transfer times, and ask for a clear list of optional costs.

I would also verify the Lake Bunyonyi and Lake Mburo timing, since that portion of the schedule is not perfectly clear. If you are ready for early mornings, muddy trails, and long roads, this is a strong all-round introduction to Uganda, with enough variety to justify the cost.

FAQ

Where does the Uganda safari begin?

The safari begins with pickup at Entebbe International Airport. You are transferred to Via Via Guest House for dinner and an overnight stay.

How long does the safari last?

The experience lasts approximately 13 days, ending with a transfer to Entebbe Airport.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your own group participates in the activity.

Are gorilla and chimpanzee permits included?

Yes. Park fees for non-residents, gorilla tracking permits, and chimpanzee tracking permits are included.

Is transportation included?

Yes. Transportation is included throughout the program unless an activity is labeled optional.

Are meals included?

Yes. The package includes 12 breakfasts, 12 lunches, and 12 dinners.

Is drinking water provided?

Yes. Drinking water is provided on all days of the safari.

What wildlife can you see in Murchison Falls?

The program lists possible sightings of lions, giraffes, hartebeest, buffalo, elephants, hippos, crocodiles, and several bird species. A rhino-tracking stop is also planned at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.

How long can the gorilla trek take?

The walk to the gorilla family can take between two and seven hours, depending on where the gorillas are located. Once found, you have one hour to observe them.

Are optional activities included?

No. The Kampala city visit, hot-air balloon safari, chimpanzee habituation, and Lake Katwe salt-mining experience cost extra.

What is not included in the price?

International flights, extra accommodation before or after the safari, tips, souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, and other personal items are not included.

What is the suggested tipping amount?

The supplied guideline is $10 per person per day. Over 13 days, that comes to about $130 per person if followed for the full trip.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund.