After breakfast at your lodge, you’ll be met by a local representative and transferred to Western Uganda on a 4 to 5-hour scenic road trip as you enjoy breathtaking views of the countryside. En route stops at Fort Portal will allow you to have lunch and a brief city tour. You can also tour Mpanga Tea Estate and learn about the tea production process.

You will arrive at Kibale Forest in the afternoon, relax, and spend the night surrounded by the sounds of the tropical rainforest. You will spend two nights in one of Kyaninga Lodge‘s nine exclusive luxury cottages, surrounded by unspoilt natural beauty and offering breathtaking views of rolling hills and the Rwenzori Mountains.

Start the day with a hearty breakfast to energize you for the trekking adventure ahead. You will transfer to the Kanyanchu visitor centre for registration and a safety briefing after which you will commence the Chimpanzee tracking excursion led by expert guides.

Chimpanzee tracking is relatively different from gorilla trekking. Chimps are very vocal, rarely stay in one place for too long, and troops can be very dramatic. The dominant chimp has to always be vigilant against stubborn members of the troop, which contrasts with a silverback, who only needs to show charisma to win the respect of his family.

The trek typically takes between 2-6 hours, and after finding a habituated troop, you will be allowed a maximum of one hour in their presence observing them feed, play and groom each other and then return to your lodge for lunch and rest.

In the evening, you will embark on a 3-hour wetland walk along the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, known for its rich biodiversity and community-led conservation efforts. You will enjoy the beautiful scenery and spot more primate species here, as well as a great collection of butterflies and birds. Later, relax at your lodge, listening to the sounds of the jungle.

Wake up to a sumptuous breakfast, check out of the lodge, and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to the endangered mountain gorillas.

The 8-hour scenic road trip cuts across Queen Elizabeth National Park’s Ishasha sector, where lions sometimes lounge in fig trees. You’ll travel through rolling hills, savannah, cultivated terraces, and tropical rainforests. A beautiful landscape unfolds on the last hill at the end, with the majestic chain of the Virunga Volcanoes dominating the view.

You will observe the western arm of the Rift Valley and a huge swathe of primary forest that constitutes the Bwindi Forest—a breathtaking experience in southwestern Uganda. Upon arrival, you will check in, take a shower, and relax on the lodge premises while sipping a drink as you share your travel stories with fellow adventurers.

Wake up to a hearty breakfast, and be transferred to the park headquarters for a safety briefing which starts at 7:00 a.m. Gorilla families are assigned depending on the participant’s overall fitness and age because some gorilla families are located deep in the forest jungle, which requires extra hours of hiking.

Gorilla trekking involves hiking through thickets, shrubs, steep slopes, and sometimes muddy terrain to search for a family of habituated gorillas. It takes between 2 and 6 hours to find the apes, and after finding them, you will spend an awe-inspiring hour in their presence observing them munching, playing, and grooming.

The thrill of spending time observing these gentle giants in their natural habitat is such an exciting experience and rare opportunity. After spending the one hour allotted to you, you will return to the starting point to pick up your trekking certificate, and your guide will transfer you to the lodge for lunch and rest. 

In the evening, you will visit the Batwa pygmies, an indigenous hunter-gatherer community in Bwindi and neighbouring areas. You will experience their authentic culture, from music, dance, and folklore to their way of life.

After breakfast, enjoy another glimpse of the misty jungle as you drive back to Kampala or Entebbe. You will have a lunch break at the Igongo Country Hotel just a few kilometers outside Mbarara town, where you can enjoy a delicious locally made lunch buffet and another stop at the equator crossing in Kayabwe. You will be dropped off at your lodge or the airport for your departure flight.