Chimpanzees and Gorillas in Uganda, no flights
Shared service with other clients.
Itinerary
Day 1: ENTEBBE/KAMPALA
Arrival at Entebbe International Airport and transfer to your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala. Rest of the day at leisure. Overnight stay.
Located on the shores of Lake Victoria, Entebbe was once a commercial and administrative center and is now a beautiful city near Kampala.
Day 2: ENTEBBE/KAMPALA - FORT PORTAL
Breakfast and departure by road heading west towards Fort Portal. The road is full of sugar cane, tea, coffee, banana and cocoa plantations until arriving at Fort Portal, the capital of the Toro Kingdom in the shadow of the Ruwenzori, the largest mountain range in Africa. Arrival at the hotel and rest of the day at leisure. Accommodation.
Note: The trip is almost 7 or 8 hours, over dirt roads.
Day 3: FORT PORTAL - KIBALE NP - QUEEN ELIZABETH NP
Breakfast. The day will begin with a guided walk in Kibale National Park, a rainforest and natural habitat for chimpanzees with the highest density of primates in all of Africa. Among the primates are the black-and-white colobus monkey, the red colobus monkey, and the blue monkey. Spanning 766 square kilometers, Kibale is one of Uganda's major rainforests and home to a population of nearly 1,200 chimpanzees (20% of Uganda's total). After the walk, each traveler will plant a tree in a reforestation area in Bigodi through a KAFRED project. If we have free time, we will also organize a guided walk in Bigodi village, offered by Kafred, to learn about local customs and traditions. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant where you can sample local dishes. In the afternoon, we continue to Queen Elisabeth National Park. Dinner and accommodation.
Note: The journey is 2 and a half hours, 120 km through dirt roads.
Day 4: PN QUEEN ELIZABETH - ISHASHA
Breakfast and departure for a 4x4 game drive through the northern part of the park, heading to Lake George and the village of Kasenyi. Here you will have the opportunity to see lions, elephants, spotted hyenas, waterbuck, and antelopes. You may even see a leopard, although they are quite elusive. The park is an excellent place to see animals and enjoy panoramic views, such as the crater lakes and the Rift Valley. Lunch. In the afternoon, we will take a boat excursion through the Mweya Peninsula in the Kazinga Channel, one of the most beautiful sites in Uganda for its concentration of jungle wildlife. During this excursion, you will see endemic bird species, as well as hippos, buffalo, and elephants. Then, depart by road to Ishasha. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 5: ISHASHA - BWINDI FOREST NP
Breakfast and departure for a photographic safari through the south of Queen Elizabeth Park in search of the tree-climbing lions, who take refuge in the branches of the trees during the hottest hours of the day. It is also possible to see buffalo, elephants, topi antelope, the lucky leopard, and many species of birds. Lunch at the lodge and then drive to Bwindi. Upon arrival, dinner and overnight stay.
Note: The trip can be long, approximately 5 to 7 hours depending on road conditions and the location of gorilla permits. The exact location of the gorilla safari (for the following day) depends on permit availability.
Day 6: BWINDI FOREST NP - MOUNTAIN GORILLAS - BWINDI FOREST NP
Very early breakfast and departure for the gorilla trek. The activity will begin at 8:00 a.m. with the ranger guide, who will accompany a group of up to 8 people to meet the gorillas. The Bwindi Forest in Uganda is home to a population of 450 gorillas, which is half of the world's mountain gorillas according to the 2018 census. Some families of these primates have become accustomed to the presence of humans. You will have an hour to observe these animals with a touchingly human gaze and enjoy one of the most incredible experiences of your life. A picnic lunch will be delivered to your hotel. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 7: BWINDI FOREST NP - LAKE MBURO NP
Breakfast and departure to Lake Mburo National Park, a small national park located in the central region of Uganda, the Ankole. This is the perfect stopover between Bwindi and Entebbe. Arrival at the hotel. After lunch, departure for a safari in search of beautiful impalas, elands, topi, and many antelopes, buffalo, and zebras. Dinner and overnight stay.
Note: Today's transfer is approximately 4.5 hours, covering a distance of 270 km.
Day 8: Lake Mburo - Entebbe National Park
Breakfast and free time until lunch. Transfer by road to Entebbe International Airport.
Note:Today's transfer is approximately 4.5 hours for a distance of 250 km. We recommend booking return flights from Entebbe from the late afternoon onwards to ensure sufficient transfer time.
General conditions
-Arrival and departure transfers in Entebbe with an English-speaking driver.
-Transportation in a 4x4 Land Cruiser vehicle with an English-speaking driver. Maximum 6 passengers per vehicle.
-7 nights' accommodation.
-6 lunches and 5 dinners (drinks not included).
-Entrance fees to National Parks and excursions as described in the itinerary.
-Mountain gorilla viewing permit in Bwindi.
-Chimpanzee viewing permit in Kibale.
-Spanish-speaking guide (from day 3 to 8).
-Mineral water in the vehicle.
-Travel assistance insurance Plus.
-Flights.
-Visa.
-Tips and personal expenses.
-Drinks during lunch and dinner.
-Optional activities.
-Any other service not specified as included.
-Optional insurance.
Ground Services:
- Cancellations made between 61 and 32 days before the start of the trip are subject to a penalty of 30% of the total amount of the confirmed services.
- Cancellations made between 31 and 17 days before the start of the trip are subject to a penalty of 60% of the total amount of the confirmed services.
- Cancellations made between 16 and 0 days before the start of the trip are subject to a penalty of 100% of the total amount of the confirmed services.
-Guaranteed departures from 2 passengers.
-Hotels and camps do not guarantee room availability before 2 pm on the day of arrival.
-Room use is limited until 10 am on the day of departure.
-Free time: During free time, clients do not have transportation or a local guide.
-Possible route change: Our representative in Uganda has the full right to modify the program for the benefit of the client or for reasons of force majeure without losing any of the scheduled visits.
-Possible changes in accommodations: If it is not possible to confirm the planned hotels or lodges on any of the departures, an alternative will be offered to the client within the same contracted category.
-Luggage: In the event of luggage being lost by the airlines, It will be the passenger's responsibility to manage the claim and call the company directly to arrange delivery or compensation that may apply. Luxotour will not be responsible for any processing of lost or broken luggage.
-People with reduced mobility: some places, accommodations and transport are not adapted for wheelchairs, please check and notify before making the reservation. Any additional assistance costs that may be required throughout the tour will be the responsibility of the client.
-Special foods: cases of food intolerances (allergies, celiac disease, vegetarian food, etc.) must be communicated before arrival in Uganda, although it is not possible to guarantee any type of special diet or menu.
-Withdrawal of the consumer: the circuit is sold as a closed package, so there will be no refund or discount for services that customers decide not to enjoy or in which they cannot participate due to personal, medical, flight schedule or other events.
-Behavior during the trip: in the event that the attitude of a passenger endangers the operation of the tour and/or causes inconvenience to the rest of the group, he or she will be forced to leave the circuit without any type of discount or refund for the services that he or she cannot enjoy.
-Credit card: for example, if the passenger's behavior is unfavorable to the group, he or she will be forced to leave the circuit without any type of discount or refund for the services that he or she cannot enjoy.
- In general, hotel establishments require the passenger to present a credit card or cash deposit as a guarantee in order to provide telephone calls, extras in bars and restaurants, minibar, laundry, room service charges, etc.
-Personal documentation and entry requirements in Uganda: It is the client's responsibility to inform themselves about the current regulations regarding entry and exit of the country to which they are traveling, as well as to carry the personal documents required by the authorities. Luxotour assumes no responsibility in this regard. Please note that visa, transit, entry and vaccination regulations vary from one country to another and may also be modified at short notice and without prior notice.
This program does not have a discount for children.
Tracking mountain gorillas in Bwindi is one of the highlights of any trip to Africa. The euphoria that comes with seeing a mountain gorilla in the wild for the first time is hard to describe. They are enormous animals: up to three times larger than humans, their exaggerated size only increased by their lush fur. However, despite their fearsome appearance, gorillas are extraordinarily peaceful creatures, much less aggressive than monkeys or baboons. Despite this, it's important to remember that they are animals and that they react as such.
Even more impressive than the gorillas' size and demeanor is their curious attitude toward people, which is very different from that of any other wild animal. As cliché as it may seem, almost everyone who visits the gorillas experiences an almost mystical sense of recognition. Often, one of the gorillas will stop chewing bamboo to study its human visitor, its soft brown eyes staring at you as if searching for a connection, one of the most exciting life experiences you'll ever experience.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to half of the world's mountain gorilla population, with approximately 11 families habituated to human presence. Only 8 permits are issued per family each day, so it's important to book your trip well in advance, otherwise sightings are not possible.
The trekking begins at 8 a.m. Groups are limited to a maximum of 8 people. A park ranger will brief you on important aspects of the activity, including rules for behaving in their presence. We will have a strict time limit to stay with the gorillas once we have located them.
Each group is assigned a family of gorillas that are accustomed to human presence. The scouts have previously located the area where they are located, however, the walk time is unpredictable and can extend up to 6 or 7 hours.
Equipment: It is important to wear comfortable boots, a raincoat, and gardening gloves to remove nettles. The hotel provides a picnic and plenty of mineral water to consume during the walk.
Porters: In addition to the ranger and a group of park employees, we will be accompanied by porters who will carry our backpacks and walk alongside us to help us in the less accessible sections. Our contribution (15 USD) per person helps each of them and their families.