6 Days Gorillas, Chimps, and Wildlife Safari Uganda
Tour Overview
This 6-day Uganda safari combines exciting wildlife encounters with the breathtaking landscapes of southwestern Uganda. From savannahs and rainforests to crater lakes and volcanic backdrops, each day reveals a different side of the country’s natural beauty. Along the way, you’ll also connect with warm and welcoming Ugandan communities.
You’ll stay in carefully selected lodges known for their comfort, atmosphere, and stunning locations. One highlight is Mutanda Lake Resort, beautifully set on the shores of Lake Mutanda. Here, you can unwind while enjoying sweeping views of the Virunga Volcanoes—the perfect place to relax and reflect after days filled with adventure. Most excursions on this itinerary are already included, ensuring a smooth and worry-free travel experience. For those who wish to go even deeper, Greenway can arrange optional, unique activities such as GPS lion tracking in Queen Elizabeth National Park, peaceful canoeing on Lake Mutanda, or mountain biking among zebras in Lake Mburo National Park.
Your Itinerary In Brief
- Day 1: Journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Day 2: Queen Elizabeth National Park Safari Activities
- Day 3: Chimpanzee Trekking in Kalinzu Forest & Travel to the Magical Lake Mutanda
- Day 4: The great gorilla trek!
- Day 5: On to Lake Mburo National Park
- Day 6: Walking or mountain bike safari in Lake Mburo
Your Itinerary In Details
Day 1: Journey to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Your safari adventure begins with a warm welcome from your professional guide, who will provide a detailed briefing about the journey ahead. From Entebbe or Kampala, you set off on a scenic drive of approximately 410 kilometers, taking about 7 hours, toward the renowned Queen Elizabeth National Park.
The journey itself is a wonderful introduction to Uganda’s beauty. You’ll pass rolling green hills, fertile farmlands, and lively villages where daily life unfolds at an unhurried pace. One of the most enjoyable stops along the way is at the Equator in Kayabwe, where you can take memorable photos standing in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres at once. Small craft stalls nearby offer a chance to browse locally made souvenirs.
Around midday, you’ll stop for a relaxed lunch at a local restaurant, often in Mbarara town, before continuing toward the park. As the drive progresses, the landscape gradually changes—lush hills and forests give way to wide, open savannahs. This dramatic shift signals your arrival in one of Uganda’s most wildlife-rich regions.
Queen Elizabeth National Park lies within the Great Rift Valley, nestled between Lake Edward and the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains. At its heart flows the Kazinga Channel, a natural waterway linking Lake George and Lake Edward. This lifeline of the park teems with wildlife and is famous for its large concentrations of hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and an astonishing variety of birdlife.
West of the channel, ancient volcanic craters shape the landscape, while the lush Kyambura Gorge conceals a small but fascinating population of wild chimpanzees. As you drive through the park, keep your eyes open for elephants, buffaloes, warthogs, and antelope grazing across the plains. Predators such as lions and leopards may also appear, and with luck, you might even spot the elusive giant forest hog. Bird enthusiasts will be thrilled, as the park boasts over 600 bird species, making it one of Africa’s premier birding destinations.
Upon arrival, you’ll check into your lodge and have time to relax and freshen up. Later in the afternoon, you’ll head out for your first evening game drive, when the soft golden light and cooling temperatures offer excellent opportunities to observe wildlife as the sun sets over the savannah.
Accommodation Options
Budget: Bush Lodge – Banda
Midrange: Enganzi Game Lodge
Semi-Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge – Classic Safari Tents
Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge – Deluxe Room
Day 2: Queen Elizabeth National Park Safari Activities
Today is a full day of adventure in Queen Elizabeth National Park, filled with unforgettable wildlife encounters, beautiful scenery, and moments to slow down and truly enjoy the African wilderness.
You begin the day early with a morning game drive, one of the best times to explore the park. As the sun rises, the savannah is bathed in soft golden light and the park slowly comes alive. Many animals are still active after the night, making this an ideal time for wildlife viewing. You’ll drive through open grasslands and acacia-dotted plains, searching for elephants, buffaloes, antelopes, and—if luck is on your side—lions or leopards resting after a night of hunting. The air is cool and peaceful, filled with birdsong and distant animal calls, creating a magical and intimate connection with nature.
After the game drive, you return to your lodge for a well-earned lunch. This is a perfect moment to relax, enjoy the surroundings, and reflect on the morning’s sightings while taking in views of the park.
In the afternoon, you set out for a boat safari on the Kazinga Channel, one of the highlights of any visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park. This natural waterway links Lake George and Lake Edward and supports one of the highest concentrations of wildlife in Africa. As you glide along the channel, you’ll see large pods of hippos wallowing in the water, Nile crocodiles basking along the banks, and herds of buffalo gathering to drink. Elephants often appear at the shoreline, cooling off and playing in the water. Birdlife is abundant and colorful, with kingfishers flashing past, herons and cormorants lining the banks, and the iconic African fish eagle soaring overhead. The cruise is peaceful, scenic, and offers outstanding photography opportunities.
For those who wish to enhance the experience, there are optional activities available. In the morning, you can replace the standard game drive with a lion or leopard tracking experience, joining wildlife researchers as they follow GPS-collared predators and learn firsthand about conservation efforts in the park. In the afternoon, a private boat safari can also be arranged, allowing you to move at your own pace, get closer to wildlife, and enjoy a more personal and quiet experience on the channel.
As the day draws to a close, you return to your lodge for dinner and a restful night. Surrounded by the sounds of the African bush, you’ll fall asleep reflecting on a remarkable day spent in the wild heart of Uganda.
Accommodation Options
Budget: Bush Lodge – Banda
Midrange: Enganzi Game Lodge
Semi-Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge – Classic Safari Tents
Luxury: Mweya Safari Lodge – Deluxe Room
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day 3: Chimpanzee Trekking in Kalinzu Forest & Travel to the Magical Lake Mutanda
This morning starts with an exciting adventure. You will go chimpanzee trekking in Kalinzu Forest, a green, tropical jungle filled with birds, monkeys, butterflies, and over 300 chimpanzees. With a guide, you’ll walk through the forest, listening for chimp sounds in the trees. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a group of chimpanzees and watch them play, eat, and swing from branches. It’s a fun and unforgettable experience!
After the trek, you’ll begin your scenic drive to Lake Mutanda, one of the most beautiful places in East Africa. On the way, you’ll see green hills, sparkling crater lakes, thick forests, and coffee farms. As you get closer, you’ll spot the tall Virunga Volcanoes rising in the distance. The views are truly amazing.
Where you stay tonight depends on your travel style. If you are on a luxury safari, you will stay in Buhoma, near the northern side of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. It’s about three hours from Queen Elizabeth National Park. If you’re on a budget safari, you’ll go to Kisoro, a friendly town about five hours away. Those on a midrange or semi-luxury safari will travel around five and a half hours to reach the stunning Mutanda Lake Resort, which sits right on the lakeshore.
Lake Mutanda is like something out of a storybook. It’s quiet, peaceful, and surrounded by mountains and forests. It’s also the perfect place to start your gorilla trekking adventure, with Bwindi and Mgahinga Gorilla National Parks nearby. These parks are home to the rare and gentle mountain gorillas. There are many fun things to do around the lake.
You can ride a dugout canoe, go kayaking or paddleboarding, or enjoy a sunset boat cruise with a drink in your hand as the sun goes down behind the volcanoes. In Mgahinga National Park, you can hike up a volcano or look for golden monkeys in the bamboo forest. In Bwindi, you can take a quiet walk in the rainforest, visit a local village, or meet the Batwa pygmies, the people who used to live in the forest with the gorillas. If you have something special in mind—like photography, hiking, or meeting local people—talk to us.
Accommodation Options:
Budget: Travellers Rest Hotel
Midrange: Mutanda Lake Resort – Standard Cottage
Semi-Luxury: Mutanda Lake Resort – Luxury Cottage
Luxury: Buhoma Lodge
Day 4: The great gorilla trek!
Today is often described as the most emotional and unforgettable day of any Ugandan safari—the moment you come face to face with a mountain gorilla in its wild home. In the early morning, you will travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a mysterious and ancient rainforest that shelters nearly half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas.
Your gorilla trekking adventure begins with a detailed briefing from expert guides who will prepare you for the trek ahead. Then, led by experienced rangers who understand every trail and sound of the forest, you’ll set off into the dense jungle. Following signs such as broken bamboo stalks, fresh droppings, and recently used nests, your group will track a specific gorilla family. And then, in a quiet moment of awe and wonder, you will find them—a majestic silverback sitting protectively among his family, watching you with calm, wise eyes. This encounter is deeply moving, stirring powerful feelings of connection and respect. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will stay with you forever.
For those seeking an even deeper connection, the gorilla habituation experience offers a rare chance to spend up to four hours with a gorilla family—twice the time of a regular trek. Accompanied by researchers who are slowly helping the gorillas get used to humans, this small-group experience is limited to just four people, making it an intimate and extraordinary opportunity to observe unique behaviors few ever see.
If you are not trekking today, there are many wonderful ways to enjoy the area. At Lake Mutanda, you can swim in clear, safe waters where playful otters sometimes appear. For more active guests, paddleboarding, kayaking, or sailing on the lake offer peaceful ways to take in the stunning views and spot birds.
A motorboat cruise at sunset, with a glass of wine in hand, is especially magical. For those wanting to stretch their legs, scenic walks through the hills or challenging hikes up one of the Virunga volcanoes in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are great choices. Mgahinga is also home to lively golden monkeys, which you can track through the bamboo forests, offering fun and lively wildlife encounters. If you complete your gorilla trek today, consider staying an extra night at Lake Mutanda. It’s a beautiful place to rest and reflect on your incredible experience.
Accommodation Options:
Budget: Travellers Rest Hotel
Midrange: Mutanda Lake Resort – Standard Cottage
Semi-Luxury: Mutanda Lake Resort – Luxury Cottage
Luxury: Buhoma Lodge
Day 5: On to Lake Mburo National Park
With deep emotions and lasting memories, you say goodbye to Lake Mutanda this morning.
The magic of the past few days—the unforgettable encounter with gentle mountain gorillas, the peaceful calm of the lake, and the dramatic beauty of the Virunga volcanoes—will remain with you forever. This is the heart of Central Africa that Dian Fossey so passionately described in Gorillas in the Mist—a land of profound natural beauty, strength, and serenity.
Today’s journey takes you across the rolling hills of southwestern Uganda as you make your way to Lake Mburo National Park. You will travel along the main road linking Rwanda with Kampala and Kenya, passing through rural villages, lush banana plantations, terraced hills, and bustling roadside markets. The changing landscapes continue to surprise you, revealing yet another unique face of Uganda’s diverse geography.
Upon arrival at Lake Mburo National Park, you will enter a very different world. Though smaller than Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo offers an intimate and scenic safari experience. Its varied habitats include acacia woodlands, open grasslands, rocky outcrops, and wetlands, all centered around the shimmering lake that gives the park its name. It is the only place in Uganda where you can see both impalas and the large eland antelope, and it also hosts zebras, giraffes, topis, warthogs, buffaloes, crocodiles, leopards, and hippos.
This evening, you will settle into your comfortable lodge and enjoy the tranquil surroundings. For those still eager for adventure, there is the option of a thrilling night safari. Just after sunset, you will set out into the bush with a spotlight, guided by an experienced ranger. Exploring the wilderness at night offers a fascinating new perspective. With some luck, you might see galagos (bush babies) leaping through the trees, spotted hyenas prowling quietly, or even catch a rare glimpse of a leopard—one of Africa’s most elusive predators.
After a day of travel and discovery, you will end your evening embraced by the soothing sounds of the wild—the chirping of crickets, the distant calls of nocturnal birds, and the occasional grunt of a hippo echoing across the lake.
Accommodation Options:
Budget: Eagles Nest
Midrange: Rwakobo Rock
Semi-Luxury: Kigambira Lodge
Luxury: Mihingo Lodge
Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
Day 6: Walking or mountain bike safari in Lake Mburo
Your last morning in Uganda starts with one more adventure in the wild. Lake Mburo National Park is special because it has no lions or elephants, so it’s safe to explore up close by walking or biking.
After waking up to the sounds of nature and fresh morning air, you can choose to join either a walking safari or a mountain bike safari. If you pick the walking safari, you’ll go out with a friendly guide to quietly watch animals like zebras, buffaloes, giraffes, topis, and elands. Walking lets you see the little things—animal tracks, insects, birds, and plants—that you might miss when driving. If you love birds, this is a great chance to spot some of the 310 bird species in the park, including colorful bee-eaters, hornbills, and fish eagles.
If you want something more active, the mountain bike safari is a fun way to explore the park. You’ll ride on trails through open grasslands and rocky hills, maybe seeing zebras eating by the side of the road or impalas running through the trees. The hills and views make the ride exciting and refreshing.
If you are staying at Mihingo Lodge, you can also try a horseback safari. Whether you’re an experienced rider or a beginner, this quiet ride lets you get close to the animals without any engine noise. Horseback safaris can’t be booked ahead, depend on availability, and are only for guests under 90 kilograms.
After your morning adventure and a good breakfast, you’ll start the drive back to Entebbe. On the way, you’ll cross the equator one last time—a perfect moment for a final photo and to think about all your amazing experiences in Uganda. The scenery will change from wild nature to villages and then to the busy areas near the city. By late afternoon or early evening, you will reach Entebbe, where your guide will take you to the airport for your flight home. Safe travels!
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