Overview
Gorilla Encounter in Uganda
For your Gorilla Encounter in Uganda you meet up with your tour in Kampala and head in the direction of The Murchison Falls National Park. The park is recognized as one of the best National Parks in Uganda.
Also go on a trek through the Budongo forest, the biggest Mahogany forest found in the whole of East Africa in search of the chimps. This forest is home to the largest number of chimpanzees throughout Uganda.
Time to visit the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary before travelling to Lake Bunyonyi with its dramatic island scattered views. Here we prepare for our trek to the nearly extinct mountain gorilla families of Uganda. Get your boots on and go in search of these magnificent creatures as they continue their day to day existence in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, your local guides will show you where to find them.
Visiting the gorillas is a great way to support their future on earth as the money spent on permits is used for their protection. Finishing off our tour with a visit to Queen Elizabeth National Park where we will do a game drive AND you can also take some time to trek for wild chimpanzees at Lake George. This epic 7-day tour ends in Kampala.
This tour has a Comfort Option available for the Gorilla Encounter in Uganda Tour
Included
- All meals which are prepared and served at the Overland truck
- Accommodation
- Qualified crew
- Filtered water
- Transport in the Overland truck
- Included highlights as per the itinerary
- Entrance fees to National Parks.
- A full day excursion into the Okavango Delta
Excluded
- Items of a personal nature (snacks, alcohol, bottled water, soft drinks, tips)
- Entrance fees (associated with optional activities)
- Souvenirs and optional activities.
- Gorilla Permit – USD630 – USD730
Prices are subject to change
**Price is per person sharing, excludes single supplement and any additional meals or activities not set out in the itinerary.
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Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 - Masindi – Murchison Falls National Park
Route: Jinja to Masindi
After meeting your guides, we head in the direction of The Murchison Falls National Park. Also referred to as the Kabaraga Falls, Murchison Falls is a waterfall found on the course of the great Nile and are located within the Murchison National Park. The park is recognized as one of the best National Parks in Uganda. After settling into our accommodation in Masindi, your guide will brief you on the activities for the following day.
Accommodation:
Kabalega Resort Hotel
Optional Extras:
Ziwa Rhino Walk
Day 2 - Masindi – Budongo Central Forest Reserve
Budongo Forest is the biggest Mahogany forest found in the whole of East Africa and is home to the largest number of chimpanzees throughout Uganda. It is believed that there are between 600 – 700 chimpanzees in Budongo and this morning we will meet up with our chimp guide who will take us on our trek through the forest in search of the chimps. We will also enjoy a boat cruise in the park. Note: As the Chimp trekking is limited to 12 guests per trek, should there be more than 12 guests on a tour the trekking will be split between the morning and the afternoon. Therefore you may find that you will first do the game drive activity followed by the Chimp trekking or vice versa. Please allow for flexibility.
Hightlights:
Chimp trekking (half day) / Nile River Cruise
Accommodation:
Kabalega Resort
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 – Lake Kikorongo Region
Route: Masindi to Lake Mburo
This morning we depart Masindi and transfer towards the edges of the Queen Elizabeth National Park. Our accommodation for the night is nestled atop a hill overlooking Lake Kikorongo.
Accommodation:
Simba Safari Camp
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 - Gorillas (Lake Bunyonyi)
Route: Kampala to Lake Bunyonyi
Crossing the Equator once more we travel south to the beautiful scenery of Lake Bunyonyi. With eager anticipation we prepare for the upcoming Gorilla trekking excursion and tonight we will receive a briefing on what to expect.
Accommodation:
Lake Bunyonyi Overland Resort
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 - Gorillas (Lake Bunyonyi)
Route: Lake Bunyonyi National Park to the starting point of the gorilla trek (in safari or smaller vehicles)
The mountain gorilla is extremely endangered and while exact numbers vary it is widely assumed that there are only around 650 left. Visiting the gorillas is a great way to support their future on earth as the money spent on permits is used for their protection. An extremely important part of the future conservation of the remaining gorillas rests in the community development work – as local communities change their attitudes towards wildlife and start to protect rather than poach, the future of the mountain gorilla is assured. As permits granting permission to visit the gorillas are extremely limited we require flexibility in both the tour itinerary and where we actually visit them. The home of the mountain gorillas is completely at odds with man-made borders and so their range encompasses Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo). Whenever possible we choose to make use of the National Park in Uganda, but this depends on the availability of permits. Should we not obtain permits to visit the mountain gorillas in Uganda then we will inform all passengers beforehand that the tour will travel to Rwanda or DRC. On your free day in Bunyoni you will have the opportunity to participate in certain optional activities. You can also go hiking or explore the area on a mountain bike.
Accommodation:
Lake Bunyonyi Overland Resort
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Optional Extras:
Gorilla Trekking, Pygmy visit, Rwanda day tour
Day 6 - Gorillas (Lake Bunyoni)
Although there are 2 days allocated to Gorilla Trekking you will only spend one day on the trek. The other days are there to provide a large enough window in which to obtain permits and to allow the entire group to trek if there are more than 6 of you on the tour. Today we will enjoy a visit to the Nyombi Village, a Pygmy village which is reached by motor boat from Bunyonyi Resort. We will have the opportunity to learn about the culture of the Pygmies and how they live.
Accommodation:
Lake Bunyonyi Overland Resort
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Optional Extras:
Gorilla Trekking, Pygmy visit, Rwanda day tour
Day 7 - Lake Bunyonyi – Kampala
This morning we set off on our return journey to Kampala, where your tour comes to an end upon arrival in the city.
Optional Extras:
Dinner out