Uganda Safari Mountain Gorilla Trekking Women’s Travel Group Tour – (April 26- May 7, 2023)

Early Bird Price: $5895

Deposit: $995

Installments: 4 installments due December 26, 2022, January 26, February 26 and March 26, 2023.

Min/Max Group Size: 8/16 —  No more than 6 passengers to a vehicle.

Availability – See below for real time availability and to sign up.

Travel Documents:
A passport is required
A tourist visa is required
Proof of Yellow Fever Vaccination is required

Travel insurance is available and recommended.
Cancellation Policy
Terms & Conditions
US Embassy Information 
US State Department Information

►Where Do We Stay?

• Day 1: Papyrus Guest House
• Day 2: Papyrus Guest House
• Day 3: Pakuba Safari Lodge
• Day 4: Pakuba Safari Lodge
• Day 5: Pakuba Safari Lodge
• Day 6: Chimpanzee View Guest House
• Day 7: Chimpanzee View Guest House
• Day 8: Ishasha Jungle Lodge
• Day 9: Bakiga Lodge
• Day 10: Bakiga Lodge
• Day 11: Rwakobo Rock Lodge

►Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport- Uganda

Arrival at Entebbe international airport where you will be greeted by our guide or representative and then transferred to your hotel. Overnight at Papyrus Guest House.

►Day 2: Mabamba Swamp Shoebill Stork Safari

Depending on the arrival of flights the day before, this excursion will begin either early morning around sunrise or later in the afternoon before sunset. From the hotel, your guide will take you through the markets of Entebbe and then down to one of the beaches of Lake Victoria where the adventure begins. In a simple wooded motorized boat, we will cruise across the vast expanse of a tiny portion of Africa’s largest lake to Mabamba Swamp. Mabamba Swamp is a large tract of marshlands with various channels through it, and it provides the perfect habitat for 260 bird species including Shoebill Storks. Stork-like, but related to pelicans, you don’t have to be a “birder” to be impressed with seeing a Shoebill. These prehistoric looking birds stand over 3ft tall!  There are only 5-8000 individuals remaining in Uganda and the surrounding countries. From this day forward, you will be the envy of every hardcore birder you meet if you tell them you saw a Shoebill.  Overnight at Papyrus Guest House.

►Day 3: Ziwa White Rhino Sanctuary & Transfer to Murchison Falls

We start driving northwest to Murchison Falls National Park with visit to the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. The drive takes us through the famous Luwero triangle to the sanctuary in Nakasongola which is a privately-owned White Rhino breeding sanctuary. The sanctuary is home to the last rhinos in Uganda with a mission of restoring them in Uganda’s protected areas once the breeding population reaches over 14 individuals. Led by a ranger, you will trek on foot within the sanctuary to see white rhinos in their natural habitat. When you spot the rhinos, your ranger will teach about the individuals you are observing while you take in the fact that you are standing on the same ground as wild rhinos.

In the afternoon, we continue toward Murchison Falls National Park. This protected area has a variety of vegetation ranging from riparian and tropical rain forests, marshes to broad savannahs which are both wooded and grassland, all of which harbor different wildlife. Overnigt at Kabalega Wilderness Lodge.

►Day 4 & Day 5: Murchison Falls National Park & Nile Hippos

Today we take our first game drive of the adventure. Named for the falls where the Victoria Nile surges through a narrow gap and cascades over a massive 141 feet drop, Murchison Falls is a small national park with big diversity of animals. In one photo, you could have 3 species of the big 5! — It will be your favorite game drive of the trip!

Murchison has 76 mammal species including African Elephants, Cape Buffalo, and Rothschild’s Giraffe. Other game includes African antelopes like the leaf eared Oribi, Jacksons Hartebeest, Water and Bushbuck, the beautiful Uganda Kob, Bohor Reedbuck, and Common Duiker. The park is home to 450 species of birds like: Casqued Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Denham’s Bustard, large eagles like the Bateleur, Martial, Brown Snake among others and large flocks of vultures.

In the afternoon, a boat cruise to the bottom of the falls will reward you with eye-level viewing of hippos bathing in the Nile. You will see a variety of natural behaviors and hear them grunt, splash and snort as they hang out in hippo schools along the shoreline. Lurking close by are Nile Crocodiles hunting for unsuspecting wading birds and other wildlife that come to the water to cool off in the midday heat. Overnight at Pakuba Safari Lodge.

►Day 6: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

After breakfast we will checkout of the lodge, and transfer to Kibale Forest National Park. The drive is a long 8 hours with stops, but interesting as you pass through small towns, green plantation and traditional homesteads. Overnight at Chimpanzee View Guest House.

►Day 7: Chimpanzees of The Kibale Forest National Park

Early morning, we assemble at the park headquarters for the briefing before a ranger leads you into the magnificent forest. The Kimbale Forest is a tropical forest where all human disturbances fads away and it’s just you and the sounds of nature.  The ranger will locate the chimps by listening to their pant-hooting calls, looking for the fresh nests where they spent the previous night, and the direction of their fresh knuckle imprints in the mud while leaving their nests. The other primates expected on the walk included the red colobus, black and white colobus and the red-tailed, Blue, L’hoest’s monkey and the Grey-cheeked Mangabey.  In the afternoon enjoy a guided nature walk through the Bigodi wetland sanctuary /and visit the women’s crafts project KAFRED. Chimpanzee View Guest House.

►Day 8: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park- Ishasha Sector

Today we have breakfast at ease then start our drive further south of Uganda towards the Impenetrable Bwindi Forest National Park. Driving duration is 6 hours today including a game drive in Ishasha. Ishasha, is a remote and beautiful part of Africa, with a wonderful scenery. As it is always said, remote destinations still harbor the best wildlife! Proof of this is Queen Elizabeth National Park Ishasha Sector, the second largest in Uganda. It is host to wildlife among which, on lucky days, your guide will spot tree climbing lions in figs, acacia or Albysia trees! Nowhere in Africa do you stand a better chance of seeing this than in this Ishasha sector. We shall find a spot for lunch then check in at our respective place of stay as we await a rewarding late game drive which will produce close encounters of more wildlife in this section of the park. Dinner and overnight stay at Ishasha Jungle Lodge.

►Day 9: Queen Elizabeth National Park Game Drive & Bwindi Impenetrable forest

After breakfast, we start with a game drive which will give us more chances of seeing the tree climbing lions and bigger opportunities of seeing the leopard this morning before setting off to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. On the drive we will find game coupled with stopovers to look out for interesting savannah birds; These may include Black Lored and Arrow-marked Babbler, ovambo Sparrow Hawk, African Cuckoo Hawk, Stout, Wing snapping, Zitting, and Trilling Cisticolas, Violet-backed Starling, Brown and Banded Snake Eagle, Holub’s Golden Weaver, Lesser and Greater Honeyguide, Grassland and Plain Backed Pipit, Fork-tailed Drongo, Blue-naped Mousebird and many more. After this, we shall continue and drive to Bwindi where we stay at Bakiga Lodge.

►Day 10: The Mountain Gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

This will be a day to remember! Like chimp trekking, a ranger will provide a safety and orientation briefing before the group is assigned a troop to visit. The ranger and scouts will lead groups of visitors with porters into the forest in search of habituated Mountain Gorillas. Habituated troops are used to people observing and are less likely to become territorial when approached. When sighted, your expected to stay 21 feet from the gorillas, however, many times, gorillas have moved close to their human observers, and even touched them. Time spent observing the troop is limited to 1 hour. It is a phenomenal experience to watch wild Mountain Gorillas as they forage and care for their young, and as the babies trundle down the hills and in the grasses for fun!! Evening, return to the hotel for relaxation, depending on how you feel, an evening community walk is always rewarding to learn how the people living near the gorillas go about their daily lives. Overnight at Bakiga Lodge.

►Day 11: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

After a morning breakfast we head North West to Lake Mburo National Park. This is the best stopover between the gorillas and Entebbe Airport

Via a boat cruise, we will have more opportunities for wildlife viewing and photography including: schools of hippos, crocodiles, different bird species and large mammals like the Cape Buffaloes, Zebras, Topi, Impala, Water and Bussbuck, Oribi the giant Eland, among others. If we are lucky, this is a good spot for the Leopard and Hyenas. After dark, there will be time for a late drive in search of some nocturnal species. Overnight stay at Rwakobo Rock Lodge.

►Day 12: Lake Mburo & Departure-

Early morning game drive as we depart Lake Mburo National park may spot some zebra, buffaloes, kobs and many others in the open acacia woods. Continue to Kampala with a stopover at the equator and the royal drum makers in mpigi. Airport drop off.