Skip to content
A silverback mountain gorilla among ferns in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda

Sample journey · 10–12 days

Chimpanzees, savannah and the gorillas of Bwindi

Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park and the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Photo: Ylenia Vimercati Molano / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Western Uganda is green hills, tea plantations, crater lakes and forests where primate calls ring out in the mornings. This route moves north to south along the Albertine Rift: from chimpanzees in Kibale Forest, through the savannah and channels of Queen Elizabeth National Park, to the steep slopes of Bwindi, home to almost half of the world's mountain gorillas.

It's a journey for those who want to walk, not only to watch. Forest treks can be steep, humid and long, and wildlife encounters are strictly managed: permits are limited, time with the gorillas is short and distance is kept for the animals' own health. It's exactly these rules that allow such experiences to continue. We'd shape the route, pace and stays around your fitness and what you most want to see.

The route

The journey

  1. Entebbe
  2. Fort Portal & Kibale
  3. Queen Elizabeth National Park
  4. Bwindi
  5. Kihihi–Entebbe (flight)
  1. Evening light over green hills and the Rwenzori Mountains in western Uganda

    01Days 1–2 · Entebbe & the road west

    From Lake Victoria to the foot of the Rwenzori

    A first night in Entebbe, a quiet town on Lake Victoria close to the airport. The next day is a long but scenic drive west, past banana farms, village markets and tea fields, to Fort Portal, where the Rwenzori Mountains fill the horizon when the clouds allow. The drive takes most of the day; on some days a domestic flight to Kasese is an alternative.

  2. A wild chimpanzee climbing through dense green forest in Kibale National Park

    02Days 3–4 · Kibale National Park

    Chimpanzee calls in the canopy

    In the morning you walk into the forest with a park guide to track chimpanzees: first you hear them, only then do you see them. Chimpanzees move quickly, so the walk may be short or take several hours, and time with them is limited. In the afternoon the Bigodi wetland trail is rich in birds and other primates, and the next day you can visit the crater lakes around Fort Portal.

  3. A family of elephants drinking from the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park

    03Days 5–7 · Queen Elizabeth National Park

    Savannah and the channel

    A few hours' drive south, the forests open into savannah between Lakes Edward and George. An early drive on the Kasenyi plains, then an afternoon boat trip on the Kazinga Channel, whose banks are often crowded with hippo, buffalo, elephant and a wealth of waterbirds. Heading on south, it's worth driving through the Ishasha sector, where lions sometimes rest in the branches of fig trees, though, as everywhere in nature, nothing is guaranteed.

  4. A female mountain gorilla with her young in dense forest undergrowth

    04Days 8–9 · Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

    An hour with a gorilla family

    Trekking morning begins with a briefing at the park headquarters. A small group with rangers and trackers heads into the forest over steep, slippery slopes; reaching a gorilla family can take anything from an hour to most of the day, often off the trail. Once you find them you spend around an hour nearby, keeping your distance, keeping quiet and wearing a mask when required. An encounter is very likely but never guaranteed: these are wild animals in their own home.

  5. A traveller in a sun hat taking photographs on a forest trail in Bwindi

    05Days 10–12 · Bwindi – Kihihi – Entebbe

    The forest edge and the way home

    After the trek it's worth having a free day: a walk with a local guide through the villages on the forest edge, tea from bushes grown nearby, or simply listening to the forest from your terrace. If you wish, a second gorilla trek in another sector can be planned. Then a short drive to Kihihi airstrip and a flight of around an hour by light aircraft to Entebbe, to connect home.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    The first look from a gorilla

    Silence after a long climb, the rustle of ferns and the moment a silverback lifts his head.

  2. 02

    The chimpanzee chorus

    Calls that suddenly fill the whole forest, and the realisation that they're very close.

  3. 03

    An afternoon on the Kazinga Channel

    Hippo in the water, elephant on the bank and birds above the boat.

  4. 04

    The Rwenzori horizon

    Tea fields and crater lakes, with the mountains sometimes emerging from the clouds above.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • Less time on the road

    Domestic flights between Entebbe, Kasese and Kihihi shorten the longest drives, which is worthwhile if time is short or you'd like more rest.

  • More time in the forest

    A second gorilla trek in another Bwindi sector, or a longer chimpanzee habituation experience in Kibale, spending more time alongside researchers.

  • Add Murchison Falls

    With a few more days, Murchison Falls in the north can be added: a boat trip up the Nile to the foot of the falls and giraffe on the plains.

  • In another season

    The drier spells (usually June to August and December to February) make the trails easier, though it can rain in the forest at any time; in the wetter months the landscape is greener and there are fewer visitors.

Practical considerations

  • Gorilla and chimpanzee permits are limited in number, so they're worth securing well in advance; rules and fees are set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and may change.
  • A minimum age applies to gorilla trekking (currently 15) and there is an age limit for chimpanzee tracking too. Treks need good fitness: steep, muddy slopes at roughly 1,200–2,600 metres. Porters from local communities can carry your daypack and give a hand on the harder sections.
  • You won't be allowed to trek with a cold or other infection, as gorillas easily catch human illnesses. For health advice for the journey, speak to a doctor or travel clinic.
  • Sturdy boots, long trousers, gloves against nettles and a light waterproof are useful; light aircraft have strict luggage limits.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

Keep exploring

Destinations

Ways to travel

Related articles

More journey inspiration

Plan your journey

Shape a journey like this

Dreaming of seeing gorillas with your own eyes? Tell us a little about yourselves and how you like to travel, and we'll work out together how to fit the permits, the treks and the rest days around you.

Shape a journey like this

This journey becomes the starting point of your enquiry — you can change or remove it.

All journey inspiration