13 Day Uganda Safari with Gorillas, Chimps & Tree climbing lions

Wildlife takes center stage here. This 13-day Uganda safari links Murchison Falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, Lake Bunyonyi, and Lake Mburo in one ambitious circuit, giving you a strong mix of game drives, primate tracking, boat trips, and guided walks. I especially like the inclusion of both chimpanzee and gorilla permits, plus the rare chance to look for tree-climbing lions in Ishasha. The main drawback is the amount of time spent on the road, with several long transfers between parks.

This is a private trip, so only your group joins the vehicle and activities arranged for your party. Pamoja Tours and Travel provides transport, park fees, meals, drinking water, and the key gorilla and chimpanzee permits. At $5,500 per person, the cost is high, but those permits alone are major expenses, and the route covers much of Uganda’s best-known wildlife country.

Key things to know before booking

• Gorilla and chimpanzee permits are included: This removes two of the biggest costs and planning jobs on a Uganda safari.
• The itinerary covers five major wildlife areas: You visit Murchison Falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, and Lake Mburo, with time at Lake Bunyonyi as well.
• The gorilla trek can take two to seven hours: Once you find the family, you have one hour to quietly observe them.
• Queen Elizabeth provides several different wildlife experiences: Game drives, Kazinga Channel, lion tracking, and Ishasha tree-climbing lions all appear on the route.
• Transport days are part of the deal: The circuit is rewarding, but you should be comfortable with long drives through rural Uganda.
• The private format adds flexibility: Optional activities such as a Kampala city visit, hot-air balloon safari, chimpanzee habituation, and Lake Katwe salt mining can be added at extra cost.

Starting gently in Entebbe

Your first day is deliberately light. A driver and guide from Pamoja Tours and Travel meet you at Entebbe International Airport, then take you to Via Via Guest House for dinner and the night.

That simple first evening matters after an international flight. You are not pushed straight into a game drive or a long transfer. If you arrive with energy, a Kampala city visit is available at an added cost, but I would treat it as optional rather than essential. The main purpose of Day 1 is to arrive, meet your guide, and get ready for the road.

From here, the trip becomes a moving safari. You change areas often, so pack with easy access in mind. A small day bag for camera gear, rain protection, and personal items will be more useful than repeatedly opening your main luggage.

Rhino tracking and the road to Murchison Falls

Day 2 begins the long journey north to Murchison Falls National Park. The drive takes about seven hours, with a stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino tracking and lunch.

This is a smart opening stop. It adds a wildlife experience before you even reach the first major park, and it gives the trip a broader conservation focus than a route built only around the famous Big Five. After lunch, you continue to Murchison Falls and check in at Pakuba Safari Lodge.

The lodge stay is full board, which means breakfast, lunch, dinner, and accommodation are covered. A hot-air balloon safari is offered at extra cost. That option may appeal if you want a high view over the park, but the standard game drives and boat cruise already provide plenty of time outdoors.

The road time is the first real test of the itinerary. Uganda rewards patience, and the countryside itself becomes part of the experience, but you should not expect short point-to-point transfers every day.

Murchison Falls combines animals and roaring water

Day 3 begins early with a game drive across the park’s rolling plains. This is the right time to search for lions, giraffes, hartebeest, buffalo, and elephants. Birdwatchers have another reason to pay attention, with secretary birds and black-chested snake eagles among the species named for the area.

The day then shifts from open plains to the water. A boat cruise travels toward the base of Murchison Falls, where hippos, crocodiles, and water birds gather. The falls are not simply a scenic backdrop. The force of the rapids gives this part of the safari a sense of movement and noise that a quiet game drive cannot provide.

You may also hike to the top of the falls. The walk can be strenuous, so good footwear matters. I would not treat it as a casual stroll, especially after a morning game drive and boat trip. Still, reaching the top gives you one of the trip’s most memorable views, with the river forced through a narrow channel before dropping into the gorge.

Kibale brings you closer to Uganda’s primates

Day 4 is a transfer to Kibale National Park, taking about four hours. The route passes villages, green countryside, hills, and tea plantations, giving you a look at rural Uganda beyond the parks.

Kibale is a major change in mood. Murchison is about plains and large mammals. Kibale is about forest, calls from the canopy, and the chance to see several primate species. Chimpanzees are the main attraction, while colobus monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabeys, and red-tailed monkeys may also appear.

You stay at Isunga Lodge on a full-board basis. The afternoon is set aside for rest, which is useful because the next morning requires a forest walk and close attention.

On Day 5, you go to Kanyanchu park headquarters for a briefing before entering the forest for chimpanzee tracking. The trek is not presented as a guaranteed quick sighting. Chimpanzees move through trees and forest cover, so the quality of the experience depends on their location and behavior on that day.

The afternoon Bigodi swamp walk gives you a second chance to find primates and birds. This is a valuable pairing. If the chimpanzee tracking is brief or the animals remain high in the canopy, Bigodi adds another close look at Uganda’s smaller wildlife. Chimpanzee habituation is available at extra cost for people who want to spend more time with the research process.

Queen Elizabeth offers the fullest wildlife mix

Day 6 takes you to Queen Elizabeth National Park after a relaxed breakfast. The drive takes about three hours, and you may get a clear view of the Rwenzori Mountains along the way. After lunch at the lodge, you can relax or visit Lake Katwe.

Queen Elizabeth is one of the most varied stops on the route. Its savannah plains, bushland, wetlands, and forests sit below the Rwenzori range. The Kazinga Channel links Lake George and Lake Edward, creating a dependable place for hippos, crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes, and birds.

Day 7 starts before sunrise with a game drive. Early light is not just pleasant for photographs. Animals are often more active before the heat of the day, giving you a better chance to see elephants, buffalo, antelope, lions, or perhaps a leopard.

Later, the Kazinga Channel boat cruise provides a different angle on the park. From the water, you can watch hippos packed along the banks, crocodiles resting near the shore, and animals coming down for a drink. The cruise is one of the strongest parts of the route because it combines easy viewing with excellent birdwatching.

Day 8 adds a more specialized activity: early-morning lion tracking in the Kasenyi Plains. Groups are limited to reduce stress on the lions and improve the quality of the encounter. You can also see other wildlife during the tracking activity. A Lake Katwe salt-mining visit is another optional addition at extra cost.

This extra day in Queen Elizabeth is well used. Rather than rushing through after one game drive, you get time for several types of wildlife viewing.

Ishasha is the trip’s most unusual lion stop

Day 9 takes you to the Ishasha sector, famous for its tree-climbing lions. The stated chance of spotting them is about 70 percent, but wildlife remains unpredictable. A lion may be in a fig tree one day and hidden in tall grass the next.

That uncertainty is part of the appeal, but it is also important to keep expectations sensible. The drive is worthwhile even without the famous sighting because Ishasha also supports Uganda kob, Cape buffaloes, elephants, and warthogs.

You stay at Topi Lodge after the game viewing. This is another full-board night, giving you time to rest before the next major stage of the trip.

Bwindi makes the gorilla trek the centerpiece

Day 10 is a four-hour transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The forest is known for its plant life, birdlife, butterflies, mammals, and primates, but the main reason you come is clear: mountain gorillas.

The accommodation is Gorilla Mist Camp, with full board. You should use this evening to prepare for the next morning rather than plan a busy extra activity. Pack water, rain protection, sturdy shoes, and clothing that can handle mud. The trek takes place on forested slopes with tangled vines, thick vegetation, and bamboo.

Day 11 is the emotional high point for most people. Rangers first brief you, then guide you into the forest. Along the way, they may point out nests, dung, and chewed bamboo shoots that show the gorillas have passed nearby.

The walk can take anywhere from two to seven hours, depending on where the family is located. Once you reach them, the permitted viewing time is one hour. That may sound short after such a long walk, but a focused hour near a gorilla family can feel full. You watch their movements, feeding, and quiet social habits while keeping the required distance and following ranger instructions.

The trek is physically demanding. This is not the right tour for someone seeking a purely comfortable coach holiday. Most people can participate according to the supplied tour information, but you should still be honest about your fitness and ability to manage muddy, slippery slopes.

Lake Bunyonyi adds a welcome pause

After the intensity of Bwindi, Day 12 slows the pace with a canoe ride on Lake Bunyonyi. The lake is known for its many islands and is often called the little Switzerland of Africa.

The canoe outing offers a peaceful contrast to game drives and forest trekking. You can view the islands from the water before continuing by road toward Lake Mburo National Park, with lunch along the way.

The schedule places the canoe ride before the transfer to Lake Mburo, so this is a long day even though the water activity itself is relaxed. Plan to keep essentials close and expect another stretch of road travel.

Lake Mburo ends with a guided nature walk

Day 13 begins with a guided nature walk in Lake Mburo National Park, accompanied by an armed Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger and guide. The walk may bring you near zebras, giraffes, eland, topi, antelope, and Cape buffaloes.

This final activity differs from the earlier vehicle-based game drives. You are on foot, paying attention to tracks, sounds, and the surrounding vegetation rather than simply scanning from a safari vehicle. A trail to the tops of the hills gives views over Lake Mburo and nine of the twelve lakes around the park.

After breakfast and the walk, you return to the accommodation to check out. The drive to Entebbe includes a stop at the equator for lunch and souvenirs before airport drop-off.

Because the return transfer follows a morning activity, confirm your flight time carefully before booking. The supplied schedule does not give a fixed airport transfer duration, so you need enough margin for road conditions and the equator stop.

What the $5,500 price includes

At $5,500 per person, this is not a budget safari. The value depends heavily on the included permits and the private vehicle arrangement.

The package includes park fees for nonresidents, gorilla and chimpanzee tracking permits, all standard transportation, drinking water each day, and 12 breakfasts, 12 lunches, and 12 dinners. Accommodation is included at the named lodges and camps along the route.

That is a substantial bundle. Gorilla permits are particularly important because they can account for a large share of a Uganda trip’s cost. You also avoid arranging separate transport between five park areas and several towns.

You still pay for international flights, extra nights before or after the tour, visa fees, insurance, souvenirs, optional activities, and tips. The suggested tipping guideline is $10 per person per day, which should be included in your planning.

The private setup is another value point. You are not sharing the itinerary with strangers, and the guide can focus on your group. Several supplied comments specifically praise the vehicles, including air conditioning, four-wheel drive, pop-up roofs, charging ports, a fridge, Wi-Fi, and onboard drinking water. These details matter on long drives and during full days outside.

Guides named in the supplied comments include Amos and Ben, with Amos receiving especially warm praise for his driving and safari skills. Guide quality can shape a wildlife trip, so it is reasonable to ask at booking whether Amos is available, without treating a particular guide as guaranteed.

Strengths, limits, and who should book

I like this route because it does not rely on one big attraction. You get rhinos, waterfalls, savannah animals, chimps, swamp birds, boat viewing, lion tracking, tree-climbing lions, gorillas, canoeing, and a walking safari.

The strongest feature is the range. The gorilla trek gives the trip its emotional center, while Queen Elizabeth supplies the widest collection of activities. Murchison Falls adds scale and drama, Kibale adds primate encounters, and Lake Mburo finishes with a more personal walking experience.

The main weakness is pace. You change regions repeatedly, and the long road transfers can be tiring. If you prefer a slower holiday with several nights in each place, this schedule may feel too busy. You also need to accept that wildlife sightings, especially leopards and tree-climbing lions, cannot be promised.

This safari suits you best if you want a first Uganda trip that covers the major highlights in one organized package. It is especially good for people who value private transport, included permits, and a guide-led route rather than arranging each park independently.

Should you book this Uganda safari?

Book it if gorillas, chimps, and classic safari animals all matter to you, and if you want one private trip to connect them. The included permits make the $5,500 price easier to justify, while the combination of boat cruises, tracking, game drives, and walking gives you more variety than a standard Big Five itinerary.

Think twice if long transfers, muddy trekking, or a full schedule would spoil the experience. Before paying, confirm the exact accommodation, guide availability, flight timing on Day 13, and the cost of optional activities. With those points clear, this is a strong choice for an active first visit to Uganda.

FAQ

Where does the safari begin and end?

The safari begins with pickup at Entebbe International Airport and ends with drop-off at Entebbe after the Lake Mburo visit and equator stop.

How long is the experience?

The tour lasts approximately 13 days.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your group participates in the private tour or activity.

Are gorilla and chimpanzee permits included?

Yes. Gorilla and chimpanzee tracking permits are included for nonresident visitors.

Is transportation included?

Yes. Standard transportation during the safari is included unless an activity is labeled optional.

Are meals included?

Yes. The package includes 12 breakfasts, 12 lunches, and 12 dinners.

Is drinking water provided?

Yes. Drinking water is provided on all days of the tour.

How long can the gorilla trek take?

The forest walk can take between two and seven hours, depending on where the gorilla family is located.

How much time do you spend with the gorillas?

Once the gorilla family is found, the scheduled observation time is one hour.

What optional activities are available?

Optional activities include a Kampala city visit, a hot-air balloon safari, chimpanzee habituation, and a Lake Katwe salt-mining experience. These cost extra.