You’ll embark on the ultimate Uganda Photography adventure with gorillas, chimps, shoebill, and wildlife luxury safari. You’ll encounter majestic mountain gorillas and playful chimpanzees, to explore the diverse wildlife of Uganda’s stunning national parks. You’ll witness the rare shoebill stork in its natural habitat and personalized services throughout your safari.
Uganda is one of the gems of Africa, Winston Churchill called it the Switzerland of Africa in recognition of its landscape scenery. Uganda hosts almost all wildlife seen elsewhere in Africa including more birds and primates than any other country.
Detailed itinerary
Day 1: Arrival, Pick up & transfer to the hotel, Karibu Uganda!
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our Nyumbu Beyond Journeys Safari guide and transferred to your hotel. Depending on your arrival time and how you’re feeling, you can go bird watching in the city. The lush grounds of the Entebbe Botanical Gardens are excellent for this. You can see both forest and lakeshore birds.
Day 2: Rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
After breakfast, drive to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Established in 2005, Ziwa’s mission is to reintroduce southern White Rhinos back into the wild at Murchison Falls. In collaboration with the Uganda Wildlife Authority, Ziwa originally began with only 6 rhinos at the project. This number increased to 34 by the start of 2023. All the rhinos at Ziwa are free to move around the 27 square miles within the ranch. Therefore, it is often necessary to drive to the areas where the rhinos are, before continuing the trek on foot.
After lunch, together with a guide you will track the rhinos and observe them in their habitat at a very close and safe distance.
Day 3: Second Rhino tracking & transfer to Kibale National Park
We have a special permit today to enter the sanctuary at sunrise. After a second rhino trek, we’ll drive to Kibale National Park in western Uganda. Kibale Forest is one of the best areas in Uganda to see Chimpanzees.
Day 4: Ultimate Chimpanzee Encounters in Kibale National Park
After a mandatory briefing, we will start our hike into the forest. Local forest rangers keep a close watch on the activities of the various families and we will arrange to where we have a very high chance that we will encounter a troop of these most human of primates. It is often possible to have a good length of time with them (it all depends on how cooperative they are). We are sure to hear their deafening, blood-curdling screams echoing through the forest and we should enjoy wonderful views of these fascinating cousins of ours. In Kibale one of the largest habituated families of Chimpanzees has over 120 individuals making this reserve one of the best locations in Africa for Chimpanzee viewing. A second trek is planned after lunch.
Day 5: Chimpanzee Habituation Experience and Relaxation
The chimpanzee habituation experience offers an unparalleled opportunity to spend an extended period with our closest relatives in the animal kingdom. This immersive adventure takes place in Uganda’s dense tropical forests, where you will join researchers and guides in the habituation process of wild chimpanzee groups. Unlike standard trekking, this experience allows you to spend an entire day observing and learning about the intricate behaviors, social structures, and daily activities of these fascinating primates. From their early morning routines to their evening nesting, you’ll gain deep insights into their lives, all while contributing to vital conservation efforts. This unique, hands-on experience not only enhances your understanding of chimpanzees but also fosters a profound connection with these incredible creatures and their forest home.
Day 6: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable forest
After an early breakfast, we head to depart for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, home of the endangered Eastern Gorillas.
These Ugandan animals, which show shared characteristics of both lowland and mountain forms, could, in fact, be an endangered subspecies or even a full species in their own right.
A close encounter with a group of these gentle giants is a profound experience that will make an indelible impression. The gorillas are fully protected in the park and you will be able to track a group of these marvellous animals through the dense, damp forest and thickets of giant bamboo on the slopes of the mountain. The terrain can sometimes be steep and rough, but the guides will cut a path through the dense understorey of giant nettles and wild celery if necessary. As you approach a group your guides will make strange grunting noises to reassure the gorillas that you are merely harmless tourists. These huge animals are surprisingly docile and often completely unconcerned by the presence of humans, so it is usually possible to get to within a few metres of them as they play, feed and rest. There is no need to say that this is an experience which you will never forget!
Day 7: Mountain Gorilla trekking & Visit the Batwa Cultural Community
Today after an early breakfast, you will be transferred to the park headquarters for a briefing about gorilla tracking. You will encounter one of Bwindi’s endangered mountain gorillas. For most people, this is the absolute highlight of their tour in Uganda.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park boasts both mountain gorillas and chimpanzees, the only forest in Africa that can make this claim. It also hosts five other species of primates, 113 species of mammals, over 200 species of butterflies, and 360 species of birds. The gorillas you track are habituated and can tolerate the presence of humans for a brief period, every day.
The time taken to track the gorillas can be as few as 2 hours to as many as 7 hours. Once the gorillas have been located, your group will be allowed a maximum of one hour with them. Coming face-to-face with a mountain gorilla is a truly humbling and emotional experience.
Day 8: Gorilla Habituation Experience
You’ll embark on a once-in-a-lifetime gorilla habituation experience in the morning, where you’ll have the extraordinary opportunity to spend 4 hours with a gorilla family, observing their behavior and interactions in their natural habitat.
Accompanied by expert guides and researchers, delve into the lush forest of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to track and observe these magnificent creatures up close, gaining valuable insights into their social structure and conservation efforts. After an unforgettable morning in the presence of gorillas, you will return to your lodge for a well-deserved relaxation session in the afternoon. You’ll take in the serene surroundings, unwind in the comfort of your accommodation, and reflect on the awe-inspiring encounter you’ve just had with Uganda’s gentle giants. It’s the perfect opportunity to recharge and savor the memories of this remarkable wildlife experience.
Day 9: Golden monkey trekking & Relaxing the lake shores
After breakfast, transfer to Mgahinga National Park for Golden Monkey trekking. Located in southwest Uganda, Mgahinga is the only protected area in the country that harbours endangered Golden Monkeys. They can also be found in Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and the Virunga National Park and Kahuzi Biega National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This is a chance to walk through their bamboo forest home searching for these charismatic and photogenic creatures as they search for meals of bamboo shoots, branches, ripe fruits and sometimes insects.
Day 10: Transfer to Entebbe
After the breakfast, you’ll embark on a scenic journey back to Entebbe Airport, where your adventure ends. Along the way, you’ll make a memorable stopover at the Equator, where you can straddle the line between the northern and southern hemispheres and capture iconic photos to commemorate your journey.
Day 11: Shoebill in Mabamba Swamps & Airport drop off
An early start today. After a very short drive, we will board a wooden boat in search of the prehistoric-looking Shoebill, a huge, stork-like bird with a huge, shovel-shaped bill. Sometimes called the Whale-headed Stork, this extraordinary bird, which is placed in a family of its own, is confined to papyrus swamps and has its main stronghold in the inaccessible swamps of southern Sudan and central Zambia.
We’ll depart after lunch for Entebbe to connect with an international flight back home.
End of 11 Days Uganda Gorillas, Chimps & Shoebill Photography Safari