This 9-day private safari gives you an opportunity to experience a wellness journey like none other. Start your mornings off with a wellness activity as you watch the sunrise and prepare yourself to encounter two incredible primates; the gentle mountain gorillas in the jungles of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park and the elusive chimpanzees in Kibale forest National supplemented by game viewing in Queen Elizabeth. Photos will not justify the feelings you have as you are steps away from these rare and exotic animals living in their natural habitat.
Hotels:
- Hotel No 5
- Ndali Lodge
- Mazike Lodge
- Mahogany Springs
Included:
Meals:
- 8 Breakfasts
- 7 Lunches
- 8 Dinners
Activities:
- Sundowners and bush-breakfasts
- Chimpanzee Tracking
- Games drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Enjoy lunch with a local family
- Embark on a private boat cruise on Kazinga channel
- Mountain Gorilla Tracking at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Local community experience with Ride 4 a Woman Project
Other Services:
- Fueled 4x4 safari vehicle and English-Speaking guide
- Scheduled flights described in the program
- Sundowners and bush-breakfasts
- Park entrance fees and primate tracking permits
- Boat cruises and ferry crossing fees
- Unlimited safe drinking water in vehicle and drinks at the lodge
- All transfers
- All accommodations as described in the program
- Emergency rescue insurance package
- In case of a health emergency, included insurance will cover evacuation from the field or bush to a nearby hospital or to Kampala. Rescue insurance package does not cover international airfare
Not Included:
- Meals not mentioned in the program
- Tips for porters, guide and driver- the value of the tip is up to the client
- All other services not mentioned as included
- International airfare throughout the program
- International airport taxes, airport porter and extra baggage
- Hotel early check-in and late check-out
- Premium alcoholic drinks, personal expenses or entrance fees for any extra sightseeing or optional activities
- Any expenses of personal nature such as telephone, laundry, alcohol, etc.
- Travel Visa: Please confirm Visa requirements prior to travel
- Travel insurance
- Excess baggage
Note:
- International flights should arrive and depart out of Entebbe International Airport
1007972
Day
1
Arrive in Uganda through Entebbe International Airport
Arrive in Entebbe and transfer to Hotel No 5, which is just 15 minutes away from the airport. Nestled in the leafy suburbs of Entebbe, this stylish boutique hotel with luxurious rooms opens out to the garden and swimming pool and offers an intimate stay in a tranquil setting. Here, the menus are carefully planned and paired to an international wine list, and served with pride. Enjoy a group dinner upon arrival.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel No 5
Day
2
Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
You will have an early breakfast, check out and drive to western Uganda on a paved road through green villages and tea plantations to Kibale Forest National Park. This journey through the green rolling hills, banana plantations, and crater lakes will allow us to take several scenic stops along the way. You will drive past villages with warm locals whose smiles can’t be missed. Kibale Forest National Park sits in the shadow of the Rwenzori Mountains and offers spectacular views throughout. Upon arrival, you will check into your room at the exclusive Ndali Lodge, a beautiful small lodge that sits on the ridge of a crater lake, surrounded by Ndali Forest. The property offers an expansive number of indigenous trees and is home to a diverse array of birds and monkeys. Spend the evening enjoying this beautiful lodge, relaxing at the pool or enjoying your private balcony while you listen to the birds singing songs all around you. In the evening, go for yoga classes on the platform overlooking the lake.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Ndali Lodge
Day
3
Chimpanzee Tracking and Community Experience
Have an early breakfast and depart at 7:30AMfor chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest, the primate capital of the world, which boasts over 1,000 chimps! On arrival, you will be welcomed by the park rangers who will take you through a detailed briefing before leading you into the forest. The beautiful sounds of birds in the trees will make your primate tracking more enjoyable and memorable. Kibale National Park is covered by an equatorial rain forest that has one of the highest concentrations of primates in the world. While here, you might also encounter gray-cheeked mangabey, red colobus, black-and-white colobus, red tailed monkey, among others. This chimpanzee tracking experience gives you an opportunity to spend at least one hour with chimpanzees watching them feed, socialize, and nurse their little ones. Drive for two kilometers to Tinka’s home for a family lunch with the Tinka who have moving conservation and African life stories. Conclude your day with a drive back to Ndali for a relaxing evening and dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Ndali Lodge
Day
4
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Boat on Kazinga Channel
After a leisurely breakfast, transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you will check into Mazike Lodge. The property sits on the edge of Kyambura gorge, which hosts an underground rainforest in the middle of a savannah plain. From the comfort of your luxury cottage, you will unwind and listen to different bird calls or enjoy the amenities in the common area of the lodge. After lunch, you will be transferred to the nearby docking area in the park for a private boat cruise on Kazinga channel for great wildlife views, including elephants, crocodiles, hippos, buffalos, and hundreds of birds. After the boat cruise, drive through the Kasenyi plains for a rewarding sighting of kobs and the chance to spot lions as they begin their evening hunt. Return to the lodge for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Mazike Lodge
Day
5
Game Drives and Yoga in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Wake up early and grab coffee or tea with cookies served at the lobby before heading on a game drive with your breakfast. Drive to the Crater Lake sector, the most beautiful and exclusive part of the park for wellness experience. On the drive back, you won’t miss seeing elephants, buffaloes, and several antelopes, including the waterbucks and Uganda kobs. Later, you will return to the lodge and relax on your balcony or go swimming. Take an evening game drive into the park for more wildlife sightings before returning to your lodge for dinner and leisure time on your own.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Mazike Lodge
Day
6
Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
After breakfast, drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP through the Ishasha sector, home to the famous tree-climbing lions. If time allows, we will explore Ishasha and have the chance to see some of these iconic tree climbing lions! Proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, through the green villages of Southwestern Uganda. You will check in at Mahogany Springs Lodge, a small luxury lodge facing the dense Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, the home to half the world’s endangered mountain gorillas.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Mahogany Springs
Day
7
Mountain Gorilla Tracking Experience
Make sure you have extra batteries and camera storage for this monumental day where you will have a rare encounter with the Uganda mountain gorilla. This is the absolute highlight of a tour to Africa for most visitors. It is a humbling experience to stand meters from these gentle giants as they eat, rest, play, and bond with their young ones. After a briefing by park authorities, you will embark on a forest trek lasting between one to five hours, depending on the location of the gorillas. There are ten habituated gorilla families that you will have the opportunity to encounter. During your visit, you will spend time with one family, which can be visited by only one group of eight per day! You will enjoy an exciting journey along forested slopes, bushes, and bamboo before you ultimately reach the gorilla family. Coming face-to-face with a mountain gorilla is an awe-inspiring and emotional experience that you will remember for a lifetime. After gorilla trekking, we will return to the lodge to enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Mahogany Springs
Day
8
Community Experience
Have a relaxed breakfast and take a guided village walk, leading you to the homesteads where you will be welcomed by warm smiles of the locals. You will be taken through the daily village life, interact with the locals, and visit the coffee and banana plantations. You will be taken through how the locals make wine and gin from bananas. Return to your lodge for lunch and in the afternoon, visit the nearby Ride 4 a Woman project, a charitable organization set up to empower women struggling economically and socially with poverty, HIV, and domestic violence. Learn to weave baskets and pedal sew with the local women. You can choose your own beautiful African fabric and then produce anything from a coin purse, pillowcase, dress, bandana, sunglasses case, or napkins to take home as souvenirs or gifts for your family and friends. Watch the women of the community showcase their culture through traditional dance and if you’re feeling up to it, take part in a dance with them! After your visit, return to the lodge for dinner and leisure.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Mahogany Springs
Day
9
Fly to Entebbe and Depart
After breakfast, you can choose a wellness experience by the river or relax at the lodge before checking out of your room. Enjoy lunch before we depart on our transfer to Kihihi Airstrip, which is 1.5 hours away from Bwindi, for a scheduled flight to Entebbe in time for your international departure or choose an option of a day room based on flight schedule. Wave goodbye to Uganda and take home these memories of a lifetime.
Meals: Breakfast
The activity Level for this tour is:
Average - Some tours may include hiking or potential higher elevation hiking, biking, SUP, rafting, or kayaking in addition to walking on uneven surfaces or for longer periods of time.
Itinerary
Day
1
Arrive in Uganda through Entebbe International Airport
Arrive in Entebbe and transfer to Hotel No 5, which is just 15 minutes away from the airport. Nestled in the leafy suburbs of Entebbe, this stylish boutique hotel with luxurious rooms opens out to the garden and swimming pool and offers an intimate stay in a tranquil setting. Here, the menus are carefully planned and paired to an international wine list, and served with pride. Enjoy a group dinner upon arrival.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Hotel No 5
Day
2
Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
You will have an early breakfast, check out and drive to western Uganda on a paved road through green villages and tea plantations to Kibale Forest National Park. This journey through the green rolling hills, banana plantations, and crater lakes will allow us to take several scenic stops along the way. You will drive past villages with warm locals whose smiles can’t be missed. Kibale Forest National Park sits in the shadow of the Rwenzori Mountains and offers spectacular views throughout. Upon arrival, you will check into your room at the exclusive Ndali Lodge, a beautiful small lodge that sits on the ridge of a crater lake, surrounded by Ndali Forest. The property offers an expansive number of indigenous trees and is home to a diverse array of birds and monkeys. Spend the evening enjoying this beautiful lodge, relaxing at the pool or enjoying your private balcony while you listen to the birds singing songs all around you. In the evening, go for yoga classes on the platform overlooking the lake.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Ndali Lodge
Day
3
Chimpanzee Tracking and Community Experience
Have an early breakfast and depart at 7:30AMfor chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest, the primate capital of the world, which boasts over 1,000 chimps! On arrival, you will be welcomed by the park rangers who will take you through a detailed briefing before leading you into the forest. The beautiful sounds of birds in the trees will make your primate tracking more enjoyable and memorable. Kibale National Park is covered by an equatorial rain forest that has one of the highest concentrations of primates in the world. While here, you might also encounter gray-cheeked mangabey, red colobus, black-and-white colobus, red tailed monkey, among others. This chimpanzee tracking experience gives you an opportunity to spend at least one hour with chimpanzees watching them feed, socialize, and nurse their little ones. Drive for two kilometers to Tinka’s home for a family lunch with the Tinka who have moving conservation and African life stories. Conclude your day with a drive back to Ndali for a relaxing evening and dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Ndali Lodge
Day
4
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, Boat on Kazinga Channel
After a leisurely breakfast, transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you will check into Mazike Lodge. The property sits on the edge of Kyambura gorge, which hosts an underground rainforest in the middle of a savannah plain. From the comfort of your luxury cottage, you will unwind and listen to different bird calls or enjoy the amenities in the common area of the lodge. After lunch, you will be transferred to the nearby docking area in the park for a private boat cruise on Kazinga channel for great wildlife views, including elephants, crocodiles, hippos, buffalos, and hundreds of birds. After the boat cruise, drive through the Kasenyi plains for a rewarding sighting of kobs and the chance to spot lions as they begin their evening hunt. Return to the lodge for dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Mazike Lodge
Day
5
Game Drives and Yoga in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Wake up early and grab coffee or tea with cookies served at the lobby before heading on a game drive with your breakfast. Drive to the Crater Lake sector, the most beautiful and exclusive part of the park for wellness experience. On the drive back, you won’t miss seeing elephants, buffaloes, and several antelopes, including the waterbucks and Uganda kobs. Later, you will return to the lodge and relax on your balcony or go swimming. Take an evening game drive into the park for more wildlife sightings before returning to your lodge for dinner and leisure time on your own.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Mazike Lodge
Day
6
Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
After breakfast, drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP through the Ishasha sector, home to the famous tree-climbing lions. If time allows, we will explore Ishasha and have the chance to see some of these iconic tree climbing lions! Proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, through the green villages of Southwestern Uganda. You will check in at Mahogany Springs Lodge, a small luxury lodge facing the dense Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, the home to half the world’s endangered mountain gorillas.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Mahogany Springs
Day
7
Mountain Gorilla Tracking Experience
Make sure you have extra batteries and camera storage for this monumental day where you will have a rare encounter with the Uganda mountain gorilla. This is the absolute highlight of a tour to Africa for most visitors. It is a humbling experience to stand meters from these gentle giants as they eat, rest, play, and bond with their young ones. After a briefing by park authorities, you will embark on a forest trek lasting between one to five hours, depending on the location of the gorillas. There are ten habituated gorilla families that you will have the opportunity to encounter. During your visit, you will spend time with one family, which can be visited by only one group of eight per day! You will enjoy an exciting journey along forested slopes, bushes, and bamboo before you ultimately reach the gorilla family. Coming face-to-face with a mountain gorilla is an awe-inspiring and emotional experience that you will remember for a lifetime. After gorilla trekking, we will return to the lodge to enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Mahogany Springs
Day
8
Community Experience
Have a relaxed breakfast and take a guided village walk, leading you to the homesteads where you will be welcomed by warm smiles of the locals. You will be taken through the daily village life, interact with the locals, and visit the coffee and banana plantations. You will be taken through how the locals make wine and gin from bananas. Return to your lodge for lunch and in the afternoon, visit the nearby Ride 4 a Woman project, a charitable organization set up to empower women struggling economically and socially with poverty, HIV, and domestic violence. Learn to weave baskets and pedal sew with the local women. You can choose your own beautiful African fabric and then produce anything from a coin purse, pillowcase, dress, bandana, sunglasses case, or napkins to take home as souvenirs or gifts for your family and friends. Watch the women of the community showcase their culture through traditional dance and if you’re feeling up to it, take part in a dance with them! After your visit, return to the lodge for dinner and leisure.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Accommodation: Mahogany Springs
Day
9
Fly to Entebbe and Depart
After breakfast, you can choose a wellness experience by the river or relax at the lodge before checking out of your room. Enjoy lunch before we depart on our transfer to Kihihi Airstrip, which is 1.5 hours away from Bwindi, for a scheduled flight to Entebbe in time for your international departure or choose an option of a day room based on flight schedule. Wave goodbye to Uganda and take home these memories of a lifetime.
Meals: Breakfast
The activity Level for this tour is:
Average - Some tours may include hiking or potential higher elevation hiking, biking, SUP, rafting, or kayaking in addition to walking on uneven surfaces or for longer periods of time.
Have Questions? Email Us or call us at 754-457-9870
Terms, conditions and restrictions apply; pricing, availability, and other details subject to change and/ or apply to US or Canadian residents. Accommodation names are subject to availability. Should accommodation mentioned on specific itinerary not be available, a similar or higher rated accommodation will be substituted. Single room allotments are subject to availability and booked on a FCFS basis. Fit4Travel will work with each vendor or supplier to secure as many single rooms as possible to accommodate each traveler.
