4 Days Bwindi gorilla & Queen Elizabeth park Safari.
This 4 Days Bwindi gorilla & Queen Elizabeth park Safari is a very exciting and adventurous tour package that will take you to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, the capital of gorilla trekking safaris in Uganda, and to Queen Elizabeth National Park which is an ideal national park for wildlife viewing in the country. The major highlights of this 4 Days Bwindi & Queen Elizabeth Safari are the habituated mountain gorillas in Bwindi National Park and the tree climbing lions of Ishasha sector in Queen Elizabeth National Park. This tour begins and ends in Kampala, Uganda.
Tour Highlights for the 4 Days Bwindi gorilla & Queen Elizabeth park Safari.
Day 1: Pick up from Kampala and Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest.
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park & Evening Boat Cruise.
Day 4: Morning Game Drive and Transfer Back to Kampala.
Detailed Itinerary for 4 Days Bwindi gorilla & Queen Elizabeth park Safari.
Day 1: Pick up from Kampala & Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Have breakfast early in the morning from your hotel in Kampala. Your guide will pick you from your hotel and then embark on a 5 hour drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park via Mbarara- Masaka Highway. You will have a stopover at the equator monuments in Kayabwe, Mpigi district. These two equator monuments mark the point where the equator runs through Uganda.
You will the Proceed to Igongo Cultural Centre for lunch. This epic cultural center is a good stop for many travelers on route to western Uganda and it is just 12 km from Mbarara Town. Igongo Cultural Centre was opened to the general public in 2010. While here, take a short tour of the center’s museum which has a lot to tell about western cultural history. You can also visit the Nkwanzi crafts and bookshop where you can purchase a few souvenirs for yourself.
After having a hearty meal, proceed to Bwindi where you will check into your accommodation, have dinner and your overnight stay at Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge/Buhoma Haven Lodge/Silverback Lodge.
Day 2: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Forest.
Today is the day you have long waited for! On this day, you finally get a chance to track some of the habituated mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The national park has a total of 459 habituated gorillas which can be tracked by visitors in groups of not more than 8 members per group. There are 18 habituated gorilla groups in Uganda of which 15 are available for tourists to track.
! Have breakfast very early at you lodge as your guide will pick you up at 6am. You will embark on a short journey to the Parks headquarters in Buhoma. You are supposed to be at Buhoma at exactly 7am for a briefing by the park’s head ranger which will begin at 8am and then you will be put in groups of 8 individuals per group depending on the gorilla group you are going to track. Tracking begins at exactly 8:30 am hence endeavor to always keep time.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has a total of 15 habituated gorilla groups that are tracked from four trailheads. Of these 15 habituated gorilla groups, 3 are found in Buhoma area in the northwest part of the park; while 4 gorilla groups are situated in Ruhija in the eastern part of Bwindi and 8 gorilla groups in Nkuringo and Rushaga respectively, located south of Bwindi.
Each tracking group consists of strictly eight individuals with each group having a park guide and ranger. Tracking can take about 1- 6 hours depending how easily and quick the gorillas are spotted. Once you have located a gorilla group, you will be give exactly an hour with them; hence you should maximize your time well and don’t forget to take lots of pictures without using your camera’s flash. The tracking trails can be very wet, steep and slippery thus you should wear a good pair of hiking boots.
After your gorilla trekking experience, you will embark on the Batwa Trail Experience in the forest. You will be guided by local Batwa guides who have vast knowledge and experience of the forest. You will be taught some of their hunting techniques, making of traditional herbal medicines and so much more.
Later head back to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.
Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park & Evening Boat Cruise.
Have breakfast at your lodge early in the morning and proceed to Queen Elizabeth National Park. The park is about 90 km away from Buhoma via Ishasha hence you will drive for roughly 2 hours till Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Upon arrival at Queen Elizabeth National Park, you will embark on a lion tracking experience. The lion tracking experience will give you the opportunity to view the famous tree climbing lions of Queen. Of recent, these majestic giant cats have become rare sights in the park because of poaching activities that have become rampant in the park. This activity usually takes between 2 to 3 hours depending on the location of the lions in the park.
Later head to your Lodge for lunch and rest before heading out for an evening boat cruise on Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The boat cruise starts at exactly 2pm and can take approximately 2 hours. During your boat cruise, you may sight lots of wildlife such as hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, waterbucks and some species of birds like the great flamingos, Shoebill stock, Ibis and so many others.
Later retire back to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Pumba Safari Cottages (Budget)/Park View Safari Lodge (Mid-Range)/Mweya Safari Lodge (Luxury).
Day 4: Morning Game Drive and Transfer Back to Kampala.
Have an early morning breakfast and proceed on a morning game drive in the park which begins at 6am. This morning game drive will give you a great chance to view nocturnal animals like leopards, serval cats and other wildlife such as African savannah elephants, hyenas, Uganda Kobs, heart beasts, giraffes, zebras and many more. Queen Elizabeth National Park is blessed with over 612 bird species thus making it a great destination for birding activities. While on your game drive, you may spot birds like the African skimmer, Chapin’s flycatcher, Shoebill stock, the great flamingos and Pink- backed pelicans. Game drives in the park usually take between 2-5 hours.
Later proceed with your transfer back to Kampala where your guide will drop you off at a hotel of your choice or at Entebbe International Airport depending on your return flight schedule. If you still have some free time to spare on your schedule, you can have an optional tour of Kampala City or Entebbe Town at an extra cost. Please to inform your travel consultant or safari guide if you want this activity added to your tour package. End of Tour.
