5-Day Uganda Wildlife & Primate Safari | Kibale & Queen Elizabeth.
Destination: Kibale Forest and Queen Elizabeth National Parks, Uganda
Duration: 5 Days / 4 Nights
Type of Safari: Private Safari
Activities: Chimpanzee Tracking, Bigodi Wetland Walk, Game Driving, Kazinga Channel Boat Ride, Ishasha Wildlife Viewing, Visiting Crater Lakes
Starting from: Kampala / Entebbe
Ending from: Kampala / Entebbe
Our 5 Day Kibale and Queen Elizabeth Safaris is designed for tourists who are looking for a little more than the typical visit to western Uganda. This means the tour offers not only the opportunity of trekking in the forest of Kibale in search of the chimpanzees but also a game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
The tour begins with the beautiful and scenic landscapes of the Kibale and Bigodi wetland areas before moving on to the chimpanzee trekking activity.
From there, the scenery changes dramatically as you travel towards Queen Elizabeth National Park. The forest gives way to open savannas, wetlands, crater lakes, and rich wildlife. It is huge.
The next couple of days are set aside for exploring the Queen Elizabeth region by vehicle and boat safaris. You will meet with some wildlife, including elephants, buffaloes, hippos, Uganda Kobs, waterbucks, predators like lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, and side-striped jackals, and many others, as well as birds. The itinerary also takes you towards the Ishasha sector, giving you the chance to explore the quieter southern part of the park.
Chimpanzee tracking at Kibale is possible all year round, and presently UWA marks out Kanyanchu as one of the sectors suitable for chimpanzee tracking. In general, the chimps are tracked either in the morning or afternoon, with only one hour permitted for viewing the chimpanzees after they have been found.
The result is a well-rounded five-day safari combining primates, rainforest, savannah wildlife, boat-based wildlife viewing and scenic landscapes.
It is an excellent option for travellers who want to experience some of the best of western Uganda without extending their safari to a full week.
Day 1: Kampala/Entebbe and transfer to Kibale National Park – Bigodi Swamp Walk
Safari Drive to the Primate Capital of the World
This safari drive to Kibale starts with an early morning pickup from your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe.
Meet your professional Uganda safari guide, have a short briefing and begin the journey towards Kibale National Park.
As Kampala moves out of your sight, the landscape shifts from the city setting to a rural environment. You will pass through local communities, farms and small towns until you get to the more greenish scenery of western Uganda.
Kibale National Park is located some 326 kilometres away from Kampala by road. Along the road you can have a chance to take a break at the roadside cafe for a quick snack or lunch before continuing on towards Fort Portal and the area of Kibale.
Bigodi Wetland Walk
Upon arrival in the Kibale region, head to Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary for a guided nature and community walk, depending on the time of arrival.
This is an introductory activity into the biodiversity of the area ahead of the physically demanding chimpanzee tracking activity tomorrow.
During the walk through the wetlands and its vegetation, you may come across various monkeys, birds, butterflies and other small wildlife species. You will be introduced to the local communities and their practices near the wetland sanctuary.
This activity provides you with an opportunity to experience another aspect of the Kibale environment, where tourism meets the communities living next to the forest.
After the walk, continue to your lodge and enjoy dinner and relax as you prepare for tomorrow’s chimpanzee trekking adventure the next day.
Day 2: Chimpanzee Trekking – Kibale Forest Experience – Queen Elizabeth National Park
Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale
Wake up early and enjoy breakfast before setting off to the chimpanzee tracking point.
After registration at the tracking point, you will be briefed by the rangers/guides, after which you will set off into the Kibale forest in search of habituated chimpanzees.
The trek will take you through the forest canopy, where your guide will interpret the forest sounds, tracks and movements for you.
Chimpanzees are always on the move; hence, the search can go whichever way your guide thinks the chimpanzees have gone. The time taken to track the chimpanzees depends on various factors, such as the location of the chimpanzees, the weather and the type of terrain, among others.
UWA’s current information indicates that chimpanzee tracking walks can take several hours, while visitors are permitted a maximum of one hour with the chimpanzees once they have been located.
When you find the chimpanzee community, this is your opportunity to quietly observe their behaviours, such as feeding, climbing, calls, grooming and moving around.
Keep your camera ready, but remember that the forest experience itself is part of the adventure.
Kibale is also home to a remarkable variety of other primates and forest wildlife, such as the red colobus, the black-and-white colobus, L’Hoest’s monkey, and the grey-cheeked mangabey, frequently spotted in the forest canopy. Animals like olive baboons, forest elephants, bush pigs, duikers, and rare antelope species. Bird enthusiasts will be equally delighted, as Kibale shelters approximately 370 bird species, with 23 Albertine Rift endemics, such as Nahan’s francolin, Cassin’s spinetail, and blue-headed bee-eater, among others.
After returning from the trek, have lunch and take a break for some relaxation.
If you have enough time during the trip, you will have the opportunity to explore the forest area or simply relax at the lodge until the next phase of the trip.
Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Later in the afternoon, leave Kibale and head to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
This phase of the trip will offer you some of the most fascinating scenery changes in the safari.
The dense rainforest will be replaced by the grasslands and wetlands of western Uganda.
Arrive at your lodge, check in and enjoy the evening. Settle down and spend the evening there. If time and conditions permit, an optional evening game drive can be arranged.
Day 3: Queen Elizabeth National Park – Morning Game Drive and Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise
Start the day with an early breakfast before heading out for a morning game drive in Queen Elizabeth National Park. The cool early hours offer excellent opportunities to spot wildlife, as many animals are more active.
Depending on the day’s conditions and wildlife movements, you may encounter elephants, buffaloes, hippos, Uganda Kobs, waterbucks, lions, hippos, and, with luck, leopards. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, but Queen Elizabeth’s diverse habitats provide excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing.
Return to the lodge around midday for lunch and some time to relax.
In the afternoon, enjoy a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, one of the highlights of a Queen Elizabeth safari. From the water, you can observe large numbers of hippos and crocodiles, as well as elephants, buffaloes and a variety of waterbirds along the channel’s shores.
After the cruise, return to your lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 4: Full-Day Game Drive in Ishasha Wilderness Area
Start your day after a nice breakfast and go with a packed lunch to the Ishasha Wilderness Area in the south of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Experience game drives in the Ishasha plains looking for animals like elephants, buffaloes, Uganda Kobs, topi, antelopes, warthogs and lions. This area is well-known for tree-climbing lions, but that is not assured.
Have a picnic lunch in a specified place and continue exploring more in the afternoon. The quieter environment and the scenery make Ishasha a very good experience for wildlife lovers and photographers.
Later on, have an overnight at your lodge.
Day 5: Last Game Drive – Crater Lakes and Return to Kampala/Entebbe
Wake up early for your final game drive in the Queen Elizabeth National Park. This final wildlife game drive gives you one more opportunity to explore the park before leaving. Check out after having breakfast.
Travel through the beautiful town of Fort Portal and the western Uganda countryside, where you can see crater lakes, hills, landscapes and areas where tea is grown. Have lunch en route to Kampala/Entebbe, where you will be dropped off.
End of 5 Day Kibale and Queen Elizabeth Safaris.
