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The Great Ape
Adventure

From gorillas and chimps, journey through Uganda’s iconic forests and mountains - resting in luxury stays that blend nature, comfort, and culture.

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The Great Ape Adventure
with Lubugo Tours

This immersive 18-day safari showcases Uganda’s rich biodiversity and scenic beauty. Beginning in Entebbe with a visit to the Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, the journey includes game drives and a Nile cruise in Murchison Falls, chimpanzee tracking in Kibale, and hot springs exploration in Semuliki. You'll enjoy wildlife viewing and boat cruises in Queen Elizabeth National Park, trek mountain gorillas in Bwindi, engage with Batwa communities, relax at Lake Bunyonyi, and end with a walking safari in Lake Mburo before returning to Kampala.

Please note, prices vary depending on season, group size, activities, accommodation and more. To get a quote for a tour, fill out our enquiry form and one of our travel consultants will get back to you as soon as possible. If you're looking for other options on where to go, what to see and what to do, take a look at our home page:

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Trip Overview

This 18-day safari takes you through Uganda’s most iconic parks and experiences. Start in Entebbe with a visit to Ngamba Island, then explore Murchison Falls, Kibale Forest for chimpanzees, and Semuliki’s hot springs. Enjoy game drives and boat safaris in Queen Elizabeth, followed by unforgettable gorilla trekking in Bwindi and cultural visits with the Batwa. End with relaxation at Lake Bunyonyi and a walking safari in Lake Mburo before returning to Kampala.

Trip Highlights:

Visit Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary on Lake Victoria
Game drives & Nile River boatcruise in Murchison Falls
Chimpanzee tracking & walks in Kibale Forest & Bigodi Swamp
Explore Semuliki National Park: hot springs and night game drive
Wildlife viewing and Kazinga Channel cruise in Queen Elizabeth
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Cultural experience with the Batwa Pygmy community
Scenic relaxation at Lake Bunyonyi
Walking safari and hyena tracking in Lake Mburo National Park
Diverse landscapes: forests, savannahs, crater lakes, and wetlands

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Inclusions:

Meals: Meals as indicated in the itinerary (typically Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner on safari days; BB - Bed & Breakfast for Day 1 and 2).
Park Entrance Fees: For Murchison Falls, Kibale Forest, Semuliki, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi Impenetrable, Mgahinga, and Lake Mburo.
Gorilla Permit: One gorilla trekking permit for Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park.
Chimpanzee Tracking Permits: Permits for Kibaale Forest (Day 6), Semuliki (Day 8), and Kyambura Gorge (Day 10).
Transportation: All ground transportation in a comfortable safari vehicle.
Driver/Guide: Professional, English-speaking safari driver-guide.
Airport Transfers: Pick-up and drop-off on Day 18.
Water: Bottled drinking water provided in the safari vehicle during travel and activities

Activities & Entry Fees

Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary entrance and boat transfer.
Game Drives (Murchison Falls, Semuliki, Queen Elizabeth, Ishasha sector, Lake Mburo).
Night Game Drive in Semuliki National Park.
Boat/Launch Cruises (Albert Nile in Murchison Falls, Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth, Lake Bunyonyi, Lake Mburo).
Nature walks (Bigodi Swamp, Kigambara loop, Kyambura forest walk).
Cultural visit to the Batwa Pygmies.
Visit to Sempaya Hot Springs and Pygmies.
Cave exploration walk in Mgahinga National Park.
Hyena walk in Lake Mburo National Park.
Visit to the Top of Murchison Falls.
Equator stopover with water experiments.
Visit to Royal Drum Village at Mpambire.

Daily
Itinerary

Choose this tour or use it to inspire your own custom-designed journey.

Day 1: Arrival & Kampala Welcome

On your arrival, our tour representative/guide will pick you up from the airport and transfer you to your Hotel in Kampala for dinner and overnight stay at Holiday Express Hotel/Cassia Lodge/Sheraton Hotel/Serena Hotel (BB)

Day 4: Game drive and launch cruise along the Albert Nile

After an early breakfast, you will go for a game drive on the Northern Bank of River Nile.
The activity takes about 3-5 hours and Wildlife in the Park includes elephants,
Rothschild giraffes, buffaloes, lions, Hartebeest, Uganda kobs, Oribis and waterbucks. After the drive, you will return to the lodge for lunch and in the afternoon go for a launch cruise on the Albert Nile which will give you an exciting panoramic view at the bottom of the mighty Murchison falls.
Along the cruise, you will encounter crocodiles, hippos, and birds on the river banks like kingfisher, cormorants, bee-eater and the rare shoebill stork. Dinner and overnight at as above.

Day 7: Transfer to Semuliki National Park

You will wake up early in the morning transfer to Semuliki National Park. Reach the Park headquarters, register, and visit the Hot springs Sempaya and the Pygmies at their settlement at Ntandi. In the afternoon, drive to the wildlife reserve for a game drive and look out for animals like Leopards, Forest Elephants and so on.
Check into your Lodge at Semuliki safari Lodge for dinner. Later in the evening, go on a night game drive and search for wildlife species such as the slender mongoose, serval cats, white tailed mongoose and diminutive genet. Return to your lodge late night for an overnight stay at Semliki safari lodge.

Day 10: Chimpanzee tracking and forest walk

Breakfast will be your first meal today, after setting out for Chimpanzee tracking in the Kyambura gorge. This gorge gives great opportunities to tourists to view the chimpanzees, L'Hoest's, red colobus, black and white colobus and many more. Return to the lodge for lunch and after go for the evening nature/forest walk. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.

Day 13: Full in Bwindi

This day you will have breakfast after which, you will spend the whole day in Buhoma Village where you will go and pay a visit to the Batwa Pygmies. Participate in the evening cultural performances and so on. Return for dinner and overnight stay as above.

Day 16: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

On day 16 head to Lake Mburo National Park. You will reach Mbarara town in time for lunch after which you will enter the Park with a game drive enroute which will give you clear views of animals such as Zebras, Buffaloes and elands. Upon reaching the park headquarters, register and later go for the evening nature walk along the Kigambara loop. This loop offers interesting guided walks alongside the Lake. Dinner and overnight stay at Rwonyo campsite for Budget.

Day 2: Transfer to Ngamba Islands

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to the pier at Entebbe for a boat ride to Ngamba Island for a half day excursion to see the Arphaned Chimpanzees as part of your 18 days Uganda safari. The boat takes about 45 minutes across to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary.
The sanctuary is a home to 49 orphaned chimpanzees, after a brief introduction you will go watch the chimpanzees as they feed from the Visitors platform. After return to your Hotel in Kampala for dinner and overnight stay at Forest cottages or Sheraton Hotel Kampala

Day 5: Transfer to Kibale National Park

Early morning after breakfast, you will set out for your long journey to Kibale Forest National Park. This Park is a home to almost 13 primate species. These include red colobus and L'Hoest's monkey and many more. You will have lunch in Kagadi. Proceed with the journey to Kibale forest. Dinner and overnight stay at chimpanzee guest house, Primate Lodge or Kyaninga Lodge.

Day 8: Chimpanzee tracking in the forest

After a briefing, set out for chimpanzee tracking in the beautiful cool rain forest. Apart from the Chimpanzees, the forest also has a variety of bird species.
Return to the lodge for lunch and in the afternoon, you will visit the hot springs of Sempaya and the pygmies. In the evening transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Dinner and overnight stay at Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge, Enganzi Game Lodge or Mweya Safari Lodge.

Day 11: Game drive and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable forest National Park

This morning, you will set out for the game drive in Ishasha area on your 18 days
Uganda safari and expect to see the rare tree climbing lions. The lions can be seen up on the fig trees. However it's not a guarantee that the lions will be seen. Sometimes it depends on the luck and time of reaching the area. You will have lunch in the Ishasha sector and afterwards proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable forest National Park in preparation for your next day's Gorilla trek.
Dinner and overnight stay at Gorilla Friends Resort Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge Rwindi Jungle View Lodge or Buhoma Haven Lodge.

Day 14: Transfer to Kisoro/Mgahinga National Park

After breakfast, you will transfer to Mgahinga National Park in Kisoro on the border of Uganda and Congo. You will have lunch in Kisoro town after which you will go for a cave exploration walk in the Park. Return for dinner and overnight at 3 way Gorilla resort/Kisoro Tourist Hotel/Travellers rest Hotel

Day 17: Game drive and Boat ride on Lake Mburo

Early in the morning, you will go for a game drive and search for early risers and all other animals that you missed out in the previous game drive. Return to the Lodge for refreshments, Lunch and in the afternoon go for a boat ride on Lake Mburo which will get you quite close to Crocodiles and Hippos. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Eagle's Nest Lodge, Rwakobo Rock or Mihingo Lodge.

Day 3: Depart - Murchison Falls National Park

After breakfast, your guide will then come and pick you up and transfer to Murchison Falls National Park.
The park is a habitat for animals like elephants, buffaloes, giraffe sand a variety of antelopes. En route, you will visit the famous Luweero triangle and also stop over for lunch in Masindi Town.
Proceed to the magnificent Murchison falls. Visit the Top of the falls where water thunders through) different rapids from a 7-metre gap to fall over 40 meters Gorge below. Dinner and overnight stay at Fort Murchison Lodge or Paraa Safari Lodge

Day 6: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi Swamp Walk

After breakfast, you will set out for chimpanzee tracking in the Kibale Forest. During your search, expect to see a lot of primate species like chimpanzees, monkeys and other animals like the forest elephants, buffaloes, leopards, bush pig and duiker, lions, warthogs, reptiles and amphibians as well as a colorful variety of butterflies.
After lunch go for a nature walk in the Bigodi swamp area and look out for most of the water loving bird species. The forest / Park has almost 335 species of birds.
Return to the Lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 9: Game drive and Launch cruise

Early in the morning after breakfast, you will set out for the game drive in search of early risers in the Kasenyi area. The park has a diverse eco-system of grassy plains, rivers, crater lakes, forests, swamps and lakes. These are a home to various types of wildlife and a game drive in Queen Elizabeth will reward you with views of animals such as lions, leopards, forest hogs, buffalos, elephants, waterbuck, Uganda Kob and other types of antelopes.
Return to your Lodge for lunch and after, go for a 3 hours launch cruise along the Kazinga Channel and into Lake Edward. This cruise will let you birdwatch, see hippos and animals drinking at the water's edge. Dinner and overnight stay as above.

Day 12: Gorilla trek in Bwindi forest Park

After breakfast and a briefing from the UWA officials, you set off for the gorilla tracking. This is a once lifetime experience and unforgettable adventure. The ranger guides will lead you up and down the rugged terrain until you finally meet these harmonious creatures that will entertain you with performances for about an hour. The activity can take 6-7 hours since the gorillas move up and down. Enroute there are a lot of chimpanzees and other types of the primates such as monkeys, birds and so on. Return for dinner and over night stay at Gorilla Friends Resort Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge Rwindi Jungle View Lodge or Buhoma Haven Lodge.

Day 15: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

After breakfast, you will depart for Lake Bunyony which is one of the deepest lakes in Africa and a great place to relax. Take a boat ride, to visit some of the 32 islands on the Lake (named after birds or historical uses e.g. ‘punishment island’). After the Boat ride, return back to the Lodge for relaxation while you watch the beautiful sunset. Dinner and overnight at Bunyonyi Overland Resort or Birdnest Lodge.

Day 18: Hyena walk and transfer to Kampala

Early morning, you will have breakfast and after that go for the hyena walk in the Park. This is a guided walk and you will be escorted by an official from the Uganda wildlife Authority for security purposes and to provide you with more information about the Park and the trail. Later start on your journey to Kampala with Lunch en-route. You will also make a stopover at Equator at Kayabwe for water experiments and photographs, Royal drum Village at Mpambire for souvenirs. Proceed to Entebbe or Kampala for dinner and overnight stay at your lodge in Kampala or transfer to Entebbe airport for your onward flight marking the end of your 18 days Uganda safari.

Bronwyn L, Canada

"Totally looking forward to touring with Lubugo Tours again. They are totally aligned with my ethics and interests. So glad to have found a grassroots, conscious tour group to have this adventure with."