Uganda
See some of Uganda’s top wildlife spots on this safari.
ENQUIRE
See some of Uganda’s top wildlife spots on this safari: Kibale National Park for chimpanzee tracking and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park for the amazing experience gorilla tracking and Murchison falls National Park for great game viewing on a boat cruises.
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DAY 1
Our experienced drivers/guides will be waiting for you at the airport to transfer you to your hotel for the night.
Dinner
Accommodation
Breakfast
Beers
DAY 2
Our experience driver/guide will pick you up from the hotel early in the morning and drive to Murchison Falls National Park. We shall have lunch on the way, after lunch we continue our journey to the park. On arrival in the park, we get ready for the drive to the top on Murchison falls.
Breakfast
lunch
Dinner
Accommodation
Beers
DAY 3
Very early in the morning at around 5 am, wake up and get ready for the morning game drive. Afterwards, come back to the hotel for lunch followed by an afternoon boat cruise, where you will be able to see many beautiful birds such as kingfishers and animals including hippos and crocodiles. After the boat cruise, return to the hotel for dinner and have a small briefing about the next long journey to Fort Portal.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Accommodation
DAY 4
In the morning, our guide will pick you up from the hotel and you will be transferred to Kibale National Park in the western Uganda region. Stop and have our packed lunch in a shade and continue to the Park for an overnight stay.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Accommodation
Water Bottle
DAY 5
In the morning after breakfast, we shall leave for briefing before you go for chimpanzee tracking in this beautiful forest including other primates like the Colobus, Blues, Red-tailed monkey and grey cheeked Mangabey swinging through the dense forest and several bird species, butterflies and many small insects, can be seen before you return back for lunch. In the afternoon after Lunch go to Biggodi for a swamp walk the area is run by the community as a way to preserve and save animals in the Kibale forest. You shall then return for dinner and overnight stay at your hotel /lodge.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Accommodation
Water bottle
DAY 6
Our experienced driver/guide will pick you up from the hotel in the morning after breakfast for the drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the western part of Uganda still. On arrival in the park, we get ready to visit the villages, like the Batwa villages, do nature walks, visit the communities and interact with the locals, after we go back to the hotel.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Accommodation
DAY 7
Early in the morning, the guide will pick you up and take you to the starting point for gorilla tracking. There will be a briefing as you’re given groups/tracking team. Gorilla tracking might take up to 8 hours so you will be provided packed lunch. Afterwards, the guide will be waiting to take you back to the hotel to freshen up and prepare for departure the next day.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Accommodation
Water bottle
DAY 8
Early in the morning, we shall start our journey back to Kampala, stopping at the equator on the way for photos, experiments, souvenirs and probably lunch as well. Continue to Kampala airport or hotel.
Breakfast
Lunch
Water bottle
Dinner
Accommodation
Full Board Accommodation
Hotel/airport Pick up and drop off
All Park entry fees
Chimpanzee tracking permit
Gorilla tracking permit
English speaking guide/guide
Personal health/third party/travel insurance
Drinks during and after the meals
Visa processing
Flight tickets
Souvenirs
Tips for the guides
If you are interested in a mountain gorilla safari in Uganda or Rwanda you are required to buy a gorilla permit well in advance of your trip. As only eight people are allowed to visit each gorilla group per day, the demand is high. Dark Hills Uganda is happy to book your gorilla trekking permits and organize your gorilla safari.
To buy your gorilla permit, you will need to provide us with your full names, nationality, passport number, preferred date of trekking and gorilla permit fee.
Once you have confirmed the final itinerary with us, you will be asked to pay a deposit of 30%. Gorilla permits must be paid for in full at the time of booking. Note that availability of accommodation and permits is not guaranteed until officially confirmed by Dark Hills Uganda. Accommodation, permit and activity reservations will be made as soon as payment has been received on our account.
For your convenience, the balance payment of 70% should be settled before the start of your safari. We accept payment by VISA credit card (please include 5% service charge) and bank transfer in either dollars or Euros to our bank account in Uganda. Please note that all bank charges are at the expense of the client.
If you would like to stay in a single room please notify us well in advance and we will try to meet your request. Please bear in mind that single rooms are not common and it is more likely that you will be offered single occupancy of a double room. A single room supplement will apply.
The minimum age for visiting the gorillas is 15 years. A certain level of fitness is required for the gorilla tracking, and you may not be allowed gorilla trekking if you fall sick.
In all gorilla destinations, tracking permits allow travelers a maximum of an hour with a habituated gorilla group. However, due to a few inconveniences like if you had a long trek to reach your gorilla family, your guide may allow you a few more minutes. Mountain gorillas are wild and they prefer being in their own company doing their wild activities like eating, playing and mating rather than being surrounded by humans for a long time. This is why the time is restricted to one hour.
Today Mountain gorilla tracking is only available in Uganda and Rwanda whereas tracking in the Democratic Republic of Congo is still on hold due to political instabilities that antagonized the security of Virunga national park, which was the other destination with mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking can be done throughout the year though best experiences happen in the dry season between June and September and December to February. In Uganda, mountain gorilla tracking is more paramount in Bwindi Forest National Park with about 12 gorilla families that can be tracked. Mgahinga gorilla national park is Uganda’s second gorilla tracking destination with one gorilla family of Nyakagezi though the Park receives visiting gorilla families at intervals. Rwanda has got one mountain gorilla-tacking destination in Volcanoes national park, which is also part of the Virunga Conservation Area.
Your curiosity and enthusiasm to track the mountain gorillas is the first engine that will keep you moving on. You must be willing to take on a hike in rough terrain and in any weather to see the gorillas in the wild. Even those who consider themselves very old and don’t think they are hikers or adventurous can also successfully visit the gorillas. This can be done through hiring personal assistants to carry your daypack also to assist you in difficult areas. Besides, the parks’ management also works tirelessly to help you trek the gorillas successfully regardless of all your setbacks. This is done in many ways including assigning you to park guides and rangers to make it as easy as possible to track and photograph the gorillas and also ensure your security while in the wild. Your contribution as a tracker to ensure a perfect and fantastic gorilla tracking experience is called up in what you need to carry for this trip including a pair of gloves and clothing that protects your arms and legs from thorns and nettles. You may also need to do a few workouts to ensure you have a good balance which is very helpful in gorilla tracking as trails may tend to e slippery at times.
Water: Chimpanzee trekking can be very tiresome and you need to refill your tank as the trek goes on. It is advisable to park a few water filtrations tablets before you come for the trek.
Boots: You will need good waterproof comfortable shoes. Sometimes it rains during the trek, so skid proof shoes can come in handy.
Rain Jacket: You are advised to carry rain jacket because if rains very often in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Snack: You can carry a light snack to give you some energy during the walk in the forest
Trouser and Shirts, forest is covered with thick undergrowth, therefore light trousers and long sleeved shirts are advised.
Socks: You will have to tuck in the trousers into the socks to avoid insects crawling inside.
Gloves: You will need Gardening gloves because you will be grabbing tree branches, leaves, name it, and some can be thorny.
Camera: Carry a good camera (no flash ) to capture this lifetime experience
When with the chimpanzees, the following have to be done
Chimpanzees can catch diseases, you must not enter the forest if you’re sick
Do not leave litter in the forest
If you need to urinate or defecate, do so off the trail, bury your waste in a hole (30cm deep) along with any toilet paper.
Keep as quite as possible in the forest, you will see more
Keep at least 8 meters (25ft) from the Chimpanzee at all times
Do not mimic Chimpanzees’ vocalization
Do not chase the Chimpanzees
Do not eat near the Chimpanzees
Pocket money
Sun screen
Rain coats
Closed shoes
Mosquito repellents