5 Days Gorilla habituation Bwindi & Queen Elizabeth wildlife safari
This 5 days gorilla habituation Bwindi & Queen Elizabeth wildlife safari is the most fascinating safari for travelers who wish to spend ample time with the mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park habituating the mountain gorillas.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park remains the best destination for both gorilla trekking and habituation. However, out of the four sectors of Queen Elizabeth national park which include Rushaga, Ruhija, Buhoma, and Nkuringo, gorilla habituation is carried out only in the Rushaga sector of Bwindi, where at least two mountain gorilla families are set apart for the habituation experience until they get used to human beings.
After the gorilla habituation experience in the Rushaga sector, travelers are able to connect to the most beautiful Queen Elizabeth National Park for a wildlife viewing safari. Queen Elizabeth National Park is the only destination in Uganda where travelers are overwhelmed with tree-climbing lions’ encounters. These unique lions are also found in Lake Manyara National Park in Tanzania.
This 5 days gorilla habituation Bwindi & Queen Elizabeth wildlife safari is strictly a Uganda safari in the western part of Uganda, starting from Entebbe / Kampala and ending at either Kampala / Entebbe or any communicated destination. This Uganda safari consists of only 5 days and 4 nights, thus it is easy for travelers with less time on safari.
Highlights of 5 days gorilla habitation and wildlife safari
- Day 1 of 5 days of gorilla habitation and wildlife safari: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
- Day 2 of 5 days gorilla habitation and wildlife safari: Game drive in kasenyi plains & boat cruise on kazinga channel
- Day 3 of 5 days gorilla habitation and wildlife safari: Tree-climbing lions/Lion tracking experience & transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park
- Day 4 of 5 days gorilla habitation and wildlife safari: Mountain gorilla habituation Experience
- Day 5 of 5 days gorilla habitation and wildlife safari: Return to Kampala for departures
DETAILED ITINERARY
Day 1: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Kampala to Queen Elizabeth National Park: On day 1, you have two options: either be in Uganda the previous day or arrive as early as possible so as to embark on the road drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park at least by 10:00am in the morning. Lunch will be en route in Mbarara at the Igongo Cultural Hotel, while dinner will be served at your lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park as you close the first day of the 5-day gorilla habituation Bwindi & Queen Elizabeth wildlife safari. In case you arrive a bit early at the lodge, you will enjoy an evening game drive; otherwise, spend your evening at leisure.
Meal plan: Lunch & dinner
Day 2 : Game drive in kasenyi plains & boat cruise on kazinga channel
Morning Game Drive: After breakfast on day 2 of 5 days of the Bwindi & Queen Elizabeth gorilla habituation wildlife safari, you will meet your safari driver for a ride to the most adventurous sector of Queen Elizabeth national park and it’s none other than Kasenyi Plain. Once in the Kasenyi Plains, you will spend a half of your day on a fascinating game drive to see the lions, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, Uganda Kob and other different species of fauna and flora that constitute the Kasenyi Plains.
Afternoon Boat Cruise: After the game drive, you will be returned for lunch at the lodge and then spend your afternoon on a boat ride along Kazinga Channel amidst crocodiles, hippos, and other aquatic wildlife species that live in close vicinity to Kazinga Channel and those that visit the channel for drinking water. Return to your lodge while on an evening game drive, have dinner and take rest as you close your day 2 of 5 days gorilla habituation. Bwindi and Queen Elizabeth wildlife safari
Meal plan: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 3 : Tree-climbing lions/lion-tracking experience & transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable national park
Tree-climbing lions/lion-tracking experience: This 3-of-5-day gorilla habituation Bwindi & Queen Elizabeth wildlife safari has two options, of which you are advised to do one of them due to limited time, as you need to travel to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park on that same day. Well, after breakfast, check if you will do either the lion tracking experience or opt for a game drive in the Ishasha sector to witness the tree-climbing lions. Enjoy your meal and exit Queen Elizabeth National Park for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, where you might arrive in the evening for check-in, dinner & overnight.
Meal plan: breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 4 of 5 days gorilla habituation Bwindi & Queen Elizabeth wildlife safari: Mountain gorilla habituation Experience
Bwindi Gorilla Habituation: Ensure that you are done with breakfast in time, then pack your lunch box & meet your driver for a drive to the park headquarters of the Rushaga sector for a gorilla habituation experience. Probably water and snacks, & the best attire suitable for gorilla habituation is a must in order to utilize well every second you have in the jungle of endangered mountain gorillas.
After the briefing, you will meet other habituators, researchers and the armed rangers to start the journey deep into the wilderness in search of mountain gorillas that are under the habituation process. Since these gorillas are still being habituated, it implies that they aren’t used to human presence, so you will spend lots of hours taming them as they move on with their daily activities roaming the forest.
Once they finally settle, you will spend a maximum duration of 4 hours with them, unlike gorilla trekking that allows just one hour; thus, gorilla habituation is more fascinating, as it offers all 4 hours of interaction between you and the endangered mountain gorillas. After this tiring but exciting encounter with the mountain gorillas, you will return to the lodge for relaxation, dinner and an overnight stay.
Meal plan: breakfast, packed lunch & dinner
Day 5 : Return to Kampala for departures
Departures: Breakfast will be served to you on the morning of day 5 of 5 days of the gorilla habituation Bwindi & Queen Elizabeth wildlife safari; check out of the lodge and start the long journey from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park back to Kampala/Entebbe for departures.
However, on the last day, you may opt to exit via Kigali International Airport, which is a short drive from Bwindi as compared to the long drive back to Kampala. On this last day, lunch will be en route, whichever route you opt for.
Meal plan: breakfast & lunch
End of 5 days gorilla habituation Bwindi & Queen Elizabeth wildlife safari
Includes
- Pick up and drop-offs
- Ground transportation
- A 4×4 safari vehicle with fuel
- Gorilla habituation permit ($1500)
- Park entrance fees
- An English-speaking guide
- Ranger fees
- All-inclusive activities
- Drinking water while on safari
- Accommodation for 4 nights
- Meals as per Itinerary
Excludes
- Visa fee
- Flight ticket
- Porter fee
- Other drinks apart from water
- Life insurance while on safari
- Accommodation before and after the 5 days safari
- Expenses of personal nature such as cigarettes, airtime, crafts, etc.
Most travelers on a Uganda safari usually combine Queen Elizabeth National Park with Bwindi Impenetrable National Park due to the fact that they both harbor unique and endangered tourism attractions (tree-climbing lions & mountain gorillas) and also it’s easy to connect from one park to another since they are both in the western part of Uganda.
Book your 5 days Uganda wildlife and gorilla safari now and enjoy the unbeatable experience in the pearl of Africa.
