Overview
Get ready for one of the planet’s most awe-inspiring experiences: tracking mountain gorillas in the wild! In Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to half the world’s population of these endangered mammals, we give you two days of gorilla tracking for extraordinary opportunities to observe them up close. The hikes are steep, but the experience of sitting near a silverback and his family is unforgettable. We’ll also enjoy safari adventures, including tracking the chimps in Kibale Forest National Park, watching wildlife on the savannas of Queen Elizabeth National Park, and boating along the Kazinga Channel among hippo, big herds of elephant, Cape buffalo, sunning crocodiles, and amazing African birdlife. The presence of travelers helps fund gorilla conservation—join us!
This trip included a tremendous range of experiences, each of which was great. The planning was also perfect. Staying three nights in each of the last two magically perfect hotels allowed us to feel settled in.
— ELIZABETH M., Providence, RI
Itinerary at a Glance
Days 1-3
Entebbe / Kibale Forest National Park / Wild Chimpanzees
We head through tea plantations and into the tropical rainforest of 300-square-mile Kibale Forest National Park. Kibale is contiguous with Queen Elizabeth National Park, with the same pleasant climate (at 3,000 to 5,000 feet). Here we’ll track bands of chimpanzees as they forage and scamper through the treetops. We’ll be welcomed at a village to meet a traditional healer and learn about his skills, and visit a local family-run coffee farm.
Days 4-6
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park boasts the backdrop of the snow-capped Ruwenzoris, the fabled “Mountains of the Moon.” In the park’s diverse ecosystem, we explore by 4WD vehicle, go birding in the wetlands, and boat on the Kazinga Channel, with its elephant herds and abundant hippo population. One morning, we join a researcher to track lion, learning about the social dynamics of the prides and reducing human-animal conflict.
Days 7-10
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park / Gorilla Tracking / Entebbe
A game drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park brings us to Bwindi, home to some 600 mountain gorillas. After an orientation with the park’s trackers, we head out on foot to search for the Mubare, Habinyanja, or Rushegura clans with our ranger guide. We have two full days of tracking, bringing us through dense montane thickets at altitudes of 3,800 to 8,500 feet for the thrill of coming face to face with gorilla families in the wild. Depart in the evening of Day 10 via Entebbe.
Mountain Gorilla Safari
Highlights
Highlights
Details
2 days of gorilla tracking (2-8 hours on steep and sometimes muddy trails), 2 days chimpanzee tracking on forested trails (2-4 hours each day), 4WD game viewing, rugged road travel
