10 Days Primate of Uganda Photographic Safari

This 10 Days Primate of Uganda Photographic Safari takes you on a photographic adventure to photograph the wildlife of Uganda including primates. Uganda is home to more primates than any other country in Africa and special highlights of these safaris are full day chimpanzee experiences and mountain gorilla treks.

Winston Churchill nicknamed Uganda, the Pearl of Africa in recognition of its landscape scenery and abundant wildlife including almost all the wildlife seen in Africa. This Uganda Primate Photographic Safari includes three gorilla treks (gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation experiences and chimpanzee trekking and habituation experience, presenting plenty of opportunities to photograph chimpanzees and the endangered mountain gorillas.

This Uganda Primate Photographic Safari is perfect for photographers of all levels as it is led by expert rangers and guides, it also allows for personal attention and customized guidance on photography.

Highlights of 10 Days Primate of Uganda Photographic Safari

• Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe
• Day 2: Transfer to Kibale Forest
• Day 3: Chimpanzee Trekking Experience
• Day 4; Chimpanzee Habituation Experience
• Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
• Day 6: First Gorilla Trekking
• Day 7: Second Gorilla Trekking
• Day 8: Day of Rest
• Day 9: Gorilla Habituation Experience
• Day 10: Departure

Detailed itinerary of 10 Days Primate of Uganda Photographic Safari

Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe.

On arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be warmly welcomed by our representatives and transfer you to your hotel for overnight. Your guide will brief you about the tour and what to expect.

Overnight at Best Western Hotel

Meal Plan: Dinner

Day 2: Transfer to Kibale Forest

Have early breakfast and have an early morning departure for the journey to Kibale Forest, drive pass the stunning country side of Uganda and have a stop at the Equator crossing line for pictures and a chance to stand in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres at the same point.

In Fort Portal, you will enjoy scenery of Mountain Rwenzori Rages as you head to the park arriving in the afternoon. When you arrive in the park, you will drive to your lodge for check-in and enjoy a delicious lunch. In the afternoon you will go for a guided walk in Bigodi Swamp Sanctuary, home to several primate species and birds. During the walk, keep your camera ready to capture the playful black and white colobus monkeys and olive baboons as they jump from one tree to another. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Overnight at Chimpundu Safari Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 3: Chimpanzee Trekking Experience

Today, you will enjoy remarkable encounters with the playful chimpanzees in their natural habitat on morning and afternoon chimpanzee trekking. Wake up for breakfast, meet your guide and head to the park headquarters for briefing about chimpanzee trekking and the right way to behave while in the presence of the chimpanzees as well as guidelines governing photographing of these playful primates.

In groups of 8 people, you will head into the forest in search for chimpanzees, led by an experienced ranger guide. The pace is slow to allow you take as many beautiful photos as possible and notice several forest creatures like several bird species and primate species like olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys among others. The trek takes approximately 2 to 6 hours depending on the movement of the chimpanzee and where they spent their previous night, on locating them, you will be allowed to spend only one hour in their presence, so use you time properly to capture as many photos as you wish to as well as observing the chimpanzees groom, feed and play.

Return to the lodge for lunch, spend the rest of the day at rest or go for a guided in the forest, offering opportunity to explore the forest more.

Overnight at Chimpundu Safari Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 4: Chimpanzee Habituation Experience

Wake up early for breakfast, meet your guide and head to the park headquarters for briefing, this time for chimpanzee habituation experience. In groups of 4 people, you will head into the forest searching for a semi-habituation chimpanzee troop.

Chimpanzee Habituation Experience allows you to stay in presence of a semi-habituated chimpanzee troop for 4 hours in company of rangers, scientists and researchers. This experience is perfect for photographers and allows more time to capture the intricate details about the life of chimpanzees, learn the process through which they are made comfortable to human presence, notice how they are named and identified individually. After this amazing experience, return to the lodge by evening, have dinner and overnight stay.

Overnight at Chimpundu Safari Lodge

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 5: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After breakfast, check out of the lodge and leave for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The drive takes you through the beautiful mountainous landscape referred to as the Switzerland of Africa, drive past mountains, hills and lakes with cultivated terraces and tropical rainforest and bamboo forest.

Have en-route lunch, arrive in the park in the evening, have dinner and overnight stay.

Overnight at Buhoma Haven Lodge  

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 6: First Gorilla Trekking Experience

After breakfast, meet your guide and head to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for an encounter with mountain gorillas, head to the park headquarters for briefing about gorillas and the right way to behave while in the presence of the gorillas. Head into the forest in search for these gentle giants in groups of 8 people, the trek takes approximately 30 minutes to 6 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas and where they spent their previous night.

You will spend only one hour in the presence of the gorillas, watching them go on with their life in the forest, take as many photos as possible and watch them play, feed and groom each other. After one hour, you will trek back to the park with lunch in the forest, meet your guide and return to the lodge for a short rest, then check out and head to another sector of Bwindi (From Buhoma Sector to Nkuringo Sector).

Overnight at Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge   

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 7: Second Gorilla Trekking Experience

You will follow the same procedure as Day 6, but this time, you will visit a different sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and encounter a different gorilla family.

Overnight at Nkuringo Gorilla Lodge  

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 8: A free day / rest day

Spend this day at rest. In the afternoon, you will head to Rushaga Sector where gorilla habituation experience is done.

You can do an optional visit to the Batwa Village for a cultural experience and a chance to photography the raw culture and traditions of these pygmy people.

Overnight at Gorilla Leisure Lodge    

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 9: Gorilla Habituation Experience

 Wake up early for breakfast, meet your guide and head to the park headquarters for briefing about Gorilla Habituation Experience, in groups of 4 people you will be assigned a gorilla troop to trek. This experience is a full day gorilla adventure, visit a semi-habituated gorilla and together with rangers, scientists and researchers, you will have enough time to capture the life of gorillas in the wild and notice how they are trained to be friendly to human presence.

Overnight at Gorilla Leisure Lodge   

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 10: Departure

After breakfast, you will embark on a journey back to Entebbe with en-route lunch and souvenir shopping in Mbarara. Your guide will drop you off at the airport to catch your flight back home bringing your Uganda Photographic Safari to an end.

End of 10 Days Primate of Uganda Photographic Safari

What’s included?

• All accommodation
• Park entrances
• Game drives
• Three gorilla trekking permits
• Five chimpanzee trekking permits
• Guides in the Park
• Car (open roof, 4WD)
• English speaking Driver/guide for boat rides
• Bottled water
• Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
• Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

What’s not included?

• International flights
• Uganda visa ($50)
• Drinks
• Tips and gratuities for camp staff and guides