5 Day Uganda Gorilla and Chimpanzee Safari

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A 5 day Uganda gorilla safari lets you meet two of our closest relatives in one short trip. You track chimpanzees in Kibale Forest, cruise the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park and trek to mountain gorillas in Bwindi.

• FromUSD 1,990per person sharing, 6 people, budget lodges, permits included
• Duration5 days, 4 nights
• StartsEntebbe (Nairobi flights daily)
• Best forWildlife lovers who want gorillas and chimps in one trip
• StylePrivate van with a driver guide

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Rated 4.9 on Google from 47 reviews. Price confirmed in writing before you pay.

Title sponsor

Alumni Golf Challenge

We are the title sponsor this year.

Golf is part of who we are, so we put our name behind the Alumni Golf Challenge. Want more golf after the day? Tell us when you are free. We book your tee time at Karen, Muthaiga or Vipingo Ridge and sort the transfers and the stay.

Book a round on WhatsAppSee golf tripsEmail us

The trip starts in Entebbe and ends in Kigali, so you do not need a long return drive. A private van and driver guide stay with you throughout. Permits are booked for you and shown as separate lines in your quote.

Below you will find the plan, the cost, the permit prices and the best months. Message us on WhatsApp with your dates and we reply with a written quote.

Highlights

• One gorilla trek in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
• One chimpanzee tracking walk in Kibale Forest
• A boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel among hippos and elephants
• A chance to spot tree climbing lions in the Ishasha sector
• Permits booked for you and priced openly
• Finish in Kigali for easy flights home or to Nairobi

Day by day plan

1. Day 1

   Entebbe to Kibale Forest

   A driver meets you at Entebbe airport and drives you to Kibale, about 5 to 6 hours. You stop for lunch in Mubende or Fort Portal and see tea estates and crater lakes on the way. You reach your lodge in the evening and rest for an early start.

2. Day 2

   Chimpanzee tracking and Queen Elizabeth

   You meet your ranger at 8 am for a briefing and walk into Kibale Forest. Tracking takes 2 to 4 hours and you spend one hour with the chimps. After lunch you drive about 2 hours to Queen Elizabeth National Park. You sleep near the Kazinga Channel.

3. Day 3

   Kazinga cruise and drive to Bwindi

   You take a morning boat cruise on the channel. Hippos, buffalo and elephants gather on the banks. You then drive south through Ishasha, famous for tree climbing lions and on to Bwindi. The drive takes 5 to 6 hours with stops. You reach your lodge by evening.

4. Day 4

   Gorilla trekking in Bwindi

   You meet your ranger at 7.30 am for a briefing and a team assignment. Trekking takes 1 to 6 hours. You spend one hour with a gorilla family and take photos. After the trek you return to your lodge for lunch and a rest.

5. Day 5

   Bwindi to Kigali

   You drive to Kigali, about 5 hours, crossing the Rwanda border at Cyanika. We help with the border and transfer you to the airport or your hotel. Flights from Kigali to Nairobi take about 1.5 hours.

5 day Uganda gorilla safari, guide price per person sharing, USD

• Guide price per person sharing, confirmed in writing on WhatsApp before any payment
• Includes a gorilla permit of USD 800 and a chimpanzee permit of about USD 250
• Permits cost less for gorillas in Apr, May and Nov, about USD 600, which we pass on
• Jul to Sep and Dec to Jan are peak months and book early
• Flights between Nairobi and Entebbe or Kigali are not included

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What a 5 Day Uganda Gorilla Safari Includes

A 5 day Uganda gorilla safari is built around two permits. The gorilla permit is the big one. The chimp permit is smaller and both are booked well in advance.

The rest of the plan fills the days between with scenery and wildlife. You see forests, savanna, crater lakes and tea farms. You also spend two nights near Queen Elizabeth, which breaks the drive.

If you want more days, see our Uganda gorilla trek 4 days or the longer gorilla and chimpanzee habituation trip.

How Much Is a 5 Day Uganda Gorilla Safari?

Our budget price starts at USD 1,990 per person for six people sharing. Four people pay about USD 2,090 each and two pay about USD 2,290 each. Mid range starts near USD 2,990 for two and luxury near USD 4,190 for two.

The permits make up about USD 1,050 of the budget price. The rest covers transport, lodges, meals and fees. Competitors often leave permits out. We show them as separate lines so you can compare fairly. See our Uganda gorilla trekking cost page for more.

Gorilla and Chimp Permit Prices

A Uganda gorilla permit costs USD 800 for most of the year. In the low season months of Apr, May and Nov it can drop to about USD 600. A chimp tracking permit in Kibale costs about USD 250.

East African citizens pay far less. A resident or citizen gorilla permit costs about UGX 300,000. Our quote shows each permit as its own line.

• Gorilla trekking permit: USD 800 in peak months
• Gorilla permit in Apr, May and Nov: about USD 600
• Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale: about USD 250
• Queen Elizabeth park fee: about USD 40 per day

Where You Sleep

On a 5 day Uganda gorilla safari, lodges are chosen for location and comfort. Budget lodges are simple, with a private room, hot water and a restaurant. Mid range lodges have more space and views. Luxury lodges have large rooms, a spa or a pool and fine dining.

Rooms near Bwindi are cold at night, so bring a warm layer. Our team books lodges close to the gorilla trailhead to save you a long morning drive.

What Gorilla Trekking Is Really Like

On a 5 day Uganda gorilla safari, a trek can last one hour or six, depending on where the gorillas are. The ground is steep and often wet. You walk with rangers, trackers and porters. Once you find the family, you spend one hour near them.

Fitness helps, but you set the pace. See our guide on gorilla trekking from Nairobi for advice. Porters cost about USD 20 and help with your bag and balance.

Best Time for a 5 Day Uganda Gorilla Safari

Jun to Sep and Dec to Feb are the driest months. Trails are drier and trekking is easier. Mar to May and Oct to Nov are wet, but gorillas are still found and permits can cost less.

Gorillas live in rainforest, so rain can come at any time. Pack a rain jacket. The best time to visit Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda page has the month by month view.

Flights, Visas and Entry

For a 5 day Uganda gorilla safari, flights from Nairobi to Entebbe take about 1 hour 15 minutes, with several flights each day. Flights from Kigali to Nairobi take about 1.5 hours. We help with timing so you never miss a connection.

Kenyan passport holders can usually enter Uganda and Rwanda without a visa. We confirm the current rule at booking. Visitors from other countries may need the East Africa Tourist Visa of about USD 100.

Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale Forest

Kibale holds about 1,500 chimpanzees and one of the best known troops is habituated to people. Tracking starts early, when chimps are on the move and calling. You walk through thick forest with a ranger.

You may also see red colobus, black and white colobus and L’Hoest’s monkeys. Birders can add a walk in the Bigodi Wetland. This part of the 5 day Uganda gorilla safari is loud, quick and full of energy, which contrasts with the quiet of the gorillas.

Queen Elizabeth National Park and the Kazinga Channel

Queen Elizabeth is Uganda’s most visited park. The Kazinga Channel links two lakes and holds one of the highest concentrations of hippos in Africa. A two hour boat cruise brings you to elephants, buffalo, crocodiles and many water birds.

The Ishasha sector in the south is known for tree climbing lions. They rest in fig trees in the afternoon. You are not guaranteed a sighting, but your guide knows the favourite trees.

Packing for a 5 Day Uganda Gorilla Safari

Rain, mud and cold are the main issues. Pack waterproof boots with ankle support, gardening gloves for grip and long trousers to guard against nettles. A rain jacket is vital, even in the dry season.

Our safari packing checklist helps with the basics. Add insect repellent, a small daypack and extra batteries. Dress in neutral colours.

• Waterproof hiking boots with good grip
• Long trousers and long sleeves in dull colours
• Gardening gloves and a walking stick, which porters can supply
• Rain jacket and a warm fleece
• Camera with a spare battery and a dry bag

Health and Safety

Before a 5 day Uganda gorilla safari you need a yellow fever certificate to enter Uganda and you should take malaria tablets. Our vaccinations and malaria guide covers the basics. Anyone with a cold or flu will be refused a gorilla visit to protect the animals.

Travel insurance with medical evacuation is strongly advised. See our travel insurance guide.

Uganda or Rwanda for Gorillas?

Uganda has lower permit prices and more sectors. Rwanda has easier access from Kigali and a higher permit price of USD 1,500. Both give excellent encounters.

Our Uganda vs Rwanda gorilla trekking guide covers the differences in detail. For a combined trip see our 12 day Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda safari.

How to Book Your 5 Day Uganda Gorilla Safari

Permits for a 5 day Uganda gorilla safari are limited and sell out. Book at least three months ahead for Jun to Sep and Dec to Feb. A deposit holds your permits and you pay the balance in instalments.

Use the book and pay page or message us on WhatsApp at +254 720 731957.

How to book your 5 day Uganda gorilla safari

Booking your 5 day Uganda gorilla safari with us takes about five minutes of your time. The rest is our job. Here is exactly what happens, step by step, so there are no surprises along the way.

1. Send your dates. Message us on WhatsApp with your travel dates, how many people are coming and the ages of any children. Tell us if you have a budget in mind. We plan with it, not around it.
2. Get a written quote. We reply with a clear price per person, what it includes and what it does not. No hidden park fees and no vague extras. If a cheaper camp or a shorter route makes more sense, we say so.
3. Tweak it until it fits. Change a camp, add a night or swap a park. Ask as many questions as you like. Changes cost nothing until you confirm.
4. Confirm with a deposit. A deposit holds your vehicle, guide and rooms. You get a written confirmation with every detail and the date the balance is due.
5. Travel day. Your driver guide meets you at your hotel or the airport with a name board. You have their number and ours for the whole trip.

What every trip with us includes

Every 5 day Uganda gorilla safari plan we put together comes with the basics done properly. You ride in a safari vehicle with a pop up roof, with a professional driver guide who knows the parks. Water is in the cooler box and park fees are sorted in advance so you do not stand in a queue at the gate.

We also stay reachable. If something changes on the road, a flat tyre, a closed route or a sudden storm, we sort it and keep you posted on WhatsApp.

Paying safely

We share payment details in writing only and every payment gets a receipt. The payment options and the balance date sit on your written quote, so nothing is left to memory or a phone call.

Why book with a Nairobi team

We live here. We drive these roads all year, we know which camps are honest about their photos and we know when a park is too busy to enjoy. That local knowledge is what turns a good 5 day Uganda gorilla safari into a great one. Our Google rating sits at 4.9 from 47 reviews and we plan to keep it that way.

Ready when you are. Send us a message and we will put a plan together for you shortly.

Questions people ask

Official information: Uganda Wildlife Authority.

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