Updated
A 5-day Uganda primate safari can include both chimpanzees and mountain gorillas: drive from Entebbe to Kibale on day 1, track chimps on day 2, drive through Queen Elizabeth National Park to Bwindi on day 3, trek gorillas on day 4 and fly back to Entebbe from Kihihi on day 5. It is a full programme with two long road days, but it delivers Uganda’s two great-ape encounters in under a week. The chimp permit costs US$250 (US$300 from 1 January 2027) and the gorilla permit US$800, or US$600 in April, May and November.
Day 1: Entebbe to Kibale
Leave Entebbe or Kampala early and drive west to Fort Portal and the crater lakes near Kibale Forest National Park, about 5–6 hours, with tea estates and the Rwenzori Mountains in view near the end. Check in near the park; if you arrive early enough, walk the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary for monkeys and birds. See our Kampala traffic guide for timing your departure.
Day 2: Chimpanzee tracking
Join the morning briefing at Kanyanchu and track a habituated chimp community, then spend an hour watching them feed, call and move through the trees. Kibale also has red colobus, L’Hoest’s monkeys and black-and-white colobus, so it is a superb primate forest. Spend the afternoon at Bigodi or the crater lakes. See our guide to chimpanzee tracking in Kibale.
Day 3: Through Queen Elizabeth to Bwindi
Drive south through Queen Elizabeth National Park, with a game drive on the way where possible, and on through the Ishasha sector, known for lions resting in fig trees, to Buhoma in northern Bwindi. This is a long day of around 7–8 hours, so leave early. See our guide to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Day 4: Gorilla trekking
The briefing at the Buhoma park office starts at about 7:30 am. The trek takes from under an hour to most of the day, then one hour with a habituated gorilla family. Hire a porter for about US$15–20. In the afternoon, rest or take a village walk. See our Buhoma sector guide.
Day 5: Fly back to Entebbe
Drive about 1–1.5 hours to Kihihi airstrip for a scheduled flight to Entebbe, arriving in time for an evening international departure. Driving back instead takes 8–10 hours, which would need an extra day. See our guide to domestic flights.
Planning notes
Book the gorilla permit first, as it fixes the dates, then the chimp permit and lodges. With an extra day or two, add a Kazinga Channel boat trip in Queen Elizabeth or a rest day; our 7-day itinerary shows how. Pack for forest treks, with waterproof boots, rain gear and gloves.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, with Kibale for chimps and Bwindi for gorillas, and a flight back from Kihihi.
About 7–8 hours by road via Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Chimps US$250 (US$300 from 2027); gorillas US$800, or US$600 in April, May and November.
It is busy. Seven days allows a boat trip and a rest day.
