Gorillas and the Big Five, Overland
8 Days
From $3,345 per person
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RATED 5/5
Gorillas and the Big Five, Overland
A well optimized tour to squeeze in the ‘art of the possible’ without wearing you out! See the Big Five and so much more in two of Uganda’s best savannah parks and end with an unforgettable trek to our close cousins, the mountain gorillas, in the Bwindi Jungle. Combination private overland camping and hand-picked lodges. Experience Africa!
- Gorilla trek, games drives, boat safaris
- Custom overland vehicle with driver/guide
- 4 Parks: Ziwa, Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi
- Overland style, immersive African safari adventure
- Savanna, mountains, forest and lakes
- 4 amazing camp nights; 3 great lodges
Tour Itinerary
Highlights
- Arrive Entebbe
- Transfer to hotel
- Optional activities
Lodge at Via Via, Entebbe
Arrive Entebbe
Whatever time you arrive you will need somewhere to stay. Arriving early morning after a night flight you will need somewhere to rest and recover. Arriving late, the last thing you want on your mind is: Where am I going to stay? In either case, we will meet you on arrival at Entebbe Airport and transfer you to a local hotel, most probably Via Via. We also include dinner and breakfast next morning. And if you have some time on your hands during the day, we are happy to suggest some things to do, maybe recommend some good local bars and restaurants, or perhaps meet up.
Lodge Night
Chill out at Via Via, Entebbe
Into the Wild
Breakfast meet and greet at your hotel with tour briefing. Load up and depart for Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, experiencing the traffic on the outskirts of Kampala en route. Arrive at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for a guided trek with the white rhinos and learn about the inspirational programme to reintroduce these fabulous beasts into the wild.
Enjoy lunch at Ziwa before an afternoon drive to Murchison Falls National Park. Crossing the Nile at Karuma Falls, we will enter the park through the little used Wankwar Gate to the north-east and travel the old track into the park. This is a great safari drive and usually an excellent run to see elephant, giraffe, buffalo and antelope in a mixture of savanna, woodland and scrub. Cross over the Nile at the heart of Murchison Falls National Park.
Camp Night
Camp at Red Chilli Restcamp. A gentle introduction to our fabulous camp set up. Chill out bar and restaurant.
350k/6hrs – Road & Trail
Highlights
- Walk with rhinos
- Karuma Falls
- Murchison Game Drive
Camp at Red Chilli
Game drives only
Highlights
- Nile boat safari
- Paraa lunch and swim
- Game drive
- Night game drive
Wild camp at Nile Delta
Into the Wilderness
Early breakfast and short transfer to the nearby boat dock for Nile River boat safari to the base of the Murchison Falls. Leisurely cruise on the Nile for a couple of hours. Hippos in the water, elephants and crocs on the banks, birds everywhere.
Collection from the boat dock and short transfer to the famous Paraa Lodge for lunch. Relax on the pool deck overlooking the Nile to while away the midday hours – perhaps a swim?
Depart mid-afternoon and collect ranger for evening game drive through the park heading west to the Nile Delta at Lake Albert. This is a great time of day to view the abundant wildlife at Murchison, including kob, water buck, hartebeest and oribi as well as elephant, giraffe and water buffalo. Heading through the hunting grounds, with a good chance to see lion and perhaps leopard, we will set up camp late afternoon near the hippos at the Nile Delta with Lake Albert – then head out for an evening game drive to see what we can see, collecting firewood as we go for the campfire and returning after dark.
Camp Night
Wild camp in the wilderness with park ranger. BBQ and campfire. Stars and moonlit views of the lake. Noises off.
Murchison Falls
Break camp before dawn and head out at daybreak, back into the hunting grounds for a dawn safari – the best time of day for game viewing. The object here is to maximise your chances of completing the Big Five. By now you will have seen rhino, buffalo and elephant but we may need some better sightings of lion and leopard?
Make our way to the top of Murchison Falls – the most powerful on earth. Stand amongst the spray. Feel the power of the Nile, squeezed through a 7-metre wide gap – while we prepare a truck brunch in the car park by the Nile rapids.
Depart Murchison Falls and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, passing Masindi, Fort Portal and along the base of the Rwenzori Mountains: the fabled Mountains of the Moon with 6 of the highest peaks in Africa. Rest stops on route for a leg stretch and a coffee break.
Arrive in the late afternoon at the rift valley landscape of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Rest stop at the Equator and descend into the savanna plains of the park heading to the Kazinga Channel.
Lodge Night
Lodge at Bush Lodge overlooking the Kazinga Channel. Lodge fire and dinner. Watch out for hippos!
450k/8hrs – Road
Highlights
- Dawn Game Drive
- Brunch at Murchison Falls
- Rwenzori Mountains
- Queen Elizabeth NP
Lodge at Bush Lodge
Local drives only – Road & Trail
Highlights
- Chimpanzee trek
- Kazinga boat safari
- Rift Valley
- Crater Lakes walk
Camp with the hippos
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Early breakfast and transfer to Kyambura Gorge for a trek along the Kyambura River to find and spend time with the chimpanzees. A great rehearsal for the mountain gorillas in a couple of days. Return to the Kazinga Channel – a unique feature of the Rift Valley landscape – for a boat safari to see elephant, buffalo and abundant aquatic and bird life. Enjoy a fresh fish lunch at the boat dock.
Afternoon drive up the rift valley escarpment to the twin crater lakes at Kichwamba. Spectacular views – and perhaps a short trek between the lakes?
Camp Night
Camp at Kisenyi Fishing Village on Lake Edward. Campfire, dinner, drinks and many uninvited guests in the beamlight!
Lions in Trees?
Leisurely breakfast and transfer to Ishasha Game Reserve on the Ishasha River border with DR Congo. Part of Queen Elizabeth National Park, Ishasha is home to large herds of elephant and buffalo as well as topi and Ugandan kob. It is also famed for its rare tree climbing lions and if lucky we may also find leopard. We will stop for lunch in a forest glade by the hippo pools on the Ishasha River.
Depart Ishasha after lunch and take the jungle trail into Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, gorilla country. The trail rises to well over 2000m in places with occasionally spectacular long views to the mountains through gaps in the otherwise dense forest.
Lodge Night
Lodge at Agandi Eco Lodge, Ruhija. Magnificent mountain sunset. Chilly night – lodge fire and a hot water bottle?
125k/3hrs – Trail
Highlights
- Ishasha game drive
- Tree climbing lions
- Bwindi Jungle Trail
- Gorilla Country
Lodge at Agandi Eco Lodge
100k/2hrs – Trail
Highlights
- Morning Brief
- Mountain Gorilla trek
- Lake Bunyonyi
Camp by the lake
Mountain Gorillas
Suit up, early breakfast and transfer to the Ruhija Gorilla HQ for cultural dancing and a thorough briefing on the gorillas, and the dos and don’ts on the trek. Typically, the trek takes around 1 to 2 hours depending on the location of the family group. You will then spend an hour up close and personal with our very close cousins. Fascinating to watch their social interaction and behaviours, typically resting, grooming, feeding or playing. Unforgettable!
Anticipating a return from the trek by early to mid-afternoon, we will then continue on the forest trail and transfer to the mystical Lake Bunyonyi. If time permits, we shall take the lakeside trail along the contorted shoreline with views to some of the 29 islands.
Camp Night
Camp lakeside at Bunyonyi Overland. Beautiful.
Welaba!
Leisurely departure from Lake Bunyonyi, perhaps after enjoying a wild swim or heading out on the lake in a dug-out canoe?
Return journey to Entebbe stopping at Igongo Cultural Centre for lunch. We will then stop at the Equator for afternoon tea, and a visit to the many craft shops – a great place to stock up on last minute souvenirs.
Arrive Entebbe (or Kampala) before dark and drop off at your chosen hotel.
We don’t include final night accommodation because there are normally too many variables, such as Kampala, Entebbe, Jinja or even Entebbe Airport for a late flight home. Either way, we are happy to make recommendations and to drop you off at your chosen end point.
Tour Ends
450k/8hrs – Road
Highlights
- Dawn game drive at Kasenyi
- Mountains of the Moon
- Lunch at Fort Portal
- Return Kampala/Entebbe
Tour Ends
Like What You See?
Why not take an extra day in the wild at Murchison Falls; or to rest up at Kidepo Savannah Lodge; or spend time in Jinja, the adventure capital of Uganda – perhaps to go white water rafting on the Nile?
Want to upgrade to include more lodges? – or to have your own room? Let us know.
Included
- Experienced driver/guide
- Custom overland vehicle, fuel
- Accommodation. Shared, own bed.
- All camp equipment and bedding provided
- Full board: breakfast, lunch, dinner
- All park fees, guides and excursions
- Gorilla and chimpanzee permits ($900)
- Airport transfer (arrival)
Excluded
- Flights, visas and vaccinations
- Personal insurances
- Upgrades: lodges, own tent, own room
- Personal snacks, alcohol and soft drinks
Lodge accommodation as specified or equivalent, subject to availability.