Detailed itinerary of the 6 days Uganda Primates and Cultural Tour

Day 1: Drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Let the adventure begin with delicious breakfast at your hotel in Kampala or Entebbe, pick-up by our Company guide for a briefing then transfer to south-western Uganda for your Primates and Cultural Tour.

Your guide will make the journey informative and exciting with his stories on the en-route Towns and stopovers.

Your first stop will be along the Kampala-Masaka highway at the Uganda Equator crossing. You will take photos and take part in some of the experiments that prove the Earth being divided into the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

Go on with the journey until the beautiful Town of Milk and Honey-Mbarara for Lunch and continue until Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for check-in, dinner and overnight.

Accommodation options:

• Luxury: Chameleon Hill Lodge or Gorilla Safari Lodge.
• Midrange: Eco Marvels Gorilla Resort.
• Budget: Nshongi Camp or Nshongi Gorilla Resort.

Travel time: 8-9 hours.

Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner.

Day 2: Mountain gorilla trekking and transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

After breakfast and briefing from the Ranger guides at the Park Headquarters, set off for the forest to track the allocated gorilla family.

Trekking will last from 30 minutes to 3 hours depending on your pace of movement or the location of the gorilla family.

Spend 60 minutes with the gorilla family taking photos as well as noting the important information provided by the guide.

Make sure to have a walking stick, rain jacket, hiking boots, backpack and drinking water before venturing into the jungles. After the one hour with mountain gorillas, return to the Lodge for a hot meal.

Later pack your bags and check-out of the Lodge for a transfer to the nearby Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, another wonderful gorilla trekking destination in addition to being the only place in Uganda to see the endangered Golden monkeys.

Accommodation options:

• Luxury: Mount Gahinga Lodge.
• Midrange: Mucha Hotel Kisoro.
• Budget: Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 3: Golden Monkey Trekking

A typical golden monkey tracking day is not different from Mountain gorilla trekking because it also begins with breakfast and converging at the Park Headquarters (Ntebeko Visitor center) for briefing on how the activity is conducted and how to conduct oneself while in the presence of the primates.

Golden monkey tracking usually lasts a shorter time-between 30 minutes and 2 hours because the golden monkeys always occupy the lower slopes dominated by Bamboo forests.

Just like gorilla trekking, visitors are allocated one hour with the frisky monkeys. Return to the Lodge lunch, relaxation and later dinner as well as overnight.

Accommodation options:

• Luxury: Mount Gahinga Lodge.
• Midrange: Mucha Hotel Kisoro.
• Budget: Amajambere Iwacu Community Camp.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 4: Batwa Trail Experience and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

The Batwa Trail is a comprehensive experience compared to the short Batwa cultural tours that most tourists are used to.

Imagine spending 4-6 hours in Mgahinga Forest exploring the unique ancient lifestyle of the Batwa pygmies before they were evicted from the forest.

Have breakfast and proceed to the meeting point where you will find Batwa guides and porters.

This activity is conducted by the Batwa themselves to allow them benefit directly from tourism and be briefed then start the walk through the forest to identify the different plants/leaves and fruits that were cooked for soup, plants/leaves/roots for traditional medicine through your visit to the traditional pharmacy.

Learn about their ancient hunting skills, how Bamboo was used to make cups and climax it with a visit to the Ngarama Caves for exhilarating cultural dance.

Return to the Lodge for Lunch and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi, the perfect relaxation spot after a hectic hike through the jungles.

Dinner and overnight at:

• Luxury: Birdnest @Lake Bunyonyi Resort.
• Midrange: Arcadia Cottages or Bunyonyi Safaris Resort.
• Budget: Bushara Island Camp or Byoona Amagara Island Retreat.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 5: Full day Lake Bunyonyi

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast and embark on a morning boat or canoe ride to explore some of Lake Bunyonyi’s magnificent Islands especially the Punishment Island to learn about the painful historical story (girls that became pregnant out of wedlock were abandoned here).

Explore the different bird species during the boat ride and return to the Lodge for Lunch.

In the afternoon either head for swimming in the bilharzia-free waters of Lake Bunyonyi or undertake a community walk to discover a different culture (Bakiga) from the one in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Retire to the Lodge for dinner and overnight.

Dinner and overnight at:

• Luxury: Birdnest @Lake Bunyonyi Resort.
• Midrange: Arcadia Cottages or Bunyonyi Safaris Resort.
• Budget: Bushara Island Camp or Byoona Amagara Island Retreat.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 6: Departure

Enjoy breakfast and check-out for a return journey to Kampala or Kigali.

The End

6 days Uganda Primates and Cultural Tour Inclusions;

• Gorilla permit.
• Golden monkey tracking permit.
• Lake Bunyonyi tours.
• Equator experience.
• Transport plus fuel fees.
• Ranger/guide fees.
• A safari guide/driver plus his allowances.
• Relevant Government taxes.
• 5 nights’ accommodation.
• Meals including the en-route ones.
• Bottled water.
• Optional activities on the itinerary.

6 days Uganda Primates and Cultural Tour Exclusions:

• Personal insurance.
• Personal expenses such as souvenirs, tips, cigarettes, beverages, shopping and laundry fees among others.
• Visa fees.