Day 1: Arrive in Entebbe

On day one of your 4 Day Uganda Gorillas Flying Safari, you will be picked up at the Entebbe International Airport by our tour guide and transferred to your comfortable hotel located nearby.

It was from the airport you just landed at that Queen Elizabeth II departed Africa to return to England in 1952, when she learned of her father’s death and that she had become Queen of the United Kingdom.

Entebbe airport was also the scene of a famous hostage-rescue mission (Operation Thunderbolt) carried out by commandos of the Israel Defense Forces on 4 July 1976. Entebbe is a small peaceful city, stunningly located on the shores of Africa’s largest lake, Lake Victoria, about 40km southwest of the capital Kampala.

If your flight arrives early, you might visit one or more of the nearby attractions like Entebbe Botanical Gardens, Uganda Wildlife Education Centre, Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Mabamba Swamp or Uganda Reptiles Village.

Accommodation Options:

Luxury: Protea Hotel Entebbe/Hotel No.5/Serena Lake Victoria Resort

Mid-range: Boma Hotel Entebbe/2 Friends Beach Hotel Entebbe

Budget: Airport Guest House

Meal Plan: Dinner

Day 2: Flight to Kihihi - Bwindi National Park

After breakfast at the lodge, transfer to Entebbe Airport for your domestic flight to Kihihi Airstrip.

On arrival, you’ll be welcomed by your expert guide who will remain with you throughout your journey, sharing a wealth of wildlife knowledge and providing insight into the country’s unique culture and conservation history.

The road transfer to your eco-friendly lodge on the edge of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park takes roughly two hours, and is a chance to witness a considerable stretch of Uganda’s dense jungle vegetation and remote rural communities.

Once you arrive, you will have some time to relax and enjoy a good lunch. In late afternoon, you have opportunity to tour the local village, the surrounding tea plantations, and learn about the community’s impressive hospital that started as a small clinic under a tree. You are also able to discover the traditional hunter-gatherer practices of the Batwa - the indigenous people of the Bwindi Forest.

Accommodation:

Luxury: Haven Lodge Buhoma/Gorilla Forest Camp/Buhoma Lodge

Mid-range: Gorilla Mist Camp/Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Budget: Trekkers Tavern Ruhija

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 3: Gorilla Trekking & Relaxation at the Lodge

On day three of your 4 Day Uganda Gorillas Flying Safari, you wake up early and depart for a day of trekking in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in search of the critically endangered mountain gorillas.

Finding these great apes can be a lengthy process, often taking the whole day, depending on conditions and how far the gorillas have moved during the night.

A certain level of stamina is required to combat the humidity and sometimes tricky mountain pathways.

Wet weather and mud can also slow the process down but you will always be under the careful guidance of your ranger and a team of professional trackers will help you wherever possible over steep slopes and through dense vegetation.

Upon finding a family group, you will spend roughly an hour quietly observing as they groom, play and communicate with each other.

Accommodation:

Luxury: Haven Lodge Buhoma/Gorilla Forest Camp/Buhoma Lodge

Mid-range: Gorilla Mist Camp/Ichumbi Gorilla Lodge

Budget: Trekkers Tavern Ruhija

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 4:  Fly To Entebbe Airport

As you return to the Kihihi Airstrip on the 2-hour return transfer, you have time to reflect on a newfound awareness of Uganda’s precious wildlife inhabitants and welcoming local people.

While the country may have a fractured history, it has taken great strides in conservation, with ecotourism lodges playing an important role in bolstering efforts among communities to preserve and protect the rainforest.

Accommodation: Not Included

Meal Plan: Breakfast