4-Day Lake Mburo Zebras And Bwindi Gorillas
This 4-day Lake Mburo and Bwindi gorilla safari combines a game drive and boat cruise at Uganda's smallest savannah park with mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi, all by road from Kampala.
Your Tour at a Glance
| Day | Itinerary | Accommodation | Meals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kampala to Lake Mburo | Mihingo Lodge | L, D |
| 2 | Lake Mburo to Bwindi | Mahogany Springs | B, L, D |
| 3 | Gorilla Trekking | Mahogany Springs | B, L, D |
| 4 | Bwindi to Kampala | — | B, L |
Day 1: Kampala to Lake Mburo National Park
We pick you up from your hotel in Kampala and drive southwest, stopping at the Mpigi drum makers to watch ceremonial drums crafted using methods passed down through generations, then again at the equator for photos. We continue on to Lake Mburo National Park, the only park in Uganda built around an entire lake. In the afternoon, enjoy a boat ride on the lake. Overnight at Mihingo Lodge, full board.
Lake Mburo National Park is a compact, varied landscape of rolling grassy hills, acacia valleys, and permanent and seasonal swamps, home to zebras, impalas, elands, topi, and buffaloes. At 370 sq km, it's the smallest of Uganda's savannah parks, roughly 3.5 hours' drive from Kampala via the Masaka-Mbarara road.
Boat trips on Lake Mburo bring you close to crocodiles, hippos, and birdlife including pelicans, black crake, heron, cormorant, and fish eagle, with the occasional rare shoebill stork sighting. Each ride runs up to 2 hours, with extra time available on request.
Mihingo Lodge is a peaceful, luxury retreat adjoining the park. Its ten rooms sit on wooden platforms beneath thatched roofs, each a spacious tented suite with en-suite bathroom, hot and cold running water, and a private setting, some forest-facing, some with lake views, some perched on rock outcrops.
Day 2: Lake Mburo to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
A morning game drive, then transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Dinner and overnight at Mahogany Springs, full board.
Game drives at Lake Mburo run along the Impala, Zebra, and Kazuma tracks, with impala the most frequent sighting alongside waterbucks, warthogs, topis, and zebras. Climbing Kazuma Hill gives a wider view over the park's five lakes and rolling terrain. The Kigambira loop winds through wooded wilderness where bushbucks and bush duikers are often spotted, while the Lakeside track is best for water plants, water birds, and woodland species.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park sits in southwestern Uganda on the edge of the Albertine Rift, spanning 331 sq km across an altitude range of 1,160 to 2,607 metres. Average temperatures run 7°C to 20°C, with June and July the coolest months. The surrounding communities are largely Bakiga and Bafumbira, among the most densely settled populations in Uganda, alongside a smaller Batwa population.
Bwindi is home to roughly half the world's mountain gorilla population, alongside 346 bird species and over 200 butterfly species. The forest's dense understory of ferns, vines, and shrubs supports around 324 recorded tree species, 10 of which occur nowhere else in Uganda. For birders, Bwindi holds 90% of all Albertine Rift endemic species, with experienced birders capable of logging up to 100 species in a single day around Ruhija and Buhoma.
Opened in 2011, Mahogany Springs offers some of the finest accommodation in Bwindi. Each of the eight cottages is spacious, with running hot and cold water, flushing toilets, and a private veranda overlooking the forest.
Day 3: Gorilla Trekking
Enter the forest at dawn and take in the beauty and freshness of Bwindi. After a short briefing from your guides, you'll trek through dense bush in search of a habituated gorilla family, following the trail from where they nested the previous night. For conservation purposes, time spent with the gorillas is limited to one hour. Overnight at Mahogany Springs, full board.
Gorilla trekking is the centerpiece of this Lake Mburo and Bwindi gorilla safari, with multiple habituated families available across the park's four sectors, managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
We recommend booking your gorilla trekking permit at least six months in advance, and up to two years ahead for peak season dates, to secure availability.
Gorilla trekking in Bwindi can be physically demanding, so a reasonable level of fitness is recommended. The trek begins at 8:30 AM local time and can last anywhere from a few hours to most of the day, depending on the gorillas' location. Registration at the park gate starts at 7:45 AM.
What to bring:
- Sturdy jungle boots suitable for steep, muddy slopes
- A rain jacket, the forest is frequently wet
- Earplugs, if you're sensitive to jungle sounds
- Sunscreen, a hat, and insect repellent
- A packed lunch
Park rules to know before your trek:
- No one with a communicable illness (flu, diarrhea, etc.) may enter the park
- Stay together as a group, don't surround the gorillas
- Keep a minimum distance of 7 metres (21 feet) from the gorillas
- No eating or smoking within 200 metres of the gorillas
- Turn away and cover your mouth if you need to cough or sneeze
- Bury human waste at least one foot deep and cover it properly
- Carry out all litter, nothing is left behind in the park
- Minimum age for gorilla trekking is 15 years
- Groups are limited to 8 visitors per gorilla family, all aged 15 or older
Day 4: Bwindi to Kampala
After breakfast, transfer back to Kampala, with lunch in Mbarara and an optional stop at Igongo Cultural Centre. Arrive in Kampala in the late afternoon.
End of safari.
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