10 Day Gorilla Chimps and Big 5 Safari

The headline here is one powerful wildlife encounter after another. In 10 days, you track rhinos on foot, search for tree-climbing lions, walk through Bigodi Wetlands, watch the Nile rush through Murchison Falls, and spend an hour with mountain gorillas in Bwindi. The pace is brisk, but the range is impressive.

I like the private setup, since your group travels together rather than being folded into a large coach party. I also like that gorilla and chimp permits, park fees, accommodation, meals, transport, and boat trips are included. The catch is simple: this is a demanding schedule with long road days, early starts, steep forest paths, and little spare time.

Key points at a glance

• Gorilla tracking in Bwindi: Spend up to one hour with a gorilla group after a ranger-led forest walk.
• Chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge: A small-group trek usually lasts about three hours, including one hour with the chimps.
• Rhinos on foot: Murchison Falls begins with a walking safari, a fine change from viewing animals only from a vehicle.
• Two major boat trips: Cruise the Nile to the base of Murchison Falls and the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park.
• Tree-climbing lion country: Ishasha gives you a focused chance to search for lions resting in the branches.
• Private 10-day format: You travel with your own party, with pickup, a safari guide, and transport included.

What this Ugandan safari is really trying to do

This trip packs several of Uganda’s best-known wildlife areas into one long loop from Entebbe. It is not a slow safari built around lazy mornings at one lodge. You move often, rise early, and spend plenty of time on the road. In return, you get a wide sample of western Uganda in a single booking.

The wildlife list is broad. You may see elephants, lions, leopards, antelopes, hartebeests, birds, hippos, and other mammals on game drives. The paid permits matter most, though. Gorilla and chimp tracking can be expensive to arrange separately, so having those permits included gives the $3,500 price real weight.

The trip also mixes vehicle-based viewing with walks and boat rides. That matters. A walking rhino safari gives you a different sense of scale and caution than a game drive. A boat puts you close to water-loving animals and birds. Forest tracking asks you to move slowly, watch your footing, and accept that nature does not follow a timetable.

Day 1: A gentle arrival in Entebbe

Your first day is deliberately easy. A Big Apes Africa Safaris representative meets you on arrival and transfers you to your hotel in Entebbe. You can have the briefing that evening or wait until early the next morning.

That flexibility helps if your flight arrives late. It also keeps the first day from becoming a rush. Since the main program begins with a 5:30 am start, use this evening to organize your water, camera, rain gear, and walking shoes.

Days 2 and 3: Rhinos, Nile spray, and Murchison Falls

The first major park is Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest park in this program. The day begins with a drive west and a walking safari to look for white rhinos. This is one of the trip’s most distinctive openings. You are not simply watching from a vehicle. You are on foot with a guide, learning to pay attention to distance, movement, and the surrounding bush.

Lunch comes along the way, followed by a visit to the top of Murchison Falls. You can walk toward the bottom for strong views of the water forcing through the narrow gorge. The falls are the visual high point of the park, and the spray and noise make this more than a quick photo stop.

A guided game drive follows as you head toward the lodge. The schedule is full, with about seven hours of activity listed for the day. If you prefer slow travel, this may feel like too much. If you want variety from the first morning, it delivers.

Day 3 starts with another early game drive. The main targets include elephants, hartebeests, antelopes, and many bird species. Lions and leopards are possible in the same drive, though no safari can promise them. The plan wisely leaves room for an extra evening drive or a quieter evening at the lodge.

After lunch, you take a boat along the River Nile toward the base of the falls. This is a different view of the park, with wildlife and birds seen from the water. The route also passes the area used for the 1951 film The African Queen. The boat trip gives your legs a break after the morning drive, but the day still runs to about eight hours.

Day 4: The long road to Kibale

You drive south toward Kibale National Park, a forest region known here mainly as the base for chimp tracking and the Bigodi Wetland visit. The drive takes much of the day, with lunch on the way.

By the time you arrive, you may want nothing more than a shower and an early night. The schedule allows you to rest at the lodge or take a guided community walk. Choose rest if you want to enjoy the next morning. Choose the walk if meeting local people and seeing daily life matters more to you than downtime.

This is one of the trip’s less dramatic days, but it serves an important purpose. The road connects the northern park to the primate areas farther south. The price of seeing several different habitats in 10 days is time in the vehicle.

Day 5: Bigodi Wetlands and the Kazinga Channel

The Bigodi Swamp walk covers about 4.5 kilometers. It is a good counterpoint to the larger national parks, with close attention paid to forest and wetland birds and monkeys. You may spot several monkey species, but the appeal is also the walk itself, which brings you into a smaller, more focused area.

After Bigodi, you transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. Lunch is along the way, and the plan aims to get you to the afternoon boat trip on the Kazinga Channel. This waterway is known on the tour for abundant birds and mammals, making it one of the best chances to watch wildlife without a moving vehicle.

You can take an evening game drive afterward or rest at the lodge. I would decide based on your energy. The day already includes a wetland walk, a transfer, and a boat ride. An extra drive is useful if you still have the energy, but skipping it may make the next morning more manageable.

Day 6: Chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge and the road to Ishasha

The chimp trek begins after an early breakfast and a briefing at Kyambura Gorge. You are divided into small groups and enter the forest with a park ranger. The activity usually lasts around three hours, including up to one hour in the company of the chimps.

Bring enough drinking water. The forest walk is active, and the ground may be uneven. This is not a zoo visit, so you need patience and a willingness to follow the ranger’s pace. The reward is the chance to see chimpanzees in a natural forest setting.

After the trek, you transfer to Ishasha, the southern section of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Ishasha is especially known for tree-climbing lions. You check in and then take a game drive, with the option to finish the day watching the sun go down with a drink in the bush.

The wording of the plan is careful about the lions: you search for them, but you are not promised a sighting. That honesty matters. Wildlife trips work best when you see the search itself as part of the experience.

Day 7: Ishasha wildlife and the move to Bwindi

The day starts with an early game drive in Ishasha. Elephants, lions, leopards, and birds are among the possible sightings. The schedule notes that lions may be easier to find once the sun is fully out and the air is warmer, so you can stay out longer or return later after a lodge break.

After the game drive, you transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The listed activity time is shorter than on several other days, but the road transfer still makes this a transition day. You are leaving open grassland and moving toward thick rainforest and mountain gorilla country.

This is a good point to check your gear. Put rain protection, water, sturdy footwear, and a daypack where you can reach them easily. The next morning is the physical centerpiece of the trip.

Day 8: The mountain gorilla trek in Bwindi

Gorilla day begins early, with a drive to the briefing point. Park staff explain the forest walk and divide you into groups of up to eight people. A ranger then leads each group into Bwindi.

The walk can be slippery and steep. Its length depends on where the gorillas are found, so the six-hour estimate should not be treated as a fixed promise. You need moderate physical fitness and enough patience for a slow search through tropical forest.

Once you find the gorillas, you have up to one hour with them before returning. That hour is tightly limited, but it is also the reason many people accept the hard walk and the high permit cost. Keep your attention on the animals and follow the ranger’s instructions closely.

Rain gear is important. Bwindi is a rainforest, and wet conditions can make the trail more difficult. A porter is available for $15 to carry your bag and help on steep or slippery ground. Even if you are fit, hiring one can be a practical way to support local work while keeping your hands free.

Accommodation, the gorilla permit, park entry, meals, transport, and guide service are included in the package. Confirm the exact lodge and gorilla sector at booking, since those details affect the drive time and the difficulty of the walk.

Day 9: Lake Bunyonyi and a quieter finish

After the intensity of gorilla tracking, Lake Bunyonyi offers a slower day. You have breakfast at leisure, then transfer to the lake. You can swim in the lake or use the lodge pool, take a canoe, or explore nearby communities.

The lake stop is short, listed at about two hours, so do not expect a full-day lakeside retreat. Still, it gives the trip a needed pause before the final road back toward Entebbe. If you have a choice, use the time to rest rather than adding another demanding activity.

Day 10: The equator stop and return to Entebbe

The return journey takes most of the day, with lunch at the Equator. Afterward, you can shop for African crafts before continuing to Entebbe International Airport.

This timing suits a late flight better than an early one. Because the drive is listed at about nine hours, confirm your departure time before booking your airfare. The package ends back at the meeting point, with airport transfer included in the route described.

What the $3,500 price includes

At $3,500 per person, this is not a budget safari. The value depends heavily on the included permits and private transport. Gorilla and chimp permits alone are major costs, and the package also covers park entry, accommodation, a safari guide, boat cruise fees, breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the listed nine nights.

Private transport is another strong point. You are not tied to the pace or interests of a large group. If you want to stop for wildlife, take a rest, or add the optional evening drive, your guide can work within the plan.

The price does not include airfares, visa charges, personal spending, laundry, souvenirs, or tips. Budget for those separately. Group discounts are offered, though the exact reduction is not stated, so ask for a current quote if you are booking with friends or family.

Guides, pace, and practical comfort

The guide can make or break a road-heavy safari. Tim is named in trip feedback for his warmth, professionalism, and ability to manage the journey from pickup through farewell. Gerald is also praised for careful driving, friendliness, and explaining what you are seeing. You cannot request a specific guide unless Big Apes Africa Safaris confirms it, but asking is sensible.

The schedule demands early starts, including a 5:30 am meeting time. Expect long drives between parks, several lodge changes, and active walks on forest trails. You should be comfortable with moderate physical effort and with plans that may shift around animal sightings and road conditions.

Pack water, rain gear, comfortable walking shoes, a small daypack, and clothing suited to wet forest conditions. Keep your passport, money, and personal medication close at hand. A porter costs $15 on gorilla day, and that option is worth considering if you dislike steep or slick trails.

The trip is private, but the gorilla and chimp portions still use ranger-led groups. Gorilla groups are limited to eight people, while the chimp walk uses small groups. Your private vehicle does not mean you control every park rule.

Who should book this trip?

I would choose this package if you want gorillas, chimps, rhinos, classic game drives, and boat safaris in one Uganda trip. It is especially suited to active couples, friends, and small groups who value a private vehicle and do not want to arrange permits, lodges, transfers, and park fees on their own.

I would hesitate if you want long stays at one lodge, unhurried mornings, or a trip built around luxury relaxation. The schedule covers a lot, but it asks you to pay with early alarms and road time.

Should you book the 10-day safari?

Book it if the main goal is variety. The strongest days combine rare primate tracking with classic African wildlife: gorillas in Bwindi, chimps in Kyambura, rhinos on foot, Nile and Kazinga boat trips, and a search for Ishasha’s tree-climbing lions.

Before paying, confirm the gorilla sector, lodge names, exact pickup details, flight timing, and what happens if a planned game drive is skipped because of road delays. If you accept the physical effort and packed schedule, the price buys a remarkably broad introduction to Uganda. If you want a slower trip, add extra nights or choose a shorter route with more time in each park.

FAQ

Where does the safari start?

It starts with pickup in Entebbe, Uganda. You are met on arrival and transferred to your hotel before the main journey begins.

Where does the safari end?

The activity ends back at the meeting point after the return journey to Entebbe International Airport.

How long does the safari last?

The trip lasts approximately 10 days.

What time does the activity start?

The stated start time is 5:30 am. Your briefing may take place on arrival or early the following day.

Is this a private tour?

Yes. Only your group participates in the private tour or activity.

Are gorilla and chimp permits included?

Yes. The package includes both the chimp trekking permit and the gorilla trekking permit.

Is accommodation included?

Yes. Accommodation is included in the package.

Are meals included?

Yes. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are listed as included for the trip.

What physical fitness level is needed?

A moderate level of physical fitness is recommended. Gorilla and chimp tracking involve walking in forest conditions, and gorilla trails may be steep or slippery.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start time are not refunded, and changes within that period are not accepted.