Africa

Latin America

India



01582 766122
Search for your perfect holiday: 
2by2 for holidays that will change your life
2by2 for holidays that will change your life
Call 01582 766122
Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari Holidays and Primate Tours Chimpanzees

Luxury Uganda Flying Safari: Murchison Falls + Gorilla Trekking Holiday

Uganda Flying Safari: Gorillas + Murchison Falls
Luxury Uganda Flying Safari Murchison Falls Gorilla Trekking Holiday
8 NIGHTS FROM:
$5,531
Per person sharing
Scheduled flights quoted separately
URA8E
• Luxury Uganda Flying Safari
• Entebbe
• Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
• Gorilla Trekking Holiday
• Batwa Pygmies
• Safari, Murchison Falls
• Game Drives
• Boat Ride on Nile River
• Chimp Trekking
• Bird Watching

This luxury Uganda flying safari combines Murchison Falls National Park - one of the best wildlife reserves in Africa - with a gorilla trekking holiday in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Also enjoy a boat ride down the Nile River, walk to the top of the waterfall & track chimps in Budonga Forest. All light aircraft flights, game drives, gorilla & chimp permits included. Min age 15 yrs.

Day 1
You will be met at Entebbe Airport and transferred to your hotel.
 
Check in and relax in your warm East African surroundings.
Day 2
Transfer to Entebbe Airport for your light aircraft flight to Kihihi.
 
Here you will be met and transferred 1-hour to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest - home to over 50% of the world's population of critically endangered mountain gorillas, and also a sanctuary for colobus monkeys and chimpanzees.
 
This dense equatorial jungle is accessible only on foot and features one of the richest ecosystems in Africa, including 120 species of mammals, 350 bird species including hornbills and turacos, 220 butterfly species, 27 frog species as well as chameleons, geckos and many other endangered species. It also boasts over 1,000 different flowering plants, ferns & trees. Check into your lodge and enjoy the beautiful scenery of your remote forest surroundings.
 
Note: As you will be flying in a light aircraft you must pack soft sports bags only, as rigid suitcases will not fit into the luggage pods. A baggage allowance of 15 kg (which includes your hand luggage) is strictly enforced for safety reasons. Excess baggage can be stored with our local representative in Entebbe.
Day 3
This morning we enter Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park - home to half the world's population of critically endangered mountain gorillas, and also a sanctuary for colobus monkeys and chimpanzees.
 
This dense equatorial rainforest is accessible only on foot and features one of the richest ecosystems in Africa, including 120 species of mammals, 350 bird species including hornbills and turacos, 220 butterfly species, 27 frog species as well as chameleons, geckos and many other endangered species. It also boasts over 1,000 different floral species.
 
After walking (or driving up to 1.5-hours) to your specified gate, rangers will allocate you to a small group of up to 8 people - with each gorilla family graded as a short, medium or long hike, based on their location the previous day. We recommend you ask your guide to request the appropriate category for you, although this cannot be guaranteed as the gorillas may have moved significantly overnight.
 
After a briefing, you will then track a family of endangered Mountain Gorillas, accompanied by two guides - one at the front and one at the back. The group will walk at the speed of the slowest member, so it is important to proceed at your own pace and enjoy the experience. We strongly recommend hiring a local porter at a cost of around $15 per person, as not only is this an important source of local employment, but they will carry your backpacks and give you a hand up (or a push) where necessary. Expect to walk 1 to 4-hours each way in steep, sometimes muddy and dense tropical jungle conditions to view a family of these enormous primates and observe their behaviour up close - a rare privilege indeed.
 
You must take a copy of your passport with you today, as this will be required to trek. You must be over the age of 15 years to track gorillas and be sufficiently fit to walk for the period indicated. Ensure you arrange a packed lunch with your lodge and carry sufficient water in your backpack (at least 2 litres). You should wear long trousers, long sleeved top, long socks (tucked into your trousers to keep out biting ants), proper walking boots and gardening gloves to protect your hands from nettles and undergrowth. Start off wearing a light fleece, as it is cold in the forest in the morning and pack proper rain gear, including a rain jacket and waterproof trousers, as it can rain at any time. A walking stick to help with the steep ascents will be provided if you don’t have your own.
 
You cannot be sick or have any infectious disease and no eating or drinking is permitted in the vicinity of the gorillas. Only one hour is allowed with the gorillas and you have to keep a distance of at least 7 metres. No flash photography is allowed and no touching the gorillas (although they may decide to touch you)!
Day 4
At leisure to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
 
It is possible to participate in another optional gorilla trek today, but this must be booked in advance as gorilla permits are strictly limited.
 
Other optional activities include a Community Village Walk where you can learn more about the local inhabitants, as well as meet the forest-dwelling Batwa pygmies. You can also enjoy a guided walk to a waterfall in the rainforest, where you can see endemic birds, butterflies and plants.
Day 5
Transfer 1-hour to Kihihi airstrip for your light aircraft flight to Entebbe Airport and onward connecting flight to Murchison Falls National Park.
 
You will be met at the airstrip and transferred to your game lodge. This wildlife-rich game sanctuary is situated on the banks of the River Nile, downstream from the famous waterfall after which it was named. This verdant reserve was favoured by Winston Churchill, who called Uganda the "Pearl of Africa". It is a relatively undiscovered gem and the premier game reserve in the country. It is one of the best wildlife conservation areas in the whole of Africa.
Day 6
This morning enjoy a shared game drive in Murchison Falls National Park, a magnificent 3,893 square mile sanctuary that offers easy game viewing on its open plains.
 
This game reserve is famous for its huge herds of Ugandan kob (an antelope similar to the impala) as well as its buffalo, elephant, giraffe, baboon and monkeys. You may also see warthog, Jackson's hartebeest and hopefully lion.
 
In the afternoon enjoy a boat ride along the Nile River to the thundering Murchison Falls. Along the way you should see large pods of hippo, some crocodiles and abundant water birds - including pied kingfishers diving into the water. You may even be fortunate and see a Shoebill stork in the dense papyrus in search of frogs. When you reach the bottom of the Murchison Falls, you can leave the boat and hike up to the top of the waterfall, where you will be rewarded with amazing views.
 
Note: The national park opens at 6.30 am and closes at 7 pm. Vehicles are not allowed to drive off-road in any national park in Uganda.
Day 7
This morning enjoy chimp tracking in Budonga Forest (which includes Kanio Pabidi), the largest mahogany forest in East Africa, as we search in the high forest canopy for these intelligent primates that are our closest relatives.
 
Tracking a noisy chimp family is a thrilling experience and is best in the morning, when they come down to the forest floor to forage. The chimps are very mobile, so viewing can be quite unpredictable and never guaranteed, but the walk itself is enchanting. This forest also has a wide variety of bird life.
 
In the afternoon enjoy another game drive in Murchison Falls National Park.
 
Note: Chimp tracking is limited to small groups, with a minimum age of 12 years. Please note the chimpanzees move a lot - sometimes far into the dense forest - so wear good walking shoes and expect to walk a lot today (up to 3 hours). Don’t forget your binoculars, as if the chimps don't come down from the trees you will need these.
Day 8
This morning transfer to Murchison Falls airstrip for your light aircraft flight to Entebbe.
 
You will be met at Entebbe Airport and transferred to your hotel.
Day 9
Transfer to Entebbe Airport for your flight home.