This 3-day safari gives you the chance to track chimpanzees and enjoy a wildlife experience. The trip starts and ends in either Kampala or Entebbe International Airport. It takes you through the forests of Kibale National Park and the wide savannahs of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Along with chimp trekking and game drives, you will also visit the explosion craters and the Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru caves.
Kibale is home to eastern chimpanzees and 12 other primate species, including vervet monkeys, olive baboons, black-and-white colobus monkeys, Uganda red colobus, mangabeys, and red-tailed monkeys. In Queen Elizabeth National Park, lions are the main attraction, but you may also see leopards, elephants, buffalos, waterbucks, giraffes, warthogs, and many bird species.
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Kampala to Kibale National Park – Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru
Your driver will pick you up from your hotel in Kampala or from Entebbe International Airport. After a short briefing, you will drive to Kibale National Park in western Uganda. The journey covers about 260 kilometers and takes 5 to 6 hours.
You will stop in Fort Portal for lunch before visiting the Amabere Ga Nyina Mwiru caves. Here, local guides will explain the cultural stories linked to the breast-shaped stalactites and stalagmites. You will also see crater lakes and other geological features.
After the visit, continue to Kibale Forest and check in at your lodge. Freshen up, have dinner, and rest overnight in preparation for chimp trekking the next day.
Day 2: Chimpanzee Trekking, Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park & Boat Trip
Wake up early for breakfast and head to the Kanyanchu Visitors Center for a briefing at 7:30 AM. Park rangers will explain the rules of chimp trekking before leading you into the forest. With the help of guides, you will track a group of habituated chimpanzees. Once found, you will spend one hour with them, taking photos and enjoying the experience. The trek usually lasts 2 to 4 hours depending on the chimps’ location.
Return to your lodge for lunch, then check out and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, about 75 kilometers away. On the way, stop at the explosion craters and Lake Katwe to learn about traditional salt mining and see seasonal flamingos.
In the evening, arrive at your lodge inside Queen Elizabeth National Park. Check in, have dinner, and stay overnight.
Day 3: Game Drive & Return to Kampala
After breakfast, go for a morning game drive in the Mweya area of the park. Look out for lions, leopards, hyenas, elephants, buffalos, antelopes, giraffes, and many bird species. The game drive lasts 2 to 3 hours.
Afterward, start the return journey to Kampala. Stop in Mbarara for lunch and continue through Masaka, with a short break at the Equator in Kayabwe for photos. You will then proceed to Kampala or Entebbe International Airport for your departure flight. This will be the end of your 3-day Kibale and Queen Elizabeth National Park safari.
