5 Days Primates & Chimpanzee Safari: Kibale, Kyambura & Queen Elizabeth

This 5-day itinerary is built for travelers who want both primates and classic savannah wildlife without feeling rushed, moving from Kibale’s chimpanzees through the dramatic Kyambura Gorge to two full days in Queen Elizabeth National Park. Because this itinerary touches three separate parks in five days, it’s worth confirming permit and park-entry availability for all three at the time of booking rather than one at a time.

5 Days Primates & Chimpanzee Safari: Kibale, Kyambura & Queen Elizabeth Itinerary

Day 1: Transfer to Kibale Forest

You’ll be driven to the Kibale area, checking into your lodge with time to rest and receive a briefing on the next day’s chimpanzee trek. The road north toward Budongo passes through sugarcane-growing districts before the terrain shifts to the denser forest that marks the edge of Murchison Falls National Park.

Day 2: Chimpanzee Trekking in Kibale

Guided trackers lead you into the forest to locate the community, with up to an hour spent observing the chimpanzees feeding, grooming, and moving through the canopy overhead. Because this itinerary continues to Kyambura Gorge the same day, guides tend to keep the Kibale portion efficient, prioritizing a solid hour with the group over lingering elsewhere in the forest.

Day 3: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth via Kyambura Gorge

En route to Queen Elizabeth National Park, you’ll descend into the Kyambura Gorge, the Valley of the Apes, for a second, shorter primate trek along the river before continuing to your lodge. This long southbound drive from Kigali crosses into Uganda’s tea country before climbing into Nyungwe’s cooler, higher-altitude montane forest.

Day 4: Queen Elizabeth National Park Game Drive & Boat Cruise

A full day of savannah game viewing follows, with a morning game drive across the park’s grassland in search of tree-climbing lions, elephant, and buffalo, and an afternoon boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, one of the most reliable places in Uganda to see hippo and a wide variety of waterbirds. The Kazinga Channel cruise here is considered one of the most reliable wildlife-viewing boat trips in Uganda, given the sheer density of hippo and waterbird activity along its banks.

Day 5: Return Transfer & Departure

The return route retraces much of the same road used on the outbound journey, giving a final look at the savannah and forest edge that defined the trip. The approach to Queen Elizabeth National Park from this direction passes through the Ishasha access road, giving an early look at the open savannah that defines the park’s southern sector.

What’s Included

• Airport or hotel pickup and drop-off
• Private 4×4 safari vehicle with professional English-speaking driver-guide
• Chimpanzee trekking or habituation permit(s) as specified in the itinerary
• Accommodation as specified, on a bed & breakfast basis unless otherwise stated
• All ground transport and park transfers
• Bottled drinking water while on safari
• All applicable government taxes

What’s Excluded

• International flights
• Uganda visa fees
• Tips and gratuities for guides and lodge staff
• Personal travel and medical insurance
• Meals not specified as included in the itinerary
• Items of a personal nature (laundry, souvenirs, phone or internet charges)
• Optional activities not listed in the itinerary