Uganda Gorilla Safari which starts and ends in Kampala. This Mountain Gorilla Trekking safari takes you for gorilla tracking in either Mgahinga National Park in Uganda or Bwindi National park. Tracking some of the last remaining 700 mountain gorillas in the World is an omissible experience and a great value for your money. These ancient apes live in different habitats within 3 countries Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. Tracking will be done from Uganda. In Bwindi National park there are four habituated gorilla families while in Mgahinga, there is only one habituated family.

Though Mgahinga National park has only one family, it is often thought to be the prettiest park for tracking these great apes given that the habituated family now spends virtually all the year in the park, contrary to its previous behavior of migrating to Rwanda and Congo. Apart from gorilla tracking, the safari will also involve you in a number of other activities. Other tourism activities to be done in Mgahinga include nature walks, other primate walks, birding, climbing Mt. Muhavura or Gahinga volcano, visiting the Garama cave where the Batwa lived in during the late Iron Age. From Bwindi other tourism activities that can be carried out include forest walks that may yield seeing other primates in the forest, birding, community visits among others.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the smallest park at just 33sq km and it is located in the far south western part of Uganda bordering Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. However this park is one of the most dramatic park, it covers the northern slopes of the three among the six Virunga Volcanoes: Mt. Gahinga (3,474 m), Mt. Muhavura (4,127 m), and Mt. Sabiny (3,645 m). Despite being small in size, Mgahinga national park is of great importance given that it is a home to the endangered mountain Gorillas. This park together with other two parks in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo: i.e. Parc National des Volcans and Parc National des Virunga respectively form the 434-sq. km 'Virunga Conservation Area'. Since Mgahinga is 33.7 sq. km, it is just 8% of the Virunga Conservation Area and the whole park is found in Bufumbira County of Kisoro District. The park’s vegetation is partly forested and the huge cones of the Virunga volcanoes that dominate the landscape contribute to the great scenic view of the area.

Gorilla safari - 7 days

Day 1: Kampala/Equator
Meet and greet in Kampala at 0800 hrs. Drive west with a stop over at the equator for photos, through volcanic formations of the Western Rift Valley towards Queen Elizabeth National Park. The descent reveals a stunning panorama of Lakes George and Edward amidst game filled plains. In the evening, proceed for a unique two-hour boat cruise on the Kazinga channel and into Lake Edward. The trip passed through possibly the highest hippo concentration in Africa and many mammals may be seen drinking at the water's edge. The cruise offers an excellent platform for photography and game viewing. The bird life is colorful and abundant.

Return for dinner and overnight at Mweya Safari Lodge or Jacana Safari Lodge

Day 2: Queen Elizabeth
Queen Elizabeth National Park's diverse eco-system of grassy plains, tropical forests, rivers, swamps, lakes and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife. An early morning walk in the spectacular Kyamburi Gorge provides excellent opportunities to see chimpanzees, L'hoestes, red-colobus, black and white colobus and more. After a picnic lunch, transfer to Bwindi impenetrable Forest
Dinner and overnight stay at Volcano Tented Camp

Day 3: Gorilla Sanctuary
Early morning entry into the gorilla sanctuary. The rainforest is spectacular. It offers a dramatic, steeply forested landscape and is incredibly dense, but criss-crossed by numerous animal trails allowing access to tourists. Mammals recorded include the endangered mountain gorilla, rare golden monkey, buffalo, elephant, black-fronted duiker, bushbuck, leopard, giant forest hog and others This Park is best known for the fascinating gorillas. The time taken and the terrain vary according to the movements of the marvelous primates. The thrill of spending time and observing the gorillas is a rare, moving, awesome and exciting adventure. The Gorilla is a shy and peaceful animal and it is an unforgettable experience to watch and photograph them as they interact
Dinner and overnight stay at the Volcano Tented Camp

Day 4: Kingezi Highlands
Drive through the 'Switzerland of Africa' area known as the Kigezi Highlands with it's terraced hillside and winding roads to Kisoro or Bwindi
Dinner and overnight at Traveller's Rest Camp

Day 5: Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Tracking Gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and in Pare De Vulcans in Rwanda. Simply amazing chance to see the fascinating endangered gorillas
Dinner and overnight stay in Traveller's Rest Camp

Day 6: Pare De Vulcans
Tracking Gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and in Pare De Vulcans in Rwanda. Simply amazing chance to see the fascinating, endangered gorillas
Dinner and overnight stay in Traveler's Rest Camp

Day 7: Mbarara
Leisurely drive back to Kampala with a stopover in Mbarara for lunch