Uganda Safari Packages — Gorilla Trekking & Wildlife

Winston Churchill called Uganda the "Pearl of Africa," and one hour in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest watching a silverback mountain gorilla move through the mist-shrouded trees will tell you exactly why. Uganda offers one of Africa's most unique and emotionally powerful safari experiences — and it goes far beyond gorillas. This small, landlocked country packs an extraordinary range of wildlife, ecosystems, and cultural experiences into one of the continent's most welcoming destinations. Tazama Africa Holidays offers expertly guided Uganda safari packages that take you deep into some of Africa's wildest remaining wilderness.

Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in southwestern Uganda is one of only two places on Earth where you can trek to habituated mountain gorillas in their natural rainforest habitat. The park protects over half of the world's remaining mountain gorilla population — roughly 400 of the estimated 1,063 mountain gorillas alive today. Divided into four sectors (Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga, and Nkuringo), Bwindi offers gorilla trekking experiences ranging from 1 to 8 hours on foot through steep, dense tropical forest.

The moment you find the gorilla family — often located by trackers who have been out since dawn — and spend your permitted hour sitting quietly while a 220kg silverback feeds, plays with juveniles, and occasionally glances at you with unsettling intelligence, is one of the most profound wildlife encounters available anywhere on Earth. Uganda gorilla trekking permits cost $700 per person and must be booked well in advance, especially for peak season travel.

For travellers who want even more time with the gorillas, Uganda's Gorilla Habituation Experience (GAHOE) allows up to 4 hours with a semi-habituated family as researchers continue the habituation process. Limited to 4 participants per day and requiring a $1,500 permit, it offers the most intimate gorilla experience available anywhere.

Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale Forest

Kibale National Park contains the highest density of primates in Africa, and its habituated chimpanzee communities offer the finest chimp tracking experience on the continent. Unlike gorilla treks, chimp tracking involves following a group of around 120 chimps through the forest as they travel, feed, socialise, and occasionally charge in dramatic displays of territorial aggression. The Kanyanchu visitor centre runs morning and afternoon tracking sessions with a maximum of six visitors per group.

Beyond chimpanzees, Kibale's 13 primate species include the red-tailed monkey, blue monkey, black-and-white colobus, grey-cheeked mangabey, and the endangered L'Hoest's monkey. Kibale's famous Primate Walk allows you to spend a morning in the company of multiple primate species along a forest trail, often encountering five or six different species in a single morning. The forest birding is exceptional, with over 375 species recorded.

Queen Elizabeth National Park — Safari in the Crater Lakes

Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda's most visited national park, straddling the equator between the Rwenzori Mountains and Lake Edward. The Kasenyi Plains offer open savannah game drives with lion, elephant, buffalo, Uganda kob (which performs its mating displays on fixed "leks" that can be observed daily), and the striking black-and-white colobus monkey in the trees along the Mweya Peninsula. The park is one of only a handful of places in Africa where you can see lions that regularly climb trees — the Ishasha sector's tree-climbing lions are famous among photographers and wildlife enthusiasts worldwide.

The Kazinga Channel boat safari — a 2-hour journey along the channel connecting Lakes George and Edward — offers some of the finest hippo, crocodile, and waterbird viewing in Africa, with hundreds of hippos visible from close range and a remarkable variety of herons, kingfishers, and wading birds lining the banks. The channel is home to one of Africa's largest hippo populations — over 5,000 animals — and watching their interactions from a comfortable boat is a memorable alternative to the typical game drive.

Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda's largest, centres on the spectacular Murchison Falls — where the entire flow of the Nile is forced through a 7-metre-wide rock cleft in a thundering explosion of spray and sound. Standing at the top of the falls, watching the water disappear into the gorge below, is one of Uganda's most dramatic experiences. The park supports large herds of elephant, giraffe, buffalo, and Uganda kob on its northern bank savannah, with lion, leopard, and the rare shoebill stork among the highlights. A boat trip to the base of the falls offers exceptional hippo, crocodile, and elephant viewing along the Nile banks — one of Uganda's finest wildlife experiences.

The shoebill stork is perhaps Uganda's most sought-after bird. This prehistoric-looking bird, with its distinctive shoe-shaped bill, inhabits the papyrus swamps of the Lake Albert delta within Murchison Falls NP and can be accessed by boat from the southern sector of the park. Uganda is one of the best places in Africa to see this remarkable species.

Rwenzori Mountains — The Mountains of the Moon

The Rwenzori Mountains — the "Mountains of the Moon" of ancient Greek cartographers — rise to 5,109m at Mount Stanley on the Uganda-DRC border, making them Africa's third-highest massif. The mountains are a UNESCO World Heritage Site protecting extraordinary high-altitude vegetation zones: tropical forest, bamboo groves, giant heather, and finally the bizarre afro-alpine zone of giant groundsels and giant lobelias at altitude. Multi-day trekking expeditions through the Rwenzoris are among Africa's most challenging and rewarding mountain adventures.

Best Time to Visit Uganda

Uganda's equatorial climate means gorilla trekking is possible year-round, but the dry seasons offer more comfortable trekking conditions:

• June to September: The long dry season — drier forest trails make gorilla trekking less muddy. Peak season, book permits well in advance.
• December to February: The short dry season — good conditions and slightly fewer visitors than the June-September peak.

Even during the wet seasons (March–May and October–November), gorilla trekking continues — permits are easier to obtain and rates at lodges drop significantly. The forest is dramatically beautiful in the mist and rain, and encounters with the gorillas are just as extraordinary regardless of weather.

Popular Uganda Safari Itineraries

• 3-Day Bwindi Gorilla Trek: Fly from Entebbe to Bwindi — the fastest and most efficient gorilla trekking experience.
• 5-Day Gorillas & Chimps: Bwindi gorilla trekking combined with Kibale chimpanzee tracking.
• 7-Day Pearl of Africa Safari: Bwindi + Queen Elizabeth + Kibale — Uganda's three great wildlife destinations.
• 9-Day Uganda Complete Circuit: Murchison Falls + Kibale + Queen Elizabeth + Bwindi — covering the full range of Uganda's wildlife.
• Uganda & Rwanda Gorilla Combination: Trek gorillas in both countries — the ultimate primate safari experience.

Planning Your Uganda Safari

The Uganda gorilla trekking permit at $700 per person is the single largest cost in a Uganda safari budget. Beyond permits, all-inclusive lodge-based Uganda safaris typically cost $350–$700 per person per day depending on accommodation level. Tazama Africa Holidays handles all permit bookings, logistics, and guide arrangements for Uganda safaris. Contact our team to check gorilla permit availability for your preferred dates and design a Uganda itinerary around your interests and budget.