This 17-Day Uganda Hiking Safari and Primates Trekking Adventure covers the range of what Uganda offers, from Mount Rwenzori to the endangered mountain gorillas of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, golden monkeys in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, wildlife in Queen Elizabeth and Lake Mburo National Parks, and time to rest at Lake Bunyonyi.
17-Day Uganda Primates and Hiking Safari Highlights
- Day 1: Kampala to Lake Mburo National Park and afternoon boat trip
- Day 2: Morning game drive and afternoon cultural excursion
- Day 3: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi, evening canoe experience
- Day 4: Early boat cruise and transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
- Day 5: Golden monkey trekking and transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Day 6: Gorilla trekking and evening community walk
- Day 7: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Ishasha sector
- Day 8: Morning game safari and afternoon boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel
- Day 9: Transfer to the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains via the Rwenzori Bronze Casting Center
- Day 10: Start of the trek: Nyakalengija (1,600m) to Nyabitaba Hut (2,650m)
- Day 11: Nyabitaba Hut (2,650m) to John Matte Hut (3,380m)
- Day 12: John Matte Hut (3,380m) to Bujuku Hut (3,972m)
- Day 13: Bujuku Hut (3,900m) to Elena Hut (4,541m)
- Day 14: Elena Hut (4,541m) to Margherita Peak (5,109m)
- Day 15: Kitandara Hut to Guy Yeoman Hut (3,261m)
- Day 16: Guy Yeoman Hut to Nyabitaba Hut
- Day 17: Nyabitaba to Nyakalengija base camp
Detailed 17-Day Uganda Primates and Hiking Safari Itinerary
Day 1: Kampala to Lake Mburo National Park and Afternoon Boat Trip
After breakfast in Kampala, depart for southwestern Uganda. Lake Mburo National Park sits along the Masaka-Mbarara highway, about 240 km from Kampala, making it Uganda’s most accessible national park.
Stop at the equator monument in Mpigi district for photos and coffee, standing at the point where the northern and southern hemispheres meet.
Continue for another 3 hours to Lake Mburo National Park for lunch, then head straight into the afternoon boat cruise. The cruise takes in the lake’s clear waters, along with hippos, crocodiles, birds, and other wildlife along the shore.
The boat trip lasts about 3 to 4 hours. Afterward, drive back to the lodge to check in and rest for the evening.
Day 2: Morning Game Drive and Afternoon Cultural Excursion
Take a 3 to 4 hour game drive through the park in the morning, covering some of Uganda’s finest savannah wildlife, along with the resident kopjes and other ancient rock formations.
Wildlife here includes impala, giraffe, buffalo, zebra, topi, bushbuck, waterbuck, elephants, and lions. After the drive, return to the lodge for lunch and a relaxed afternoon.
In the evening, visit a local homestead to see traditional Ankole life and daily activities. You can take part in milking, grazing cattle, simple craft-making, or an evening ekitaramo, a traditional fireside gathering where elders share stories.
Return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 3: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi, Evening Canoe Experience
After breakfast, depart for Lake Bunyonyi, Uganda’s deepest lake and the second-deepest in Africa. The drive passes through Mbarara town, the largest in southwestern Uganda, with a short city tour, then continues through Ntungamo’s hills and plains.
Arrive at Lake Bunyonyi in time for lunch, then rest along the shore ahead of an evening canoe trip.
At sunset, take a dugout canoe out to explore the lake’s islands and meet some of the islanders who have lived there for generations. Return for dinner and an overnight stay at the lodge.
Day 4: Early Boat Cruise and Transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Have breakfast lakeside, then take a sunrise motorboat cruise, the quickest way to see the lake’s 29 islands, along with local fishermen, nearby communities, birds, and the terraced hills surrounding the lake.
The cruise lasts about 3 to 4 hours, with room to extend depending on your interest. Return to the lodge for lunch, then drive southwest to Kisoro district, home of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Dinner and overnight stay at your lodge.
Day 5: Golden Monkey Trekking and Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Today covers Mgahinga’s golden monkeys, found only in the Virunga region spanning Uganda, Rwanda, and the DRC.
The briefing runs at 7:30 am, with trekking starting at 8:00 am into the bamboo zone of the forest.
After the trek, return to the lodge for lunch, check out, and drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 6: Gorilla Trekking and Evening Community Walk
In the morning, gather at park headquarters for the ranger briefing on gorilla trekking guidelines and your gorilla family assignment.
Head to the trailhead and begin the search through the Bwindi forest. Trekking time runs 2 to 6 hours depending on the gorilla group’s movements. Once you find them, spend up to an hour watching them feed and move through the forest, with the dominant silverback protecting the group.
Descend to the trailhead, meet your guide, and drive to the lodge for lunch and rest.
In the evening, visit the Batwa community, the forest’s original inhabitants alongside the gorillas, for traditional performances, songs, and history. Overnight stay at the lodge.
Day 7: Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park via Ishasha Sector
Depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park after breakfast.
Along the way, take a short game drive through the Ishasha sector, known for its tree-climbing lions. Ishasha holds a good population of these lions, a highlight of this part of the park.
Continue to your booked lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.
Day 8: Morning Game Safari and Afternoon Boat Cruise Along the Kazinga Channel
Start the game drive early to improve your chances of spotting leopards, lions, and spotted hyenas. The drive covers the Kasenyi Plains, Lake Katwe, nearby crater lakes, and the Queen’s Pavilion.
The drive lasts about 3 to 4 hours, with sightings of elephants, buffalo, waterbuck, topi, warthogs, kob, and predators such as lions, leopards, and jackals, along with a wide range of birds.
Return to the lodge to rest and have lunch, then continue to Mweya jetty for a boat trip departing at 2:00 pm.
The 2-hour cruise along the Kazinga Channel is one of the park’s highlights, bringing you close to wildlife along the banks, including buffalo, elephants, antelope, hippos, crocodiles, and birds.
Return around 4:00 pm and meet your guide at the jetty for the drive to the lodge.
Day 9: Transfer to the Foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains via the Rwenzori Bronze Casting Center
Have breakfast at your lodge, then transfer to the Rwenzori range, crossing the equator at Kikorongo for photos.
Stop in Kasese town for a short tour and a visit to the Rwenzori Bronze Casting Center, the only one of its kind in East Africa.
Day 10: Start of the Trek: Nyakalengija (1,600m) to Nyabitaba Hut (2,650m)
Begin the trek from Rwenzori Mountains National Park headquarters at Nyakalengija, with a pre-hike briefing from your mountain guides and the option to rent hiking gear.
The trail passes through communities and farmland belonging to the Bakonzo people, follows the Mubuku River, crosses the Mahoma River, and continues through open fern slopes and podocarpus forest to Nyabitaba Hut at 2,652 meters.
This stretch takes about 5 to 6 hours, with views of Portal Peaks (4,627 meters) and Mount Kyniangoma. Along the way, you may spot monkeys, the Rwenzori turaco, and chimpanzees.
Day 11: Nyabitaba Hut (2,650m) to John Matte Hut (3,380m)
Trek for about 4 to 5 hours, descending along a ridge to the Mubuku River, then climbing through bamboo forest to John Matte Hut at 3,380 meters. In the afternoon, continue north along the Bujuku River through extensive heather forest.
Day 12: John Matte Hut (3,380m) to Bujuku Hut (3,972m)
Climb from John Matte Hut to Bujuku Hut at 3,977 meters. This stretch crosses the bogs the Ugandan route is known for, including Bigo Bog, and passes along Lake Bujuku, where the “everlasting flower” can stay on its plant for up to 40 years.
Day 13: Bujuku Hut (3,900m) to Elena Hut (4,541m)
Leave Bujuku Hut and climb through moss-covered groundsel vegetation to Scott Elliot Pass at 4,372 meters, between Mount Stanley and Mount Baker.
At 4,540 meters, branch off to Elena Hut, where you’ll spend the night ahead of the summit climb.
Day 14: Elena Hut (4,541m) to Margherita Peak (5,109m)
Set out for Uganda’s highest peak. From Elena Hut, cross the Elena Glacier to the Stanley Plateau, using crampons for safety.
The climb to the summit at 5,109 meters takes about 3 hours along the Margherita Glacier.
Return to Elena Hut, then descend to Kitandara Hut at 4,023 meters, near the upper Kitandara Lake, taking about 3 hours. Climbing Mount Baker, Mount Luigi di Savoia, or Vittorio Sella Peak is possible as an optional extension.
Day 15: Kitandara Hut to Guy Yeoman Hut (3,261m)
Climb from Kitandara Hut to Freshfield Pass at 4,282 meters, crossing high alpine mossy terrain before descending through marshland and rock.
This stretch gives views of Mount Stanley, Mount Baker, and the Savoy glaciers. The trail continues through the Bujongolo, Akendahi, and Kabamba rock shelters, across the Kabamba Valley, to Guy Yeoman Hut at 3,261 meters. The full trek takes up to 6 hours.
Day 16: Guy Yeoman Hut to Nyabitaba Hut
Descend steeply along the Mubuku River, past the Kichuchu rock shelter, rejoining the original route near the Bujuku River confluence. This section takes about 2 to 3 hours.
Day 17: Nyabitaba to Nyakalengija Base Camp
Descend from Nyabitaba to Nyakalengija camp in about 2 hours, through warm forest home to tropical birds and primates, including monkeys and baboons.
On arrival at base camp, transfer back to Kampala or Entebbe Airport for your return flight or an overnight stay.
End of 17-Day Uganda Hiking Safari and Primates Trekking Adventure.
