8-Day Primates and Wildlife Budget Safari

Last updated October 2026. Planned by Victoria Kayaga, tour operator at Afraeka Adventures, with over 7 years in East African tourism.

Primates and wildlife budget safari: quick answer

This primates and wildlife budget safari lasts eight days and seven nights. It runs from Entebbe to Lake Mburo, Bwindi, the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Kazinga Channel and Kibale Forest, then back to Entebbe. The highlights are a mountain gorilla trek in Bwindi and chimpanzee tracking in Kibale.

It suits travellers who want both big primate encounters and savannah wildlife while keeping to a budget, with accommodation in hotels with a family environment. The minimum group size is two people, and the minimum age for gorilla trekking is 15.

Day-by-day route of the primates and wildlife budget safari

Day 1: arrive in Entebbe

Your driver meets you at Entebbe International Airport and takes you to your hotel, about 15 minutes away. Your trip specialist briefs you on the week ahead before dinner. If you arrive early, you can visit the Entebbe Botanical Gardens or add an optional half-day trip to Mabamba Swamp to look for the shoebill stork.

Day 2: Entebbe to Lake Mburo National Park

After an early breakfast you drive west through banana plantations and cattle country, with a stop at the Equator for photographs. The drive to Lake Mburo takes about five hours. After lunch at your lodge you set out on an afternoon game drive and look for zebras, impalas, elands, buffaloes, warthogs and bushbuck. An optional boat trip on the lake gives close views of hippos, crocodiles and water birds.

Day 3: Lake Mburo to Bwindi

You start with a short morning game drive, then drive south-west through Mbarara and Kabale towards Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The road climbs through terraced hills, tea estates and misty valleys, and the last stretch is on dirt roads. It is a long day, so stops are relaxed and unhurried. If time allows, you can join an optional visit to the Batwa community, the original forest people of Bwindi.

Day 4: gorilla trekking in Bwindi

After an early breakfast you report to the park briefing point, where a ranger explains the rules: keep your distance, no flash photography and stay quiet. You then trek into the forest with rangers and trackers to find a habituated gorilla family. The trek takes from about two hours to most of the day on steep and sometimes muddy trails, and porters can carry your daypack.

When you find the gorillas you spend one hour with them at a distance of about seven metres. Groups are limited to eight visitors per gorilla family. You return to your lodge for dinner and a rest.

Day 5: Bwindi to Queen Elizabeth via Ishasha

After breakfast you drive north to Queen Elizabeth National Park through the Ishasha sector, famous for tree-climbing lions that often rest in the branches of large fig trees. Your guide looks for them along the way. You continue to your lodge near the Kazinga Channel, with stops for lunch and photographs.

Day 6: Queen Elizabeth game drive, Kazinga Channel cruise and drive to Kibale

You start with a game drive on the Kasenyi plains, where you may see elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kob and, with luck, lions. In the afternoon a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, which links Lake George and Lake Edward, shows one of Africa’s largest concentrations of hippos, plus elephants, buffaloes, crocodiles and water birds such as fish eagles, kingfishers and herons. You then drive north to Kibale National Park, about three to four hours away.

Day 7: chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest

You report to the Kibale briefing point early in the morning. Kibale is known for its high concentration of primates, with around 1,500 chimpanzees and 13 primate species in total. Your guide and trackers lead you into the forest, following fresh signs such as fallen fruit and distant calls. The search can take a few hours, and once you find the chimpanzees you spend one hour watching them feed, groom and play.

Along the way you may also see red colobus, black-and-white colobus, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys and olive baboons. In the afternoon you can relax or join an optional guided walk in the Bigodi Wetland.

Day 8: Kibale to Entebbe

After breakfast you drive east through Fort Portal and Kampala to Entebbe, about six to seven hours depending on traffic. Your driver takes you to the airport or your hotel in time for your onward flight. Accommodation for this night is not included, but we can book a hotel in Entebbe on request.

What you can see on the primates and wildlife budget safari

Expect zebras, impalas and elands at Lake Mburo, tree-climbing lions in Ishasha, elephants, buffaloes and hippos in Queen Elizabeth, and a long list of primates in Kibale. Mountain gorillas are the main highlight in Bwindi. Sightings are never guaranteed.

Gorilla and chimpanzee treks on this safari

A moderate level of fitness is enough for the treks. Gorilla treks can last from about 2 hours to as long as 8 hours on steep, muddy forest trails, and porters from the local community can carry your daypack. The minimum age for gorilla trekking in Uganda is 15 years. Chimpanzee tracking age limits depend on the site, so tell us the ages of everyone in your group when you enquire.

What is included

Included are airport pick-up and drop-off in our own vehicle, ground transportation throughout the safari, meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner and a cup of coffee or tea) and accommodation in hotels with a family environment, the guide’s transport, food, accommodation and insurance, a first aid medical kit carried by your guide, and all the required permits and paperwork.

International airfare, visa charges, hotel expenses before and after the safari, your travel and medical insurance, personal expenses such as shopping, bar bills, telephone, laundry and snacks, and services not mentioned in the itinerary are not included.

How Afraeka plans your primates and wildlife budget safari

We start with your travel dates and group size, then check permit availability for the gorilla and chimpanzee treks, because the permit dates shape the order of the route. We then confirm your accommodation and send a quote by email.

If you prefer a different length, compare our Uganda safari packages, read about Uganda parks and lodges or browse all our Uganda safaris.

Primates and wildlife budget safari FAQ

What does this 8-day safari cover?

Lake Mburo, Bwindi for gorilla trekking, Ishasha and Queen Elizabeth with a Kazinga Channel cruise, and Kibale for chimpanzee tracking.

Are the permits included?

Yes. The cost list includes all the required permits and paperwork.

What is the minimum age for gorilla trekking?

15 years.

What is the Batwa experience?

An optional visit to the Batwa, the original forest people of the Bwindi area, to hear their stories and learn about their traditional way of life.

Related guides and sources

Read our guides to gorilla permits in Uganda, Uganda visa requirements and what to pack. For official information see the Uganda Wildlife Authority, or request a free quote for this primates and wildlife budget safari.