Uganda Primate Safari​

From $4,455 per person

7 to 10 Days

Private Tour

Reviews Of Our Partner

Minimum Age 15 years

Gorillas, Chimps and Rare Primates

Embark on the Ultimate Uganda Primate Safari, a journey crafted for wildlife enthusiasts seeking the “Big Five” of the primate world. This isn’t just a safari, it is a front-row seat to the greatest wildlife spectacle in the Pearl of Africa. Trek through the impenetrable jungles of Bwindi to meet the majestic Mountain Gorilla, search for playful Chimpanzees in Kibale Forest, “the Primate Capital of Africa” with a dozen other rare primates, and spend a while with the shy Golden Monkeys in the shadow of the Virunga Volcanoes. Combined with thrilling savannah game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park and cultural encounters with the Batwa people, this is the most comprehensive primate trekking experience in Uganda.

Summary

Day 1. Airport Arrival. Meet and transfer to hotel.
Day 2. Scenic Flight to the Highlands. Relaxation at Lake Mutanda.
Day 3. Golden Monkey Trek at Mgahinga. Transfer to Bwindi.
Day 4. Mountain Gorilla Trek in Bwindi Jungle. Batwa Cultural Walk.
Day 5. Queen Elizabeth Savannah Park.
Day 6. Dawn Game Drive. Kazinga Boat Safari. Transfer to Kibale.
Day 7. Chimpanzee Trek in Kibale Forest. Return to Entebbe.

Customise Your Tour

Add Hotel on Return · Lake Mburo Roadtrip · Mgahinga Volcano Hike · Jungle Rafting · Primate Habituation

The details

A Deep Dive into the Primate Capital

This Uganda Gorilla and Wildlife Tour is designed to hit the sweet spot between high-adrenaline trekking and relaxing holiday. You will explore misty mountains, acacia-dotted savannahs, and dense rainforests, spending time with some of the world’s rarest and most sought-after primates. Whether you are a photographer, a first-timer or a seasoned primatologist, this safari adapts to your pace while guaranteeing perhaps once-in-a-lifetime encounters with our closest genetic relatives.

Day by Day

Day One. Arrival

Your driver will be waiting at Entebbe Airport, holding a sign with your name on it. No queues, no stress. A short transfer to the hotel and, if timings permit, we will help you get sorted with some local money and a SIM card for your phone. Perhaps relax around the pool before dinner.

Stay: Entebbe

Via Via or upgrade to Karibu

Day Two. Flight to the Virungas. Chill out at Lake Mutanda

Skip the long roads! An early breakfast and off to take a short domestic flight to the south-west highlands. As you descend, the view of the jagged Virunga Massif will steal your breath away. You are met at the airport by your driver guide for the tour and transferred to your lodge for lunch, overlooking Lake Mutanda. Your guide will join you for a short briefing over lunch and to help with any queries. Relax and enjoy the afternoon. Perhaps take a dugout canoe to “Punishment Island”, go wild swimming or simply soak in the views of Mount Muhabura. Dinner under the stars.

Stay: Lake Mutanda

Mutanda Lake Resort or upgrade to Chameleon Hill

Day Three. Golden Monkey Trek and The Bwindi Jungle

After an early breakfast, we head for Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. Unlike the more famous gorillas, the Golden Monkey trek is a vibrant, fast-paced adventure. Spend a while watching these gorgeous, electric-orange primates leap through the bamboo with a sense of pure joy. After the trek and a lunch stop in Kisoro we drive over the stunning mountain pass and enter Bwindi Impenetrable Forest – the Jungle – arriving late afternoon. The air is cooler, the foliage denser – you have entered the realm of the giants.

Stay: Rushaga

Rushaga Gorilla Lodge or upgrade to Rushaga Gorilla Cottage

Day Four. The Mountain Gorilla Encounter (Bucket List Moment)

Wake before dawn – suit up, an early breakfast and a short transfer to Gorilla HQ. The mist hangs low over the hills. After a briefing by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, you enter the forest escorted by rangers, armed with a packed lunch and perhaps assisted by a porter. The trek might be an hour, it might be three, but the moment you lock eyes with a silverback, time stops. You will spend a life-changing hour watching a gorilla family play, feed, and interact, coming ever closer to check you out. Returning from the trek, and after lunch and a rest at the lodge, we ground the experience with a visit to the Batwa Pygmies, the original “forest keepers”, who will show you their ancient hunting grounds and survival skills. Return early evening to the lodge for dinner.

Stay: Rushaga, Bwindi

Rushaga Gorilla Lodge or upgrade to Rushaga Gorilla Cottage

Day Five. Queen Elizabeth Savannah Interlude

A leisurely breakfast and time to leave the jungle for now. Kibale Forest – the “Primate Capital of Africa” – lies further north. We will take an interlude en route to visit Queen Elizabeth National Park to safari with the savannah wildlife of the Rift Valley. Departing Bwindi we will stop for lunch at Ntungamo, arriving in the heart of Queen Elizabeth mid-afternoon to check in to your lodge. Rest up for the afternoon after a busy couple of days. Relax around the pool or perhaps a massage before dinner?

Stay: Kyambura

Elephant Hab. No upgrade available.

Day Six. Predators at Dawn and Kazinga Channel Boat Safari

Mustering in the dark for the earliest of breakfasts, we will head out into the park to reach the hunting grounds in the pre-dawn gloom. This is the best time of day for all the herbivores to graze before the heat of the day; the light is perfect for photography; and the predators, such as lion and leopard are still active. We will head down to the Katwe Salt Lake and on towards Lake George to check out the hippos and crocodiles on the lakeshore. After the land, we take to the water. The Kazinga Channel boat cruise is arguably the best boat safari in Uganda and this is the best time of day to see elephant and Cape buffalo taking to the water’s edge to bathe and drink. Your guide will most likely find pods of hippos in the water and point out many of the often hard to spot birds and aquatic creatures. After a fresh fish lunch at the boat dock, we depart Queen Elizabeth, heading north through the crater fields and past the mighty “Mountains of the Moon” with 6 of the top ten peaks in Africa, rising up to the west. We will reach Kibale Forest to check into the lodge late afternoon. Relax before dinner.

Stay: Kibale Forest

Chimpanzee Forest Lodge or upgrade to Turaco Treetops

Day Seven. Kibale Forest: “The Primate Capital”. Return Entebbe.

With 13 different primate species – welcome to the primate capital. Today is about agility and sound. The Kibale Forest chimpanzee trek is a symphony of hoots and howls as you track a community of chimps. But it’s not just about chimps; keep your eyes peeled for the rare L’Hoest’s monkey and the noisy Red Colobus. After the trek and lunch in the nearby town of Fort Portal, we begin the journey back to Entebbe, dropping you off at your next destination in either Kampala or Entebbe. Here we bid you farewell. Perhaps check out our Hotel on Return option.

Tour Ends

Customise your Tour

Check out these options or just tell us what you are looking for and let us see what we can do.

Hotel on Return

Let us take care of you on return from your safari. We will drop you off at the hotel and provide accommodation, dinner and breakfast the next morning – after which we will pick you up and drop you at Entebbe Airport in time for your departure flight.

Stay: Entebbe

Via Via or upgrade to Karibu Guesthouse

Lake Mburo Roadtrip – Instead of Internal Flight

For those who love the journey as much as the destination, take an extra day and drive down to the highlands with a stopover at Lake Mburo. Enjoy a lunch stop on the Equator, an evening game drive in Lake Mburo, and walk among zebras and giraffes on a ranger-led bush walk the next morning. Arrive in Lake Mutanda early evening of the second day.

Stay: Lake Mburo

Rwakobo Rock or upgrade to Kigarama Wilderness

Mgahinga Volcano Trek

Join with a specialist guide to trek one of the three Virunga Volcanoes. Choose from Mount Gahinga (3,474m; easiest); Mount Muhabura (4,127m; challenging) or Mount Sabinyo (3,645m; not for the fainthearted!).

Stay: Lake Mutanda

Mutanda Lake Resort or upgrade to Chameleon Hill

Jungle Rafting on the Biriri River

Join our partners at SANA Gorilla Rafting for an exhilarating day of adventure. Raft, float or canoe through the jungle on the Biriri River.

Stay: Rukungiri

Rukungiri Heritage Hotel Country Club (No upgrade available)

Primate Habituation Experience

Habituation is the gradual process of familiarizing primates in the wild to accept the presence of humans for purposes of research, conservation and tourism. Enjoy an extended, more intense and informative experience with either the mountain gorillas, chimpanzees or golden monkeys by assisting rangers in this process.

Pricing is per person based on two people sharing.

Item Mid-range Upgrade
Ultimate Primates
7 Days		 $4,445 $4,995
Extra Day Options
Hotel On Return $95 $195
Lake Mburo Roadtrip no charge $95
Mgahinga Volcano Trek $445 $545
Jungle Rafting $445 no upgrade
Primate Habituation POA POA
Single Room +$40/night +$70/night
Savings
Delete Day 1 (Hotel/Transfer) $95 $195
Travel by Tourist Van -$40/day -$40/day

Join up with another couple of friends. For a group of 4, sharing double or twin rooms, price per person is only $3,895 per person mid-range and $4,395 for luxury upgrade.

What’s Included

Expertise: Professional, English speaking driver guide and Local Specialist Guides/Rangers on each trek

Permits: Mountain Gorilla, Chimpanzee, and Golden Monkey permits

Activities: All park entry fees, boat safaris, game drives, and cultural visits

Transport: Custom Safari 4×4 Land Cruiser with pop-up roof, fridge and charging points

Accommodation: Hand-picked lodges – mid-range or upgrade

Meals: Full board (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Drinks: Soft drinks and drinking water. Complimentary water bottle

Relaxation: One complimentary lodge massage or spa treatment

Safety: Emergency air evacuation coverage.

What’s Excluded

  • International flights and visas.
  • Travel insurance (mandatory).
  • Vaccinations and anti-malarials.
  • Premium soft and alcoholic drinks.
  • Options: upgrades, supplements and savings – unless specifically included
Though Uganda is relatively compact compared to other safari destinations, transportation is nonetheless a significant feature of any African safari – connecting the dots between activities and destinations. We aim to minimize impact of time spent ‘on the road’ by carefully optimizing routes, creatively breaking up the journey and promoting activities to get you out of the vehicle every chance we get! Nonetheless, significant journey time is inevitable and of paramount importance to us is your comfort and, above all, safety. Our risk assessment identifies four key factors.

Vehicle.

Our preferred vehicle is the Toyota 70 Series Landcruiser with custom 6-seater safari package. This has 4 comfortable, customer captain’s seats in the elevated rear cabin and two lower front seats for driver and occasional ranger/guide. For larger groups, we use an extended 8-seater version with 6 customer Captain’s seats.

Comfort.

All captain’s seats are window seats for excellent game viewing. The vehicle has an open ‘safari’ roof for standing and game viewing in the parks and is equipped with wifi (subject to network coverage), charging points and a fridge for cold drinks and snacks.

Safety.

These vehicles are super-strong, relatively slow and unstressed, providing inherent safety and protection. They have excellent ground clearance and 4-wheel drive to cope with all but the roughest terrain. Enhanced safety features include GPS tracker, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, warning triangles, tools and two spare tyres.

Maintenance.

A robust maintenance regime is essential to ensure reliability and safety on the road. All our vehicles are rigorously maintained and inspected before each trip. You will see this for yourself. We intend to get you there – and back! If you like, you can count the wheelnuts on some of the other trucks – ours will have 6.

Driver.

Our driver-guides are suitably qualified and experienced. They are instructed not to exceed speed limits (50kph in town; 80 on the open road) and are required to maintain an accurate safety record. As driver and guide, they will be more than happy to offer information and dialogue along the way, but we would ask that conversation is sensitive to road conditions and to be mindful of distracting the driver.

Route.

Routes are carefully planned and optimized to minimize overall travel time; limit drive time to 2.5h hours between breaks; a maximum 10 hours within a 24-hour period; and, to avoid driving after dark (19.00). This is as much for your comfort as it is driver safety.

The Unforeseen.

This is Africa. Things do not always go according to plan. Punctures and breakdowns happen; traffic conditions can create huge delays; adverse weather can wash out tracks. Your guide will keep you fully informed of such events and their likely impact. He is also required to advise our duty officer so that we can assist in improving outcomes: sourcing and sending a mechanic; checking and agreeing alternative routes; or calling the lodge to hold dinner.

Feedback.

We welcome your constructive feedback on our transportation – or any other aspects – before, during or after your tour. Please contact +256 704 042234 by phone or whatsapp, or email: [email protected] with suggestions or to report concerns.

Joeboentoe Safaris deliver a vital and sustainable funding stream to our non-profit operations, with resources especially directed towards supporting and empowering local communities. Through these initiatives, tourism becomes a practical vehicle for social impact, helping to fund community development, training opportunities, and conservation-linked livelihoods.

Safaris are delivered in partnership with Meanda Uganda, a leading Ugandan tour operator, as part of their strong commitment to responsible and ethical tourism. This collaboration ensures that each journey is professionally managed while also aligning with shared values of environmental stewardship, cultural respect, and meaningful community engagement.

Our joint mission is to curate transformative safari experiences that touch the soul, creating lasting memories for travellers while honouring a deep and active commitment to conservation and local communities. By combining immersive wildlife encounters with authentic cultural interaction, we aim to ensure that every safari contributes positively to both people and nature.

Highlights

Why Book This Uganda Primate Safari?

Primate tours are not easy, with complex logistics and limited gorilla permits selling out months in advance. So let us take the strain. This tour delivers seamless logistics in an optimized circuit to tour the primate capital of Africa – specifically Bwindi, Mgahinga and Kibale Forest. You just have to show up, connect with nature and enjoy the experience of a lifetime. Lots of early starts to “seize the day”; relaxing afternoons to rest and prepare; and lots of options for you to customize your trip.

Our non-profit NGO delivers safaris in partnership with Meanda Uganda. As part of their Responsible Tourism Charter, Meanda Uganda share 25% of their profits with Joeboentoe, with an additional marketing bonus for safaris initiated through us. So, as you travel around Uganda and come face-to-face with those who may be struggling more than others, just know that you are supporting their journey as well as your own. Read more about it above in the tab ‘Sustainable Safari’.