9 Days Uganda Culture and Gorilla Safari

On this 9 Days Uganda Culture and Gorilla Safari, you will do one-of-a-kind cultural engagement with remarkable gorilla trekking experience in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Meet mountain gorillas in their natural habitats while learning Ugandan culture and traditions through interacting with the people. Uganda Culture and Gorillas.

9 Days Uganda Culture and Gorilla Safari summary

• Day 1: Arrive Uganda and get to your hotel
• Day 2: Morning drive around the picturesque Kigezi Highlands before we reach Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
• Day 3: Enjoy gorilla trekking within Bwindi Impenetrable Forest; these great creatures come up close.
• Day 4: Before heading to Lake Bunyonyi visit a cultural trail with local people.
• Day 5: Discover Lake Bunyonyi’s little islands as well as take part in cultural activities by the community.
• Day 6: Go on a transfer to Ankore for cultural tour and to see traditional farming ways of life.
• Day  7: Partake in traditional homestead experiences such as milking long-horned Ankole cattle.
• Day 8: Take a boat ride around Lake Mburo National Park spotting different animals followed by nature walk.
• Day 9: Then go back home via Entebbe but don’t forget about shopping at the Equator and have lunch there before departure.

Day 1: Arrival for your Uganda culture and gorilla safari.

On arrival at the airport, you are welcomed by a Frero Adventure safari guide and transferred to your hotel for overnight as you look to start the journey tomorrow.

Day 2: Journey to Bwindi Impenetrable national park

The trip to Bwindi national park – home of the ‘gentle giants of Bwindi’ begins now. A gratifying cruise goes through Kigezi highlands with magnificent views of terraced hills. You can stop in Mbarara for lunch before going to your accommodation lodge for some good rests before making arrangements for the next day’s hike.

Day 3: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

On this day you will experience a lot of life that is found in the impenetrable forest full of birds, butterflies primate species, then early breakfast followed by transfer to the briefing area with your driver guide where you receive instructions about gorilla trekking. After the briefing, you will be grouped together with a ranger who will lead you into the forest. With help from your guide and park ranger, find yourself face-to-face with gigantic and rare mountain gorillas. The trek can take anywhere from a couple of minutes to several hours depending on which gorilla group you have been assigned and where they spent their last night. Alternatively, there is an option for taking a flight from Entebbe to Kihihi Airstrip or Kisoro Airfield where your naturalist guide will pick you up and transfer to the lodge.

Day 4: Bwindi Cultural Trail & Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

After breakfast, we shall follow one of the cultural trails by the communities co-existing with the gorillas. Be ready to learn a new skill and participate in the day-to-day lives of these people. Lunch will be the community after which we depart for Lake Bunyonyi in the afternoon. Lake Bunyonyi is a beautiful lake with various stories to learn about the place.

Day 5: Lake Bunyonyi Island tour

Lake Bunyonyi is known as the place of ‘many little birds’, this is the translation from the local Rukiga language. Today we will spend some time on the lake touring and learning about different Islands with a rich history of how some were used a dumping ground of lepers and another known as ‘punishment island’ the place where young pregnant girls were left to die for conceiving outside of wedlock. Have a tour of some of Lake Bunyonyi’s 29 Islands; engage in a cultural activity at an Island where you will have lunch with the community.

Day 6: Transfer for the Ankore cultural tour

After the experience at Lake Bunyonyi, you will leave for a farm life in Ankore to experience their traditional way of living. Enjoy the rolling hills in the countryside and have a relaxed afternoon on this Uganda cultural experience.

Day 7: Traditional Homestead Experiences

You will spend the night with a family in this community. You will arise very early in the morning before daybreak and join the herdsman with milking the long-horned Ankole cows, this is done before the cows are set off for the day. After this experience of milking and learning the tradition surrounding milking cows, we return home for breakfast. We will take a take a short walk to the village visiting more homes and different stops for great views. Experience the lifestyle of these people, food, and other native habits. The trail leads through undulating hills that overlook the village. We have an opportunity to stop by a local school so you get to interact with the children if this is of interest to you. Alternatively, you choose to join the herdsmen as they go to the field to graze the cows.

Day 8: Whispers of the wild in Lake Mburo National Park

After breakfast with our host family, we depart to Lake Mburo National Park with a stopover at an Igongo cultural Museum which tells of the history of the Ankore Kingdom. Lake Mburo National Park is its least sized Savannah park. We reach our lodge then do an afternoon boat cruise on Lake mburo seeing hippos, crocodiles, zebra and buffaloes. The park has amazing bird life which you will enjoy while on the boat. After the boat ride, you have an option of a nature walk in the park with an armed ranger guide for a close experience with the animals.

Day 9: Transfer to Entebbe for departure

We depart Lake Mburo after a short morning game drive. Enjoy the magnificent view one more time before we embark on a journey to Kampala. We shall have a stopover at the Equator for shopping and lunch. Arrive at Entebbe Airport that evening for travel back or overnight at your Hotel depending on your flight time.

Tour Inclusives

• Bottled Water
• English Speaking Guide
• Park Entrance Fees
• Boat Rides
• All activities on the itinerary

Exclusions

• Tourist Entry Visa
•  International Flight Tickets
•  Travel Insurance
•  Items of Personal Nature
•  Tips and Gratuities