15 Day Gorillas, Chimps and Big 5 Safari Tour

Uganda packs a lot into 15 days. This private tour links rhino tracking, classic game drives, chimpanzee trekking, gorilla trekking, boat cruises, village visits, rafting, and forest walks into one long route from Entebbe through western Uganda and back to the Nile. I especially like the gorilla and chimpanzee permits included, since those costly permits can make or break a Uganda trip, and I like the mix of wildlife and local experiences rather than treating the country as one long drive between lodges. The main concern is the pace: several days are listed as roughly eight to twelve hours, and the route description has a few timing and location details that you should confirm before paying.

I also like that Hail Tours Uganda provides private transportation, accommodation, meals, drinking water, and activities in one package. That makes budgeting simpler, and past guests have praised the company’s care, professionalism, hospitality, game drives, boat trips, and gorilla trekking. At $8,000 per person, this is a major purchase, so you should ask for the exact hotels, vehicle details, permit dates, and final driving plan in writing.

Key points before you book

• Rhinos begin the Big Five search at Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary, a worthwhile first stop on the long road toward Murchison Falls.
• Murchison Falls combines safari and river scenery, with northern-sector game drives and a boat ride toward the base of the falls.
• Kibale offers the chimpanzee trek, plus a strong chance to see several other primate species.
• Bwindi is the emotional high point, with a guided search for mountain gorillas that can take two to seven hours.
• Lake Bunyonyi gives you a slower day, with a boat ride, optional canoeing, swimming, walking, and village visits.
• Jinja and Mabira add active finishes, including Nile rafting, forest walking, and canopy zip-lining.

What the $8,000 price really covers

The tour costs $8,000 per person, which places it in the premium range for a 15-day Uganda safari. The price is easier to understand when you look at what is included: private transport, all accommodation, drinking water each day, breakfast, lunch and dinner, all listed activities, and both the gorilla and chimpanzee permits.

Those permits are especially important. Gorilla trekking permits are expensive, limited, and tied to a specific date. A package that includes yours removes one of the largest planning tasks. The chimpanzee permit adds further value at Kibale, where the primate walk is one of the trip’s main reasons for going.

Still, $8,000 does not cover international flights, extra nights before or after the tour, tips, or personal purchases. You should also clarify whether park entry fees, rafting charges, canoe hire, zip-lining, and cultural visits are fully covered, since the description says all activities but does not break down every fee.

Private transport matters in Uganda. You are not simply being driven between two nearby parks. The route connects Entebbe, Murchison Falls, Semuliki, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, Lake Bunyonyi, Lake Mburo, Jinja, and Mabira. A private vehicle gives your group more control over stops and rest periods, though it does not make the long road sections short.

Day 1: Rhinos before Murchison Falls

Your first early start is listed for 5:00 a.m. from Entebbe Airport. The opening stop is Zziwa Rhino Sanctuary, where you begin the Big Five theme with a guided rhino experience. The visit is listed at about three hours, with admission included.

This is a smart first stop. Rhinos are not usually part of the regular wildlife experience in Uganda’s major parks, so Zziwa gives you a realistic chance to see one of Africa’s famous five animals before reaching Murchison Falls. It also breaks up the long road journey.

Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s largest national park. Its broad northern plains support lions, giraffes, hartebeest, buffalo, elephants, and other antelope. Along the Nile, you can expect hippos, Nile crocodiles, and many water birds. The park lists about 450 bird species, including the shoebill stork, dwarf kingfisher, white-thighed hornbill, and Goliath heron.

The weakness is simple: this is a long opening day. Confirm whether your overnight stay is inside or near the park, and find out how much time is allowed for the sanctuary visit, road stops, and park entry.

Day 2: Game drives and the Nile cruise

The morning begins with a game drive in Murchison Falls’ northern area. This is the main safari zone, and you will look for buffalo, lions, elephants, and possibly leopards. Rothschild giraffes, bushbucks, warthogs, waterbuck, and several antelope species may also appear.

I like the structure of this day because it gives you two very different views of the park. The game drive puts you on the open plains, while the afternoon boat trip brings you close to animals living along the water.

The cruise lasts about three hours and heads toward the base of Murchison Falls. Hippos often gather in large groups, crocodiles rest along the banks, and aquatic birds line the river. The falls themselves are created when a huge volume of Nile water is forced through a narrow gorge. At the top, the river is about 50 meters wide before dropping 43 meters through a gorge only about seven meters across.

The boat trip is one of the strongest parts of the Murchison section, but do not confuse it with a ride over the falls. It approaches the base. The route description also refers to a later visit to the top of the falls, so ask how that stop fits into the driving plan.

Days 3 and 4: Semuliki’s hot springs and forest edge

The schedule places Semuliki National Park next, with the top-of-the-falls description appearing in the Day 3 details. This is one of the points I would have Hail Tours clarify, because the heading and the written activity do not match perfectly.

Semuliki is different from Murchison. Instead of wide northern plains, you get a forested setting, hot springs, birds, primates, and a valley near the Semliki River. The park’s two well-known springs are Bitende, described as the male spring, and Nyasimbi, described as the female spring. Nyasimbi sends bubbling water and steam about two meters into the air, with temperatures around 100 degrees Celsius.

The hot springs are a good cultural and natural stop. Local people have traditionally used the pools to boil food, and you may be able to bring eggs to cook there if the guide confirms that it is permitted. Do not treat the pools like a swimming hole. The water is dangerously hot.

An afternoon game drive through the Semuliki Valley adds savannah wildlife and birding. The Bambuti Pygmy community also lives on both sides of the Semliki River. The description makes an important distinction between the Bambuti and the Batwa communities around Bwindi and Mgahinga. If a cultural visit is part of your day, ask how it is organized and how local communities benefit.

Days 5 and 6: Kibale and the chimpanzee trek

Kibale National Park is the tour’s main primate stop. The road from Semuliki takes time, but the reward is a forest with a wide range of monkeys and chimpanzees.

The chimpanzee trek is scheduled for Day 6 and lasts about five hours. Chimpanzees share about 98 percent of human genes, and watching them feed, call, climb, and move through the trees gives the walk a different feeling from a standard safari drive.

You may also see red colobus, red-tailed guenons, black-and-white colobus monkeys, blue monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, gray-cheeked mangabeys, white-nosed monkeys, and olive baboons. Kibale is valuable because you are not putting all your hopes on one species.

The description includes a visit connected with the Bambuti people on Day 5. This can add human context to the forest, but the schedule should explain exactly what you will do, how long it lasts, and whether a community fee is included. The word Pygmy is used in the supplied description, but community names and preferences matter, so ask the operator how the visit is presented respectfully.

Day 7: Queen Elizabeth National Park by evening

You drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park in the morning and reach the park in the afternoon for an evening game drive. The park has about 200 kilometers of game-viewing tracks and a wide mix of grassland, woodland, lakeshore, and wetland habitat.

The wildlife list is strong: hippos, elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, hyenas, serval cats, civets, genets, baboons, and several antelope species. Black-and-white colobus monkeys may appear in the trees.

This is another full road-and-safari day, so the evening drive may be shorter than a full morning outing. Ask whether the listed animal numbers are general park estimates rather than a promise of what you will see. Wildlife is never guaranteed, and the best approach is to enjoy the search rather than chase a checklist.

Day 8: Ishasha’s famous tree-climbing lions

The southern Ishasha sector is one of the most memorable parts of the route. Adult lions are known to rest in fig trees here, often escaping biting insects and finding a cooler breeze above the ground.

You may see the lions lounging in branches, but sightings are not guaranteed. The sector is remote, and the road plan can change with weather, park conditions, or animal movement. That remoteness is part of its appeal. You get a quieter section of Queen Elizabeth rather than only the busier central tracks.

The day continues toward Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The scenery changes quickly as open grassland gives way to steep hills and forest. This is a demanding driving day, so comfortable clothing, water, and patience will help.

Day 9: Bwindi gorilla trekking

Gorilla trekking is the trip’s central experience. Bwindi is home to about half of the world’s mountain gorillas, and the walk is led by an experienced park ranger.

The trek can take from two to seven hours, depending on where the family group is located. Once you reach the gorillas, you have one hour to watch them quietly. That short viewing period is why the included permit matters so much.

You should be ready for a real forest walk, not a simple roadside stop. The time estimate covers a wide range, so bring sturdy footwear, water, rain protection, and only the camera equipment you can carry comfortably. Your fitness level may affect how much you enjoy this day, although the description says most people can participate in the private tour.

Past guests gave special praise to the gorilla experience, the care provided by Hail Tours Uganda, and the company’s professional handling of safari services. No guide names are supplied, so ask for your lead guide and ranger arrangements before departure.

Day 10: Lake Bunyonyi and a needed pause

After breakfast, you travel to Lake Bunyonyi near Kabale. The lake is surrounded by steep, cultivated hills rising between about 2,200 and 2,478 meters, with 29 islands scattered across the water.

A boat ride is planned, followed by optional activities. You may choose a canoe trip, a swim in the bilharzia-free lake, a hill walk, or a visit to a nearby village. This is a useful change of pace after the gorilla trek.

The lake day is also a reminder that this tour is not only about wildlife. You get time to see how people farm the hills and live around the water. Keep optional costs in mind, since the description does not specify which of these extra activities are included.

Days 11 and 12: From Ankole culture to Lake Mburo

Day 11 gives you a morning around Lake Bunyonyi, with departure after lunch. The route passes through Mbarara and includes Igongo Cultural Village and the Ankole Museum before continuing to Lake Mburo National Park.

You arrive late, with the evening reserved for rest. That is sensible. This itinerary has several long transfer days, and a quiet evening helps you enjoy the next morning.

Lake Mburo offers a different type of safari. On Day 12, an early guided nature walk with an armed Uganda Wildlife Authority ranger may bring you close to zebras, giraffes, eland, topi, buffalo, hippos, and hyenas returning from their night activity. Birds, butterflies, and other antelope add variety.

The walk can lead to hilltop views over Lake Mburo and the surrounding area. This is a strong inclusion because walking gives you a closer sense of the bush than sitting in a vehicle. You should confirm the exact walking route and start time, since early departures can be chilly at higher elevations.

Day 13: Equator stop and the road back

A second morning game drive gives you another chance to find animals missed the day before. You then travel toward Entebbe, stopping at the equator for lunch, photos, and a demonstration involving the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

The equator stop is touristy, but it is an easy and enjoyable break on a long drive. Craft shops offer souvenirs, and the visit gives you a clear geographical marker for the journey back toward Kampala.

The day ends in Kampala according to the description, though the meeting point is listed as Entebbe Airport. Confirm the overnight location and whether the final return is to Kampala, Entebbe, or both.

Day 14: White-water rafting on the Nile at Jinja

The early pickup for Jinja starts another long day. Jinja is associated with the historic source of the Nile and is Uganda’s main base for river adventure.

A half-day or full-day rafting option is offered. The river runs through rapids formed by rocks, and the activity is a sharp contrast to the quiet forest and wildlife days earlier in the trip. You should select the rafting length based on your energy and the exact departure time, since the schedule already includes a long transfer.

Accommodation is listed at Brisk Hotel Triangle. Confirm whether the hotel night, rafting option, and any equipment fees are included in the $8,000 price.

Day 15: Mabira Forest and a high-energy finish

The final day takes you from Jinja to Mabira Forest, one of East Africa’s major rainforest reserves. A forest walk may bring you close to monkeys, birds, butterflies, flowering plants, and old trees.

The walks are described as suitable for different fitness levels, including children. You can also choose Forest Canopy Super-Skyway zip-lining, described as the only zip line above the treetops in East Africa. This gives the final day two moods: a quiet nature walk or a more active aerial outing.

The itinerary says the experience ends back at the meeting point, but it does not give a final drop-off time. Do not schedule an international flight immediately afterward without confirming the exact arrival plan.

Who will enjoy this Uganda route?

I would recommend this tour to you if you want Uganda’s major highlights in one private journey and do not want to arrange permits, meals, transport, and hotels separately. It suits people who value wildlife variety and can handle early starts, long road transfers, changing accommodations, and active days.

It is especially strong for first-time visitors who want gorillas, chimps, savannah animals, rhinos, birds, river scenery, and cultural stops in one trip. Families may enjoy Mabira’s flexible walks and Lake Bunyonyi, though the gorilla trek, rafting, and long drives require careful planning.

I would hesitate if you prefer slow travel, luxury lodge detail, or short transfer times. The description does not name most accommodations, does not provide vehicle specifications, and contains a few itinerary inconsistencies. Ask for a day-by-day final document before committing.

Cancellation terms are strict near departure: cancel at least six full days before the 5:00 a.m. start for a full refund, two to six days before for a 50 percent refund, and within two days for no refund. Changes follow the same cutoffs.

Should you book this tour?

Book it if the gorilla and chimpanzee permits, private vehicle, meals, accommodation, and full route match what you want. The strongest moments are likely to be the gorilla trek, Kibale’s chimpanzees, Murchison’s Nile cruise, Ishasha’s tree-climbing lions, and the slower hours at Lake Bunyonyi.

Before you pay $8,000, request the named lodges, permit dates, park fees, vehicle type, exact rafting and zip-line inclusions, and corrected route order. If Hail Tours Uganda provides clear answers, this can be a powerful introduction to Uganda, with real variety and very little need for you to manage the complicated parts yourself.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

The tour starts at Entebbe Airport in Entebbe, Uganda. Pickup is offered, and the stated start time is 5:00 a.m.

Where does the tour end?

The activity ends back at the meeting point. Since the description refers to Kampala and Entebbe, confirm the exact final drop-off location with Hail Tours Uganda.

Are gorilla and chimpanzee permits included?

Yes. Gorilla and chimpanzee permits are included in the tour price.

Are meals and accommodation included?

Yes. The package includes accommodation, drinking water each day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Are international flights included?

No. International flights from and to your home are not included. Additional accommodation before or after the tour is also excluded.

What is the cancellation policy?

You receive a full refund if you cancel at least six full days before the start time. Cancellation two to six days before receives a 50 percent refund. Cancellations within two days are nonrefundable.