4 days Lake Mburo wildlife and Bwindi gorillas safari

Trip overview

This 4 day lake Mburo wildlife and Bwindi gorillas safari offers a short safari experience in Lake Mburo National Park before taking on the popular gorilla trekking tour in Bwindi National Park. Lake Mburo National Park is Uganda’s smallest savannah park but offers great animal sightings and some of the common animals include zebras, giraffes, buffaloes, warthogs, hippos, and many species of antelopes. The park is well situated along the route to the gorillas in southwestern Uganda and therefore provides a good stopover for a nice safari experience before continuing for the highlight which is the gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park.

Tour Itinerary:

Day 1 – transfer to Lake Mburo National Park and boat safari and game drive

Today your tour driver shall pick you up from Kampala or Entebbe at 7am prompt and drive to Lake Mburo National Park in western Uganda. Lake Mburo National Park is the closest park to Kampala and therefore within 3.5 hours you will be getting there. Upon arrival you shall check into the lodge and shortly set out to experience the park. Drive through the game trails and enjoy the beautiful savannah as you observe a range of animals and birds. Lake Mburo offers the best sightings of many herbivores (vegetation eating) animals such as antelopes, zebras, buffaloes and giraffes but not so good for cats. Do not expect to see any lions. Leopards and Hyenas are in abundance but quite elusive.

After the game drive you shall go for the boat ride on Lake Mburo, the biggest lake in the park, to watch water animals such as hippos and crocodiles and water birds for the keen birder.

Optional night safari: After sunset you can do night game drive to look for the nocturnal especially the elusive cats such as leopards and hyenas which are quite active by this time.

Accommodation options to choose from

Budget: Leopard Rest Camp

Midrange: Rwakobo Rock

Upmarket: Mihingo Lodge

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 2 – morning safari walk in Lake Mburo and transfer to Bwindi national park

Today you shall do early morning walk in the park that offers a beautiful experience in the savannah, giving you up-close views of several animals and enjoy the beautiful scenery! Thereafter you shall have breakfast, check out and drive to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Accommodation options to choose from:

Budget: Rushaga Gorilla Camp

Midrange: Lake Mutanda Resort

Upmarket: Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3 – gorilla trekking in Bwindi National Park

After early breakfast you shall transfer to the park office for briefing by the park guides and assigning of gorilla families. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to up 459 mountain gorillas which is the highest population of mountain gorillas for any park and up to 19 families have been habituate for the gorilla trekking adventures. You set off into the jungle to track the gorillas and spend 1 hour with the gorilla family and it will be an unforgettable experience.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4 – travel back to Kampala

After breakfast you shall check out and travel back to Kampala, and you shall stop over at the Uganda Equator

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch

Trips includes/excludes

Tour car and tour driver driver/guide
All meals
Accommodation
Gorilla tracking permit ($800)
All safaris & activities in the itinerary
Drinking water

How to prepare for your gorilla trip to Bwindi

Book and confirm your tour well in advance because the limited gorilla permits mean you can miss out on your preferred dates
Get into good fitness and prepare for a longer trek and to enable you enjoy the hike
Ensure you are free from contagious diseases such as cough and flue which can easily be transmitted to the gorillas since they share 98% DNA with humans. Otherwise if you are found to have any of these you shall not be allowed to do the gorilla trek
Essential items to bring for the trek include: good hiking shoes, long pants and long-sleeved shirt, rain jacket or poncho, insect repellent, sunscreen, gaiter, cap, and small backpack.

Uganda tours