3 Day Uganda Gorilla Fly-In Safari.
This 3-day fly-in safari is designed for those who have less time and want to trek gorillas in Uganda. It allows you to avoid the long drives from Entebbe to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. You will spend one and a half hours flying and approximately one and a half hours in road transfers from the airstrip (Kihihi) to Buhoma.
- Day one: Pick up and transfer to Entebbe Airport for your internal flight to Bwindi
- Day Two: Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Day three: Transfer to Kihihi Airstrip for your internal flight to Entebbe
The 3-day Uganda Gorilla Fly-In safari package includes;
- Park fees (For non-residents)
- Gorilla permits (One per person, non-resident)
- All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
- All flights during the tour
- All Taxes/VAT
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
- Drinking water (For all days)
The safari excludes;
- International flights (From/to home)
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
- Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees
While on a safari in Uganda, you should pack some or all of the following items;
A camera: A safari in Uganda is incomplete without a good camera. You cannot come back from a safari without evidence to show your friends and family about the wonderful time you had.
Hiking Boots: Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking requires good hiking boots for comfort especially during the rainy season.
Stocking: Long stockings will help in tucking in your trousers to avoid crawling insects.
Rain Jacket: This is very important while hiking during the rainy season. The rains can be unpredictable in Uganda especially when you consider global warming. There is always the possibility of rain in Bwindi forest regardless of season of the year.
Long Shirts and trousers: The game parks and forests contain insects and other crawling creatures that you need to keep off. There are also sharp tree branches and thorns. Long sleeved shirts and trousers will keep off any insects and also protect you from sharp trees.
Hand gloves: Hand gloves are important for grabbing leaves and tree branches while hiking through dense forest.
Water: Many of the activities mentioned above involve staying out for long hours in the sun. Expect to get dehydrated and tired if you do not pack some water. You need to have water filtration tablets if you cannot move with bottled water.
Packed Snack: This is very important for the chimpanzee habituation experience and gorilla trekking. It is difficult to predict when the two activities will end. You are better off parking lunch so that you don’t get hungry.
Detailed Itinerary
Our tour guide will pick you up and transfer you to Entebbe Airport; check in as early as 6 AM for your domestic flight to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The flight will take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes, landing at Kihihi or Kisoro Airstrip. Upon landing, you will have a planned transfer by road from Kihihi Airstrip to the Buhoma sector of Bwindi Forest to your accommodation. You will then visit the Batwa community in the afternoon.
Accommodation: Mahogany Springs Lodge
After an early morning breakfast, you will drive to the park headquarters, where you will be briefed by the park rangers about dos and don'ts while in the park before starting off gorilla trekking to see these gentle giants as directed by the rangers. This is a memorable and amazing experience watching the mountain gorillas feed, play around, and also do their day-to-day activities. This activity can take 2 hours or even up to 8 hours since it's dependent on the location and movement of the gorillas.
Also expect to trek in muddy and steep conditions—this will require you to have a walking stick. On meeting the gorillas, you will spend about an hour with them as you learn about their life and behavior, take photos, and then later, return back to the lodge.
Dinner & Accommodation: Mahogany Springs Lodge
This is your final day with us. You will have breakfast before transferring to Kihihi Airstrip, which is approximately a 50-minute drive away. The domestic flight will fly you back to Entebbe International Airport.
Thank you for choosing Valverde Safaris.
Bwindi is among Uganda’s most exciting national parks and a place you can’t leave out while on a Ugandan safari. It is famously known as a home to a big number of Mountain gorillas basing on the world remaining population. About 750 gorillas are remaining and half of this number has its home in Bwindi. Also other primates such as chimpanzees are found here though rarely seen. This is the same story with other animal species like the forest elephants, antelopes among others. The park is located in Southwestern Uganda just near the escarpment of the Western rift Valley.
The word “Bwindi” means “darkness” and when you get the opportunity of walking through this forest you have will get to know why its called such a name. The forest is gifted with a stream of water which is a beautiful place, and also waterfalls are found as you trek through impenetrable forest. Trekking doesn’t require any skills but physical fitness is always required as there are a lot of steep mountains to climb p and about looking for these gentle giants. Above all there is nothing as adventurous and thrilling as going for gorilla trekking!
Tourists also have other species to see in the park apart from the gorillas such as different bird species (over 350 bird species found in the park), tree species, butterflies, frogs species among other things. A Gorilla trekking permit costs $700 per person and if one is interested in Gorilla habituation each permit goes for $1500 per person. Tracking Gorillas in the mighty Bwindi is a dream come true for various tourists.
The Birds Species in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
About 350 bird species are found here but only 23 species are Albertine rift endemic species and also about 14 other species are not recorded in other parks and Uganda as a whole. Different birds that can be found here include; Collared Apalis, the Handsome Francolin, African Broadbill, Cinnamon Chested Bee Eater and the Western Green Tinkerbird.
The Climate & Weather for Gorilla Trekking in Uganda
The Parks altitude varies as it ranges from 1,190m-2,607m above sea level. Though, about 60% of the park is at an altitude of over 2000m above sea level. The total annual rainfall received ranges between 1,400mm and 1,900mm. Note that more rain is received in the months; March and April.
Gorilla trekking (tracking) in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is always the most amazing and interesting part while on a Ugandan safari. And because of that Sir Winston Churchhill was never wrong to call Uganda ‘the pearl of Africa’. Also the country is stable politically of which gorillas can be tracked in any area of the park.
