Welcome to Uganda! Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport (EBB), you will be met by your Sanctuary guide and transferred to your hotel for the evening. Settle in and enjoy the evening at your leisure, with plenty of freedom to rest before tomorrow’s adventures.
Arrival & Transfers:
Please book your flights to arrive at Entebbe International Airport (EBB) at any time. Airport transfers are included on the first day of your tour. Your transfer will meet you on arrival and take you to your hotel. Check-in on Day 1 is at 2pm.
After breakfast, you’ll head to the airport for a scenic domestic flight from Entebbe to Kihihi. From the air, enjoy breathtaking views of Uganda’s lush landscapes before landing at the remote Kihihi Airstrip.
Upon arrival, your Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Lodge guide will meet you for a 90-minute drive through the countryside. Situated at the entrance to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, this luxury lodge borders the territory of a population of great apes, living freely in the jungle. With all-inclusive dining and premium drinks on offer, this is a spectacular base for your forest exploration.
In the evening, embark on a two-hour immersive walk through the Bakiga and Batwa communities to connect with local culture. Begin at a small tea farm, where you can meet tea pickers and try your hand at plucking tea leaves. Next, visit a banana beer brewery to see how bananas are mashed, fermented, and distilled into a popular regional drink. Continue to a local hospital supported by the camp, where you’ll learn about its impactful community projects. Stroll onward to a nearby village to meet a traditional healer who shares generational knowledge about medicinal herbs sourced from the forest.
Cap off your evening with a performance by the Batwa community before returning to the camp for dinner.
Please Note:
- Regional flights have a limited capacity and as such require passengers weighing 115kg or more to book a second seat.
Travel time: Flight – approx. 2.5 hours / Driving – approx. 90 minutes
Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Lodge stay
Bakiga and Batwa community visits
Begin your day with an early breakfast before heading to the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park headquarters, where your adventure begins. Surrounded by the dense forest’s mist-shrouded canopy, you’ll receive a briefing from expert tracking guides who will prepare you for the journey ahead.
The gorilla families you’ll track are part of the park’s habituated groups, which have undergone years of careful acclimatisation to human presence. This delicate process has been conducted by skilled guides and conservationists, ensuring a safe and respectful interaction for both gorillas and visitors.
The trek takes you through Bwindi’s extraordinary rainforest, a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its ancient biodiversity. Along the way, listen for the rustling of leaves and distant calls of colobus monkeys and admire the towering trees draped in moss and vines. Your primatologist guide will provide insights into the forest’s ecology and the gorillas’ behaviours.
When you locate the gorilla group, you’ll witness their captivating lives up close – juveniles playing, mothers nurturing their young and the powerful silverback overseeing his family. Spend an unforgettable hour in their presence before retracing your steps through the forest, leaving only memories and footprints before returning to camp.
Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Lodge stay
Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Lodge stay
After another early breakfast, you’ll return to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park headquarters, now familiar territory, for a second morning of gorilla tracking. The day begins with a refresher briefing at 8.30am by your expert guide, preparing you to revisit the awe-inspiring world of the forest’s habituated gorilla families.
Having already experienced the magic of gorilla tracking, this second day offers a deeper connection to their lives. The trek leads you through Bwindi’s dense vegetation, where every sound heightens the anticipation. With your primatologist guide by your side, you’ll gain fresh insights into the gorillas’ intricate social structures and behaviors, each moment offering a new perspective into their lives and the fragile ecosystem they inhabit.
Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Lodge stay
Bwindi gorilla trek
Bid farewell to Bwindi after one last breakfast, then transfer to the Kihihi Airstrip for your included flight back to Entebbe International Airport (EBB), arriving at approximately 11.15am. From here, a guide will assist you to your connecting flight.
Departure & Transfers:
Checkout on your final day is at 7am. Please book your flights to depart from Entebbe International Airport (EBB) after 2pm. Airport assistance is included on the last day of your tour. Your transfer will meet you at the airport and assist to connect your onward flight.
Please Note:
- Regional flights have a limited capacity and as such require passengers weighing 115kg or more to book a second seat.
Travel time: Driving – approx. 90 minutes / Flight – approx. 2.5 hours