6 Days Mgahinga gorilla golden monkeys trekking and Lake Mburo national park wildlife safari 

The 6 days Mgahinga gorilla golden monkeys trekking and Lake Mburo national park wildlife safari is one of the fantastic African safaris for primate experiences and wildlife encounters that will take you to visit Mgahinga gorilla national park for mountain gorilla and golden monkey trekking and Lake Mburo national park, which is famous for its high concentration of zebras and impalas, during night and day game drives. While at Lake Mburo national park, you will enjoy the peaceful horseback riding safari, do a boat cruise safari on Lake Mburo where you will encounter many aquatic wildlife species, and take several game drives to search for the park’s animals and bird species. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is one of the best national parks in Africa to see mountain gorillas and golden monkeys due to its thick rain forest with a wide variety of tree species and the subspecies of gorillas that are known to be vegetarians. The Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the smallest national park in Uganda but the most scenic, protecting both the endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys and three extinct volcanoes: Mount Sabinyo, Mount Gahinga, and Mount Muhavura. Due to sufficient food, the gorillas in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park are much larger than in other parks. This safari can be booked throughout the year and can be booked by both solo travelers and big groups.

6 days Mgahinga gorilla golden monkeys trekking and Lake Mburo national park wildlife safari highlights;

• Day 1; Pick up from Entebbe airport – Transfer to your booked hotel
• Day 2; Entebbe town – Drive to Mgahinga gorilla national park
• Day 3; Mountain gorilla trekking – Explore Lake Mutanda
• Day 4; Golden monkey tracking – Drive to Lake Bunyonyi – Evening boat canoeing
• Day 5; Drive to Lake Mburo national park – Afternoon boat cruise – Evening and night game drive safaris
• Day 6; Morning horseback riding – Drive back to Entebbe international park

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe international airport – Meet and greet and transfer to the hotel

Upon arrival at Entebbe international airport, you will be met by Africa Adventure vacations representative to meet and greet and then transfer you to your booked hotel in Entebbe town to check in, refresh and later meet our representative at the hotel lobby to be briefed about this tour and what to prepare for your journey the following day. Later be served dinner and an overnight.

Accommodation options; Protea Hotel by Marriott Entebbe (Luxury), 2 Friends Beach Hotel (Mid-range), Via via Guest House (Standard)

Meal plan; Dinner

Day 2: Entebbe town – Drive to Mgahinga gorilla national park

On day 1 of 6 days Mgahinga gorilla golden monkeys trekking and Lake Mburo national park wildlife safari, wake up very early in the morning (0530 am) to prepare your travel bag, be served breakfast at (0600am), and then start your journey to Mgahinga gorilla national park at (0630 am). Mgahinga gorilla national park is found in the extreme ends of the South-Western corners of Uganda and Uganda’s smallest national park. Mgahinga gorilla national park is part of a large Virunga conservation area of about 33sqkm that spans political boundaries of three countries and three national parks that includes Virunga national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Parc de Volcanoes in Rwanda in Rwanda, and Mgahinga gorilla national park. The park has three extinct Volcanoes, which are part of the spectacular Virunga ranges, home to the magical Mountain gorillas and golden monkeys which are the main attractions at Mgahinga National Park. On your way to Mgahinga gorilla national park, you will have a stopover at Igongo Cultural Center to relax, have lunch, and visit the cultural museum which is one of the most historically accurate collections and detailed about ancient lifestyle and artifacts portraying the Bahima tribal history, daily life, and culture that will take you many decades back about Bahima people and their neighboring tribes. Thereafter exploring the museum, proceed with your drive to Mgahinga gorilla national park which will take you through the beautiful terraced and forested hills of Kigezi highlands and you will arrive at the park very late in the evening to check-in at your booked lodge to freshen up and relax till time to be served dinner. The journey from Kampala /Entebbe to Mgahinga gorilla national park is too long but very much interesting.

Accommodation options; Gahinga Lodge (Luxury), Lake Mutanda Resort (Mid-range), Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge (Standard)

Meal plan; Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Day 3: Mgahinga gorilla national park – Mountain gorilla trekking – Explore Lake Mutanda

Wake up very early in the morning at 530 am to prepare yourself. Pack all your required materials for the mountain gorilla trekking safari, such as a passport, camera, and an extra battery, binoculars, insect repellants, gloves, and snacks. Later, be served breakfast and meet your safari guide to transfer to the park information center for the pre-mountain gorilla trekking briefing from one of the UWA ranger guides about the dos and don’ts to follow during mountain gorilla trekking, what are the expectations during mountain gorilla trekking, and how to behave before the mountain gorillas. Following the briefing, start the forest walk to search for the mountain gorillas. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is one of the only four national parks worldwide that are known for mountain gorilla trekking safaris. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park currently has one habituated mountain gorilla family called Nyakagezi. The family used to move between Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park and Mgahinga National Park, but it is now permanently resident in Uganda. During the forest walk, while searching for the mountain gorillas, you may have a chance to see other park wildlife species such as forest elephants, buffaloes, other primates, and several bird species. Your forest guide will give you as much information as possible regarding everything that you will encounter. Searching for the mountain gorilla can be challenging depending on the location of the family on a specific day, since sometimes they move towards one of the three volcanoes found in the park and have to trail through the mountain slopes to see them. Therefore, it is advisable to physically and mentally prepare, and it is always better to carry enough water and snacks. When you meet the mountain gorilla family, you will stay with them for one hour while enjoying the mountain gorillas. The experience of meeting eye to-eye with the magical mountain gorillas is never equaled by any other wildlife experience in Africa, and this will make you forget the distance traveled before meeting the gorillas and shed tears of happiness. So, your camera has to be ready to be able to capture as many photos as you want to keep your great memories while with the mountain gorillas. After seeing the mountain gorillas and staying with them for an hour, return to the starting area to receive your certificate in appreciation of your contribution towards the conservation of the endangered mountain gorillas in Uganda. Meet your safari guide and drive back to your lodge to have lunch, freshen up, and wait till time to go and explore Lake Mutanda by canoe.

Lake Mutanda is a little-known jewel nestled in the mountainous landscape of southwestern Uganda in the foothills of the Virunga Mountain Range. Lake Mutanda is one of the most scenic lakes in Africa, surrounded by dramatic landscapes of green vegetation and terraced hills. Lake Mutanda is made of 15 beautiful islands with lush trees and shrubs, and each of the islands has its own unique story behind it, such as the Python Island, where you have a chance to see enormous snakes, the punishment islands, and check out the caves with the skeletal remains of the punished, and its biggest island, called Mutanda Island, that is inhibited by a local community of the “Abagesera” clan. While at Lake Mutanda, you will take a boat ride safari to ride on the calm and fresh waters of the lake while feeling the cold breeze and tranquility as you go around different islands and enjoy the beautiful views of the landscape around the lake while spotting some wildlife species like several birds and otters. After the boat tour on Lake Mutanda, return to your lodge to have dinner and an overnight.

Accommodation options; Gahinga Lodge (Luxury), Lake Mutanda Resort (Mid-range), Lake Mulehe Safari Lodge (Standard)

Meal plan; Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Day 4: Mgahinga Gorilla National Park – Golden monkey tracking – Drive to Lake Bunyonyi – Boat canoeing on Lake Bunyonyi in the evening

Today, wake up very early in the morning to prepare the safari gear like long-sleeved shirts, good hiking shoes, insect repellants, rain jackets, and binoculars, and snacks, have breakfast, meet your safari guide, and drive to the park information center for a briefing. Just like the previous day, you receive a briefing from the UWA ranger guide about what to expect while searching for the golden monkeys, the dos and don’ts, and how to behave around the golden monkeys. Then, after the briefing session, start the forest to look out for the beautiful golden monkeys. The Golden Monkeys are one of Uganda’s 20 primate species and are only found in the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. Golden monkeys have bright-colored fur with long golden hair mixed with orange and are more gorgeous in appearance than other monkey species. The estimated population of golden monkeys is currently between 2000 and 4000 individuals, and they are only found in the Virunga conservation area, making them an endangered primate species. Unlike mountain gorilla tracking safaris, tracking the golden monkey is not as exhausting as gorilla tracking safaris because the golden monkeys do not build new nests every day, so there is no need for pre-trackers to trace them every morning and the distance traveled to see them is not so long. The golden monkeys live in a family of about 100 individuals that are led by an alpha male and are mostly found in the bamboo shoots where they feed. When you meet them, you will stay one hour with them while enjoying their actions, seeing how they feed and how they relate to one another. You will be free to take as many photos as you want and later return to the park starting point to meet your safari guide, drive back to your lodge to have lunch, check out, and drive to Lake Bunyonyi.

Lake Bunyonyi is said to be the deepest lake in Uganda and the second deepest lake in Africa, with its deepest end of approximately 900m. It is dotted with 29 islands, including Akampene Island, also known as the Punishment Island, as well as Kyahugye, Bwama, Njuyeera, Bushara, and Bucuranuka. Lake Bunyonyi is a perfect place for swimming, bird watching, as well as boat cruising, and riding. On arrival at Lake Bunyonyi, you will check-in at your booked lodge to relax and then go for boat canoeing to visit Lake Bunyonyi to visit some of the lake’s islands, such as the Akampene island, also known as the punishment island, where the Kiga community used to dump the young girls who would get pregnant before marriage and leave them there to die. Each island has a unique history that is attached to it, as your local canoe guide will narrate to you. After the boat canoeing, return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Accommodation options; Bird Nest Resort @Bunyonyi (Luxury), Bunyonyi Rock Resort (Mid-range and standard)

Meal plan; Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Day 5: Lake Bunyonyi – Lake Mburo National Park – Afternoon boat cruise – Evening and night game drive safari

Today, wake up at your convenient time to be served breakfast, pack your bag and have it loaded onto the vehicle, check out of the lodge and then start your journey to Lake Mburo national park, the park of the whispers of the wild, for more elusive wildlife experiences. On arrival at Lake Mburo national park, check-in at your booked lodge to freshen up, have lunch, and then go for an afternoon boat cruise on Lake Mburo. A boat cruise safari at Lake Mburo national park is one of the most rewarding activities you should not miss while visiting the park, as it guarantees you see several water bird and animal species such as the massive Nile crocodiles, hippos, and other land animals such as zebras, buffaloes, and many antelope when they come to swim and quench their thirst. After the boat cruise safari, stay and enjoy the jungle by doing an evening game drive to go deep inside the park to fully explore it and spot the high concentration of animals. Lake Mburo national park has several game tracks which make it easy to spot animals such as high concentrations of zebras, impalas, elands, and African caped buffaloes, giraffes, leopards, spotted hyenas, topi, oribis, Bogor reedbuck, waterbucks, grazing hippos, and many others. Later, drive back to your lodge to relax, be served dinner, and later drive back to the park for the two-hour night game drive safari to explore the jungle at night to observe how animals behave and spend their night time as well as to boost your chances of encountering the nocturnal species of the park, which are not easy to spot during daytime game drives. Being in the jungle at night is one of the lifetime safari experiences in Africa. So, during your night game drive safari, you will have a higher chance of spotting some nocturnal animals such as leopards, porcupines, bush babies, grazing hippos, spotted hyenas, African rock pythons, and many others. Beyond seeing animals, you will have a chance to enjoy the night sounds of the jungle and feel how calm the jungle is at night. After exploring the jungle at night, return to the lodge for an overnight.

Accommodation options; Mihingo Safari Lodge (Luxury), Rwakobo Rock Lodge (Mid-range and standard)

Meal plan; Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner

Day 6: Lake Mburo national park – Morning horseback riding safari – Return to Entebbe international airport

Wake up very in the morning to prepare to check out of your lodge, have breakfast, and then go for the 2 hours horse riding safari in the jungle one of the most interesting safaris one can do and feel part of nature and getting closer to some animals even the timidest animals such as zebras when they come close to you looking at their close relatives without black and white stripes. Take one-of-a-kind Horseback Wildlife Safari – Lake Mburo Park Experience the African Wild from the back of a horse. This is one of the most amazing experiences in Uganda, only done in Lake Mburo National Park. Your horseback riding Safari will be guided by a professional guide who knows how to command horses in the jungle and the wildlife found in the park with much information about each animal. A horseback riding safari gives another experience of enjoying the jungle since you are not confined to a vehicle and have a chance to go in the park trails that cannot be accessed when exploring the park with a safari vehicle and all our guests who have done it, have mentioned it that it is “beyond Compare.” To do a horseback riding safari at Lake Mburo national park you do not have to be an experienced rider. During your horseback riding safari, you will spot many animal species such as Giraffes, Zebras, Giant Elands, Impala, Duikers, Bushbucks, Water bucks. So, without any doubt, a horseback riding safari is the most peaceful way to explore Lake Mburo national park since it is not associated with any disrupting factor such as noise and air pollution.  After the horseback riding safari, stay in the park doing late morning game drives to explore the park more and to have a chance to spot more animal species. This is because the more time you spend in the jungle is the more you enjoy it and spot as many animals as possible. Later, start your journey back to Entebbe international airport to prepare for your return flight. On your way back to Entebbe airport you will have a stopover at the Kayabwe equator landmark an imaginary line that divides the earth into two different hemispheres is the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere.

While at the Kayabwe equator landmark, you will experience a change in the temperatures by becoming too warm than other parts, you will also get have a chance to stand in the middle of the world and it is said that when you stand at the middle of the world, your bodyweight reduces by 3 kg and when you get out of the line, you regain your lost weight so, on this safari, you will have a chance to prove this right or wrong. After the body wait experience, do the water experience on both sides of the world to observe how forces rotate on the forces moves differently on each side for example on the northern hemisphere, water drains in the clockwise direction, on the southern hemisphere, water rotates and drains in the anti-clockwise direction and at the imaginary line, no rotations occur. So, be ready for an unmatched experience.  After the entire equator experience, have lunch, the art galleries, and then proceed with your journey to the airport to prepare for your return flights. This will be the end of your 6 Days Mgahinga gorilla golden monkeys trekking and Lake Mburo national park wildlife safari.

6 Days Mgahinga gorilla golden monkeys trekking and Lake Mburo national park wildlife safari includes;

• Return airport transfers (pick up and drop off)
• Full time English / French speaking safari guide
• Transport for 6 days using a well-modified safari land/van that is air-conditioned, 4X4 WD and with a pop roof
• Private luxury/mid-range/standard accommodation for 5 nights on full board meal plan (Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner)
• Fuel for 6 days
• All park entrance and activities’ fees
• All en-route meals and bottled mineral water throughout the safari
• 1 Mountain gorilla trekking permit per person
• 1 Golden monkey tracking permit per person
• Boat cruise to explore Lake Mutanda
• Boat canoeing to explore Lake Bunyonyi
• 2 hours’ afternoon boat cruise on Lake Mburo
• Game drive safari at Lake Mburo national park (Evening and night game drive safaris)
• 2 hours’ horseback riding safari in the jungle
• A stopover with body and water experiment at the Kayabwe equator landmark
• Igongo cultural museum tour

6 Days Mgahinga gorilla golden monkeys trekking and Lake Mburo national park wildlife safari excludes;

• Domestic and International flights
• Country entry visa
• Personal travel insurance
• Optional activities not mentioned in the itinerary
• Alcoholic and soft drinks (Sodas, beers, wine, whisky, and gins)
• Tips, gifts and souvenirs
• Other personal needs like phone calls, cigarette, laundry services