Structure: 5 nights, 2 in Kibale and 3 in Bwindi. All transfers between parks are by light aircraft, which replaces roughly 14 hours of rough road driving with two short flights. The extra Bwindi night gives you a buffer day in case of weather or a rescheduled trek, and a chance for a second primate activity.

Logistics at a glance

• Route: Entebbe → Kasese (or Fort Portal airstrip) → Kihihi → Entebbe
• Charter and scheduled operators: Aerolink Uganda and Fly Uganda are the usual options. Baggage is typically limited to about 15 kg in soft bags.
• Permits: Gorilla permits (roughly US$800) and chimpanzee permits (roughly US$250) are non-resident rates that change. Book through your lodge or operator 6 to 9 months ahead for peak season (June to September, December to February), and confirm current prices.
• Fitness: Gorilla treks last 1 to 8 hours at altitude over steep, muddy ground. Porters are available for about US$20 to US$30, and I recommend hiring one.

Day 1: Entebbe → Kibale Forest

Morning: Arrive at Entebbe International Airport and transfer to Entebbe Airport’s domestic terminal, or to Kajjansi airfield, depending on your charter operator. Fly roughly 60 to 75 minutes west to the Kasese or Fort Portal airstrip, with views over Lake Victoria’s shoreline, the Rwenzori foothills and the Western Rift Valley.

Midday: Your lodge driver meets you for a scenic 45 to 90 minute drive through tea estates and crater lake country, depending on which lodge you choose. Check in and have a late lunch.

Afternoon: Take a short guided nature walk on the lodge grounds or, if you have energy, visit the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a community-run swamp walk. It is excellent for black-and-white colobus, red-tailed monkeys and birds such as the great blue turaco.

Evening: Dinner at the lodge. Go to bed early, since chimp tracking briefings start at about 7:30 am.

Day 2: Chimpanzee Tracking at Kanyanchu

Morning: After an early breakfast, drive to the Kanyanchu visitor centre for a briefing from the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Kibale has the highest density of primates in Africa, with 13 species and around 1,500 chimpanzees. The habituated Kanyanchu community gives you a success rate of over 90 percent.

Tracking: Walk through humid, buttressed forest for 1 to 4 hours until you reach the group. You then spend one hour with the chimps, watching them feed, groom, hoot and sometimes hunt. Keep a distance of about 8 metres, wear long sleeves and trousers, and carry water.

Afternoon: Return to the lodge for lunch and a rest. Options for later:

• Chimpanzee Habituation Experience (full-day alternative to the morning trek, around US$250 to US$300 for the permit): a full day with researchers who are habituating a chimp community. Book this instead of the standard trek, not in addition to it.
• A guided walk in the crater lakes region for birding.
• A spa treatment, if your lodge offers one.

Night: Second night in Kibale.

Day 3: Fly Kibale → Bwindi

Morning: Slow breakfast, then transfer back to Kasese or Fort Portal airstrip. Take the scheduled or chartered flight south to Kihihi airstrip, about 45 to 60 minutes, flying over Queen Elizabeth National Park. If your pilot is flexible, ask for a low pass over the Kazinga Channel, where hippos and elephants are often visible.

Midday: Drive from Kihihi to Buhoma or Nkuringo, usually 1.5 to 3 hours depending on your lodge. The road climbs into the “Impenetrable Forest” with terraced hillsides and tea and banana gardens.

Afternoon: Check in and have lunch. Join a community walk in Buhoma to see the Batwa culture and craft cooperatives, or take a forest nature walk along the Munyaga waterfall trail.

Evening: Early dinner and a briefing from your guide about the next day’s trek.

Day 4: Gorilla Trekking

Morning: Report to the park headquarters at about 7:30 am for a ranger briefing, where you are assigned a gorilla family. Groups are limited to 8 visitors per family each day.

Trek: Walk for between 1 and 8 hours through dense montane forest with trackers who follow signs left by the gorillas. Bwindi is home to roughly half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, about 460 individuals in the park.

With the gorillas: You get one hour with the family, watching silverbacks, mothers, juveniles and infants at very close range. Photography without flash is allowed. Masks are required, and you need to keep about 7 metres’ distance.

Afternoon: Return to the lodge, often muddy and thrilled. Most luxury lodges offer a boot-cleaning service and a massage or hot bath waiting for you.

Evening: Celebratory dinner, usually with a bonfire and a certificate presentation from your guide.

Day 5: Flex Day in Bwindi

This is your buffer day. Choose from:

• A second gorilla trek (another permit is needed, around US$800), perhaps with a different family.
• Gorilla Habituation Experience (Rushaga sector only, around US$1,500): up to 4 hours with a family still being habituated. It requires moving to Rushaga or Nkuringo, so decide before you book.
• Batwa Trail experience or a guided forest walk to see forest birds, including African green broadbill and Rwenzori turaco.
• Rest day with spa treatments and a long lunch with a view of the forest.

Day 6: Fly Bwindi → Entebbe

Morning: Drive back to Kihihi airstrip and take the flight to Entebbe, about 1 hour 30 minutes with a possible stop at Kasese. Aim to arrive in Entebbe by midday, so you have a comfortable gap before any international flight, and don’t book anything before late afternoon.

Luxury Lodge Options

Kibale (choose one for 2 nights)

My pick: Kyaninga Lodge for its mix of comfort, setting and proximity.

Bwindi (choose one for 3 nights)

My pick: Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp if you want the most polished service, or Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge if you value views and a dramatic setting above all else.

Practical Notes

• Best seasons: June to September and December to February are the drier months, with easier trekking. The wetter months of March to May and October to November are quieter and cheaper, but the trails are muddier.
• What to pack: Waterproof hiking boots, gaiters, long lightweight trousers, gardening gloves for gripping vegetation, a rain jacket and insect repellent. Your lodge will usually supply a walking stick.
• Health: A yellow fever vaccination certificate is generally required, and malaria prophylaxis is recommended. If you feel unwell with a cold or cough, you may be refused tracking, so plan your health carefully.
• Cost guide: Expect roughly US$6,000 to US$10,000 per person for this itinerary at the luxury level, including permits, flights, lodges and transfers. Costs vary with season and lodge choice.
• Booking: Work with a reputable Uganda-based operator who can reserve permits and charter slots together, since flight seats on the small aircraft sell out as quickly as gorilla permits.