The Pearl of Africa

Gorillas, chimps and the shoebill, at walking pace.

1°03′S 29°42′E
Reserve your placeMay 7–17, 2027 · 11 days · 4–6 guests · from $8,995
Never more than 6 guests on this expedition·Founded and led by working guides·Partnered with local conservationists·Conservation stories on every departure

Rhinos on foot, chimps in the forest, one hour with a gorilla family.

Eleven days across Uganda in a private 4WD with four to six guests and a working wildlife photographer as your guide. The animals come at walking pace here: you track them on foot, with the rangers and scientists who protect them.

The route, north to south to the lake

Day 1Entebbe. Met at the airport, a quiet first night by Lake Victoria before the road north.
2–3Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Two treks on foot among the southern white rhinos, walking with the rangers who guard them around the clock.
4–5Kibale Forest. Two chimpanzee treks in a forest of over 120 habituated chimps. Image reviews over dinner at the lodge.
6–8Bwindi. The gorilla trek, an afternoon with the Mubare conservation project, and a day hosted by the women of Ride 4 A Woman.
9–11Lake Victoria. Three boat trips into Mabamba Swamp for the shoebill, with a local scientist aboard. Departure from Entebbe.

The drives are real, three of them run six hours or more. Uganda goes past the window, tea country, crater lakes, roadside markets, and the vehicle is ours, so we stop when something is worth stopping for.

Traveling solo?

Most of our guests do. Rooms are shared double or twin, and we pair you with another solo traveler. The group is four to six people; you will know everyone by the second dinner.

The people, not just the wildlife

You stay at Ride 4 A Woman, walk with Ziwa's rangers, and meet the reformed poachers of the Mubare project. The stories you bring back are the loudest thing we do; the carbon work happens quietly, published for anyone who asks.

★★★★★
Guest review from a past Uganda departure goes here.
Guest name · Uganda

Expedition briefing

Renato Granieri leads every Uganda departure, and he has walked through this whole trip on video: the route, the treks, the birds and what the days actually feel like. The slides are yours to keep.

Watch Renato walk through the trip

Why four to six?

Uganda, on foot and eye to eye.

Uganda allows eight visitors with a habituated gorilla family, for one hour a day. We travel four to six, which keeps the walk quiet, gives everyone a clear line to the family, and leaves the trackers time to talk to you. The same holds at Ziwa and Kibale: small enough to walk, quiet enough to get close. Your permit is also the funding line for the rangers, trackers and veterinary teams who look after these families, and the mountain gorilla is the only great ape whose numbers are known to be rising.

We don't rush. We explore.

300

mountain gorillas counted in Bwindi in 1997, four years after gorilla trekking began here.

459

counted in the same forest in the 2018 census, the most recent full count.

For photographers

Renato Granieri, an award-winning wildlife photographer, leads every departure. Lens guidance on the trail, image reviews at the lodge, and honest advice about shooting in a dark forest in the rain. Uganda holds over 1,000 bird species; the shoebill is only the strangest of them.

Dates & price

DepartureRoomsPer personGroup
May 7–17, 2027Shared double or twin$8,9954–6 guests
Included: all accommodation and listed meals, private 4WD and transfers, park and ranger fees, two rhino walks, two chimp treks, one gorilla trek, three shoebill boat expeditions, and AMREF evacuation insurance. Flights and the $50 visa are not. An optional second gorilla trek is $800.

Reserve your place

A short form, then a 25-minute expedition call. We reply within one business day. 30% deposit secures the place.

FAQ & packing

How fit do I need to be?
The gorilla trek is the test: two to eight hours on steep, muddy forest trails, at trekking pace with rest stops. Average fitness and decent boots will get you there, and porters are available. Everything else is gentler; the rhino walks are flat and the shoebill comes by boat.
Will we actually see the gorillas?
Bwindi's trackers locate the families each morning, and sightings run at about 99 percent. The chimps in Kibale and the shoebill in Mabamba are close behind. We plan two chimp treks and three boat trips so one wet morning never decides the trip.
What about health requirements?
A yellow fever certificate is mandatory for entry and malaria precautions are essential; your travel clinic is the right first call. Masks are required with the chimps and gorillas, our colds are dangerous for them.
Can I add a second gorilla trek?
Yes, $800 for the extra permit, decided on the ground on Day 8. Or spend that morning at the tree pangolin rescue centre instead, a $25 donation.
What should I pack?
Waterproof hiking boots, a rain jacket, long sleeves and trousers, and light gloves for the nettles. The full packing list, with camera kit guidance, arrives when you book.

Where you stay

Five lodges, each chosen for where it puts you the next morning.

Entebbe Airport GuesthouseA quiet first night by the lake
Amuka Lodge, ZiwaInside the sanctuary, rhinos beyond the fence line
Isunga Lodge, KibaleTea country views above the forest
Ride 4 A Woman, BwindiYour stay funds the project, and the women who run it host you
Nkima Lodge, Lake VictoriaIn the trees, ten minutes from the swamp
✦

Ready? Dive in.

Terns feed by plunge-diving, total commitment, perfect timing. It's how we travel, too.

Reserve your place