The drive passes through Fort Portal and then south along the Eastern length of the Rwenzori Mountains with the hope of viewing the glaciated peaks. We gently descend to the Great African Rift Valley and Queen Elizabeth National Park and arrive at Mweya Lodge. The lodge is situated on a peninsula overlooking Lake Edward and the Kazinga Channel, offering beautiful views of the park with the Rwenzori Mountains in the background. As a result, it has one of the highest biodiversity ratings of any game reserve in the world, including a total of 95 recorded mammal species and more than 610 species of birds.

In the afternoon, we will explore the park and its wonders on a game drive.

After breakfast, we take a short drive to the park headquarters and meet the excellent local guides and trackers who will give a talk on the etiquette of gorilla trekking. We then hike into the forest where the gorillas were seen the night before and track from that point. The trekking can take from 1 to 6 hours and climb to altitudes in excess of 7,500 feet. The terrain is rough and muddy at times. Although the hike is physically demanding, the beauty of the forest and surrounding scenery make the trekking worthwhile.

Once the gorillas are located, all fatigue is forgotten. This experience is often described as being the most profound, natural history experience in the world. Picnic lunches are provided and it is important to take plenty of water. Cameras and plenty of fast-speed films are also recommended. It can rain at any time, hence waterproof clothing is a good essential including ziplock bags for cameras and film.

NB: We cannot guarantee that you will see the gorillas.

We drive to Mbarara passing through the “Switzerland of East Africa” area and eventually into the Ankole cattle country around Mbarara. These cattle are incredible with horns larger than one can imagine. Continue to Lake Mburo National Park for a game drive. The drive today is 6 to 7 hours.

Lake Mburo National Park is a small park, excellent for birding, antelope, and other grazers, and one of the only places to easily see impala and zebra in Uganda. Buffalo, waterbuck, and eland are amongst the variety of wildlife to be seen. Game drives offer particularly picturesque game viewing with the parkʹs mixture of savannah, acacia woodlands, grassy valleys, rocky outcrops, swamps, lakes, and rolling hills.

We have an early morning game drive before heading back to Entebbe. The drive back takes approximately 5 hours, depending on the road and weather. If time permits, it is possible to stop in Kampala for shopping and lunch and to visit the Mpigi Royal Drum Makers.

You are then transferred to Entebbe International Airport to connect with your flight. Please note the departure must be in the late afternoon or evening, alternatively, we can arrange another overnight stay in Entebbe.