Arem Safaris
5 day itinerary

5-Day Uganda: Bwindi Gorillas and Mgahinga Golden Monkeys

Five days from Entebbe: a Bwindi gorilla trek, then golden monkeys at Mgahinga.

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Route map

From start to finish

Starts in Entebbe and ends in Entebbe.

Start: Entebbe End: Entebbe

Uganda

  1. Start Entebbe (Day 1)
  2. Bwindi (Day 1-3) Land Cruiser
  3. Mgahinga (Day 3-5) Land Cruiser
  4. End Entebbe (Day 5) Land Cruiser

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Digital itinerary

Day by day

Every package has a shareable digital itinerary: overnight notes, the route, and a print-ready PDF view.

  1. Day 1 Entebbe to Bwindi near Bwindi, on the forest edge
  2. Day 2 Gorilla tracking in Bwindi near Bwindi, on the forest edge
  3. Day 3 Bwindi to Mgahinga near Mgahinga or Kisoro, with the Virunga volcanoes in the cloud
  4. Day 4 Golden monkey tracking in Mgahinga near Mgahinga or Kisoro, with the Virunga volcanoes in the cloud
  5. Day 5 Mgahinga to Entebbe

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Lodge Safaris

Five days is how you add Mgahinga without pretending Bwindi is next door to Entebbe. You still give the gorilla road a full day each way. Between them you cross to Kisoro for golden monkeys on the Virunga volcanoes — a different primate, a different permit, a smaller park. Arem names the lodges once both UWA dates are real.

This sits beside our Tanzania and Kenya work because Uganda is one of the four countries we operate. The Arusha office remains your contact. Neither permit is buried in a vague package price.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park on the Virunga volcanoes

Day 1: Entebbe to Bwindi

Terraced highlands on the road to Bwindi

Eight to ten hours of real Uganda road, Entebbe to Bwindi, lunch in Mbarara. Arrival day is not a trek day; we do not pretend otherwise. Farms become tea, tea becomes forest, and you sleep on the edge of the impenetrable wood.

Once the Uganda Wildlife Authority sector is known, the lodge is named. Arem remains your Arusha contact.

Overnight near Bwindi, on the forest edge.

Day 2: Gorilla tracking in Bwindi

Mountain gorilla, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

UWA rangers brief you at the sector gate. You walk to the family named on your permit, not to a wild guess in the trees. The hour with them starts when you arrive, not when you left the lodge, and we do not argue for a second hour.

This trek is not confirmed until the permit exists for your date. Guests under 15 stay behind. A forest porter is optional and paid at the park, not bundled as if it were complimentary.

Overnight near Bwindi, on the forest edge.

Day 3: Bwindi to Mgahinga

Virunga volcanoes above Lake Mutanda, on the road to Mgahinga

Bwindi to Mgahinga is a highland transfer — terraces, Kisoro, the Virunga outline if the cloud lifts. It is not another eight-hour Entebbe haul. You change parks and permits. Golden monkeys are tomorrow; this afternoon is the road and the volcano view, not a second gorilla family.

You sleep near Mgahinga so the morning briefing is close. Arem remains your Arusha contact. The lodge class follows the quote.

Overnight near Mgahinga or Kisoro, with the Virunga volcanoes in the cloud.

Day 4: Golden monkey tracking in Mgahinga

Golden monkey (Cercopithecus kandti)

Mgahinga is a small park on the Virunga volcanoes, not a second Bwindi. Briefing at the gate, then a walk for golden monkeys — bamboo, steep steps, a different primate, a different permit. Time with the troop is limited; that rule is UWA’s, not ours to stretch.

The golden-monkey permit is its own line on the quote. We do not confirm this day until UWA has issued it. Gorillas in this park are a different permit and a different morning; they are not in this itinerary unless you ask and space exists.

Overnight near Mgahinga or Kisoro, with the Virunga volcanoes in the cloud.

Day 5: Mgahinga to Entebbe

Entebbe on Lake Victoria, the road home

Kisoro and Mgahinga sit even farther from Entebbe than a mid-Bwindi lodge. Budget eight to ten hours on the road. We drop you at the airport or a town hotel. An evening long-haul can work; a midday one cannot.

The package

What is included — and what is not

Two separate lists, so you can see what the itinerary price covers before you request a quote.

Covered

Included in this itinerary

In the package price, for the dates and lodge or camp class on your quote.

  • Road transfers Entebbe–Bwindi–Mgahinga–Entebbe as written in the day plan.
  • Lodge nights in Bwindi and near Mgahinga as confirmed on your quote.
  • English-speaking Arem-arranged guide and the park briefings.
  • One Uganda Wildlife Authority gorilla-tracking permit, paid as its own line on the quote.
  • One Uganda Wildlife Authority golden-monkey tracking permit, paid as its own line on the quote.

You arrange these

Not included

Budget separately, or ask us to add them to your proposal.

  • International flights
  • A second gorilla trek and its permit
  • Forest porter (optional, paid at the park)
  • Airport taxes and Uganda visa fees
  • Drinks and any meals not named on your quote
  • Tips and gratuities
  • Items of a personal nature
  • Travel insurance
  • A Mgahinga gorilla trek (different park, different permit — ask if you want it)
  • Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale

When to travel

Season and routing

Bwindi gorilla permits and Mgahinga golden-monkey permits are each issued for a named date. Dry months are easier walking. The Virunga peaks show when the cloud lifts; they are not a daily guarantee. A Mgahinga gorilla trek is a different UWA permit and is not in the base plan.

Where you sleep

Choose your stay style

Four ways to travel the same parks. Pick one style for the whole safari, or mix nights — we quote what you actually want. Names below are properties we often confirm. The lodge or camp on your quote is the booking; nothing here is reserved until you approve it.

  1. Camping Safari tents, a cook, the night sounds of the park. The honest, close-to-the-ground way to safari.
  2. Mid-range En-suite lodges and tented camps we use most — a proper bed, a shower, and the game still at the door.
  3. Luxury Pools, full-service dining, the better rooms in the same parks.
  4. High-end Suite camps and private houses when the trip is built around silence and space.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Camping

A community campsite on the forest edge — basic, honest, and close to the briefing gate.

Mid-range

A Buhoma or Rushaga mid-range lodge, named once the permit sector is known.

Luxury

Mahogany Springs, Buhoma Lodge, or a similar forest-view lodge with a hot shower after the trek.

High-end

Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge, Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp — suite rooms for the night before your allocated family.

Mgahinga / Kisoro

Camping

A community campsite on the volcano side — basic, with Muhabura as the rumour in the cloud.

Mid-range

A Kisoro town lodge or Amajambere Iwacu-style community rooms, named on the quote.

Luxury

Mount Gahinga Lodge or a similar Virunga-view lodge with a hot shower after the golden monkeys.

High-end

Mount Gahinga Lodge suite rooms, or we place a high-end Bwindi night on either side if you want Clouds-level comfort — named on the quote.

Before you book

Practical notes

  • Day 1 and day 5 are long Uganda roads. We do not pretend you can trek on arrival day.
  • Gorilla tracking is for guests aged 15 and over. Golden-monkey tracking is a different UWA permit and a different morning in Mgahinga.
  • Day 3 is a highland transfer, not a second gorilla trek. A Mgahinga gorilla permit is an extra if you ask and UWA still has space.
  • The trip is not confirmed until UWA has issued the gorilla permit and the golden-monkey permit for your dates.
  • Do not book an international departure from Entebbe before 21:00 on day 5.
Planning

Safari FAQ

How many days is this safari?

5-Day Uganda: Bwindi Gorillas and Mgahinga Golden Monkeys is a 5-day private itinerary. Lodge class and season change the quote, not the day count unless you ask us to extend it.

Where does this safari start and end?

This itinerary starts in Entebbe and ends in Entebbe. Airport collections are written into the day plan when you book.

Can I change parks or nights?

Yes. Use Customize your own safari or tell us on the quote form. We keep private 4×4 guiding and rewrite the day plan around your dates.

How do I get a price?

Request a free quote. Prices depend on season, lodge or camp class, and group size. We do not publish a one-size-fits-all dollar figure.

Hospitality & Travel Partners

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