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Route map
Where you'll travel
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Trip highlights
- Golden-hour game drives
- Gorilla portrait session
- Landscape drives
- Portrait & culture
Day 1
Arrival in Entebbe / Kampala →Arrive at Entebbe International Airport. Transfer to hotel, briefing.
Full day details →Day 2
Entebbe to Murchison Falls →Golden-hour shoot at top of the falls.
Full day details →Day 3
Murchison photo cruise →Nile boat cruise with photography-focused guide.
Full day details →Day 4
Murchison to Kibale →Landscape drive.
Full day details →Day 5
Kibale chimp photo trek →Chimpanzee portrait session.
Full day details →Day 6
Kibale to QENP →Crater lakes + wildlife photography.
Full day details →Day 7
QENP to Bwindi →Ishasha tree-climbing lions.
Full day details →Day 8
Bwindi gorilla photo trek →Gorilla portrait session with permitted photography guide.
Full day details →
Before you book
What to know about travelling in Uganda
Visas, permits, health requirements, seasons, money and tipping — everything specific to this destination.
Before you book · Uganda
Travelling in Uganda
- Visas & entry
- Apply online in advance at the Uganda e-visa portal (USD 50 single entry) — approval letters are checked on arrival. Yellow fever certificate is a legal entry requirement. The East Africa Tourist Visa (USD 100) covers Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda.
- Arrival gateway
- Entebbe International Airport (EBB), 40 km from Kampala on Lake Victoria.
- Permits
- Gorilla permits cost USD 800 per person and chimpanzee permits USD 250 (Kibale). Permits are date- and sector-specific, limited to 8 trekkers per gorilla family per day, non-refundable once issued, and must be secured months ahead for peak season.
- Best time to travel
- June–September and December–February are the drier trekking months with firmer forest trails. March–May and October–November bring rain but greener forests, fewer people and lower lodge rates.
- Health & vaccinations
- Yellow fever vaccination mandatory. Malaria prophylaxis essential. Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking requires you to be free of flu or other transmissible illness on the day — a cold can mean you're turned back to protect the apes.
- Money & payments
- Ugandan Shilling (UGX). USD widely accepted for permits and lodges (notes 2009 or newer, unmarked). ATMs in Kampala, Entebbe, Fort Portal and Kabale; carry cash for the south-west.
- Weather & climate
- Equatorial and mild: 24–28°C by day, cool and often wet at Bwindi altitude (1,500–2,600 m) with nights around 12°C.
- Connectivity
- Good 4G along the Kampala–Fort Portal–Kabale corridor; forest lodges rely on satellite or solar Wi-Fi that can be slow.
- Tipping guideline
- Gorilla trekking: USD 15–20 per guest for the ranger team, USD 15–20 per porter (hiring one is strongly encouraged — it supports local families). Driver-guide USD 15–20 per day.
- What to pack
- Long sleeves and trousers for nettles, waterproof hiking boots with ankle support, gardening gloves, rain jacket, gaiters, insect repellent, 30–35 L daypack with a rain cover, and a dry bag for camera gear.
- Local etiquette
- Keep 7 m from gorillas, no flash photography, and a maximum of one hour with a family. Ask before photographing people or Batwa community members.
Requirements and fees change. We reconfirm current visa, permit and health rules in writing before you pay any balance.