Uganda · 4 Days / 3 Nights · Private Safari
4-Day Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safari
Entebbe · Mabamba Wetland · Bwindi Impenetrable National Park · Buhoma
Gorillas, Shoebills and Bwindi — Even When You Only Have Four Days.
Come to Uganda for one of Africa’s most remarkable wildlife experiences: trekking mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
This private four-day safari combines a personal welcome in Uganda, shoebill tracking at Mabamba Wetland, a domestic flight to southwestern Uganda and gorilla trekking from Buhoma.
With your Queen of East Africa team coordinating your permits, flights, accommodation, private transfers and guiding, a short stay can still give you an extraordinary introduction to Uganda.
Your Journey
Four days. Three remarkable corners of Uganda.
A morning in the papyrus channels west of Entebbe. A flight over the hills to the southwest. Then a road that ends where the rainforest begins.
- 01 Entebbe Arrival & welcome
- 02 Mabamba · Bwindi Shoebill tracking, then fly southwest
- 03 Buhoma Gorilla trekking
- 04 Entebbe Fly back, then farewell
- Road Entebbe → Mabamba → Entebbe
- Flight Entebbe → Kihihi
- Road Kihihi → Buhoma
- Return Flight · Day 04 Kihihi → Entebbe
At a Glance
- Duration 4 Days / 3 Nights
- Start / End Entebbe, Uganda
- Travel Style Private Safari
Places Visited Entebbe · Mabamba Wetland · Buhoma, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
What Private Means
Your safari is designed for you and the people you choose to travel with.
For the private ground portions of your journey, you’ll have a dedicated Queen of East Africa safari vehicle and professional guide. Your Queen team also coordinates your journey from arrival through departure, with on-ground support throughout.
Scheduled domestic flights and gorilla trekking operate with other travelers unless otherwise specified in your confirmed itinerary.
Highlights
- Mountain Gorilla Trekking
- Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
- Mabamba Shoebill Tracking
- Buhoma
- Domestic Flights
- Optional Bwindi Cultural & Community Experiences
- Queen Welcome & Farewell
01 Arrive in Uganda
Welcome to Uganda.
Arrive at Entebbe International Airport, where your Queen of East Africa team will be waiting to welcome you.
Your professional private safari guide, together with your Safari Manager or Safari Director as scheduled, will assist with your arrival and transfer you privately to your hotel.
Settle in, freshen up and ease into Uganda.
Depending on your arrival time, we’ll welcome you with a relaxed Queen Welcome Dinner — an opportunity to meet your team, enjoy your first evening in Uganda and talk through the journey ahead.
If you arrive late, we’ll take you directly to your hotel so you can rest and arrange your welcome at a more appropriate time.
Where You Can Stay on Arrival
Three Stays We Recommend
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Protea Hotel by Marriott Entebbe
Entebbe · Lake Victoria
A comfortable lakefront hotel close to Entebbe International Airport, particularly convenient after an international arrival or before an early domestic flight.
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Hotel No.5
Entebbe
An intimate boutique hotel in Entebbe with stylish interiors, personalized service and a quiet setting for your first night in Uganda.
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Latitude 0°
Kampala
A contemporary, design-led hotel in Kampala with distinctive interiors, excellent dining and elevated spaces for travelers who prefer a stylish city stay.
We’ll recommend the most appropriate option based on your arrival time, flight schedule, preferred level of luxury and availability.
02 Mabamba Wetland · Bwindi
Shoebill in the Morning. Bwindi by Evening.
Begin among the papyrus channels of Mabamba. End the day at the edge of one of Africa’s great rainforests.
After breakfast, set out for Mabamba Wetland, one of Uganda’s best-known places to encounter the remarkable shoebill.
With your local wetland guide, glide through the papyrus channels by traditional canoe, watching for shoebills and the many other bird species that thrive here.
Mabamba Wetland · Lake Victoria
After your morning on the wetland, return toward Entebbe for your scheduled domestic flight to southwestern Uganda.
We coordinate your Mabamba experience around your confirmed flight time, keeping the morning unhurried while making the most of a short itinerary.
Flying turns a long road journey into more time where it matters — in Bwindi.
On arrival in southwestern Uganda, your Queen of East Africa guide will meet you for the private drive to Buhoma, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Settle into your lodge at the forest’s edge. The rest of the day is intentionally easy — time to take in the surroundings, enjoy dinner and prepare for tomorrow’s gorilla trek.
Where You’ll Stay in Bwindi
In the Forest. Close to Tomorrow’s Adventure.
For this four-day safari, we base you in Buhoma, one of Bwindi’s most established safari areas and an excellent base for a gorilla trekking journey.
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Gorilla Forest Lodge, an A&K Sanctuary
Buhoma · Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
An exceptional luxury retreat surrounded by Bwindi’s rainforest, combining privacy, attentive service and an intimate forest setting close to the gorilla trekking experience.
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Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge
Buhoma · Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
A sophisticated forest retreat overlooking Bwindi, with individually designed bandas, beautiful views and warm Ugandan hospitality.
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Buhoma Lodge
Buhoma · Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
An intimate lodge overlooking Bwindi’s forest, offering comfortable accommodation, warm service and an excellent location for experiencing the Buhoma sector.
We’ll recommend the best fit based on your preferred level of luxury, travel style, trekking arrangements and availability.
Explore Bwindi →03 Gorilla Trekking · Bwindi
The Gorilla Trek.
Every gorilla trek unfolds differently.
Wake early in Bwindi and enjoy breakfast before your private guide takes you to the gorilla trekking briefing point.
Here you’ll meet the Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers, receive your briefing and join your trekking group before entering the rainforest with experienced guides and trackers.
Mountain gorillas move freely through the forest, so reaching your assigned family may involve anything from a relatively manageable walk to several hours of trekking.
If you have mobility, fitness or other considerations that may affect your trek, tell us during the planning process so we can take them into account when coordinating your safari.
Once your trekking group reaches the habituated gorilla family, you’ll normally have up to one hour with them, subject to Uganda Wildlife Authority regulations.
This is your time to observe the family at close range — feeding, resting, interacting and moving through the forest — while your ranger guides help you understand what you are seeing.
After the trek, return to your lodge for lunch and time to rest.
After the Trek
Your Afternoon, Your Way.
We deliberately leave the rest of the day flexible.
Gorilla trekking can be physically demanding, and you may simply want to return to your lodge, enjoy the forest and rest.
If you would like to experience more of Buhoma, we can arrange an appropriate activity depending on your interests, energy level and timing.
Options may include a Batwa cultural experience, community experience, guided village walk or nature walk.
- Batwa cultural experience
- Community experience
- Guided village walk
- Nature walk
- Rest at the lodge
Nothing needs to be forced into the afternoon. We’ll help you choose what feels right for you.
Enjoy dinner and your final night beside Bwindi’s forest.
04 Bwindi · Entebbe
From Bwindi to a Ugandan Farewell.
Enjoy breakfast at your lodge before your private transfer to the airstrip for your scheduled flight back to Entebbe.
On arrival, your Queen of East Africa team reconnects with you and coordinates the remainder of your day around your international departure.
Where your flight schedule allows, there will be time to freshen up and relax before we come together for your Queen Farewell at Phase 2.
Enjoy dinner, spend a little more time with your Queen team and end your journey with a proper Ugandan send-off.
Afterward, we’ll transfer you privately to Entebbe International Airport for your onward flight.
For an earlier international departure, we’ll adapt your farewell around your flight schedule rather than compromise your departure arrangements.
If your international flight leaves the following morning, an additional overnight in Entebbe can be arranged.
End of Safari
Make It Yours
Your Safari. Your Way.
This itinerary provides the journey. We tailor the details around how you want to experience it.
Signature
Beautifully selected accommodation, private guiding and thoughtful comfort throughout.
Luxury
Exceptional hotels and lodges, elevated accommodation and additional private touches.
Ultra-Luxury
The highest appropriate accommodation level available for this itinerary, highly personalized arrangements and additional private experiences.
Your Safari Designer can also adjust the pace, accommodation, activities and arrival or departure arrangements around your travel plans.
Plan This Safari →What’s Included
Already Arranged.
- Private Queen of East Africa safari guide for the private ground portions of your journey
- Dedicated private safari vehicle for applicable ground transfers and touring
- Personal airport welcome
- Safari Manager or Safari Director welcome as scheduled
- Private airport and ground transfers as specified
- Accommodation as confirmed
- Meals as specified
- Queen Welcome Dinner according to arrival schedule
- Scheduled domestic flights as specified
- Gorilla trekking permit
- Mabamba shoebill tracking experience
- Applicable park and included activity fees
- AMREF Flying Doctors emergency evacuation coverage during your safari
- Queen of East Africa on-ground support
- Queen Farewell according to departure schedule
Emergency Evacuation Support
Added Support While You Travel.
AMREF Flying Doctors emergency evacuation coverage is included during your safari, subject to the applicable terms, conditions and service area.
It provides emergency medical evacuation support where applicable should a qualifying medical emergency arise during your journey.
AMREF Flying Doctors coverage is not a substitute for comprehensive travel or medical insurance. We strongly recommend appropriate travel insurance for your trip, including medical treatment, trip cancellation or interruption, baggage and other relevant protection.
Not Included
- International flights
- Uganda visa or entry costs where applicable
- Travel and medical insurance
- Gratuities
- Personal purchases and expenses
- Optional activities not included in your confirmed itinerary
- Additional accommodation required because of international flight schedules unless included in your proposal
- Anything not specifically stated as included
Is Four Days Enough?
Four Days. Designed Around the Gorillas.
Four days isn’t designed to show you all of Uganda.
It is designed for travelers with limited time who want to make mountain gorilla trekking the heart of their journey.
Rather than spending a full day traveling between Entebbe and Bwindi by road, scheduled domestic flights help you spend more of your time experiencing Uganda.
In four days, you can:
- Track the remarkable shoebill at Mabamba Wetland.
- Fly into southwestern Uganda.
- Stay at the edge of Bwindi’s rainforest.
- Spend a day trekking mountain gorillas.
Have more time? We can extend your journey with chimpanzee trekking, classic wildlife safaris, the Nile and more of Uganda — designing the route around the experiences that matter most to you.
Ready for Uganda?
Your Four Days Start Here.
Gorillas, Shoebills and Bwindi.
Tell us when you’d like to travel, who is coming with you and how you prefer to experience Uganda.
Your Queen of East Africa Safari Designer will bring the journey together — from your gorilla permit and accommodation to domestic flights, private guiding, transfers and the details in between.
