SMALL GROUP JOURNEYOFFERS

The Gorilla & Riverine Giants

2026▾
10
Days
Private
Guide
Luxury
Stays

Tree-climbing lions, a life-changing Silverback gorilla encounter, and a forest canopy star dinner in Bwindi

See Pricing & Inclusions ↓
10 Days
Small Group
from $11,500 pp
Home › Uganda › The Gorilla & Riverine Giants

OverviewYour flagship Uganda primate itinerary for first-time luxury travellers to East Africa. It pairs the raw big-game theatre of Queen Elizabeth National Park — famed for its unique tree-climbing lions — with the deeply life-changing experience of tracking mountain gorillas in the ancient mist-covered valleys of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Operated entirely via private internal flight charters to bypass long 9-hour road drives. Guests stay in world-class wilderness sanctuaries including Volcanoes Bwindi Lodge and Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp — high-end properties set right on the forest edge. Every day delivers something extraordinary: from hippos on the Kazinga Channel at sunset to a Silverback gorilla family observed at just a few metres distance.

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Private luxury boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel: hundreds of hippos wallowing, elephants drinking, and African fish eagles overhead

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Tree-climbing lions of Ishasha — large lions lounging high in the branches of old fig trees, a behaviour unique to this region in the world

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Mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi: spending a quiet hour face-to-face with a magnificent Silverback family in the mist-covered jungle

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White-linen gourmet breakfast in an open forest clearing after the gorilla trek — reflecting on the encounter as birds call overhead

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Torch-lit lantern bonfire dinner on an open deck overlooking the primeval Bwindi forest canopy under a blanket of stars

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Ancient Batwa forest people walk: traditional hunting techniques and medicinal plant knowledge from the original forest inhabitants

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Forest waterfall walk with personal naturalist guide and premium African oil spa treatment at the lodge

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Exclusive Bakiga cultural encounter: sorghum cooking masterclass, fire-making, and traditional music with mountain elders

The Gorilla & Riverine Giants

Why Choose Finders & Keepers Safaris for Uganda

Gorilla trekking permit secured in advance — private trekking group with elite trackers and an expert guide

Tree-climbing lions of Ishasha: completely crowd-free viewing of one of Africa's most unique wildlife behaviours

Kazinga Channel private cruise: one of Africa's highest concentrations of hippos and elephants at water's edge

Private internal charters throughout: no 9-hour road drives, maximum time in the wilderness

Bwindi forest spa: premium African shea butter and botanical spa treatment at the forest edge

Batwa and Bakiga non-commercial cultural encounters: deeply respectful private engagements with genuine communities

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Uganda

Entebbe · Queen Elizabeth National Park · Ishasha · Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Day by Day

Your Itinerary

Entebbe

Day 1 | Arrival in Entebbe — Lakeside Luxury

VIP tarmac handling at Entebbe International Airport. Private transfer to Hotel No.5 or The Latitude 0° perched on the shores of Lake Victoria. Early arrivals enjoy the Entebbe Botanical Gardens — established 1898, stunning tropical plants, monkeys, and exotic birds — and the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre for close encounters with chimpanzees and rhinos. Elegant multi-course dinner overlooking Lake Victoria.

Arrival in Entebbe — Lakeside Luxury
Dinner
Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 2 | Flight to Queen Elizabeth NP — Kazinga Channel Cruise

Private charter flight west to Queen Elizabeth National Park — spectacular aerial views of Lake Victoria giving way to vast savannah plains with the Rwenzori Mountains visible. Check-in at Kyambura Gorge Lodge on a peninsula overlooking the Kazinga Channel. Private luxury boat cruise: hundreds of hippos wallowing, elephants and buffalo drinking, iconic African fish eagles. Chilled champagne from a private canvas bar on a high ridge as pods of hippos gather below.

Flight to Queen Elizabeth NP — Kazinga Channel Cruise
Breakfast, Dinner

Day 3 | The Tree-Climbing Lions of Ishasha

Morning safari to the remote Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park — the rare and extraordinary sight of large lions lounging high in the branches of old fig trees, a behaviour unique to this region. Climbing trees to escape heat, catch breezes, and gain vantage over the savannah. Completely crowd-free viewing with private guide positioning the vehicle for best photographic opportunities. Gourmet picnic lunch in the bush.

The Tree-Climbing Lions of Ishasha
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Day 4 | Flight to Bwindi — Forest Bonfire Dinner

Short private air hop over the mountains to the private strip bordering Bwindi Impenetrable National Park — home to over half of the world's remaining mountain gorillas. Spectacular aerial views of dramatic mountain ranges, deep valleys, and ancient mist-covered forests of this UNESCO World Heritage site. Check-in at Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp. Elegant multi-course forest bonfire dinner around a massive stone fire pit listening to the nocturnal calls of the ancient jungle.

Flight to Bwindi — Forest Bonfire Dinner
Breakfast, Dinner

Day 5 | Mountain Gorilla Trekking Masterclass — Forest Clearing Breakfast

Rising before dawn for private guided Mountain Gorilla Trekking with elite trackers through dense mist-covered jungle. The trek is tailored to your fitness level. The life-changing highlight: coming face-to-face with a magnificent Silverback gorilla family, spending a quiet hour just metres away — observing their behaviour, interactions, and the intimate dynamics of the family group. On return: a surprise white-linen gourmet breakfast with a live-cooking chef set up in an open forest clearing.

Mountain Gorilla Trekking Masterclass — Forest Clearing Breakfast
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 6 | Forest Canopy Walks & African Oil Spa

A peaceful morning walking along Bwindi's ancient waterfalls with a personal naturalist guide. Serene forest with towering trees, cascading waterfalls, and the symphony of 350 bird species. Learning about the unique flora and fauna of the Impenetrable Forest. Afternoon: premium spa treatment utilising organic African oils — shea butter and local botanicals in a forest-facing treatment suite.

Forest Canopy Walks & African Oil Spa
Breakfast, Dinner

Day 7 | The Batwa Forest Keepers — Ancient Hunter-Gatherer Walk

A dedicated morning on a private highly educational walk with the Batwa — the original forest people of Bwindi. Learning about their ancient hunter-gatherer existence, deep spiritual connection to the forest, and traditional way of life passed down through generations. Batwa guides demonstrate traditional hunting techniques, medicinal plant uses, and their unique knowledge of the Impenetrable Forest. History of the Batwa and ongoing cultural preservation efforts.

The Batwa Forest Keepers — Ancient Hunter-Gatherer Walk
Breakfast, Dinner

Day 8 | Mountain Serenity & Canopy Star Dining

A fully relaxed day in your luxury forest chalet, soaking in the profound tranquillity of the mountain setting. Absolute silence broken only by birds and the rustle of ancient trees. The day culminates in a celebratory torch-lit lantern bonfire dinner on an open deck overlooking the primeval forest canopy under a blanket of stars — dining in the heart of the jungle with the nocturnal sounds of Bwindi surrounding you.

Mountain Serenity & Canopy Star Dining
Breakfast, Dinner

Day 9 | Exclusive Bakiga Cultural Immersion — Sorghum Masterclass

A deeply respectful cultural immersion with a non-commercial indigenous Bakiga community on the outer ridges of Bwindi. Exchange with village elders on historic terraced mountain farming, traditional fire-making, and the rich cultural heritage of the Bakiga people. Private hands-on masterclass crafting traditional sorghum porridge inside a family homestead. Vibrant oral storytelling and music with traditional instruments. Farewell multi-course dinner at the lodge paired with vintage wines.

Exclusive Bakiga Cultural Immersion — Sorghum Masterclass
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Entebbe

Day 10 | Return to Entebbe & Complementary Spa Day

Relaxed luxury breakfast watching the mist lift off the trees. Charter back to Entebbe. Complementary spa session at your city hotel. Private city tour of Entebbe — Botanical Gardens and Wildlife Education Centre — if missed on Day 1. International departure the following day.

Return to Entebbe & Complementary Spa Day
Breakfast

Want to adjust the pace, swap a lodge, or extend this journey?

We are here for that. Every Finders & Keepers Safaris itinerary is a starting point, not a fixed departure — the pace, the lodges, the length, the dates and the party travelling can all be reshaped around you. Tell us what you would change and a specialist will rebuild the journey and price it honestly, before you commit to anything.

Tailor This Journey →
Tailor this journey with Finders & Keepers Safaris
Your Accommodation

Three World-Class Properties Across Uganda

Hotel No.5
NIGHTS 1 & 10
Entebbe · Nights 1 & 10

Hotel No.5

★★★★★ — Boutique lakeside retreat on the shores of Lake Victoria with VIP arrival services
View Details
Kyambura Gorge Lodge
NIGHTS 2–3
Queen Elizabeth NP · Nights 2–3

Kyambura Gorge Lodge

★★★★★ — Luxury lodge perched on a peninsula overlooking the famous Kazinga Channel
View Details
Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp
NIGHTS 4–9
Bwindi Forest · Nights 4–9

Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Camp

★★★★★ — Ultra-luxury forest-edge lodge with direct access to the mountain gorilla habitat
View Details
Why This Journey

What sets this journey apart

Tree-climbing lions, a hippo-lined channel and a quiet hour with a gorilla family in Bwindi: Uganda’s wild highlights in ten days.

01

An hour in the mist

A quiet hour face to face with a silverback family in Bwindi, followed by a white-linen gourmet breakfast in an open forest clearing.

02

Lions in fig trees

The tree-climbing lions of Ishasha, and a private boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel past hundreds of hippos, drinking elephants and fish eagles.

03

Forest, fire and the Batwa

A torch-lit bonfire dinner on a deck over Bwindi’s canopy, and a walk with Batwa forest people sharing traditional hunting techniques and medicinal plant knowledge.

Best ValueJan – MayWetter trails, lower gorilla permit demand
Peak SeasonMay – SepPrime dry season for gorilla trekking
Shoulder SeasonSep – DecShort rains, good trekking conditions return
Best forGorilla seekersPhotographersCulture seekers
Plan this journey with us →

Inclusions & Pricing

Deposit Offer

Hold 2027 for half the usual deposit

Confirm any 2027 departure with a 15% deposit instead of the usual 30%, booked before 31 December 2026.

  • Your balance is not due until 60 days before departure.
  • The reduced deposit holds your camps, permits and internal flights at today’s rates, so a mid-year price movement does not reach you.
  • Applies to new 2027 bookings only and cannot be combined with a group discount on the same booking.
Solo Travellers

30% off the single supplement

Travelling on your own? We cut the single traveller supplement by 30% across selected 2027 departures.

  • The supplement covers the sole-occupancy cost a camp charges when a room sleeps one rather than two.
  • Available on selected camps and dates — your specialist will tell you which of your nights qualify before you commit.
  • Nothing changes about the journey itself: same guide, same vehicle, same rooms.
Group Offer

Bring three, the fourth travels free

Book four guests on a 2027 group departure and the fourth guest’s safari cost is on us.

  • The waiver covers the land portion — camps, meals, guiding and game drives.
  • International flights, visas, gorilla and chimpanzee permits and personal spending are excluded, as those are paid to third parties per head.
  • All four guests must travel on the same departure date and book together.
What's Included
  • ✓VIP meet and greet at Entebbe International Airport
  • ✓All private charter flights within Uganda
  • ✓Luxury lodge and boutique hotel accommodation
  • ✓All meals as specified
  • ✓All private guided game drives, treks, and activities
  • ✓All park and concession fees
  • ✓Gorilla trekking permit where applicable
  • ✓Complementary spa session on final day
  • ✓Private guide and expert tracker throughout
  • ✓Gorilla trekking permit in Bwindi
  • ✓Private Kazinga Channel luxury boat cruise
  • ✓Tree-climbing lion viewing in Ishasha sector
  • ✓Forest clearing white-linen breakfast after gorilla trek
  • ✓Forest waterfall walk with personal naturalist guide
  • ✓African oil premium spa treatment at Bwindi
  • ✓Batwa forest people private educational walk
  • ✓Bakiga sorghum cooking and cultural masterclass
  • ✓Travel insurance facilitated on your behalf (adjusted in your quote if you are already covered)
What's Not Included
  • ✗International flights to/from Uganda
  • ✗Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
  • ✗Personal shopping
  • ✗Premium alcohol beyond inclusions
  • ✗Optional activities not listed
  • ✗Tips and gratuities
  • ✗Uganda visa fees (USD 50 on arrival for most nationalities)

Package Pricing

Per Person Sharing$12,500
Single Traveller SupplementOn Request
ⓘ Price per person based on two guests sharing. All charter flights, accommodation, gorilla permits, meals, and activities included. International flights to Entebbe not included.

2027 Season Pricing

The same unforgettable journey, priced by season.

Jan – May Best ValueWetter trails, lower gorilla permit demand
$11,500
May – Sep Peak SeasonPrime dry season for gorilla trekking
$14,000
Sep – Dec Shoulder SeasonShort rains, good trekking conditions return
$12,500

Flexible Payment Plan

1

Reserve today with a low early deposit to lock in your 2027 dates and pricing.

2

Spread the rest across convenient instalments, at a pace that suits you.

3

Final balance due one month before departure — nothing more to pay once you fly.

Speak To Us

Journey Details

Minimum Age

Varies by camp, activity and national park

  • Camps and lodges — Most safari camps accept children from six years, with shared game-drive vehicles usually from eight to twelve. Many properties will take younger children on a privately booked vehicle.
  • Walking safaris — Guided walking safaris carry a firm minimum of fifteen or sixteen years across most reserves. This is set by the licensing authority, not the camp, and is never waived.
  • Gorilla and chimpanzee trekking — Uganda and Rwanda both enforce a strict minimum of fifteen years. It is a national park regulation and there are no exceptions.
  • Hot-air balloon safaris — Operators generally require children to be at least seven, and tall enough to brace unaided in the basket on landing.
  • Family and exclusive-use camps — A number of our camps run dedicated family units, child-minding and tailored activity programmes, and will relax their usual age limit for a sole-use booking.
  • Talk to us first — Age limits vary from property to property and from activity to activity. Speak to our experts before you book, and we will pre-arrange the details with each lodge around the ages of the children travelling with you.

Safari Duffel

Duffel, safari hat, vest and hooded jumper

  • Your duffel — A soft-sided Finders & Keepers Safaris duffel, sized for the 15 kg limit on the light aircraft that move you between camps. Rigid suitcases cannot be carried on those flights at all.
  • What is inside it — A branded Finders & Keepers Safaris safari hat, a safari vest, and a hooded jumper for cold dawn starts and balloon mornings.
  • Yours to keep — The bag and everything in it is a gift, not a loan. Nothing is returned at the end of your journey.
  • Packing around it — Soft luggage, neutral colours, and layers. Laundry is included at nearly every camp, which is why 15 kg goes further than it sounds.

Note

Gorilla permits must be secured months in advance

Gorilla trekking permits are strictly limited and often sell out 4–6 months ahead, especially in July–September and December–February. Trekking involves genuine physical exertion over uneven, sometimes steep rainforest terrain.

  • Early starts — Safaris begin very early in the morning. Your guide will confirm what time you will be collected from your camp or lodge.
  • Tailoring this journey — If you would like this package with more or fewer days, arranged for a group, a family or a solo traveller, or with add-ons, reach out and we will tailor it for you.
  • Route changes — Your guide or driver may alter the route in certain circumstances, but every destination set out in the itinerary will be covered.

Documents

e-Visa required in advance, from $50

  • Passport — Valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date, with at least two blank pages for stamps.
  • eVisa in advance — Uganda requires an eVisa applied for before travel — there is no visa on arrival for most nationalities. Single-entry tourist visas start at US$50.
  • East African neighbours — Kenyan, Rwandan, Tanzanian, Burundian and South Sudanese passport holders enter without a visa.
  • East Africa Tourist Visa — Where your itinerary covers Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, the US$100 East Africa Tourist Visa replaces three separate visas with one multiple-entry document. It is valid for tourism only.
  • Yellow fever — A yellow fever vaccination certificate is mandatory for entry to Uganda, whatever your route in.
  • Gorilla permits follow your passport — Trekking permits are issued in your full passport name and cannot be transferred or amended. Your passport details must therefore be final before we secure them.
  • We file it for you — Whether you are flying in from overseas or travelling from elsewhere on the continent, we complete and submit your visa application on your behalf. You hand us your documents once. We do the filing, chase the approval, and carry the confirmations in your travel pack so nothing rests on you remembering a reference number at a counter.
  • Most of Africa is open to you — The great majority of our African destinations are now either visa-free or issue a visa on arrival, so an embassy queue is rarely in your future at all. Where a visa on arrival does apply, we prepare and lodge the paperwork ahead of you — you reach the desk with a finished file rather than a blank form and a biro.
  • Before you travel — Entry rules change frequently and without much notice. Your specialist confirms the current requirements for every passport in your party at the time of booking, and checks them again before you fly.

Guaranteed Departures

Private, tailor-made departures on your dates, or join a small group

  • Once confirmed, you travel — When your departure date is confirmed, it is guaranteed. We do not cancel, merge or reschedule a confirmed departure for commercial reasons, however the final numbers fall.
  • What confirms a departure — A departure becomes confirmed once the agreed number of travellers has been reached and paid for in line with the agreed payment schedule. Places held without payment do not count towards it.
  • If the minimum is not reached — Where a group departure has not reached its agreed numbers, we tell you early rather than late, and you choose: move to the next available date, continue at a revised small-group rate, or take a full refund of everything you have paid.
  • Solo journeys — Solo and tailor-made itineraries carry no group minimum at all. Your dates are confirmed the moment your deposit is received.
  • Visas — We prepare and submit your visa application on your behalf. Please note that the granting of a visa rests solely with the immigration authority of the country concerned, and is never guaranteed by us.
  • Medication — We arrange malaria prophylaxis, together with anti-nausea and anti-anxiety tablets, for your journey. Any prescription medicine should be confirmed with your own doctor before you travel — they remain the final authority on what is suitable for you.
  • Africa is not always hot — Despite the stereotype, Africa moves through distinct seasons and mornings at altitude can be genuinely cold. A hooded jumper is provided for cold conditions, and for every guest joining a hot-air balloon safari.
  • Dietary requirements — If you have strict dietary needs, please tell us at the time of booking. This includes vegans, guests in recovery, non-drinkers, and anyone following a prescription from their doctor.
  • Travel insurance — We facilitate travel insurance for our clients. If you are already covered, please say so during booking so we can take it into account in your final quote.
  • Tailoring your quote — Some of our inclusions — hot-air balloon safaris, for example — may not be what you want. Point these out and we will adjust your final offer accordingly.
  • The Maasai massage & spa recovery — Guests travelling the safari circuit by road rather than by air should expect long and tiring days. The rough terrain of the jungle gives the vehicle a constant jolting ride, known affectionately as the Maasai massage. A spa session is provided at the end of your safari to recover.
  • What to pack — Neutral colours — khaki, olive and stone — and never camouflage, which is illegal for civilians here. For the forest treks you need long sleeves and trousers you do not mind tearing, sturdy waterproof boots already broken in, gaiters, a light rain jacket and a pair of ordinary gardening gloves for grabbing at vegetation on steep ground. Add layers for cold mornings at altitude and a sun hat for the drives.
  • Your safari duffel & kit — The duffel bag is used when flying into the parks, where luggage is limited to 15 kg per person. A branded Finders & Keepers Safaris safari hat and safari vest are also provided.

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