Photograph the Primates of Uganda
Uganda Primates Photo Safari
Kibale, Bwindi and Mgahinga
4 chimpanzee treks, 3 mountain gorilla treks
November 2026
Join us this November on a safari in Uganda to photograph the primates of Uganda. Uganda has more primates than any other country in Africa and special highlights of these safaris are the chimpanzee experiences and mountain gorilla treks.
This year we also trek at Mgahinga in the Virunga mountains to go with our two treks in Bwindi. Mgahinga offers an experience to differ from that of Bwindi, here the environment offers a more open, bamboo-covered terrain and alpine forests with easier, more open slopes.
Our 11 day safari in Uganda include three gorilla treks and four chimpanzee visits, presenting plenty of opportunities for chimpanzee and gorilla photography.
Photographers of all levels are welcome. Our tour leaders are full-time wildlife photographers with great experience in the field and in guiding and photographic instruction. Each tour offers a small client-leader ratio that allows for personal attention and customised guidance on photography.
To reserve your spot on Primates of Uganda please contact me.
Is This Safari in Uganda For You?
All Photographers Are Welcome
Photographers of all levels are welcome, including beginners. Our tour leaders are full-time wildlife photographers with great experience in the field as well as in guiding and photographic instruction. Each tour offers a small client-leader ratio that allows for personal attention and customised guidance on photography.
Creative Photography
We pride ourselves on the highest level of creative wildlife photography. We’ll show you creative techniques to set your wildlife pictures apart from the rest. In addition to these, we will also cover traditional techniques like portraiture, action, focusing and composition.
Image Reviews and Tuition
After our morning drives, we offer tuition on photographic techniques and post-processing. We also host image review sessions in a more formal setting during the week. Our goal is for you to make the most out of your experience and to take home photographs of gorillas and chimps that you’ve long desired.
Highlights of your Photo Safari in Uganda
The Vehicles
Most of our photography will be outside of vehicles but for travelling between our lodges, we will use two 4×4 nine seater Land Cruisers. These will provide each guest with a seat and window and plenty of room for all our luggage and gear. We have chosen two vehicles to ensure space and comfort for all travellers.
Chimp Trekking at Kibale
The chimpanzee trekking centre is 10 minutes from our lodge in Kibale. We may spend up to two or three hours on each of our treks with the chimpanzee groups. We trek twice a day, in the morning with a break for luck at our lodge before we head out again for our afternoon trek.
Gorilla Trekking at Bwindi
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has the highest number of mountain gorillas of about 450 individuals thus almost half of the world's population of mountain gorillas.
When it comes to habituated gorilla groups, Bwindi still offers the highest number of gorilla families totalling to about 21 that are fully habituated and open for trekking.
Gorilla Trekking at Mgahinga
Mgahinga National Park in the Virunga mountains has one family for trekking, the Nyakagezi group, which ensures a quieter more intimate experience. Mgahinga National Park is the only park in Uganda where visitors can spot the endangered golden monkeys.
Mgahinga sits high in the clouds, at an altitude of between 2,227m and 4,127m.
Batwa and Cultural Day
On a rest day between treks we offer a local Batwa village visit and cultural activities day where we can learn about the Batwa people of Bwindi, coffee harvesting and gin distillation as well as a visit to the Ride 4 a Woman initiative in the town.
Where we stay on safari in Uganda
Entebbe
The Airport Guesthouse is only 5 minutes from Entebbe International Airport, this guesthouse is set in a quiet neighbourhood with beautiful gardens. We offer a pickup from the airport, and we can also take you to the airport for your flight out. Entebbe offers various activities to spend a nice and calm day, our staff can help you organize some nice activities. In the evening we transform our garden into an open-air restaurant, a dinner under the starlit African sky!
Kibale
The Kibale Forest Camp offers the thrill of howling black and white colobus monkeys from the comfort of your tent. Get absorbed by forest smells and sounds, spot primates swinging through the trees and observe rare birds and beautiful butterflies fluttering around. Have a break from your daily concrete jungle life and experience the real thing. Complemented by excellent food served in a cosy grass-thatched restaurant, the camp forms your perfect base if you are looking for an affordable and comfortable place from where to explore the area.
Bwindi
Engagi Lodge in Bwindi is a modern lodge in a breathtaking setting offering stunning views over the forest canopy. The lodge is situated in a large tract of land contiguous to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, and runs from the main road down to the Munyaga river. The main lodge building is divided into a bar sitting room, the dining room and a large outdoor verandah viewing platform. Engagi consists of just 8 en-suite cottages, spaced out and hidden in the foliage.
Kisoro
Travellers Rest one of the oldest hotels in Uganda, with a history steeped in gorilla conservation, Travellers Rest becomes a must for your gorilla trekking in the area. It boasts an impressive list of guests. To name just one, Dian Fossey, who even called this her second home. Situated just outside Kisoro, the area is of astonishing beauty and the views of the Virunga volcanoes dominating the landscape will remain engraved in your memory.
How to book your safari in Uganda
Our tour groups are small at 7 participants, so space is limited. To reserve your spot on this tour please contact me.
Single supplements are optional for single travellers who want their own room and tent. Otherwise, single travellers are paired with another single traveller of the same gender.
For those who wish to join two dates for one continuous longer safari in Uganda, we can at a cost less than two combined.
Primates of Uganda 2026
Dates and Costs
8th – 18th November – (two places left)
19th – 29th November – (open for booking)
The cost of the 11-day all-inclusive safari is $9800 per person. Bookings are secured with a 20% deposit per person, with the balance being required 12 weeks before. A single room option is available at $1500 extra. Payments to be made in $US.
Financial Protection
Payments for all safaris are made through Shona Travel which means you have the financial protection of booking through a registered tour operator. Your money is 100% safe and if one of our suppliers goes bust, your money is fully protected. Shona Travel can also book your flights for full financial protection. Please download our terms and conditions here.
What’s Included
All accommodation
Three gorilla trekking permits
Four chimpanzee trekking permits
Guides in the Park
Local alcoholic beverages
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
What’s not Included
International flights
Uganda visa ($50)
Tips and gratuities for camp staff and guides
Uganda Primates Photo Safari
11 Day Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe.
You will be picked by our driver/guide and transfer you to Airport Guesthouse Entebbe for overnight. We will brief you about the tour and what time we will leave on day two.
Day 2: To Kibale Forest
Early morning departure for the journey to Kibale Forest. We will pass close to Lake Albert, on a clear day the view from the top of the Albert rift is spectacular. In the afternoon we will arrive at Kibale Forest, sleeping with the noises of the tropical rainforest.
Day 3: Morning and Afternoon Chimpanzee Walks
At 8:00pm we will start with the 4 hours chimpanzee walk. Also 10 other primates can be seen! The park is also known for all the butterflies and birds. In the afternoon we will have another chimp walk for 4 hours.
Day 4: Morning and Afternoon Chimpanzee Walks
This our second day of chimpanzee walks.
Day 5: To Bwindi
In the morning we leave for North Bwindi. For people who like to walk, there is a stunning beautiful walk along the lakeshore and above on the hills. The road takes us through a beautiful landscape called the “Switzerland of Africa”. We pass mountains, hills and lakes with cultivated terraces and tropical rainforest and bamboo forest.
Day 6: Our first gorilla trek at Bwindi
The day of Gorilla tracking at Bwindi. From our lodge it is 30 minutes by car to the gorilla groups at North Bwindi. At 7:45am you will be at the offices of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for pre-briefing and at 8:30 you will start the trek after finding the gorillas you will spend with maximum 1 hour. Being physically fit is recommended.
Day 7: A free day / rest day
Local Batwa village visit and cultural activities day.
Day 8: Our second gorilla trek at Bwindi
This our second day of gorilla tracking at Bwindi.
Day 9: To Mgahinga
After breakfast we drive to the town of Kisoro. You will pass by traditional villages and stunning panoramic views. Our accommodation is at Travellers Rest, made famous by Dian Fossey who spent time there.
Day 10: Our gorilla trek at Mgahinga
After an early breakfast, drive to Mgahinga park headquarters for our briefing before our trek in search of the Nyakagezi gorilla family.
Trekking at Mgahinga in the Virunga mountains differs from that of the Bwindi forest, here the environment offers a more open, bamboo-covered terrain and alpine forests with easier, more open slopes.
Day 11: To Entebbe and Departure
After breakfast the last part of the journey will bring us back to Entebbe. We will stop in Mbarara for Lunch and then continue, after Masaka town we will stop at the Equator for Tea/Coffee break and buying souvenirs. We will bring you to Airport Guesthouse Entebbe for refreshing and dinner before flying out to onward destination.
Your Primates of Uganda Safari Guide
We are a small team of award-winning wildlife photographers and experienced photography tutors in the field of natural history. We have won awards in Wildlife Photographer of the Year, Nature’s Best and GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year, and our work is published regularly. Our photographic experience extends back to the days of film, paper and manual focus cameras.
David Lloyd is an exhibiting wildlife photographer, having won awards for his work which favours a fine art style in both colour and black & white. David has been awarded six times in Wildlife Photographer of the Year.
In 2011, his image A Flick of the Tail was chosen as the cover of that year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year portfolio and in 2019 he was awarded as their peoples’ choice winner for his image Bond of Brothers.
His images have been published widely in the press and several photographic monthlies, in both the UK and abroad. David also holds exhibitions of his work, most recently at the Royal Geographic Society in London. He is the author of two wildlife photography books: As Long As There Are Animals and All Eyes Speak One Language.