Uganda Gorilla Safari Through Ishasha from Queen. Some of Uganda’s best safari routes are really about what happens between the headline destinations, and the drive from Queen Elizabeth National Park to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park through the Ishasha sector is a perfect example. Rather than treating the transfer between wildlife and gorillas as dead time on the road, this itinerary turns it into one of the trip’s highlights: a full day of game drives through Ishasha’s open plains, home to the famous tree-climbing lions, before arriving at Bwindi for the safari’s centerpiece.

The trip picks up in Queen Elizabeth National Park itself, with a game drive across the Kasenyi plains and a Kazinga Channel boat cruise — one of the best wildlife-viewing activities in the park, bringing you close to enormous pods of hippo and abundant birdlife. From there, the route heads south into Ishasha, where lions climb into the branches of large fig trees to escape the heat and biting tsetse flies at ground level — a behavior seen in only a handful of places on Earth. The final stretch continues through the Kigezi Highlands to Bwindi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to roughly half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, for a morning trek that most travellers describe as one of the most moving wildlife experiences of their lives.

This route works well as a standalone short break for travellers already in the Queen Elizabeth area, or as a segment within a longer Uganda itinerary. If you’d like more time in Queen Elizabeth itself before heading to Ishasha, our 3 Days Tree-Climbing Lions Tour & Boat Cruise covers that park in more depth; if you’re starting from further afield, our Short Uganda Gorilla Safari with Game Drive begins in Kampala or Entebbe instead. Or get in touch and we’ll tailor the pace, dates, or accommodation level to suit you.

Trip Highlights

• A game drive across the Kasenyi plains in Queen Elizabeth National Park
• A Kazinga Channel boat cruise among some of Africa’s densest hippo populations
• A full day of game drives through the Ishasha sector, famous for its tree-climbing lions
• A scenic drive through the terraced Kigezi Highlands to Bwindi
• A profoundly moving morning of mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• The chance to see two of Uganda’s most iconic predator and primate experiences on a single, efficiently routed trip

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Game Drive & Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise

Begin the day with a game drive across the Kasenyi plains, with good chances of elephant, buffalo, Uganda kob, and lion, set against views of the Rwenzori Mountains in the distance. In the afternoon, take a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, the waterway connecting Lake Edward and Lake George, home to one of Africa’s densest hippo populations along with crocodile and prolific birdlife. Overnight: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 2: Ishasha Tree-Climbing Lions & Transfer to Bwindi

Head south to the Ishasha sector for a full day of game drives in search of the region’s famous tree-climbing lions. Local guides know which of the sector’s large fig trees the resident pride favours, and a midday scan of these specific trees — when the lions climb up to escape the day’s heat — is often more productive than a broader search elsewhere. Look out too for topi, buffalo, and elephant roaming the open plains before continuing on to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, arriving in the evening. Overnight: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Day 3: Mountain Gorilla Trekking Experience

The heart of this safari. After a briefing at park headquarters, trek into the forest with experienced rangers in search of a habituated gorilla family. Trekking time varies depending on where the gorillas are that day, but once located, you’ll spend a full hour in their presence — creatures with whom humans share around 98% of our DNA. The rest of the afternoon is free to rest, reflect, or take an optional nature or community walk. Overnight: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Day 4: Transfer to Kampala/Entebbe

After breakfast, begin the drive back toward Kampala or Entebbe, retracing part of the route through the Kigezi Highlands, with a lunch stop along the way. Arrive in the evening in time for your onward travel or flight home.

What’s Included

• Gorilla trekking permit (one per person, non-resident rate)
• All park entrance fees
• All listed activities (unless marked optional)
• All accommodation
• Professional English-speaking driver/guide
• All ground transportation in a safari 4×4
• All applicable taxes/VAT
• Meals and drinks as specified in the day-by-day itinerary

Not Included

• International flights
• Tips (guideline: US$10 per person per day)
• Personal items (souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
• Optional activities such as a Batwa community walk
• Meals not specified in the day-by-day itinerary

Good to Know

Gorilla permits: A Uganda gorilla trekking permit currently costs USD 800 per person and is issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, the official body managing Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, and all of Uganda’s other national parks. Permits are limited daily and should be secured well ahead of your travel dates — we handle this as part of your booking.

Best time for tree-climbing lions: The Ishasha sector’s lions are best spotted around the middle of the day, when rising heat and tsetse fly activity at ground level tend to send them up into the fig trees — a useful detail to know, since it runs counter to the classic early-morning or late-afternoon game drive slots most safaris are built around. The dry seasons, June–September and December–February, offer shorter grass and clearer sightlines for spotting them, as detailed in our guide to the best time to spot lions and leopards in Queen Elizabeth.

Fitness level: Game drives and the boat cruise are easy and suitable for all fitness levels. Gorilla trekking involves uneven, sometimes steep and muddy forest terrain, so a reasonable level of fitness is recommended.

Uganda entry requirements: Most visitors need a visa, obtainable in advance through the Uganda e-Visa portal, and proof of yellow fever vaccination is required for entry.

Related Tours You May Also Like

• 3 Days Tree-Climbing Lions Tour & Boat Cruise, Queen Elizabeth National Park
• 3 Days Wildlife Encounter to Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Short Uganda Gorilla Safari with Game Drive
• 3-Day Uganda Gorillas Safari
• 10 Days Uganda Rwanda Safari – Gorillas Only in Uganda
• Game Safari and Gorilla Trekking in Uganda
• Best Time to Spot Lions and Leopards in Queen Elizabeth

Useful External Resources

• Uganda Wildlife Authority — official body managing Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi National Parks and issuing gorilla trekking permits
• Uganda Tourism Board — official national tourism information site
• Uganda e-Visa & Immigration Portal — for visa applications and entry requirements

Ready to book, or want us to tailor the pace, dates, or accommodation level? Request a quote and our team — Africa safari experts since 2010 — will build your Ishasha-to-Bwindi gorilla safari around you.