If you only want to visit Uganda for gorillas, then you can get in and out in as little as 3 to 5 nights. However, it is usually best to spend at least four nights in the Bwindi Forest area and do two gorilla treks, to ensure good sightings.

3-5 nights

Most people undertaking a trip of this duration visit the gorillas in Bwindi, then either continue north by road to Queen Elizabeth (savanna safari) and Kibale Forest (chimps), or fly across Lake Victoria for some more serious savanna safari in the Serengeti region of Tanzania.

6-10 nights

Longer trips within Uganda can extend that combination by continuing north by road to Murchison Falls, or flying to the remote Kidepo Valley. Or you can combine with other countries, most notably Serengeti in Tanzania, Okavango in Botswana or Kruger in South Africa.

11-15 nights

Our safari experts have incredible 
first-hand knowledge and an average
of 12 years experience building great 
trips.

Expertise and experience

Since 1999, we have created over a million sample  trips and helped over 120,000 guests fall in love with  safari Africa.

A proud history

Over the years we have polished our operation to be super-reliable. Arranging your trip should be almost as much fun  as going on safari. 

Seamless and fun

Your trip should cost no more than if 
you had booked all the components directly. You effectively get our services for free.

Delivering value

Every single trip that we build is unique. Your trip will be precisely tailored to meet the exact requirements of everyone in your group.

Supremely tailor-made

The first safari company on the internet, we helped to shape the modern safari and we continue to be the prime innovators in our field.

Original innovators

Tell us your whatever you know about your ideal trip. Whether you're drawn to specific wildlife, particular regions, or have preferences about the style of accommodation, the more we understand, the better we can help you to craft the perfect experience.

Share your ideas

Your dedicated safari specialist will work with you to build a selection of sample trips. We'll discuss seasonality, wildlife movements, logistics, lodge options, activity levels, whatever is necessary. And we will keep on refining until we are all confident that we have reached the perfect trip.

Crafting your trip

Everything is arranged. All you need to do is turn up. You probably won’t even need to show your paperwork, you will simply glide from one group of friendly and efficient local hosts to the next. And our support team remains on hand throughout, leaving you free to focus entirely on the extraordinary experiences ahead.

Travel with confidence

Many of us here at ATR have travelled extensively with our own kids, so we know for a fact that safari is great for families.

This is the kind of trip that guarantees to generate memories that you will share for the rest of your lives.

However, there are significant health issues to consider in most safari areas, so we need to proceed with caution.

Most dry season safari is ideal for kids of 12 years and older, eminently feasible for kids 8-11 years and potentially viable from 6-7 years old. If your kids are 0-5 years, then it’s probably best to stick to the non-malarial areas of the Cape, then progressing up into Namibia as they get older.

Family safari 

Safari is an inherently romantic experience that can be endlessly tailored to suit you.

We have been helping guests to build awesome honeymoons for many years. We have intimate knowledge of some of the wildest and most romantic places in the world.

Perhaps the most important piece of advice is to be yourselves. Please don’t feel it is necessary to fit into the usual romantic tropes if they’re not for you. Just focus on having a great trip.

We very much understand the importance of these trips, we know that your honeymoon needs to really hit the heights and be a truly life-punctuating experience.

Honeymoon safari 

On safari, luxury means different things to different people.

The most conventional meaning is that the accommodations are extremely comfortable, with elevated levels of hospitality. This is relatively easy to deliver, there are lots of luxury lodges.

However, simply inserting more luxurious lodges into your trip is no guarantee of a better safari. In fact, the opposite can be true.

For us, the hallmarks of a truly high quality safari are a suitably slow pace, wonderful remote locations, superb safari guiding, exclusive and intense wildlife interaction, precisely tailored experiences and considered attention to detail. We can do that.

Luxury safari 

Safari in Uganda ranges from pricey to very pricey, although considerably less than the equivalent in Rwanda.

There are too many costly structural elements that cannot be avoided, like accommodation, gorilla permits, internal flights and private vehicles. You can expect to spend USD 800 to 2500 per person per night.

We are more than happy to work across this range of prices. The only important thing is that we help you find the very best safari to suit your budget.

The two dominant price factors are the length of time that you spend on safari and the specific lodges that you choose to include in your trip. Deploying more time in town, rural and beach locations can bring the total cost down dramatically.

If you have a higher budget, we will help you determine which camps do actually deliver elevated levels of service and experience. We will also highlight other subtle ways in which your trip can be raised to another level, including the use of whole camp bookings, private guides and vehicles, helicopter explorations of remote areas etc.

If you have a medium budget, the best way to keep a lid on costs is to carefully choose lower-cost lodges.  You can also reduce the number of core safari nights and deploy time in more cost-effective beach, town and rural locations. We will help you understand where to trim and where to splash in order to achieve the best overall experience.

If you have a lower budget, then we can always look at other fundamentally less pricey safari countries, although this would inherently mean scrapping the gorilla experience.

"We just returned from a weeks safari organized  organized   organized by ATR and have nothing but positive reviews!"

Bwindi Forest

Set in the southwest of Uganda, Bwindi Forest is one of the prime locations in Africa for viewing mountain gorillas.

The area contains a handful of good lodges and offers an excellent range of other forest and cultural activities, notably including interaction with the Batwa pygmies.

The most significant downside for Bwindi Forest is the unavoidably high cost of visiting and the potential shortage of gorilla permits during peak seasons.

Guide price USD 750-2500 pppn

Queen Elizabeth

Set in the remote west of Uganda, Queen Elizabeth National Park is the largest savanna safari area in the country, a stop on the overland route from Bwindi Forest to Kibale Forest.

Guest accommodation is in a handful of decent lodges, offering a wide range of safari activities including motorboat safari and chimpanzee tracking.

This area has always had a mixed reputation, being little more than an amusing spot to stop on the way through and with questionable levels of border integrity and wildlife protection. However, since 2025, the arrival of new lodges on self-patrolled private concession has started to make this a much more alluring option.

Guide price USD 800-1600 pppn

Kibale Forest 

Set in the southwest of Uganda, Kibale Forest is an important tropical reserve, the best location in the country for viewing chimpanzees.

Guest accommodation is in several lodges, of which one or two are of decent quality. The surrounding farmland is extremely scenic.

The most significant downside for Kibale Forest is that the severe shortage of good accommodation options leads to severe availability issues during the Jul-Sep season.

Guide price USD 600-1200 pppn

The Rift Valley scenery in the west of Uganda is truly wonderful, with dense forests, scenic farmlands, open savannas and vast lakes, below the volcanoes of the legendary Mountains of the Moon. To the south lies the vast inland sea of Lake Victoria.

Mountain scenery

Uganda is one of two locations to offer intense up-close encounters with mountain gorillas. The core experience within the mysterious forested valleys is authentic and heart-pumping. It’s also a lot less pricey than Rwanda.

Mountain gorillas

People tend to underestimate the chimp experience, but these guys are also very powerful, and are much more active than their bigger cousins. They can be encountered in the Kibale Forest area to the north of Bwindi, making for a great combination.

Chimpanzees

The savanna safari in Uganda is not as reliable as Serengeti, but the scenery in Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and the remote Kidepo Valley is extraordinary and they all deliver cool wildlife experiences. But predator sightings can be less frequent

Savanna safari

Serengeti is the mother of all safari reserves, a most extraordinary place, best known for its enormous wildebeest and zebra migration, but with prolific wildlife year round.

Serengeti

Maasai Mara is one of Africa’s best known wildlife reserves. A part of the greater Serengeti ecosystem, the Mara is renowned for hosting the migration herds Jun-Oct.

Maasai Mara

If you are looking for tropical beaches, then Zanzibar Island has loads of choice of lodges, whilst the islands of Pemba and Mafia are much less-visited backwaters with a cool Swahili vibe.

Zanzibar

June to September is the main dry season and the best overall time to visit Uganda. Gorilla tracking in Bwindi and chimp trekking in Kibale are at their most reliable, while Queen Elizabeth and Murchison offer strong wildlife viewing. Conditions in Kidepo are cooler but still good.

Jun–Sep

October to November brings a short rainy season. Forest trails can become softer, making gorilla and chimp tracking more variable, but visitor numbers drop and the parks are lush and green. Savanna safaris remain worthwhile, particularly in Queen Elizabeth.

Oct–Nov

December to February is a short dry season and an excellent time for gorillas and chimps, with manageable trails and fewer visitors outside late December. This is also the prime season for Kidepo Valley, when wildlife concentrates and conditions are dry, warm and clear.

Dec–Feb

This is the main rainy season and the most challenging period for forest trekking, with muddy trails and longer gorilla and chimp treks. All savanna areas remain scenic but sightings can be less reliable. Visitor numbers are low, landscapes are dramatic, and prices are often more attractive.

Mar–May

Murchison Falls

Set in the remote northwest of Uganda, Murchison Falls is a substantial wildlife reserve, centred on the famous cascade on the Albert Nile.

Guest accommodation is in a handful of lodges, all offering excellent motorboat safari, modest savanna safari and lesser options for chimpanzee tracking.

This area has also had a mixed reputation, with questionable levels of border integrity and wildlife protection. However, since 2025, the arrival of a new lodge on remote private concession has started to make this a much more alluring option.

Guide price USD 600-1600 pppn

Kidepo Valley

Set in the extremely remote north of Uganda, Kidepo Valley is a real trophy location for experienced safari travellers, with impressive landscapes and a good range of wildlife.

Guest accommodation is in just one good quality lodge, which can only be accessed by shared charter flight from Entebbe.

The most significant downside for Kidepo Valley is the inherently high cost of a visit.

It is also important to note that the seasonality is completely opposite to most safari areas, with a Nov-Apr dry season being the best time to visit.

Guide price USD 1500-2500 pppn

Entebbe

Set on the north shore of Lake Victoria, Entebbe is the former colonial administration centre, and remains the site of Uganda’s international airport.

It is a relatively relaxed place, with a handful of pleasantly modest lodges, ranging from basic airport overnights to pleasant colonial bungalows where you can stay longer and explore.

There’s quite a lot to do in this area, notably a chimpanzee sanctuary on a remote island and the hectic capital Kampala just up the road.

Guide price USD 600-1200 pppn