A romantic, unhurried week with flights instead of long drives: gorillas from a luxury forest lodge in Bwindi, tree-climbing lions in Ishasha and sundowners on the Kazinga Channel.
This honeymoon safari is designed to be romantic, comfortable and unhurried. Instead of long drives, you fly between Entebbe and the parks, staying in intimate luxury lodges with views over the forest, the savannah and the water. The heart of the trip is a gorilla trek together in Bwindi, followed by the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha and a private sunset boat on the Kazinga Channel.
Every stay can be personalised with private dinners, spa treatments and special touches, and the trip extends easily to a beach in Zanzibar.
You are met at Entebbe International Airport and taken to a quiet hotel on the shore of Lake Victoria. Relax by the water, enjoy a sunset drink and a candlelit dinner, and let the journey begin slowly.
Fly from Entebbe to Kihihi airstrip and transfer to your luxury lodge on the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Spend the afternoon on your private deck with views into the forest canopy, enjoy a massage, or take a gentle walk with a guide along the forest edge. Dinner is served by the fire.
After an early breakfast you report to the park office for the 7:30–8:00am briefing, where Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers explain the rules and assign each visitor to a gorilla family; no more than eight people visit a family each day.
You then follow your ranger guide into the forest while trackers radio the family’s position. Treks take anywhere from one to six hours over steep, muddy ground. When you reach the gorillas you leave bags and sticks with the porters, put on a face mask and spend one hour watching them feed, groom and play from at least 10 metres away, before walking back out and receiving your trekking certificate.
Back at the lodge, celebrate with a hot bath, a relaxed late lunch and an evening in front of the fire. Many couples say the shared experience of meeting the gorillas is the moment they remember most.
Drive north out of the forest to the remote Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park. In the afternoon, search the big fig trees for lions resting in the branches, and the plains for topi, buffalo and elephants. Your tented camp sits on the banks of the Ntungwe River, where hippos call at night and dinner is served under the stars.
Take a morning game drive in Ishasha, then travel north through the park to the Mweya peninsula, perched above the Kazinga Channel and Lake Edward. Relax at the lodge pool in the afternoon with views over the water and, on clear days, the Rwenzori Mountains.
Set out at dawn for a game drive on the Kasenyi plains, where thousands of Uganda kob gather on their breeding grounds and the lions of Kasenyi hunt in the early light. Look also for buffalo, waterbuck, warthog and elephants, and for leopards along the Channel Track.
In the late afternoon, board a private boat on the Kazinga Channel for a sunset cruise just for the two of you, gliding past hippos, buffalo, elephants and waterbirds as the sky turns gold, with drinks and snacks on board.
Enjoy a last breakfast overlooking the channel before your flight back to Entebbe, arriving in time for an onward international flight or an extension to the beach in Zanzibar.
Lodges shown match the quoted price. Ask us about mid-range and luxury upgrades.
Yes. Gorilla trekking is an extraordinary shared experience, and Uganda’s luxury lodges are intimate, with private decks, fireplaces and excellent food.
Yes. Zanzibar is a popular extension, connected by flights via Nairobi or Dar es Salaam; see our 12-day gorillas and Zanzibar honeymoon.
We choose intimate luxury lodges with forest or water views and good service. Tell us your preferences and budget and we will suggest the best options for your dates.
Yes: room decorations, private dinners, spa treatments and special touches at each lodge, arranged discreetly.
Yes. You travel with a private guide and stay in well-run lodges throughout.
Yes. Add a night in Bwindi and a second permit; many couples find the second trek even more relaxed and intimate.
June to September and December to February are driest. If you prefer quiet lodges and lower permit prices, April, May and November are lovely, with more rain.
Wildlife 7 daysTwo of Uganda’s greatest wildernesses in one journey: the thundering Nile at Murchison Falls, then the wide, wild plains of Kidepo Valley in the far north-east.
Short break 4 daysRhinos on foot, chimpanzees in a mahogany forest, the most powerful waterfall on the Nile and the big game of Uganda’s largest park, in four unhurried days from Kampala.
Honeymoon 12 daysAdventure and romance: fly in to trek gorillas in Bwindi, see tree-climbing lions and the Kazinga Channel, then fly to Zanzibar for Stone Town and six nights on the beach.
Change the dates, add a night, upgrade a lodge or combine it with Rwanda or Kenya. Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll send a revised plan and price.
