14 Days Birding And Nature Tour Uganda

This safari takes you to most of Uganda’s amazing national parks and conservation areas all filled with avian/bird life. Let’s you trek chimps, see animals of the savanna and go trekking Gorillas. Trek chimps in Kibale Forest National Park, see animals and birds of the tropics on game-drive and boat-cruise in Murchison and Queen Elizabeth National Parks and trek Mountain Gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park during this unforgettable adventure.

Day 1: Arrival and birding in Entebbe botanical gardens

Our arrival is at Entebbe International Airport followed by a transfer to Lake Victoria View Guest House, Depending on the arrival time and how we your feeling, we can have optional bird watching at Entebbe, especially on the lush grounds of the Entebbe Botanical Gardens, where we’ll see both forest and lakeshore birds. Our first bird species could include Palm-nut Vulture, Great Blue Turaco, Eastern Gray Plantain-eater, African Pied Hornbill, Splendid Glossy Starling, the rare Orange weaver, Slender-billed, Golden Backed. Dinner and overnight at

Budget Frontiers Hotel Entebbe
Midrange Lake Victoria Hotel

Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary-Evening birding

After breakfast in the morning we transfer to Masindi where we shall have our lunch via the Luwero triangle passing through undulating grasslands and mosaic woodland where we drive, our target bird species here will be the White-crested Turaco, Bronze-tailed Starling, lesser Blue and Great Blue Eared Starlings, Black, Yellow Mantled and Black Winged Bishops, White Headed Barbet, Cardinal and Nubian Woodpecker, Lesser and Greater Honeyguide, Saddle Billed Stork in the swamps after Luwero, we have also had chances of seeing the Rufous Bellied Heron, Banded Snake Eagle, Eastern Chanting Goshawk and many more. Dinner and overnight at

Budget Twiga Tales Lodge
Midrange Pakuba Safari Lodge

Day 3: Morning drive for birds and boat trip in Murchison falls and top of the falls-Evening birding in Budongo.

A highlight of the visit to Murchison falls as we enjoy a game drive and search for big game and birds in the park. There will be mammals such as Rothschild’s Giraffe, Cape Buffalo, Elephant, Waterbuck. Have a boat trip to the bottom of the falls followed by a hike to the top of the falls where your driver will pick you and transfer to Bundongo for birding experience in the evening. If you are lucky enough, you might spot the rare Night jar!

Other birds to look out for include the Saddle-billed, Yellow Billed and African Open Billed Stork, African Finfoot, Hauglins Falcon, Senegal Thick-knee, Rock Pratincole, Giant, Woodland, Grey Headed, Malchite, Pygmy and striped Kingfishers. On the game drive we look out for Heuglin’s Francolins Black Billed Barbet, Northern and Red Faced Barbet, Swallow-tailed and Blue-breasted and Northern Carmine Bee-eaters, Abyssinian Rollers, the giant Abyssinian Ground Hornbills, Black Winged and Northern Red Bishops. Dinner and overnight at

Budget Budongo Eco Lodge Dormotories
Midrange Budongo Eco Lodge Cabins

Day 4: Birding Budongo- Royal Mile and Busingiro Transfer to Hoima Kontiki Hotel

Depart early for the nearby Budongo Forest, birding along the Royal Mile, a truly spectacular road with forest canopy towering far overhead. There is a good system of trails in the forest, today we expect skulking birds like the Nahan’s Francolin, excessively noisy White-thighed Hornbill, graceful Cassin’s and Sabine’s Spinetail, Blue-throated Roller, Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Forest Flycatcher, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Ituri Batis, Lemon Bellied Crombec, Tit Hylia, Uganda Woodland Warbler, Forest Robin, Yellow Billed, Grey Throated, Hairy Breasted and Yellow Spotted Barbet, Great Blue and Black Billed Turaco, Dusy Long Tailed Cuckoo, Spotted, Plain, Slender Billed, White Throated, Little Grey and Little Greeenbul, Red Tailed Bristle bill and Black-capped Apalis among others. On this day we transfer to Hoima in order to cut short on the next day’s long distance Drive. Dinner and overnight at

Budget kolping Hotel Hoima
Midrange Hotel Kontiki Hoima

Day 5: Transfer from Hoima to Kibale via Fort portal-Bigodi swamp walk/birding

After breakfast, check out and drive through undulating hills with lush green vegetation to Kibale forest with lunch en route in Fort Portal town. Later check in at the lodge for relaxation and refreshment. In the evening go for a swamp walk in Bigodi wetland which is a ramsar site rich in birds. Birding in the forest is also very rewarding and you could encounter White-napped Pigeon, African Gray Parrot, Black Bee-eater, Hairy-breasted, Yellow Spotted and Yellow Billed Barbet, Chestnut-winged and Purple-headed, Waller’s and Narrow Tailed Starlings, Blue-throated Brown and Superb Sunbirds, White-collared Olive back among others. Dinner and overnight

Budget Lake Nkuruba Campsite
Midrange Isunga safari lodge

Day 6: Chimpanzee tracking and evening birding

After breakfast, we shall report to the UWA headquarters for briefing then we shall head into the park for chimp tracking and birding. Kibale is home to 13 species of primates and there. This is where we have bigger chances of Chimpanzee tracking. Birding in the forest is also very rewarding and you could encounter White-naped Pigeon, African Gray Parrot, Black Bee-eater, Hairy-breasted, Yellow Spotted and Yellow Billed Barbet, Chestnut-winged and Purple-headed, Waller’s and Narrow Tailed Starlings, Blue-throated Brown and Superb Sunbirds, White-collared Olive back among others. We shall have a picnic lunch and then continue with our search. In the evening we shall return to the camp for dinner and overnight at

Budget Lake Nkuruba Campsite
Midrange Isunga safari lodge

Day 7: Birding day in Semuliki valley national park

Semliki Forest marks the eastern extension of the West African Forest. This makes it the best birding place in East Africa as we encounter some of the Guinea Congo Biome endemics not easily seen in other East African destinations. Specialties include Congo Serpent Eagle, Bate’s Nightjar, Yellow-throated Cuckoo, Orange-tufted Sunbird, Black-winged, Rufous-sided Broadbill, Icterine Greenbul, Black-throated Coucal, Nkulengu Rail, Long-tailed Hawk, Spot-breasted Ibis, Capuchin Babbler, Yellow-throated and Western Nicator, Northern Bearded Scrub Robin, Red-chested Owlet, Western Bronze-napped Pigeon, Black-collared Lovebird, White-bellied Kingfisher, Red-rumped Tinkerbird, Lyre-tailed and Zenker’s Honey guides, White-throated Blue Swallow, Swamp Palm Bulbul, Crested Malimbe, Blue-billed Malimbe. You will have dinner and overnight at

Budget UWA Campsite
Midrange Nyati/Ntoroko Game lodge

Day 8: Birding in Semuliki and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park

Have breakfast very early in the morning and proceed for birding along the Sempaya trail. We try out what was missed the previous day, Palm Swamp Bulbul and the Leaf Love, Rufous Bellied Negrofinch, Black Bellied Seed Craker, are easily seen in this area. After this we drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park which is Uganda’s second largest protected area on the shores of Lake Edward. We shall have our lunch in fort portal and then drive to the park. During the drive, we look out for the Black Shouldered, Swamp, Square Tailed and Pennant-winged Nightjars. We reach in evening and settle in our accommodation for
dinner and overnight stay Budget Pumba Safari Cottages
Midrange Baboon Safaris resort

Day 9: Morning game drive for birds and evening boat ride on Kazinga channel.

Today after our breakfast, we immensely explore Queen Elizabeth National Park. Birds on this drive are numerous and may include among others the Wahlberg’s, Brown Snake, Short Toed Snake and Martial Eagle, Red-necked Spurfowl, Black-rumped and Common Buttonquails, African Crake, Hollub’s Golden and Lesser Masked Weavers, Black Coucal, Black Lored and Arrow Marked Babbler, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl Copper, Scarlet Chested and Red-chested, Broad Tailed and African Moustached Warbler. We shall return to the lodge for lunch, and after lunch in the afternoon we do a boat ride along the Kazinga Channel looking out for water birds that roost in between the Edward and George Lakes. Close encounters with the biggest schools of Hippos in Africa and some crocs many migrating species like the Gulls and Terns are here, after this ride we go back to the lodge for dinner and overnight at

Budget Pumba Safari Cottages
Midrange Baboon Safaris resort

Day 10: Birding and Tree-climbing lions search in Ishasha and transfer to Bwindi

Transfer through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park on the way to Bwindi, this area is known for its tree-climbing lions. In Ishasha we will drive off in this adventurous vast savannah area with Topis and the southern version of Elephants to hopefully get the Lions high in the fig tree branches. Continue the transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Here you will experience a change in the landscape from flat savanna, via cultivated hills to jungle covered mountains. Dinner and overnight at

Budget Lake Nkuruba Campsite
Midrange Isunga safari lodge

Day 11: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable forest-Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi

After breakfast and briefing by park ranger guides, depart with picnic lunch boxes to start the trekking – the activity can last up to 4 hours trek or more to find the Mountain gorillas as you hike up and down slippery slopes with dense mist covered vegetation. Hence you will have packed lunch for this activity. This active quest will eventually bring you to the face of one of the most sought after creatures-the mountain Gorillas.
Upon reaching them, you will have a full hour with them while observing and learning their behavior as you take photos. In the evening, you will proceed to Lake Bunyonyi for relaxation or do an optional hike to the many Islands surrounding Lake Bunyonyi. Dinner and overnight at

Budget Broadbill Forest Camp
Midrange Gorilla Mist Camp

Day 12: Birding in Ruhija sector in Bwindi

Today we bird towards Mubwindi Swamp where the trail drops steeply through the dense forest and then winds through swampy forest. In Ruhija the birds we hope to sight include the; Rwenzori Batis, Collared Apalis, Montane Sooty Boubou, Banded Prinia, Mountain and Yellow-streaked Greenbul. Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Archer’s Robin-chat, White-starred Robin, Strange Weaver, Blue headed, Purple-breasted and Regal Sunbirds, Northern Olive Thrush, Abyssinian Crimsonwing, Black headed Waxbill, Willcock’s Honeyguide, Sharpe’s Starling and many others.  More birds include African Green Broadbill, Yellow-billed Barbet, Black-billed Turaco, Bar-tailed Trogon, White-headed Hoopoe, Montane Oriole, Pink-footed Puffback, Lagden’s Bush-Shrike, Waller’s Starling, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Dwarf Honey-Guide, Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk, Oriole Finch, Doherty’s Bush-Shrike, Red-headed Malimbe, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Grey-headed Sparrow, Dusky Twin spot, Think-billed and Streaky Seedeaters, Rwenzori Nightjar etc. Dinner and overnight at

Budget Broadbill Forest Camp
Midrange Gorilla Mist Camp

Day 13: Transfer to Kampala via the equator

After having breakfast, start on the drive back to Kampala with the memory of the great rare mountain Apes and albertine birds. Lunch en route, arriving late in the evening to be dropped at the hotel for a relaxed evening at

Budget Frontiers Hotel
Midrange Lake Victoria Hotel

Day 13: Birding Kampala– Mabamba wetland and Entebbe botanical gardens

Your guide picks you up in the morning as we start the journey towards Mabamba Swamp, a bit south of Entebbe. If you are lucky we might make some interesting sightings of birds along the way. When reaching Mabamba swamp we go out in small boats to search for the Rare Shoebill stork, lesser jacana, marsh harriers, African pygmy-goose, and whistling, blue breasted bee eater plus many more aquatic birds of Uganda. Hopefully you can finish the experience off with having made a sighting of the Great shoebill stork

They may stand absolutely still for long periods awaiting the movements of their prey and then suddenly strike with a marvelous speed. Overnight at

Budget Frontiers Hotel
Midrange Lake Victoria Hotel

Day 14: Transfer to Entebbe, for a flight back

After having breakfast or lunch depending on your scheduled flight back, check out and be transferred to Entebbe international airport to readily catch your flight back home as you say farewell to the pearl of Africa.

The price includes:

• Transport 4×4 Safari van
• Accommodation
• All meals
• Guide fees
• Park fees
• Chimpanzee permit
• Gorilla permits
• Hiking fees
• Rhino tracking
• Boat fees
• Government taxes
• Drinking Water on board.

The price does not include:

• Tourist insurance
• International flights