20 Days Ultimate Birding in Uganda Tour

Today you start the journey to Budongo forest with a stopover for rhino trekking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary which is the only place to track rhinos in Uganda. After the trek continue to Budongo forest where you will check in to your lodge on arrival. Accommodation: Budongo Eco Lodge (Budget) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

You will spend today birding the most popular birding trail in Budongo forest. The Royal Mile is a stretch of road between the main research station and a forestry college. The Royal Mile is regarded as the best bird watching site in Uganda. Budongo forest has 366 bird species that have been recorded and these include Ituri batis, Puvel’s IIIadopsis, White-Thighed Hornbill, Black-headed gonolek, Black-eared ground thrush, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, Lemon-bellied crombec, Yellow-footed flycatcher, , Yellow-billed barbet, Red-headed weaver, Purple-Headed starling. You will spend the day looking out for these species and other forest species. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast today you bird your way to Murchison falls national park. Some of the species to look out for along the way include the Foxy’s Cisticola, Crested Francolin, Singing cisticola, African finfoot and other bird species that might be sighted along the way. On arrival at the lodge you check in and have dinner. Accommodation: Paraa Safari Lodge (Up market), Pakuba Safari Lodge (Mid-range),Fort Murchison (Budget) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

oday morning you will head out for a morning birding and game drive safari in the northern sector of the park where a large concentration of wildlife and bird species can be found. Bird species to look out for include abbyssinian ground hornbill, open billed storks, king fishers, bee eaters, secretary birds, warblers, lapwings, sun birds, fly catchers and many other species. Animals to look out for include lions, elephants, giraffes, Uganda kobs, hyenas, cape buffaloes, baboons, antelopes and if lucky the elusive leopard. In the afternoon you will go on an afternoon boat ride on River Nile. The boat ride also leads to the top of the Murchison water falls a popular park sighting. While on the boat ride you look out for various water bird species along the river bank. You also look out for wildlife such as hippos, crodiles, elephants cooling off in the water and antelopes drinking along the Nile River. You will then get off the boat for a hike to the top of the falls with your assigned guide.The hike to the top of the falls is a rewarding experience that is recommended as it offers views of green scenery along the trail. Once you get to the top you will have amazing views of the thunderous water falls as you watch them splash and force their way through the narrow gorge. The top of Murchison falls offers great photography moments, beautiful view of the ever present rainbow and an expansive view of the national park. The hike is about one hour and a relatively physically fit person is able to do it with ease. After the hike you return to the lodge for overnight. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

The morning boat trip will take you to the Lake Albert delta with the main bird to look out for being the elusive shoebill. The private delta boat trip is a quiet and beautiful trip as it has less activity hence offering you an opportunity to sight different water bird species and capture amazing photos. After the delta boat trip you will go on yet another game drive in the park for more birding. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast at the lodge we bird our way to Kibale national park. Kibale forest national park is one of the most popular bird watching spots in Uganda with the most searched for bird being the Green-breasted Pitta. The park is a bird watcher’s paradise as it has 375 bird species including the Albertine rift endemics. Accommodation: Ndali Lodge (Up market), Turaco Treetops (Mid-range),Chimpanzee Guest House (Budget) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today morning you head in to Kibale forest for a whole day birding experience in Kibale forest that is home to 375 bird species. The main specie to look out for today is the Green-breasted pitta. Other bird species to expect include Little Greenbul, Black bee-eater, Yellow-rumped tinkerbird, Blue-breasted kingfisher, African Pitta, Crowned eagle and Black-eared Ground-Thrush. After your lunch you will head for the Bigodi swamp walk that offers a great birding experience as well. The most sought after bird in the swamp is the Great Blue Turaco, another specialty of the swamp is the papyrus gonolek. Return to the lodge after a fulfilling day birding for dinner. Meal Plan – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Have breakfast at the lodge early in the morning and then your driver guide will transfer you to the park headquarters for a briefing from your ranger guide. After the briefing you start the journey in to the rain forest as you look out for the chimpanzee, man’s closest relatives. Once you locate the chimps you will spend one hour with them as you watch then hop around the tree branches, feed,play and feed their young ones. You will also be able to capture great shots of the chimpanzee during this time. After this you trek back to the starting point. After the chimpanzee trek you begin the journey to Queen Elizabeth national park for more of your birding in Uganda safari. On arrival you will do some evening birding before retiring to the lodge for dinner. Accommodation: Mweya Safari Lodge (Upmarket), Kikorongo Safari Lodge (Mid-range), Bush Lodge (Budget) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After an early breakfast at the lodge you will set out for the whole day birding in Queen Elizabeth national park. The park hosts about 600 species of birds making it a prime destination for birdwatching. You will go on a game drive as you bird in the savannah plains. After lunch you will go on the kazinga channel boat cruise The 32 km Kazinga channel inter connects Lake Edward and Lake George. While on the boat ride you look out for various species of water birds, birds that can be seen include pink-backed pelicans, pied and malachite kingfishers, yellow-billed stork, African jacanas, long tailed cormorants, African fish eagle, African spoon bill. Meal Plan – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

After breakfast you bird your way to Buhoma sector of Bwindi national park. Accommodation: Bwindi Lodge (Upmarket), Buhoma Haven Lodge (Mid-range), Buhoma Community Rest Camp (Budget) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today will be spent in birding in buhoma, a sector of Bwindi national park. Species to look out for today include Black billed weaver, Kivu Ground-Thrush, White bellied Robin-chat, Black bee-eaters, Blue-Throated Roller, Sooty Flycatcher, Tullberg’s Woodpecker, White-browed Combec, Jameson’s Ant Pecker, Olive Long-tailed cuckoo, White breasted Crested-Flycatcher, forest starling and other forest specials. While birding if lucky you might sight blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys and squirrels. After a long and fulfilling day spent birding, you retire to the lodge at the end of the day for dinner. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today you will have an early breakfast at the lodge and then your driver guide will drive you to the park office in Bwindi for the gorilla trek. You will receive a briefing from your ranger guide and then you will be assigned a gorilla family to trek. You then start the trek in to the diverse Bwindi forest for an encounter with the endangered mountain gorillas. On locating the gorillas you will spend 1 hour with them in which you have time to capture your best shots, watch the gorillas as they feed and go on with their day. After the rewarding experience you start to trek back to the lodge. Arrive at the lodge and spend the rest of the day at leisure. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today you will bird to Ruhija sector of Bwindi national park through the “The Neck”. Look out for the forest specials and some of the Albertine Rift Endemics. Overnight will be at a lodge in Ruhija. Accommodation: Bakiga Lodge (Mid-range), Trekkers Tavern (Budget) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

You will leave the lodge early in the morning and start your full day birding experience in Bwindi national park. The Mubwindi swamp is a great birding trail where you will look out for different forest birds and the Abertine rift endemics resident to this area. The most sought after bird today is the elusive African Green Broadbill. Other species that you can expect to see include Ruwenzori Apalis, Regal sunbird, Dwarf Honey guide, Ruwenzori Turaco, Crowned Hawk-eagle, Olive Pigeon, Grauer’s Scrub warbler, Bronze Winged-Pigeon, African emerald cuckoos, Red-chested owlet, Yellow Spotted barbets, Olive woodpeckers, Yellow-rumped tinker bird, Brown capped weavers, Handsome Francolin, Chapin’s Fly catcher, Blue-Throated Roller, African Hill Babbler, Stripe-Breasted Tit, Double-Toothed Barbets, Kivu Ground-Thrush, Short-Tailed warbler, Black saw-wing, Mountain Yellow Warbler, black goshawk and many other bird species along swamp trail. After the full day birding experiences you will return back to the lodge in the evening and get your much needed rest. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

oday you will transfer to Lake Mburo national park the smallest savanna national park in Uganda which offers incredible birding experiences. On arrival you head out in to the park for a game drive in Lake Mburo national park. While on the game drive you will begin your birding and look out for wildlife in the park. Return to the lodge for overnight after the game drive. Accommodation: Mihingo Lodge (Luxury), Rwakobo Rock (Mid-range), Eagle’s Nest (Budget) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After an early breakfast at the lodge you begin your birding experience in Lake Mburo national park. On the game drive in the park you will look out for bird species like Black-Bellied bastard, Black-collared barbets, white-winged warbler, papyrus gonolek, Southern Ground Hornbill, Grey crowned crane which is Uganda’s national bird, Nubian wood pecker, malachite kingfishers, common quails, brown parrot, African fish Eagle, Greater blue-eared starling, Red-necked spurfowl and many other species. You will also look out for wildlife which includes zebras, elands, ipalas, topis, oribi, buffalo, and the recently introduced giraffes. After the game drive you head for a boat ride on Lake Mburo. You will look out for crocodiles, hippos, antelopes and buffaloes as they come to the shores of the lake to drink water. You will look out for the special African Finfoot and a number of water birds that can also be sighted while on the boat ride. After the boat ride you return back to your lodge where you will have dinner. Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

You will have one last game drive in Lake Mburo national park before heading to Mabamba wetlands. On arrival you will check in to your lodge and have lunch. After lunch you bird in neighboring forest of the lodge and bush land. Accommodation: Nkima Forest Lodge Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today morning you will go on a motorized canoe ride in Mabamba with your site guide. The main highlight of your birding will be spotting the elusive shoe bill which you will look out for in this papyrus swamp. Other birds of interest to in Mabamba swamp include papyrus gonolek, stripped king fisher, black-headed weaver, black-headed weaver, blue swallow, White-winged warbler, swamp Fly-catcher, malachite kingfisher, African jacana, slender-billed weaver, pied king fisher, Carruthers’s cisticola, Payrus canary. After this you will go birding in the nearby forest as you look out for some forest birds. In the afternoon you transfer to Entebbe for overnight. Accommodation: Hotel No.5 (Luxury), The Boma Hotel (Mid-range), African Roots Guest House (Budget) Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today marks the end of your birding safari in Uganda as you will be transferred to Entebbe International airport for your flight back. Meal Plan: Breakfast