Day 1: Arrival in Uganda – Welcome to the Pearl of Africa

Welcome to Uganda! Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel for an overnight stay in Entebbe. If time allows, take a visit to the Entebbe Botanical Gardens, where you can spot various bird species like the African Grey Parrot, Ross’s Turaco, and Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill. Rest and prepare for your exciting birding and gorilla safari adventure.

Travel time: 1 hour

Day 2: Drive to Murchison Falls National Park via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

After breakfast, set off for Murchison Falls National Park with a stopover at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for a guided nature walk to see the rhinos. This is the only place in Uganda where you can spot rhinos in the wild. Continue your journey to Murchison Falls National Park, arriving in the evening for dinner and an overnight stay.

Travel time: 7 hours

Day 3: Game Drive and Birding in Murchison Falls National Park

We have an early morning breakfast and then go birding sighting Savanna birds and a game drive-in search for Wildlife. Look out for; Secretary Bird, Red-necked Falcon, Vinaceous Dove, Red-throated, Swallow-tailed and Carmine bee eaters, White-breasted Cuckoo-shrike, White-fronted black chat, Abyssian Ground hornbill, Abyssian Roller, Black-billed Barbet, Brown-backed Woodpecker, Spotted Morning Thrust, Bronze-tailed Starlings, Northern Red Bishop, Red-winged Pytilia, Black-bellied Firefinches, Black-rumped Waxbill and many more. Dinner and Overnight as above.

Day 4: Morning Boat Cruise to the Nile Delta – Birding Experience

Look out for; Little Grebe, Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans, Allen’s Gallinule, Black Crake, African Crake, Black-crowned Crane, Egyptian, African Pygmy, and the Spur-winged Gooses, Storks like; the Saddle-billed, Open-billed. More birds include, Woolly-necked, the Little Bitterns, Night Heron, Black Heron, Goliath Heron, Purple Heron, Green Backed Heron, Common Squacco Heron, Great and Long-tailed Cormorants, the African and Eurasian Spoonbills, the Lesser Flamingo, Lesser Jacana, African Finfoot, Painted Snipe, Wattled Plover and more.

Day 5: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

Drive to Kibale Forest National Park, home to 13 primate species and over 300 bird species. En route, stop at the Albertine Rift escarpment for birding, looking out for species such as the Beautiful Sunbird, Chestnut-crowned Sparrow Weaver, and Foxy Cisticola. Arrive in the evening for dinner and overnight at your lodge.

Travel time: 7 hours

Day 6: Birding in Kibale Forest & Chimpanzee Trekking

Start early when the birds are most active. Kibale is home to the Green-breasted Pitta, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Yellow-throated Nicator, and Dusky-blue Flycatcher. In the afternoon, embark on a guided chimpanzee trek. The forest echoes with calls of primates and birds, making it a thrilling experience.

Day 7: Birding in Bigodi Wetland & Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Spend the morning birding in Bigodi Wetland, a sanctuary for the Great Blue Turaco, Papyrus Gonolek, and White-winged Warbler. After lunch, drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, arriving in time for an evening birding session near the Mweya Peninsula.

Travel time: 3 hours

Day 8: Birding Safari and Kazinga Channel Boat Ride

Early morning birding in the Mweya Peninsular and Kasenyi area for a Game drive & afternoon Kazinga Channel boat Safari, Look out for; African Skimmer, Malachite Kingfishers, White-winged Terns, Swamp Fly-catcher, Grey-capped Warbler, Grey-headed Kingfisher, African jacana, Pin-tailed Whydah, Martial Eagle, Gabon Nightjars. Great and Long-tailed Cormorants, Common Squacco Heron, African Skimmer, African Fish Eagle, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Sedge Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, Papyrus Canary, Great white and Pink-backed Pelicans, African Mourning Dove, African Open-billed Stork, Yellow-billed, Egyptian Goose, a number of Gull species, to mention but a few.

Day 9: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest via Ishasha

Leave early for Bwindi, stopping at the Ishasha sector for a chance to see the famous tree-climbing lions. En route, spot birds such as Grey-headed Negrofinch, Black-billed Weaver, and Stuhlmann’s Starling. Arrive at Bwindi in the evening.

Travel time: 5 hours

Day 10: Gorilla Trekking & Birding in Bwindi

Enjoy your Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Forest. Birding will be along the water fall trail for the Narrow-tailed Starling, Waller’s Starling, Montane Oriole, African Golden Oriole Strange Weaver, Brown-capped Weaver, Dusky Crimsonwing, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, Magpie Mannikin, Yellow crowned Canary, Thick-billed Seedeater, Streaky Seedeater, African Green Broadbill, Oriole Finch, Mountain Buzzard, Handsome Francolin, Black-billed Turacco, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, African Wood Owl. More species; Rwenzori Nightjar, Bar-tailed Trogon, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, (Western) Bronze-naped Pigeon, Red-chested Owlet, Tullberg’s Woodpecker, African Broadbill, Western Green Tinkerbird, African Green Broadbill, Lagdens Bush-Shrike, Petit’s Cuckoo-Shrike, Grey Cuckoo-shrike, Toro Olive-Greenbul, White-bellied Robin Chat, Olive Thrush, White-tailed Ant-Thrush, Grauer’s Rush-warbler, Neumann’s Warbler and Red-faced Woodland Warbler.

Day 11: Transfer to Lake Bunyonyi – The Place of Many Birds

Depart Bwindi for the scenic Lake Bunyonyi. Relax by the lakeside and enjoy birding. Spot species like the Pied Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher, and White-tailed Blue Flycatcher.

Travel time: 5 hours

Day 12: Birding on Lake Bunyonyi & Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

Take a morning boat ride on Lake Bunyonyi to search for more bird species before heading to Lake Mburo National Park.

Travel time: 4 hours

Day 13: Birding and Boat Ride in Lake Mburo National Park

After breakfast, start birding in Lake Mburo National Park. Later in the midmorning take a boat trip on Lake Mburo after which continue birding in the savannah and woodlands. Species to look out for include the; Red-winged Francolin, Blue-spotted Wood Dove, Brown Parrot, Barefaced Go-away bird, Blue Quails, Common Button Quail, White-headed and Black- billed Barbet, Greenwood Hoopoe, Blue-napped Mousebird, Blue-breasted and Shining-blue Kingfishers, Lilac-breasted Roller, African-grey Hornbill, the Nubian, Buff-spotted, Brown-eared, and the Grey Woodpeckers. Trilling, Stout, and Wing-snapping Cisticolas, Black-bellied Bustard, African-wattled Plover, Rufous napped and Flappet larks, Rufous-chested Swallow, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Black-winged Bishop, Chubb’s, the Lesser and Great Swamp Warblers, Black Crake, Common Squacco, Striated, Goliath, Purple, Black-headed, Grey, and Black-headed Herons, Great White and Pink-backed Pelicans, the African Fish Eagle, among others.

Day 14: Return to Kampala with a Stop at the Equator

Drive back to Kampala, stopping at the Equator for photos and souvenirs. Arrive in Kampala or Entebbe for an overnight stay.

Travel time: 8 hours

Day 15: Mabamba Swamp Excursion & Departure

An early morning transfer to Mabamba swamp the best place to see the Shoebill stork after which you are transferred to your hotel or Airport. Other birds to see; Veilots’s Black weaver, village weaver Orange weaver, Crowned Hornbill, Ross’s Turaco, Great Blue Turaco, Papyrus gonolek, Malachite Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, Shining Blue Kingfisher, Pied Wagtail etc.