11 Days Birding Safari in Uganda

Highlights of the 11 Days Birding Safari in Uganda

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport

Day 2: Birding at Mabamba swamp

Day 3: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk

Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

Day 6: Morning game drive, and afternoon boat cruise

Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Day 8: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

Day 9: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

Day 10: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

Day 11: Departure to Kampala

Detailed itinerary 

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport on day 1 of the 11 Days Birding Safari in Uganda, you will be welcomed by our driver guide who will brief you about the safari and then transfer you either to Via Via hotel, 2 Friends Beach hotel,  Karibu Guesthouse Entebbe, Golden Quest Hotel Entebbe, or Papyrus Guesthouse Entebbe in Entebbe for dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Birding at Mabamba swamp

After an early breakfast on day 2 of the 11 Days Birding Safari in Uganda, you will carry packed lunch and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Mabamba swamp for birding experience where you will be able to view the illusive shoebill stork and other bird species like double toothed barbet, long tailed cormorant, black crake, African pigmy goose, common sandpiper among others. After birding at Mabamba, you will return to the hotel for evening relaxation, dinner, and an overnight stay.

Day 3: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

After breakfast on day 3 of the 11 Days Birding Safari in Uganda, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey to Kibale Forest National Park, which is located in western Uganda. It’s a whole day journey and on the way you will have en-route lunch and enjoy stunning views of the beautiful scenery, landscape, tea plantation, Rwenzori Mountains, views of the crater lakes, among others. Upon arrival in Kibale National Park, you will continue to check into Kibale Eco Home Lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk

After an early breakfast on day 4 of the 11 Days Birding Safari in Uganda, you will meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Kanyachu Visitors Centre for a chimpanzee trekking briefing. After the briefing, you will be divided into a group of 6 people, where each group will be allocated a chimpanzee family to trek and a park guide who is well conversant with the trails in the forest. Trekking of chimpanzees in Kibale forest national park takes about 30 minutes to 5 hours, depending on where the chimpanzees are located, because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will be able to spot other primates such as grey-cheeked mangabey, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, some bird species, plants, among others. Once the chimpanzees are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat, which helps you to learn more about their behaviors, watch them feed, breastfeed, fight, hunt, enjoy the juveniles playing up in the trees, take photos, and record the moments. After the face-to-face encounter with the chimpanzees, you will trek back to the park headquarters, where you will meet up with your driver guide to return to the lodge for lunch.

After lunch, you will go for an interesting nature walk in Bigodi swamp where you will be able to view different bird species like the white-breasted Negrofinch, yellow-spotted barbet, grey-winged robin-chat, primates, plant species, beautiful butterflies, enjoy the cool breeze, and relax your mind among others. After the swamp walk, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 5: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park

On day 5 of the 11 Days Birding Safari in Uganda, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park. On the way, you will enjoy great views of the landscape, crater lakes, tea plantations, among others, and upon arrival, you will have lunch. After lunch, you will go for an afternoon game drive where you will be able to view animals like elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, warthogs, waterbucks, bushbucks, and view different bird species among others. After the game drive, you will drive back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 6: Morning game drive, and afternoon boat cruise

You will have breakfast on day 6 of the 11 Days Birding Safari in Uganda and meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive or lion tracking experience in Kasenyi plains. During the game drive, you will be rewarded with great views of large herds of elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, bushbucks, waterbucks, and warthogs, which will be grazing in the open savannah plains. View predators like lions, leopards, if you are lucky, a variety of bird species, among others. After the game drive, you will drive to the lodge for lunch.

After lunch, you will go for an exciting boat cruise on Kazinga channel, a water body that connects Lake George and Lake Edward. During the boat cruise which takes about 2 hours you will get a chance to view elephants, buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs drinking water along the shores, view large concentrations of hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, water birds like martial eagle, papyrus gonolek, pelicans, hornbills, African skimmers, cormorants, African spoonbills, fish eagles, king fisher’s among others and also view fishermen organizing their fishing nets along the water banks. After the boat ride, you will return to the lodge for an evening of relaxation, dinner, and overnight.

Day 7: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After breakfast on day 7 of the 11 days Uganda birding safari, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. On the way, you will pass through Ishasha sector in the southern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park, where you will get an opportunity to spot the tree-climbing lions, which will be lying up in fig tree branches. After the game drive in Ishasha sector, you will have lunch and after you will continue the journey to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, and upon arrival, you will check in at the lodge for relaxation, dinner, and overnight at Bwindi My Home.

Day 8: Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After an early breakfast on day 8 of the 11 days Uganda birding safari, you will carry your lunch box and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to the park headquarters for a briefing about the rules, regulations and expectations of gorilla trekking. After the briefing, you will be divided in groups of 8 people, where each group will be allocated a gorilla family to trek and a park guide who is knowledgeable about the mountain gorillas. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours, depending on their location, and during trekking, you will be able to view forest birds, other primates, plant and tree species, among others. Once the mountain gorillas are found, you will be able to spend one hour with them, which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their lifestyle, behaviours, habits, take photos, watch them carry out their daily activities, and record the fascinating memories to show people back home. After a breathtaking encounter with the gentle giants, you will trek back to the park headquarters where you will be awarded a certificate for participating in gorilla trekking and then meet up with your guide to return to the lodge for an evening relaxation dinner and overnight.

Day 9: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

After having a relaxed breakfast on day 11 of the 11 Days Birding Safari in Uganda, check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to transfer to Lake Mburo. The journey takes about 3 to 4 hours’ drive with great views on the way and upon arrival in the park, you will check into the lodge for lunch.

After lunch, you will go for a guided walking safari/birding in the park where you will get up-close and personal with different animals, spot bird species like the black-bellied bustard, bare-faced go-away bird, brown-chested lapwing, red-faced barbet, blue-headed Coucal, among others. After the guided nature walk, you will return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Wildlife in Lake Mburo National Park

Day 10: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

After an early breakfast on day 10 of the 11 Days Birding Safari in Uganda, you will meet up with your driver guide to go for a morning game drive in the park where you will be rewarded with great views of animals like waterbucks, elands, buffaloes, zebras, impalas, topi, giraffes among others which will be grazing in open savannah plains with due. After the game drive, you will drive back to the lodge for lunch.

After lunch, you will go for an interesting boat cruise where you will be able to view hippos and Nile crocodiles inthe  water, view buffaloes, waterbucks, warthogs drinking water along the shores, water birds like kingfishers, bee-eaters, fish eagles, cormorants, among others. After the boat cruise, you will drive to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Day 11: Departure to Kampala

On the last day of the 11 Days Birding Safari in Uganda, you will check out of the lodge and meet up with your driver guide to start the journey back to Kampala with en-route lunch on the way and a stopover at the Equator, where you will buy souvenirs and take photos. Upon arrival in Kampala, your driver guide will drop you off at Entebbe International airport for your departure flight or drop off at any place of your choice.

End of the 11 Days Birding Safari in Uganda

Safari includes

• Gorilla trekking permit
• Chimpanzee trekking permit
• Park entrance fees/ game drives
• Boat cruise fees
• Services of a professional English-speaking driver guide
• Vehicle and fuel
• Drinking water

Safari excludes                     

• Air flight tickets
• Visas
• Accommodation
• Meals
• Life insurance
• Optional activities not included in the itinerary
• Personal expenses like buying souvenirs, cigarettes, crafts, drinks, laundry services, hiring a porter, tips among others.

Tour Price

Starting from: USD 3,000 per person

The price discount will depend on the number of people

Contact us for a customized quote.