9 Days Uganda Birding Safari

Uganda Birding Safari Tour Itinerary

Day 1: Drive from Kampala to Kibale forest National Park

As we start our 9 days Birding tours in Uganda, with early morning a visit to mabamba wetland to find the endangered shoebill, in addition to the blue swallow, the swamp host a number of aquatic birds, after this visit we travel from Kampala to Kibale National Park just under the Rwenzori Mountains, continue birding along the way in search for different bird species. Kibale forest is home to chimpanzees and other primates like Grey cheeked Mangabay, Colobus monkeys, Red-tailed monkeys, L’hoest’s, and butterflies. Meals and over night at Primate lodge kibale (Luxury Option), Kibale Forest Camp (Mid–Budget Option) and Chimpanzee Forest Guest House (Budget Option). Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 2: Drive from Kibale National Park to Queen Elizabeth NP

9 Days Birding tours in Uganda starts with a very early Morning breakfast then encounter the rain forest for the search of the forest birds like the endemic Pitta and other Kibale specials Sabine’s and sometimes Cassin’s Spine tails soar over the clearings. As we walk quietly along the trail, we spot out Red-tailed Ant-Thrushes skulk in the shadows, Red-tailed Bristle bill, Scaly-breasted, Pale-breasted and Brown Illadopsis. Greenbuls are ever a challenge and include Cameroon Somber, Slender-billed, Honey guide and Spotted, while other regular species are Speckled Tinker birds, Yellow-crested Woodpecker, Green Crombec, Rufous-crowned Eremomela White-thighed and Black-and-white-casqued Hornbills, Yellow-spotted and Yellow billed Barbets, Western Black-headed Oriole, and then afternoon chimpanzee trekking. Kibale forest is known as the best primate viewing area in the world, these closest to human monkeys are about 1000 in the park and with a community of about 100 habituated for tourism visits at Kanyanchu. Meals and over night at Primate lodge kibale (Luxury Option), Kibale Forest camp (Mid –Budget Option) and Chimpanzee Forest Guest House (Budget Option). Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner.

Day 3: Queen Elizabeth National Park Game Drive

Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park viewing the mystical Ruwenzori Mountain range for much of the journey while birding, Lunch in kasese town or panic at the Queen’s pavilion panic site, take afternoon Launch cruise along Kazinga Channel, the channel joins Lakes Edward and George. The cruise is a wonderful way to see hippos, buffaloes, kob and the occasional Nile crocodiles (which up until recently did not inhabit this area), Many who experience the launch cruise consider it the high light of their entire African safari. Overnight stay at Bush lodge (Budget Option), Enganzi lodge (Mid-Budget Option), Katara lodge (Luxury Option), Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 4: Drive from Queen Elizabeth NP to Bwindi Impenetrable NP

With previous day’s memories on our 9 Days Birding tours in Uganda, enjoy your breakfast then get ready to proceed to Ishasha sector. You will drive along the deep and wide dry craters that are occupied by savanna grasses and acacia. The drive takes you through the unique western rift valley escarpment and the southern parts of Queen Elizabeth National Park Ishasha sector to search the tree climbing lions before proceeding to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. The journey to ishasha takes about 4 hours but driving through interesting features, then another 2 hrs to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park arriving in the evening but enroute do birding in search of some endemics including Yellow-browed Camaroptera, Buff-throated Apalis, and both White-breasted and Grey-headed Negro finches. Lower down we should see Chocolate-backed and African Dwarf Kingfishers, White-spotted Fluff tails and the elusive Nahan’s Francolin. Other possibilities here are Great Sparrow-hawk, Cassin’s Hawk-eagle, Crested Guinea-fowl, Tambourine Dove, Grey Parrot, African Emerald and Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoos, Yellow bill, White-throated Bee-eater, Yellow-throated Tinker bird, Yellow-spotted Barbet and Yellow-crested Woodpecker, This park is home of the rare mountain gorillas. Apart from gorillas, there are a wide variety of primates to see including the blue and red tailed monkeys. The forest itself is lush and green and there are streams running through it. Accommodation: Buhoma community Bandas (Budget facility), Silverback Lodge (Mid-Budget Option), Buhoma lodge (Luxury Option), Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 5: Bwindi Gorilla Tracking Experience

After early breakfast, set off for 9 Days birding tours in Uganda as we track gorillas from Bwindi Impenetrable National Park hence encounter several species of birds from within the Impenetrable forest, the thrill of your encounter will erase the difficulties of the potentially strenuous trek. It’s advisable that you bring jungle boots and rain jackets because the park is often wet and insect repellents. Each gorilla safari encounter is different and has its own rewards, but you are likely to enjoy the close view of adults feeding, grooming and resting as the youngsters frolic and swing from vines in a delightfully playful display. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a magnificent green swathe of dense rain forest, so ancient that survived the last ice age. A recently proclaimed World Heritage site, it’s one of the most biologically diverse areas on earth and it’s unique, precious flora sustains roughly half of the world population of mountain gorillas – believed to number just 1004 according to the recently conducted gorilla census done in Virunga forest. There’s also a substantial chimpanzee population and research shows that Bwindi is the only forest in Africa in which these two apes live together. Time permitting, spend the afternoon on a community foot safari to explore the life style of the people living and surrounding the park. Return to camp exhilarated to relieve the encounter with friends over a drink. Accommodation: Buhoma community Bandas (Budget facility), Silverback Lodge (Mid-Budget Option), Buhoma lodge (Luxury Option), Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 6: Drive from Bwindi impenetrable NP to Lake Bunyonyi

After an early breakfast we en-back on our 9 Days birding tours in Uganda that involves transfer to Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale. Along the way we carry on with our birding safari stopping at different point such as the neck in the Bwindi forest and Ruhija, picnic Lunch along the way, arriving in lake Bunyonyi Kabale late evening, Overnight stay at either Bunyonyi Overland camp (Budget facility) Acacadia cottage (Mid-Budget Option), Bird Nest Resort (Luxury Option). Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 7: Drive from Lake Bunyonyi to Lake Mburo NP

After morning breakfast, get ready for a boat ride to some of the islands on Lake Bunyonyi for ample Birding tour in Uganda where you can spot African Skimmer, Striated Heron, African Spoonbill, Water Thick-knee, Three-banded Plover, Marsh, Green, Wood and Common Sandpiper, Gray-headed Gull, Plain Martin Lesser Swamp-Warbler and Yellow-billed Ox-pecker a boat ride on lake Bunyonyi is one great activity on our 9 days birding tours in Uganda. After the morning cruise we proceed to Lake Mburo National Park after lunch. Accommodation options on the 9 days birding tours in Uganda include Eagles Nest Lodge (Budget facility), Rwakobo Rock (Mid-Budget Option) and Mihingo Lodge (Luxury Option). Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 8: Lake Mburo National Park Game Drive

After an early breakfast, we start our 9 Days birding tour in Uganda that is combined with a game drive following numerous tracks in Lake Mburo National Park. You have chances of viewing mammals such as Zebra, Topi, Elephant, Eland, Impala, Buffalo, Water Buck. Lake Mburo National Park is one great destination for 9 Days birding tours in Uganda, you stand chances of viewing Black-headed Oriole, White-backed Scrub Robin, Bateluer, Ruppel’s Long-tailed Starling, Common Bulbul, Brown Parrot, Ruppel’s Griffon Vulture, Grey Hornbill, White-browed Coucal, Lesser Masked Weaver, Water Thick-knee, Wood Hoopoe, Verraux’s Eagle Owl, Woodland Kingfisher, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Little Bee-eater, Chin spot, Tawny Eagle, Senegal Lapwing, Plain-backed Pipit, Greater Honey guide, Sooty Chat, Tawny-flanked Prinia, Red-faced Crombec, Brown-tailed, Bronze-tailed Starlings, Northern Brubru, Grey Kestrel, Coqui Francolin, Broad-billed Roller, Grassland Pipit, and Golden-breasted Bunting. Overnight stay either at; Eagles Nest Lodge (Budget facility), Rwakobo Rock (Mid-Budget Option) and Mihingo Lodge (Luxury Option). Meal plan:Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.

Day 9: Drive from Lake Mburo National Park to Kampala and Entebbe Out

After an early breakfast, take on a morning safari walk, this will enable you encounter different bird species and mammals with in Lake Mburo National Park. It contains an extensive wetland you are likely to see elands, impalas, water bucks, warthogs, and zebras. Thereafter drive back to Kampala city with a stopover at the Equator monument and later transfer to Entebbe to catch up with your evening flight back home hence putting an end to our 9 days birding tours in Uganda. Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch end of our Services hence looking forward to hosting you again.