14 Days Uganda Birding Safari

Journey time: 5 – 6 Hours

After an early breakfast, at 6AM travel to Fort Portal City taking Mubende route. On arrival you will have lunch at a local restaurant.
After lunch, visit the tea plantations of Rwenzori Commodities. Take part in tea picking and watch local workers doing their daily activities in the plantation.
Continue to visit Amabare Ga Nyina Mwiru Caves explore the myth and geographical facts of this cultural-scientific site. You will as well explore the major crater lakes of this area.
Thereafter transfer to the hotel and check-in. The rest of this evening is yours at leisure.

Overnight: Fort Motel | Mountains of the Moon Hotel – Or similar
Meal Plan: Bed and Breakfast

Journey Time: 1 – 2 Hours (Fort – Semuliki) | Journey Time: 2 – 3 Hours (Semuliki – Kibale)
Early breakfast and travel to Semuliki National Park at 6:30AM, with a picnic lunchbox.

On arrival in Semuliki after registration with guide allocation, start birding taking Kirumia trail through Ituri forest to river Semliki. Some of the birds to expect on this birding trail include:
• White-crested hornbill
• White-tailed hornbill
• Red-billed dwarf hornbill
• Black-wattled hornbill
• Piping hornbill
• Crested flycatcher
• Yellow throated Nicator
• Great blue turaco
• Orange weaver
• Ross’ turaco
• Congo serpent eagle
• Shoebill stork
• Red-billed malimbe
• Canather’s Cisticola & more


Have a picnic lunch in Semuliki, in the due course of your adventure. After lunch next is a nature walk taking Sempaya trail spotting more birds, to Sempaya Hot Springs: At Sempaya boil eggs plus plantain and have a taste of nature’s delights. From here head to the tree house for an aerial scenic view of the park.

After exploring Semuliki, transfer to Kibale National Park towards the evening.

Overnight: Isunga Lodge | Turaco Treetops | Papaya Lake Lodge – Or similar
Meal Plan: Half Board

Kibale National Park is famously known as the ‘’primate capital of the world’’ with 13 primate species and the highest number of Chimpanzees (over 1450 chimps), 372 bird species (60% recorded as Uganda’s forest birds).

After breakfast at the lodge, at 7AM head to the park and go birding spiced up with sightings of primates such as colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys and grey cheeked mangabey (Chimp Tracking is optional). In Kibale National Park, expect birds such as:

• Black eared ground-thrush
• Brown-chested alethe
• Crowned eagle
• Blue-breasted kingfisher
• Abyssinian ground thrush
• Great blue turaco
• White casqued hornbill
• Joyful greenbul
• Blue-shouldered robin-chat
• Lesser honey guide


After the morning session visit Tinka’s Homestead and have a traditional lunch. After lunch visit Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary; a haven for swamp birds such as:

• Speckle-breasted woodpecker
• Cabanis’s greenbul
• White-collared olive back
• Olive-green camaroptera
• White-chinned prinia
• Joyful greenbul
• Blue-shouldered robin-chat
• Lesser honey guide

This activity extends to Bigodi community – cultural visit: What to expect:
• Bigodi coffee experience
• Taste banana beer & local vodka
• Admire local arts & crafts + souvenir shopping
• Cultural songs and dances
Return to the lodge later in the evening and stay at leisure with dinner included.

Overnight: Isunga Lodge | Turaco Treetops | Papaya Lake Lodge – Or similar
Meal Plan: Half Board

Journey time: 2 – 3 Hours

“Queen Elizabeth National Park is famous for diverse ecosystems which include sprawling Savannah, shady humid forests, sparkling lakes, wetlands and amazing craters. Ideal for big game, primate species to include Chimps and over 612 bird species both migrant and resident birds, with scenic views of Kazinga Channel, the Rwenzori Mountains and crater lakes”
Have breakfast at the lodge in Kibale on a leisurely morning. At 10AM travel to Queen Elizabeth National Park. On arrival at the lodge, have an early lunch to catch time for the PM boat cruise.

After lunch transfer to the dock at Mweya for a boat cruise on Kazinga Channel.
Boat cruise; with this activity expect a variety of birds lining the shore such as; the African fish eagle, pelicans, Hammerkop, egrets, pied kingfishers, marabou storks, vultures, kites, weavers among other in large numbers. This is mixed with sighting of animals like hippos, buffalos, warthogs, crocodiles, waterbucks visiting to water and cool off together with stunning views of Mweya peninsular and a fishing village. Return to the lodge for dinner at leisure.

Overnight:Twin Lakes Safari Lodge | Buffalo Safari Lodge | Mweya Safari Lodge – Or similar
Meal Plan: Full Board

Have an early breakfast with a lunchbox to put in your backpack. Head to Kyambura Gorge – in the far eastern corner of Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Kyambura Gorge is dominated by tropical rain forests in the valley and the savannah grassland above creating a uniquely beautiful scenery in Uganda.

It is also crossed by River Kyambura from which it derives its current name, with steep slopes resulting from a thunderous flow of river. River Kyambura is sheltered by riverine forests; a home to primates such as chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, red tailed monkeys and many birds.
On your bird exploration in the Gorge, expect a diversity of birds (including forest birds) such as:
 African Finfoot
 Blue headed bee-eater
 Martial Eagle
 Bar-tailed Godwit
 Black-rumped Buttonquail
 African skimmer
 Lesser and greater flamingoes
 Chapin’s flycatcher
 White tailed lark
 Corncrake
 Pink backed pelican
 Verreaux’s eagle owl
 Black bee-eater
 Papyrus gonolek
 African broadbill
 Papyrus canary
 White-winged warbler
 White-winged warbler among others

You will have a picnic lunch. After the picnic, transfer back to the lodge.
You may have an evening game drive or stay at leisure to relax and enjoy you stay.

Overnight: Twin Lakes Safari Lodge | Buffalo Safari Lodge | Mweya Safari Lodge – Or similar
Meal Plan: Full Board + Ishasha picnic lunch

Journey time: 7 – 8 Hours
After breakfast with your packed lunch, at 7AM transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable N. Park via Ishasha Sector. Here, expect to spot the Tree climbing lions; the most captivating experience in Ishasha, tree climbing lions are sighted in the acacia and fig trees, trying avoid tsetse flies and other ground insects’ bites as well as flies while prey feasting.

Enjoy a picnic lunch near River Ishasha and continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
The rest of the day is yours at leisure after checking-in at the lodge in Bwindi.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (331 sq.km) is home to half the world’s mountain gorillas, over 346 bird species, 202 butterfly species, 400 plant species, 163 tree species, 120 mammal species & 27 frog species, making it an incredible birding destination with Rwamunyonyi Peak(2607m) as the best birding spot.

Overnight: Haven Lodge | Mahogany Springs | Trackers Safari Lodge – Or similar
Meal Plan: Full Board

Have breakfast, with a packed lunchbox to put in your backpack. At 8AM, your birding excursion starts from Buhoma Gate with a picnic lunch included. By taking Rushura Trail, you will hike up to the highest point of Buhoma Sector spotting a variety of birds found here.

Birders on this trail will get to a forest shared by two countries (Uganda and DRC), hiking through the terraced gardens together with scenic viewpoints (the Western Rift Valley, Rwenzori Mountains, Lake Edward, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Virunga Volcanoes) at about 1,915M above sea level. On this birding trail, expect birds such as:

• African-green pigeon
• Black-billed turaco
• African-harrier hawk
• African broadbill
• Cinnamon-chested bee-eater
• Black bee-eater
• Crowned hornbill
• Regal sunbird
• Giant kingfisher
• Pettit’s cuckoo
• Newman’s warbler
• Sooty boubou
• Purple-breasted sunbird
• Rwenzori turaco
• Handsome francolin
• African broadbill
• Ruwenzori apalis
• Shelley’s crimson-wing

Returning to the lodge later in the day, will be for leisure and recuperation.

Overnight: Haven Lodge Buhoma | Mahogany Springs | Trackers Safari Lodge – Or similar
Meal Plan: Full Board

Journey time: 2 – 3 Hours

Spend this morning at leisure with lunch at the lodge. You may choose to do Gorilla Tracking (optional but permits to be booked in advance) and depart to Lake Bunyonyi in the afternoon.

On arrival at the lodge in Bunyonyi, stay at leisure to enjoy a sunset view across the 29 islands. Dinner will be ready on time at the lodge.

Overnight: Bunyonyi Safaris Resort | BirdNest Resort | Arcadia Lodge Bunyonyi – Or similar
Meal Plan: Half Board

Have an early breakfast and start off the day’s birding adventure at Lake Bunyonyi.
This lake is Africa’s second deepest lake (900 meters) with 29 islands, it is Uganda’s safest lake to swim in, free from hippos, crocodiles and bilharzia. This region is famous for beautiful scenery made up of terraces and an archipelago; one of a kind in Uganda, together with many otters, crayfish and a variety of birds.

Part of this activity will be a guided nature walk through the terraced gardens, thickets and the surrounding swamps to the scenery view point. Have lunch at the lodge.
The next bird search will be done by a canoe ride through the 29 Islands of Bunyonyi. From over 200 bird species found at Bunyonyi, expect to spot any of the below birds:

• African hobby
• Black kite
• Swamp flycatcher
• Scarlet-chested bird
• Grey-crowned crane
• Weaver birds
• White-tailed blue monard
• African harrier hawk
• Slender-billed baglafetch
• Levillant cuckoo

Return to the lodge later in the evening after the canoe ride and refresh for dinner.

Overnight: Bunyonyi Safaris Resort | BirdNest Resort | Arcadia Lodge Bunyonyi – Or similar
Meal Plan: Full Board

Journey time: 5 – 6 Hours

Have breakfast at the lodge. At 8AM travel to Lake Mburo National Park. Make a stopover at Nshenyi Cultural Village for a traditional lunch and a few optional activities.

Nshenyi is a convergence point of the 3 east African countries; Uganda, Rwanda & Tanzania. Situated on a farm next to Kitwe Town on the edge of Ntungamo District. This traditionally pastoral land is characterised by rolling hills, savannah grasslands, and acacia trees, an ideal location for cattle rearing. Large banana plantations are very common here, together with subsistence and commercial crops on many farms within.

In addition to birding at Nshenyi is optional, with other optional activities such as:
 Cultural entertainment
 Ankole farm visit + farm activities
 Apiculture tour (the bee hives)
 Guided walk to the convergence point
You will later continue with the rest of the journey to Lake Mburo.
On arrival the rest of this evening will be for leisure after check-in at the lodge.

Overnight: Mpogo Lodge | Rwakobo Rock | Mihingo Lodge – Or similar
Meal Plan: Half Board

After breakfast at the lodge, at around 8AM you will go for a guided birding trail in Rubanga Forest – the best place to spot birds in Lake Mburo National Park.

Out of the 315 species residing in Lake Mburo, Rubanga forest is home to an estimate of 40 bird species many of which are forest birds. This tropical forest also constitutes of several tree species such as: gigs, Platycladus Markhamia, palm, fig trees and acacia among others. In this birding paradise, the birds to expect include; red headed lover bird, Grey backed Camaroptera, Ross’s turaco, red shouldered cuckoo, double toothed barbet and shrike black, belier, bustard, coqui francolin, emerald spotted wood done, bare faced go away bird, green wood hoopoe Nubian woodpeckers and many more.

After exploring the birds in the forest, return to the lodge and relax with lunch on time.
In the afternoon go for a guided walking safari in the park. In addition to birding, you will also enjoy watching zebras, Roth’s child giraffes, elands, wart hogs & topi feeding and loitering around. Walk up to the salt licks and watch animals licking salty mud at a viewing platform.

Overnight: Mpogo Lodge | Rwakobo Rock | Mihingo Lodge – Or similar
Meal Plan: Full Board

Journey time: 4 – 5 Hours

Have breakfast, spend part of this morning at leisure. Later depart Lake Mburo National Park heading for Kampala City. Make a stopover at the equator for lunch and a photo opportunity, then continue to Kampala City. Arrival is foreseen in the evening.

Overnight: Speke Hotel | Fairway Hotel | Speke Resort Munyonyo – Or similar
Meal Plan: Bed and Breakfast

Journey time: 45mins – 1 Hour

Breakfast at the hotel on this final day. Depending on your flight schedule, enjoy a brief tour of Kampala City. You will be Sightseeing/stopover at the city’s highlights such Buganda palace, Uganda museum, Nakasero market, historical monuments, the largest craft village and temples.
Thereafter transfer to Entebbe International Airport to check in for your outbound flight.

Meal Plan: Bed & Breakfast
END OF SAFARI


DISCLAIMER
1. The journey time(s) stated in the itinerary is estimation and it is subject to variation depending on traffic and road conditions.
2. Listed accommodation options are subject to availability at the time of booking. If not available, similar properties will be considered.