Great ultimate 30 days Birdwatching & wildlife Uganda safari
Birdwatching & wildlife Uganda safari overview
Ultimate Birdwatching & wildlife Uganda safari tour is a complete exploration of more than 500 bird species in the pearl of Africa/ Uganda with special fowls such as the shoebill, yellow billed stork, flamingos, gray crowned crane, kingfishers, African fish eagles, ostriches, secretary birds, great blue turaco, sunbirds, egrets, owls among others. Moreover are the unique endemic species of the Albertine rift and Rwenzori regions that are only found in these vicinities. Still more to have sights of central African tropical forest bird species at the Semuliki national park which is an intersection of the African central tropical eco system and the vast East African savannah grasslands.
Arrival and departure: Entebbe
- Day 1- arrival rest
- Day 2- Shoe bills at Mabamba swamp
- Day 3- birding & rhino tracking at Mburo
- Day 4- birding to l. Bunyonyi
- Day 5- birding at Bunyonyi
- Day 6- golden monkey tracking & birding at Mgahinga N.P
- Day 7- gorilla trekking & birding at Bwindi
- Day 8- birding & tree climbing lions at Ishasha sector
- Day 9- birding & game drives at Queen Elizabeth N.P
- Day 10-11 birding, boat cruise at Kazinga channel & game drives
- Day 12- chimpanzee tracking & birding at Kibale N.P
- Day 13- Bigodi swamp birding & nature walk at Kibale
- Day 14- Semuliki birding & hot springs
- Day 15- Ziwa rhino tracking & birding
- Day 16- walking safari & birding Ziwa
- Day 17- Murchison N.P birding & game drives
- Day 18- birding & top of Murchison water falls
- Day 19- birding & boat cruise on the river Nile
- Day 20- birding at Kidepo
- Day 21- birding & hiking at Kidepo
- Day 22- birding to Sipi
- Day 23- Sipi birding & hiking
- Day 24- Elgon birding & hiking
- Day 25- Elgon birding to Jinja
- Day 26- birding & water sports at the source of the Nile
- Day 27- birding nature walk & water sports at the R. Nile source
- Day 28- birding & Kampala city tour
- Day 29- botanical and l. Victoria shore birding
- Day 30- departure
Detailed Birdwatching & wildlife Uganda safari itinerary
Day 1 Kampala city
On arrival, you will be picked up by our tour guide from the airport to your booked accommodation in Kampala or Entebbe along the shores of Lake Victoria, you will have rest and relax to have relief from the flight as you prepare for the long awaited birding safari in around and in Uganda’s national game parks and reserves.
Accommodation: Imperial resort hotel (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Setting out on the Birdwatching & wildlife Uganda safari to the mabamba swamp which is also Ramsar site to see the endangered shoebill, this tour is carried out on boats that move from the Lake Victoria shoes into the narrow water stretches of the swamp; a tour lasting for 3 hours. After this exciting tour you continue with your journey to lake Mburo national park.
Accommodation: Mihingo lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Lake Mburo game park has 70 mammals and 332 recorded bird species and is richly gifted with various acacia and papyrus endemics such as the papyrus gonelek, pied kingfisher, red faced barbet, malachite kingfisher, saddle-billed stork, blue headed coucal, yellow-breasted apalis, yellow-rumped tinkerbird, bare-faced go-away-bird, greater painted-snipe, brown-chested lapwing, speckled moosebird, African wattled lapwing, black bellied bustard, long-tailed Cisticola, blue-breasted kingfisher, papyrus yellow warbler, white-winged warbler and shoebill; as the acacia species are wide spread elsewhere in the park. Mammals include burchell’s zebras, Nubian giraffes, hippos, leopards, buffaloes, topi, elands, antelopes, warthogs etc.
Accommodation: Mihingo lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
On this day at lake Bunyonyi; one of the most beautiful lakes and deepest crater lake in Africa, the 29 islands located in its waters which toured by use of a boat/canoe and safe waters with no crocodiles and hippos. Lake Bunyonyi harbors over 200 bird species with the gray crowned crane being one of the most remarkable birds, Pied kingfisher, Malachite kingfisher, Cinnamon-chested Bee eater, Bronzy sun bird, Pied wagtail, Grey shrike, Grey crowned crested crane, Hadada ibis, Swamp fly catcher, Black heron, Great cormorant, Fan-tailed widow bird, Streaky seed eater, Speckled mouse bird etc.
Accommodation: Bird’s nest @ Bunyonyi resort (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
You will hike the volcanic mountains of the Mgahinga to a height of 2,500 meters above sea level in the bamboo forests of the montane region where these unique primates reside (mountain gorillas & golden monkeys). Forest trails offer the best chance of seeing high land endemics such as; cape robin chat, pin tailed whydah, moorland chat, dusky crimson wing, speckled moosebird, Rwenzori turaco, Kivu ground thrush, black colored apalis, blue headed sunbird, red throated alethe, purple chested sunbird, cinnamon-chested bee-eater, red faced woodland warbler, African olive pigeon, Rwenzori nightjar, African paradise flycatcher etc.
Golden monkeys are orange-yellow like hair color of the golden monkeys give them that distinguished golden look living in families of hundreds and have a very playful character, they will keep you so entertained on the birdwatching & wildlife Uganda safari.
Accommodation: Buhoma lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
On arrival you will have a briefing on the gorilla behaviors, livelihoods and how to handle their reactions to the human presence. Tracking gorillas in the tropical montane forests will last between 30 to 1 hour before meeting the gorilla family you are assigned to and you will be allowed to follow and spend an hour with that gorilla family. Getting to find the mountain gorillas on a trek in Uganda is a 99% chance backed up by the gorilla population in this region. After the trek, you will have an experience with the Batwa people who have for all their life time co-existed with the forest and its species.
Birding in Bwindi Impenetrable national park
During this nature walk in the forest trails you will experience numerous bird species with particularly 23 albertine endemics that are habitats to only the albertine region some of which include; black bee-eater, regal sunbird, handsome spurfowl, giant kingfisher, bar-tailed trogon, mountain masked apalis, strange weaver, white tailed blue fly catcher, yellow-eyed black flycatcher, red-headed bluebill, yellow-chinned sunbird, purple-breasted sunbird, Chapin’s flycatcher, Rwenzori nightjar, blue-headed sunbird, pink-footed puff back, crowned hornbill, Shelley’s crimsonwing, bushshrike, black-billed turaco, Doherty’s Bushshrike, mountain oriole, cinnamon-chested bee-eater, brown-capped weaver, Waller’s starling, red-faced woodland warbler, African emerald cuckoo, dusky crimsonwing, dwarf honeyguide etc.
Accommodation: Buhoma lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
This day will find you at queen Elizabeth national park; Africa’s second best birding destination with over 660 recorded resident bird species and immigrant species from June to September with the highest concentration of birds per square kilometer thus giving a non-stop bird spotting experience. Uganda an outstanding birding haven of all forest, swamp, highland, grassland and Albertine endemic such as these include Albertine Rift Endemics such as the dwarf honey guide and purple-breasted sunbirds; 35 Congo-Guinea biome species such as black dwarf hornbill, Nkulengu rail, Congo serpent eagle, Gabon woodpecker etc., Africa’s big 5; elephant herds, lion prides, leopards, buffaloes, hippo pods, hyenas, wild dogs, kobs, water bucks, antelopes, baboons, monkeys, crocodiles, crater lakes, reptiles, raptors, sun birds and many more awaiting your memorable tour in this game park.
Kazinga channel birding & boat cruises
You will head out to the Kazinga channel (a river connecting lakes Edward and George) for a morning boat cruise through queen Elizabeth national park. At this birdwatching & wildlife Uganda safari experience you will have a glance at the world’s largest concentration of hippos which are numbered above 5,000 at the Kazinga channel, Nile crocodiles, buffaloes, elephants, lions, water bucks, giraffes, kobs, kudus among others also coming in onto the banks of the Kazinga channel to quench their thirst. After the boat cruise, you will embark on a game drive around this channel and beyond into the vast savannah grassland to enjoy more game viewing, scenic views of the ice capped mountain Rwenzori as you head to the Ishasha sector of the park famous for tree climbing lions.
Accommodation: Mweya safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
On this day, you will have a forest walk will come across chimpanzees and other primate species along with numerous sceneries of more than 370 bird species of grassland, forest, swamp and Albertine rift region endemics, 350 tree species which include; black bee-eater, Abyssinian ground thrush, crowned eagle, black-eared ground thrush, blue-breasted kingfisher, white-winged swamp warbler, pin-tailed whydah, red-fronted tinkerbird, purple-breasted sunbird, little Greenbuls, blue-headed sunbird, dusky crimsonwing, African pitta, great blue turaco, green-breasted pitta, black-capped apalis, yellow-rumped tinckerbird, black-throated apalis, brown-chested alethe, masked apalis, red-faced barbet etc.
Chimpanzee tracking & birding experiences
Kibale national park is known for chimpanzee tracking and for having the highest population & concentration of chimpanzees in world numbering above 1,500 individuals in the park. Tracking sessions start at 08:00, 11:00 & 14:00 and takes 2-5 hours with a more than 90% chance of meeting the chimpanzees; other primates in the park include the L’hoest monkeys, colobus monkeys, blue monkey, olive baboon, red tailed monkey, vervet monkeys. Mammal species include leopards, lions, elephants, water bucks, warthogs, giant forest hog, sitatungas, hippos, buffaloes, hyenas, jackals, and other nocturnal species. Bigodi wetland sanctuary will guarantee you the best sights of swamp endemic species on a spectacular swamp walk.
Accommodation: Primates lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
This day will find you at one of the most gorgeous places in Africa for its remarkable features and as a landmark position between East and Central Africa thus having vegetation and forests of characteristics of both regions. Semuliki national park has hot springs that were a result of geological actions dating thousands of years back; these produce water of over 100°C producing white mist and smoke in the forests.
Birding in Semuliki game parks
Semuliki game park is also an intersection of the East Africa savannah grasslands and the central Africa tropical forests thus harboring 435 bird species, 11 primate species and 53 mammal species. Some of these include Albertine Rift Endemics such as the dwarf honey guide and purple-breasted sunbirds; 35 Congo-Guinea biome species like black dwarf hornbill, Nkulengu rail, Congo serpent eagle, Gabon, woodpecker; and other species with very limited ranges such as white-tailed hornbill, capuchin babbler, blue-headed crested flycatcher and the orange weaver etc.
Accommodation: Pakuba safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Ziwa rhino tracking park has over 300 bird species of forest, woodland and swamp residence including the shoebills, grey crowned crane, African fish eagle, African jacana, pied kingfisher, African grey hornbill, African pygmy kingfisher, marabou stork, white egrets, red-billed ox-peckers among others. The sanctuary not having big predators allows you to easily make nature walks to come to nearby engagement with the park’s wild game. In the late afternoon you will continue with your trip to Murchison falls national park.
Accommodation: Pakuba lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Today you will head out to sections of the Murchison falls national park to continue exploring this vast grassland, palms, acacia trees, swamps, savannah and its remarkable wild game. Murchison game park has more than 450 recorded resident bird species making it a perfect birdwatching destination such as; the Abyssinian ground hornbill, Denham’s bustard, long-tailed nightjar, black-headed lapwing, long-toed lapwing, black-billed barbet, Senegal thick-knee, yellow-fronted tinker bird, rock pratincole, speckle-fronted weaver, white-browed sparrow, eastern plantain-eater, African grey woodpecker, red throated bee-eater, grey-headed kingfisher, swamp flycatcher, standard-winged nightjar, giant kingfisher, silver bird, blue-headed Coucal, black-headed gonelek among other hundreds of species making it one of the best birding destinations in Africa.
River Nile cruise & Murchison water falls
Still on the Uganda birding safari, you will have a trek up to view the magnificent Murchison water falls from above and watch the strongest falls on the planet, gashing 3,000 cubic liters of water per second through an eight-meter corridor cascading down a 43-meter height into the “the devil’s caldron” forming a white mist and a signature rainbow producing a loud sound from the powerful force of the water of the river Nile.
Following a hot lunch, you will then head to the banks of the river Nile for a boat cruise towards the face of the Murchison water falls with various water birds like the shoebills, eagles, geese, hippos, Nile crocodiles and endless scenes. You will also have a boat cruise to the Nile delta as it flows back to the Albertine peninsular, an experience that obviously unmatchable as you watch the waters of the river Nile anchor the wild and its species.
Accommodation: Pakuba safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Kidepo valley national park is one of the most typical of an African wilderness so vast and untampered with having savannah grasslands that tend to dry when it’s hot and all green when rains set in. Kidepo game park has the second highest recorded bird species in Uganda at 475 species for example ostriches, secretary bird, raptors, red throated bee-eaters, Abyssinian ground hornbill, kori bustard, dark chanting goshawk, red and yellow barbet, purple heron, Clapperton’s francolin, Karamojong apalis, red billed ox-pecker, pygmy falcon, Ethiopian swallow, Jackson’s hornbills, golden pipit, chestnut weaver, rose ringed parakeet and Egyptian vultures etc. along with 83 mammal species such as elephants, zebras, buffaloes, rothschild’s giraffes, kobs, hartebeests, blue monkey, hyenas, leopards, cheetahs, lions, wild dogs, buffalo and elephant herds.
Accommodation: Apoka safari lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Day 22 transfer to Sipi falls
On this day you will embark on a road trip drive connecting from Kidepo valley national park to Sipi falls in eastern Uganda to continue with your Birdwatching & wildlife Uganda safari. This journey will undeniably guarantee you more scenic moments from lakes, rivers, woodlands, volcanic features and rocks, rich African culture and numerous bird species that live in these areas and those migrating from and to different areas for food and settlement.
Accommodation: Rafiki lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Day 23 Sipi falls
On this day you will continue with the 3 different water falls (Sipi, Simba, Ngasire) that pour from cliffs as high as 95 meters and are separated by steep hillsides. Sipi falls are found outside mountain Elgon national park. During the hike, you will visit the surrounding community for an agro-tour more so of the special indigenous Arabica coffee and coffee tasting sessions. Birding at Sipi falls will get you to several species such as the blue turaco, Abyssinian horn bill, Jackson’s hornbills, golden pipit, chestnut weaver, rose ringed parakeet and Egyptian vultures among others are still seen in this place.
Accommodation: Rafiki lodge (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
- On the 2 day nature walk, day 1 will see you climb through the local homesteads & gardens then up along the Dirigana river banks beneath hanging cliffs and cross the bridge directly below the 61 meter Nabunyifu falls giving an amazing experience with nature. You will then trek up the escarpment into the montane forest above. After a few kilometers you find our lunch spot nestled at a river bend to enjoy a tasty lunch as you listen to the smooth sounds of the flowing river. From here it is a gentle trail up via the Mukola ridge to Hunwick’s camp at 2,882m with scenic views of communities below and the Elgon ranges to Mbale city. The cellular network at Hunwick’s camp will keep you in touch with the rest of the world where you will also spend the night.
- Day 2; In the morning after a hearty breakfast, you will take the trail up through the forest for a kilometer before branching and walking down to river Dirigana. The trail follows along the river banks, with several rapids and small waterfalls scenes before descending back to base camp past the water falls.
Accommodation: Mount Elgon hotel (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Still on the Birdwatching & wildlife Uganda safari at this section of the river Nile, numerous water fall have become common water sport points to tourists and adventurers from all corners of the world. Some of the falls include Owen falls, Bujagali falls, Ripon falls, Itanda falls & Busowoko falls with clean white waters and are the most entertaining on river Nile course throughout Africa offering the best bungee jumping point, water rafting, horse riding at the river banks, kayaking, water surfing, swimming, canoeing, river boarding, quad biking around the river banks etc.
Nile river banks also host numerous bird species that can be experienced on nature walks thus being some of the best birders’ destinations in the region. You will also take a boat to reach the source of the Nile where 30% of the water emanates from underground streams and 70% from lake Victoria.
Accommodation: Whispers of the Nile (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Day 28 Kampala city tour
The seven hills of Kampala and its streets tour will get you to various historical administrative, economic and cultural sites and centers in the city have affected the development of Uganda such as Kasubi tombs, Rubaga cathedral, Namirembe cathedral, Gaddafi mosque, Baha’i temple etc. Food and commodity markets around Kampala are so interesting and have a great reflection of how the county’s population survives; these will get you have some taste on fresh fruits, vegetables grown in the country and street food delicacies like rolex. Continuing on in the evening, you will have a nightlife experience in the bars and lounges of Kampala city till resting time as you wait for the next day.
Accommodation: Lake Victoria Serena hotel (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Day 29 Botanical gardens & Lake Victoria shores
Walking tours at the cool 40.7 hectare botanical gardens along the shore of Lake Victoria. Botanical gardens are also common for biking/ cycling safari, monkey feeding & birding. Botanical park has more than 400 recorded bird species that inhabit these gardens such as; blue headed Coucal, white egrets, red-chested cuckoo, black cuckoo, African cuckoo, laughing dove, rock pigeon, Egyptian goose, yellow-billed buck, red-billed duck, spur winged goose, white faced whistling duck, blue turaco and immigrant bird species from Europe fly in to settle at the shores of this lake specifically from June to September.
Accommodation: Lake Victoria Serena hotel (or a similar one)
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Day 30 Departure
This last day of the trip will find you at the shores of Lake Victoria relaxing from the long action packed birdwatching & wildlife Uganda safari. Following these relaxing sessions will your departure flight and saying goodbye to Uganda.
Accommodation: N/A
Meals: Breakfast| Lunch| Dinner
Inclusions
- Gorilla trekking permits
- Chimpanzee tracking permits
- Golden tracking permits
- Park entry fees
- All excursions on itinerary
- Government tax
- Laundry
- Driver & guide
- Airport transfers
- Bottled drinking water
- Transport 4×4 safari landcruiser
Exclusions
- Visa fees & processing
- Travel insurance
- International flights
- Extra activities, meal, alcohol/ liquor not on itinerary
- Tipping & gratitude
- Any changes to the itinerary
- Accommodation after the end of the trip
- Souvenirs & snacks
- Anything not mentioned
Your safari route map
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