15 Days Uganda Bird Watching Safari

Overview of the 15 Days Uganda Bird Watching Safari

This Uganda birding safari offers 15 days Uganda bird watching safari to the most exciting birding destination in Uganda, viewing several bird species. The birding destinations include Lake Mburo National Park, birding at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, birding at Mubende swamps spotting several species, birding at Buhoma sector in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, birding at Kibale Forest National Park and Semliki National Park. All the above mentioned destinations guarantee a view of many bird species including endemic species.

Highlights of the 15 Days Uganda Bird Watching Safari

• Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport and transfer to Entebbe Botanical Gardens for birding
• Day 2: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park
• Day 3: Transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
• Day 4: Birding in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
• Day 5: Birding to Ruhija sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
• Day 6: Bird watching in the Mubwindi swamp of Bwindi forest
• Day 7: Go bird watching to the Buhoma sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
• Day 8: Gorilla trekking in the Buhoma sector of Bwindi
• Day 9: Bird watching in different forest trails of Bwindi Forest
• Day 10: Transfer to Fort Portal town
• Day 11: Continue to Semliki National Park for bird watching
• Day 12: Whole day birding in Semliki National Park
• Day 13: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park and go bird watching in the Bigodi swamp
• Day 14: Bird watching in Kibale Forest National Park
• Day 15:  Transfer back to Kampala or Entebbe International Airport for a departure flight.

Itinerary of the 15 Days Uganda Bird Watching Safari

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport and transfer to Entebbe Botanical Gardens for birding 

Upon your arrival at Entebbe international airport, you will be welcomed by our company birding guide and be briefed about your 15 Days Uganda Bird Watching Safari and transferred to your choice of accommodation for overnight. We can also organize an afternoon birding excursion to bird the areas of the Botanical gardens and try and spot some bird species.

Meal plan: Bed and Breakfast
Travel Time: 30 mins
Accommodation Options: Midrange: Boma Hotel, Budget: Airport View Guest House

Day 2: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

Your birding safari in Uganda starts with a transfer to Lake Mburo National Park. Lake Mburo National park is the smallest park in Uganda with a strategic location for birding. This afternoon after lunch, begin your birding along Impala track and afternoon boat cruise for water birds that may include: white-backed night heron, Rufous-bellied Heron, White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, papyrus canary, African fish eagle, Pied Kingfisher, Bateuler and the Brown snake eagle among others. Overnight and dinner at the lodge of your choice

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Drive time: 4 – 5 hours
Accommodation options: Midrange: Rwakobo Rock Lodge, Lake Mburo Safari Lodge, Budget: Eagles Nest Camp

Day 3: Transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park 

Continue bird watching towards the Mgahinga Gorilla National Park. With lunch en-route, continue farther south while spotting various tree birds along the way. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is part of the great Virunga mountains and is home to a great wealth of the Albertine Species which include: Mountain Wagtail, Black Bee-eater, Bar-tailed Trogon, Regal Sunbird, olive pigeon, white-tailed ant-thrush, Banded Prinia, Mountain capped Apalis, Handsome Francolin, Chapin’s flycatcher, sooty flycatcher and the African Broadbill, Pygmy Kingfisher, Rwenzori Turaco and many more.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Drive time: 6 – 7 hours
Accommodation option: Luxury: Mount Gahinga Lodge, Budget: Travellers Inn Kisoro

Day 4: Birding in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park 

After breakfast at your hotel, spend the whole day birding in the forest trying to spot the Albertine rift endemic species which may include: Rwenzori Turaco, weaver birds, Archer’s robin chat, Doherty’s bush shrike, White-tailed blue flycatcher, Dusky Crimson-wing, Red-faced woodland warbler. Bird in the forest with packed lunches and later return to the lodge for dinner and overnight as the night before

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 5: Birding to Ruhija sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

This morning after very early breakfast, continue birding along the way to Ruhija sector of Bwindi forest. On the drive, you go birding through Echuya forest, bamboo zone and Ruhija surroundings. Some of the possible sightings of the Rift Valley Endemic bird species include Regal Sunbird, Red-faced woodland warbler, Chubb’s Cisticola, Short-tailed Warbler, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Rwenzori Batis. Continue birding to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Drive time: 2 – 3 hours
Accommodation options: Luxury: Ruhija Gorilla Lodge, Midrange: Gorilla Mist Camp, Budget: Gorilla Friends Lodge

Day 6: Bird watching in the Mubwindi swamp of Bwindi forest

On this second day at Bwindi, you will go birding in the famous Mubwindi swamp birding through the forest trails spotting the various swamp bird species, searching for forest species and rift endemics. Some of the bird species to look out for in the Mubwindi swamp include the African Green broadbill, archer Robin-chat, Collared Apalis, black-faced Apalis, Rwenzori night jar, Chapin flycatcher, yellow-eyed black flycatcher, Rwenzori Batis, striped breasted tit, dwarf honeyguide. Dinner and overnight at night before

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 7: Go bird watching to the Buhoma sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

After breakfast, you transfer to Buhoma sector for birding through the Neck and water loop trail in the afternoon. Buhoma neck and water loop birds to look out for include: Black bee-eater, handsome francolin, Ruwenzori Turaco, regal sunbird, Red-throated Alethe, Kivu ground thrush, short-tailed warbler. Dinner and overnight at the lodge of your choice.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Drive time: 2 – 3 hours
Accommodation options: Midrange: Silverback Lodge, Budget: Buhoma Community Camp

Day 8: Gorilla trekking in the Buhoma sector of Bwindi 

This is your long awaited Uganda Mountain Gorilla tracking safari in Bwindi forest. After an early morning breakfast, your Uganda safari driver guide will pick you up from the accommodation facility for a drive to the gorilla trekking sector headquarters. At the headquarters, briefing on the tracking etiquette starts before 8:00am local time. During briefing, a total of 8 tourists are allocated a single gorilla family to trek according to fitness levels.

Each gorilla safari Uganda trekker then receives a trekking stick and heads to the jungle in company of the park rangers and guides, Mountain Gorilla trekking in Bwindi is unpredictable because of the movement behaviors of the gorillas and therefore the activity lasts about 6-8 hours. These hours are spent in search of the gorillas however only 1 hour is spent the presence of these gentle giants. At the end of this memory filled 1 hour, you return to the park headquarters where you receive a Uganda gorilla trekking tour certificate. Later after that, you meet with your safari driver guide for a drive to your lodging facility. Dinner and overnight at the night before

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 9: Bird watching in different forest trails of Bwindi Forest 

Still at Bwindi, this morning, you continue on your birding safari following the road that leads you to different forest trails, take up the waterfall trail for a 2-3 hours birding ending at the three waterfalls searching for forest species.

Possible sightings on this trail may include Chapin flycatcher, Collared Apalis, black-faced Apalis, yellow-eyed black flycatcher, Rwenzori Batis, Short-tailed Warbler, Kivu ground thrush, Purple-breasted Sunbird, rufous flycatcher. Evening birding back to the lodge for dinner and overnight at the night before

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 10: Transfer to Fort Portal town

This morning after breast, transfer to Fort Portal birding along the way and lunch in Fort Portal town. In the evening continue birding in the neighboring areas before dinner and overnight at accommodation of your choice.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Drive time: 6 – 7 hours
Accommodation options: Midrange: Mountains of the Moon Hotel, Budget: Travellers Inn – Fort Portal

Day 11: Continue to Semliki National Park for bird watching

From Fort Portal, prepare to continue bird watching to Semuliki National Park. Driving down the valleys early morning, watching birds along the main road and Sempaya hot springs trails will give an introductory birding of Semuliki forest. Have lunch at your lodge and continue birding around the lodge at Semliki Safari Lodge. Here you will have dinner and spend the night.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 12: Whole day birding in Semliki National Park 

After breakfast, you leave your lodge and continue bird watching in Semliki forest with your packed lunch. This day, you will use the Kirumia trail, which trail offers opportunities to see ratites and other species of the Ituri forest. Return to the lodge for dinner and overnight.

Bird species of key interest: Spotted breasted ibis, long-tailed hawk, Nkulengu rail, piping hornbill, red-billed dwarf hornbill, black dwarf hornbill, African Piculet, Lyte-tailed honeyguide, red-rumped tinkerbird, yellow-throated nicator, Sassi’s olive greenbul, fiery breasted bush shrike, forest scrub robin. Dinner and overnight at night before

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Day 13: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park and go bird watching in the Bigodi swamp 

This day, you leave Semliki and continue bird watching in Bigodi swamp not only for swamp specialties but also have opportunities to watch 8 species of primates namely the blue monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey, red tailed Columbus, white and black colobus, L’Hoest monkey, vervet monkey and Olive Baboons.

Swamp bird species to look out for include the Red-tailed bristle bill, white collared olive back, yellow-billed barbet, white napped pigeon, grey winged warbler, black-billed turaco, papyrus canary, white-winged warbler, blue shouldered robin chat, white spotted flufftail and red-winged francolin. Dinner and overnight at the lodge of your choice

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Drive time: 2 – 3 hours
Accommodation options: Midrange: Mountains of the Moon Hotel, Budget: Travellers Inn – Fort Portal

Day 14: Bird watching in Kibale Forest National Park 

This morning after breakfast, we begin by birding in the Kibale forest following the nature walk trail. Some of the birds you can expect to see on this trek include the Black-throated Apalis, African Shrike-flycatcher, Brown and scaly-breasted illadopsis, White-naped and Afep pigeons, red chested owlet and yellow-billed barbets.

Watching birds in Kibale forest is along Ngogo road, the main road ending at Dura Bridge and in the forest trails. They key bird species seen here include the Bar-tailed trogon, finely banded woodpecker, red-faced crimson wing, Nahan’s Francolin, Africa Pitta. Dinner and overnight at the night before

Day 15: Transfer back to Kampala or Entebbe International Airport for a departure flight. 

This will be the last day of your bird watching safari in Uganda. Your driver guide will ensure your drive back to Kampala or at Entebbe International Airport for a departure flight. Depending on your departure time, you can drive while bird watching on the transfer to the Airport.

End of 15 days Uganda bird watching safari