"8 Day Uganda Birding & Wildlife Tour"
($3260 pp/2 pax)
Day One: Arrival at Entebbe International Airport – Birding at the Botanical Gardens.
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you are met by your professional driver-guide, who extends a warm welcome and provides an overview of the exciting birding safari ahead. A short transfer takes you to 2 Friends Beach Hotel, where you enjoy lunch and some time to refresh after your journey.
In the afternoon, you set out for your first birding excursion at the Entebbe Botanical Gardens, a tranquil setting on the shores of Lake Victoria renowned for its rich avifauna. As you explore shaded pathways and lakeside clearings, watch for raptors such as the Lizard Buzzard and the elusive Bat Hawk, as well as vibrant kingfishers like the Woodland, African Pygmy, and Pied Kingfisher. The gardens are alive with the activity of colorful weavers, including the Black-headed, Golden-backed, Spectacled, and Orange Weaver, each busy at their intricate nests.
This lush environment also offers the chance to spot a variety of flycatchers, among them the African Paradise and Red-bellied Paradise, along with the delicate African Dusky Flycatcher. Sunbirds add further brilliance to the scene, with species such as the Scarlet-chested, Olive-bellied, and Superb Sunbird flashing iridescent hues as they feed on flowering plants.
As the light softens over Lake Victoria, you return to the hotel for dinner, enjoying the gentle evening breeze and the knowledge that your East African birding adventure has truly begun.
Overnight at 2 Friends Beach Hotel
Basis: Full Board
Day 2: Bird Watching in Mabamba Wetland Sanctuary – Transfer to Lake Mburo N P.
After an early breakfast, with packed lunch in hand, we set off for Mabamba Wetland Sanctuary—one of the best places in Africa to spot the rare and iconic Shoebill Stork (Balaeniceps rex). While exploring the swamp, we will also look out for a variety of other species including African and Lesser Jacana, White-breasted, Blue-breasted, and Little Bee-eaters. Other notable sightings may include Purple Swamphen, Lesser Moorhen, Malachite and Pied Kingfisher, Black-headed, Grey, and Purple Heron, Long-toed Lapwing, Yellow-billed and White-backed Duck.
Mabamba is also home to African Marsh Harrier, Weyns’s Weaver, Blue Swallow, and Red-headed Weaver, among others.
After our morning birding adventure, we continue our journey to Lake Mburo National Park, making a stop at the Equator for the famous water experiment and a quick visit to the craft shops. We will also stop at Kaku Swamp to spot species such as Lesser Moorhen, Little Grebe, African Darter, Grey-crowned Crane, Saddle-billed Stork, Spur-winged and Egyptian Geese, White-faced and Fulvous Whistling Duck, Hottentot Teal, and African Jacana.
You arrive at Lake Mburo in the evening, we check-in at Rwakobo Rock for dinner and overnight stay.
Crested Barbet in Lake Mburo NP.
Day 3: Birding and Game Drive in Lake Mburo NP – Afternoon Boat Cruise.
After breakfast, we begin our birding and game drive in Lake Mburo National Park, one of Uganda’s smallest savannah parks, renowned for its rich diversity of wildlife. The park protects over 330 bird species and a variety of mammals, including Topi, Impala, Buffalo, Oribi, Klipspringer, Eland, Zebra, Warthog, and Olive Baboon.
Birding highlights in this area may include the elusive Shoebill Stork, Papyrus Yellow Warbler, and White-winged Warbler. Other key species to look out for are African Finfoot (Podica senegalensis), Saddle-billed Stork, Brown-chested Lapwing, African Wattled Lapwing, Senegal Lapwing, as well as Red-faced, Trilling, Long-tailed (Tabora), and Caruthers’s Cisticola. We may also spot Greater Snipe, Spot-flanked, Red-faced, and Crested Barbet (Trachyphonus vaillantii), Yellow-breasted Apalis, Short-toed Snake-Eagle, and Brown Snake-Eagle.
The park is also home to White-winged Black Tit, Broad-billed Roller, Lilac-breasted Roller, Crested Francolin, and Coqui Francolin (Francolinus coqui), among others.
We return to the lodge for lunch and some time to relax. In the afternoon, we embark on a scenic boat cruise along Lake Mburo, offering a different perspective of the park’s birdlife and wildlife.
Overnight: Rwakobo Rock.
Basis: Full Board
Day Four: Birding & Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
As dawn breaks over the park, you set out for a guided nature walk along the shores of the lake, where the cool morning air carries the songs of countless bird species. This is also a prime time to look for the park’s more elusive early risers—such as hyenas, aardvark, leopard, and, with luck, the solitary lion known to roam these parts. The soft light of morning offers beautiful photographic opportunities, whether capturing a flash of wing among the reeds or a predator returning from its night’s hunt.
You return to the lodge for a hearty breakfast before beginning the scenic drive toward Queen Elizabeth National Park. The route winds through the undulating hills of Mbarara, past lively roadside markets, and into the lush green expanses of Bushenyi’s tea plantations, their orderly rows creating striking patterns against the landscape. Along the way, your guide will share insights into the region’s ecology, agriculture, and community life.
By late afternoon, you arrive at the park’s boundaries and check in to QENP Bush Lodge, where each room offers sweeping vistas of the savannah and distant Rwenzori Mountains. After settling in, enjoy dinner in the lodge’s dining area, accompanied by the sounds of the African night—a reminder that tomorrow’s adventures are waiting just beyond your doorstep.
Overnight at QENP Bush Lodge
Basis: Full Board
Day Five: Bird Watching in Queen Elizabeth National Park & Kazinga Channel Cruise.
The day begins with an early breakfast before you set out toward the Kasenyi Plains, a prime birding area renowned for its open savannahs and varied habitats. Here, your guide helps you search for a remarkable range of species, from the White-winged and African Reed Warblers to the elegant Greater and Lesser Swamp Warblers. Raptors such as the Black-chested and Brown Snake-Eagle may be seen soaring overhead, while the plains may reveal Temminck’s Courser, Collared Pratincole, and seasonal visitors like African Marsh, Montagu’s, and Pallid Harriers. Along the way, you may also encounter swallows in flight, colorful bush-shrikes, and the distinctive calls of the Brown-crowned and Marsh Tchagra.
You return to QENP Bush Lodge for lunch and some relaxation before the afternoon’s highlight—a leisurely boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, the natural waterway linking Lake Edward and Lake George. This excursion offers superb opportunities to spot water-associated birdlife, including African Skimmers, Gull-billed and Whiskered Terns, and the vibrant Malachite and Pied Kingfishers. Shorelines and shallows often hold waders such as sandpipers, while the open water draws Grey-headed Gulls and other species.
Beyond the birdlife, the Kazinga Channel teems with wildlife: pods of hippos bask in the shallows, crocodiles lie in wait along the banks, and buffalo and elephants often come to drink at the water’s edge. The cruise provides a rare vantage point to observe these animals at close range while surrounded by the rich sounds and colors of the African wetland.
Overnight at QENP Bush Lodge
Basis: Full Board
Day Six: Birding en-Route to Kibale National Park.
After breakfast, you return to the Kasenyi area for a final morning of birding, seeking out species that may have eluded you the previous day. The open savannah and scattered acacias are ideal for spotting raptors such as the Martial Eagle and the soaring Rüppell’s Griffon Vulture, while the ground may reveal Temminck’s Courser and other specialized grassland birds. Bright flashes of color might betray the presence of the African Hoopoe, with its distinctive crest and undulating flight. Each stop along the way offers the possibility of a new addition to your growing bird list.
By late morning, you begin your journey toward Kibale National Park, a lush expanse of tropical forest famed for its rich primate population and diverse birdlife. The drive takes you through rural villages, patchwork farmland, and forested hills, with occasional roadside birding stops to make the most of the changing habitats.
You arrive in the afternoon and check into Kibale Forest Lodge, a comfortable base surrounded by greenery and close to the park’s main attractions. Here, the air is filled with the sounds of forest birds and the distant calls of monkeys, offering an immediate sense of the wild richness that awaits. After settling in, enjoy dinner and a restful evening, ready for the next day’s forest adventures.
Overnight at Kibale Forest Lodge
Basis: Full Board
Day Seven: Birding in Kibale National Park & Bigodi Swamp
Your day begins with an early breakfast before stepping into the misty forest of Kibale National Park, renowned for its extraordinary biodiversity and home to over 370 recorded bird species. The morning’s main objective is to seek the elusive Green-breasted Pitta, best observed during its early display hours. While moving quietly along the forest trails, you may also hear or glimpse members of the park’s thriving chimpanzee population—more than 1,000 individuals live here—adding to the excitement of the morning.
You return to Kibale Forest Lodge for lunch before venturing a short distance to the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a community-managed swamp that has earned a reputation as one of Uganda’s premier birding sites. With more than 200 species recorded, Bigodi offers an exceptional variety. Look for the striking Great Blue Turaco, delicate Yellow-whiskered Greenbul, and the vibrant Scarlet-chested Sunbird. Other highlights may include the Shining-blue Kingfisher, White-spotted Flufftail, Purple-headed Starling, and the sought-after Bocage’s Bush-shrike.
The swamp’s diverse habitats—papyrus, woodland, and open water—also harbor an array of woodpeckers, cuckoos, barbets, and warblers, ensuring every turn in the path holds potential for a new discovery. Beyond the birdlife, Bigodi is rich in butterflies and occasional sightings of primates, creating a layered and rewarding afternoon in nature.
You return to the lodge in the early evening for dinner, with the forest’s night chorus beginning to rise in the background—a fitting soundtrack to another remarkable day in Uganda’s wild heart.
Overnight at Kibale Guest Lodge
Basis: Full Board
Day Eight: Kibale National Park to Entebbe & Departure.
After breakfast, you enjoy a final morning of birding as you travel out of Kibale National Park, taking advantage of the varied landscapes along the route for any last sightings. The journey back toward Entebbe offers a changing panorama—from the dense forest edge into rolling farmland and bustling small towns, where occasional birding stops may reveal new species to add to your list.
Around midday, you pause for lunch at Enro Hotel in Mityana, a pleasant midway stop offering a chance to relax and reflect on the extraordinary encounters of the past week. From here, you continue your drive toward Entebbe, arriving later in the afternoon.
Depending on your international flight schedule, you are transferred directly to Entebbe International Airport for your onward journey, carrying with you not only photographs and species checklists but also the vivid memories of Uganda’s wild beauty and warm hospitality.
Overnight: None – Departure Day
Basis: Breakfast & Lunch
Highlights of this 8 Day Uganda Birding Safari:
- Birding watching through some of Uganda’s birding hot spots.
- Shoebill Excursions at Mabamba Wetland Sanctuary.
- Birding Game drives at Lake Mburo national park.
- Birding boat launch on Kazinga Channel, QENP.
- Chimpanzee trekking at Kibale forest national park
- Bird watching at Kibale forest.
Safari Summary
Tour Duration: 8 Days & 7 Nights
Departure / Return Location: Entebbe, Uganda
Destinations on Tour:
- Entebbe
- Mabamba Wetland Sanctuary
- Lake Mburo National Park
- Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Kibale National Park
- Entebbe
Quotation 2 Pax / Per Person: $ 3896 High Season & $3260 Low Season.
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