28 Day Uganda Wildlife & Birding Safari
($9322 pp/2pax)
Overview:
A Birding Journey Across the Pearl of Africa’s Wildest Landscapes
This 28-day safari is designed for travelers seeking an unparalleled exploration of Uganda’s rich birdlife, iconic primates, and diverse ecosystems, all while enjoying carefully selected accommodations that combine comfort with proximity to nature. Over nearly a month, you will traverse mist-shrouded rainforests, sweeping savannas, remote valleys, and tranquil wetlands, uncovering the full breadth of the country’s natural beauty and wildlife.
From the shores of Lake Victoria to the towering trees of Kibale Forest, from the ancient, gorilla-clad slopes of Bwindi and Mgahinga to the untamed reaches of Kidepo and Pian Upe, every day offers fresh discoveries. This journey blends intensive birding—with opportunities to spot hundreds of species, including endemics like the Fox’s weaver and rarities like the Shoebill Stork—with unforgettable wildlife encounters, from tracking Chimpanzees and Gorillas to watching tree-climbing lions and herds of elephants and buffalo.
Your experience is enriched by the expertise of professional guides who bring each landscape to life, sharing insights into Uganda’s biodiversity, conservation efforts, and cultural heritage. Days are thoughtfully balanced, with early-morning birding and wildlife drives complemented by relaxed afternoons, scenic transfers, and evenings spent at handpicked lodges and camps, where you can unwind to the sounds of the wilderness.
This is more than a safari—it is a comprehensive journey across the Pearl of Africa, one that captures the essence of Uganda’s natural wonders, from its most celebrated parks to its hidden, untamed corners. By the journey’s end, you will have not only explored Uganda’s diverse landscapes but also experienced the rhythm of its wild heart.
Day 1 – Arrival at Entebbe International Airport.
Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you are warmly welcomed by your professional guide, who introduces you to the highlights of your upcoming birding and wildlife safari. After a short briefing, you transfer to 2 Friends Beach Hotel, a charming retreat overlooking Lake Victoria where you can relax after your journey.
Depending on your flight’s arrival time, there is an optional excursion to the Entebbe Botanical Gardens, a peaceful lakeside sanctuary dating back to 1898. Here, you may encounter a variety of bird species such as the African grey parrot and playful primates, along with towering tropical trees that set the tone for your Ugandan adventure. The walk provides a gentle introduction to the country’s biodiversity in a serene, historic setting.
In the evening, return to your hotel for a relaxed dinner, with the gentle lapping of Lake Victoria nearby. Rest well as you prepare for the bird-rich days to come.
Overnight at 2 Friends Beach Hotel
Basis: Dinner
Day 2 – Mabamba swamp – transfer to Lake Mburo NP.
After an early breakfast, you set off toward the Mabamba Wetland Sanctuary, one of Uganda’s most renowned birding sites. Birding begins en route, with chances to spot Red-headed Lovebirds, Black-headed Orioles, Tawny-flanked Prinias, and raptors such as the African Marsh Harrier and Lizard Buzzard along the roadside savanna. Upon arrival, you board a canoe to explore Mabamba’s papyrus-lined channels in search of its most celebrated resident—the Shoebill Stork, an iconic species often seen patiently hunting lungfish in the shallows.
The wetland also teems with other species, including Orange and Weyns’s Weavers, Malachite Kingfishers, African and Lesser Jacanas, Purple Herons, Purple Swamphens, and the secretive Black Crake. The gentle canoe ride, surrounded by birdsong and mirrored reflections of papyrus, offers a peaceful start to your birding journey.
Later, you continue westward to Lake Mburo National Park, arriving by late afternoon. A mini game drive upon entering the park introduces you to its open savanna and woodland landscapes, home to zebras and impalas, before reaching your lodge for dinner.
Overnight at Rwakobo Rock
Basis: Full Board
Day 3 – Game drive and boat cruise in Lake Mburo NP.
Your day begins with breakfast before venturing into Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda’s smallest savanna park yet rich in wildlife and birds. The morning game drive reveals herds of zebra, buffalo, eland, impala, and, with luck, leopards and dwarf mongoose among the acacia-studded hills. Alongside the mammals, your guide helps you identify key bird species such as the emerald-spotted wood-dove, short-toed snake-eagle, great spotted cuckoo, and the vibrant quartet of red-faced, spot-flanked, double-toothed, and crested barbets.
Open grasslands and wetlands bring sightings of the African snipe, white-winged tit, water thick-knee, brown-backed scrub-robin, brown parrot, coqui francolin, and the display flights of the broad-tailed whydah. After returning to the lodge for lunch and a brief rest, your afternoon unfolds on the waters of Lake Mburo, where a leisurely boat cruise offers close views of hippos, crocodiles, and prolific birdlife, including African finfoot, black-headed and golden-backed weavers, and lesser-masked weavers as they nest along the papyrus.
Dinner is served at your lodge, with the soft calls of nocturnal birds and distant grunts of hippos setting the soundtrack for your evening.
Overnight at Rwakobo Rock
Basis: Full Board
Day 4 – Lake Mburo to Ruhija, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
After breakfast, with your packed lunch prepared, you depart Lake Mburo National Park and travel southwest toward the Ruhija sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, one of Uganda’s most pristine and biodiverse regions. The drive offers exceptional birding along the way, with frequent stops to seek out highland and savanna species.
Along the route, your guide helps you spot key species such as the striking yellow bishop, the shy handsome francolin, and flocks of streaky seedeaters and white-naped ravens along the terraced slopes. In the wooded hills and farmland edges, there are opportunities to encounter yellow-bellied and black-faced waxbills, white-starred robins, the melodic calls of grey-throated barbets, and the active white-eyed slaty flycatcher. The journey itself, weaving through the Kigezi Highlands, offers sweeping views of emerald hills and patchwork farms, a scenic contrast to the dense forest ahead.
By late afternoon, you arrive in Ruhija, a serene village perched on the edge of Bwindi’s montane rainforest. After settling in at Trekkers’ Tavern Cottages, you can relax and enjoy the cool mountain air before dinner, with the distant calls of forest birds echoing through the valleys.
Overnight at Trekkers’ Tavern Cottages – Ruhija
Basis: Full Board
Day 5 – Birding the Mubwindi Swamp Trail – Ruhija.
The day begins with an early breakfast before setting out on one of Bwindi’s most celebrated birding experiences—the Mubwindi Swamp Trail. This four-kilometer trail descends nearly 1,000 feet, from 2,350 meters to 2,050 meters, through misty montane forest to the open expanses of Mubwindi Swamp. Along the way, breaks in the canopy reveal sweeping vistas of the swamp and surrounding hills, a stunning setting for a day rich with birdlife.
This area is a haven for Albertine Rift endemics, many of which are sought after by birders worldwide. With your guide’s expertise, you’ll search for rarities such as Grauer’s broadbill, Grauer’s rush warbler, and Archer’s robin-chat, alongside forest gems like the strange weaver, grey cuckoo-shrike, and a variety of montane specialties, including mountain masked apalis, Shelley’s and yellow-streaked greenbuls, Rwenzori batis, and the stunning array of purple-breasted, blue-headed, regal, and Rwenzori double-collared sunbirds.
The forest also holds great blue, black-billed, and Rwenzori turacos, the elusive mountain illadopsis, and flocks of narrow-tailed, Stuhlmann’s, and Waller’s starlings moving through the canopy. By late afternoon, you ascend back to Ruhija, where a hearty dinner and the quiet of the forest night await.
Overnight at Trekkers’ Tavern Cottages – Ruhija
Basis: Full Board
Day 6 – Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
After an early breakfast, you make your way to the Bwindi park headquarters for a briefing on gorilla trekking protocols. Accompanied by experienced rangers, you set off into the dense, ancient rainforest on a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with one of Bwindi’s habituated mountain gorilla families.
The trek, which can last two to eight hours depending on the gorillas’ movements, winds through steep, muddy trails, with towering trees and dense undergrowth creating a primeval atmosphere. The effort fades when you come face to face with these gentle giants: watching the silverback’s quiet authority, the playful antics of juveniles, and the nurturing care of mothers. For one hour, you observe them as they feed, groom, and interact—a humbling, unforgettable experience that offers a rare glimpse into their lives.
After your trek, you return to Trekkers’ Tavern Cottages to rest and recover. The afternoon is free for relaxation, with dinner served as the forest comes alive with the sounds of nocturnal wildlife.
Overnight at Trekkers’ Tavern Cottages – Ruhija
Basis: Full Board
Day 7 – Birding the Ruhija Sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
After breakfast, you set out along the main trails of Ruhija, dedicating the day to finding species that may have eluded you during your previous explorations. The cool, high-altitude forest offers a different birding pace than Mubwindi, with open clearings and dense canopy stretches hosting a diverse mix of montane specialists.
Your guide helps you locate a variety of species, from the soft notes of Ruwenzori hill-babblers deep in the understory to the vibrant activity of Rwenzori and double-collared sunbirds flitting among flowering trees. The trails often yield sightings of striped breasted tits, mountain illadopsis, and the striking bar-tailed trogon, whose haunting calls echo through the forest. With patience, you may also encounter flocks of Stuhlmann’s starlings, mixed groups of greenbuls, and the distinctive dusky tit moving in feeding parties.
By midday, you return to Trekkers’ Tavern Cottages for lunch and relaxation, with the option to enjoy the lodge’s vantage points overlooking the misty valleys. Dinner is served as the evening chorus of frogs and nightjars rises from the forest.
Overnight at Trekkers’ Tavern Cottages – Ruhija
Basis: Full Board
Day 8 – Transfer to Buhoma, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
After breakfast, with your packed lunch ready, you depart Ruhija and travel west toward the Buhoma sector of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, birding en route through the famous “Neck” of Bwindi, where the forest narrows into a bird-rich corridor.
This route offers opportunities to spot sought-after species such as the dusky-blue and Cassin’s grey flycatchers, stripe-breasted tit, and the vibrant cinnamon-chested and black bee-eaters often perched along the forest edge. Other possibilities include the many-colored bushshrike, Cassin’s hawk-eagle, and the elusive olive and western bronze-naped pigeons, all of which add to the day’s variety.
Arriving in Buhoma by afternoon, you check in to Gorilla Friends Camp, a comfortable base nestled at the forest edge. The evening is yours to relax before dinner, as the soft hum of the rainforest builds around you.
Overnight at Gorilla Friends Camp – Buhoma
Basis: Full Board
Day 9 – Birding the Buhoma Waterfall Trail – Bwindi.
Your day begins with breakfast before embarking on a guided birding walk along the Buhoma Waterfall Trail, a lush route following streams and valleys deep into the forest. The trail offers excellent opportunities to encounter forest jewels such as the white-bellied, red-capped, and blue-shouldered robin-chats, as well as the striking bar-tailed trogon and the elusive red-chested owlet, whose soft calls may be heard from dense perches.
The rich understory holds specialties like Neumann’s warbler, black-faced rufous warbler, and pale-breasted illadopsis, while the mid-canopy reveals olive long-tailed cuckoos and the bright movements of yellow-breasted and collared apalis. Weavers are abundant along the route, with sightings of Baglafecht, yellow-mantled, black-billed, and brown-capped weavers, and starlings such as narrow-tailed and Stuhlmann’s moving in small flocks overhead.
After returning to Gorilla Friends Camp for lunch and a rest, your afternoon continues with a guided farm walk in the community outside Buhoma. Here, you search for elusive species like the rufous-chested flufftail and the bat hawk, while also learning about the traditional farming practices that sustain the surrounding communities. Dinner and a peaceful overnight follow, with the forest’s nocturnal calls as your soundtrack.
Overnight at Gorilla Friends Camp – Buhoma
Basis: Full Board
Day 10 – Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park (Ishasha Sector)
After breakfast, you depart Buhoma and head south toward the Ishasha Sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park, renowned for its tree-climbing lions and open savanna landscapes. Birding en route offers the chance to encounter notable species, including the Brown-chested Lapwing, flocks of Violet-backed and Wattled Starlings, and raptors such as Black-chested, Western banded & Brown Snake-eagles soaring over the open plains.
Upon arrival in Ishasha, a late afternoon game and birding drive introduces you to this remote sector, where the sight of lions lounging on fig tree branches, scanning the plains below, is both striking and surreal. The open grasslands and riverine woodlands here also host a variety of savanna species, from antelopes to vibrant birdlife, creating a setting that feels far removed from the denser forests of Bwindi.
By evening, you settle into Ishasha Topi Lodge, a comfortable retreat surrounded by the wild stillness of this untamed landscape. Dinner is served as the sounds of distant nightjars and the occasional roar of lions drift through the night.
Overnight at Ishasha Topi Lodge
Basis: Full Board
Day 11 – Game drive/birding in Ishasha, then transfer to Mweya.
After breakfast, with a packed lunch prepared, you set out for a morning game and birding drive through the vast Ishasha plains. This sector is renowned for its tree-climbing lions, often found draped across the branches of ancient fig trees, a behavior seen in only a few places in Africa. Alongside these iconic predators, the open savannas support topis, Uganda kob, buffalo, and elephants, while your guide points out raptors like the martial eagle and savanna specialties such as black-crowned lapwings and African wattled lapwings.
By midday, you continue north through Queen Elizabeth National Park, traveling along the Kazinga Channel and open grasslands, watching the scenery shift from remote savanna to lush, acacia-dotted plains. By late afternoon, you arrive in the park’s northern sector and check in at Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge, where you can relax before dinner, listening to the sounds of hippos and frogs drifting up from the nearby channel.
Overnight at Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge
Basis: Full Board
Day 12 – Game drive/birding in the Kasenyi plains – Kazinga Chanel cruise.
Your day begins at first light with breakfast before heading to the Kasenyi Plains, a hotspot for both big game and prolific birdlife. The vast open plains teem with Uganda kob, waterbuck, warthogs, buffalo, hyenas, and lions, while the skies and grasslands are alive with movement. Here, your guide helps you locate notable species such as the black-chested snake-eagle, pallid, Montagu’s, and African marsh harriers, and terrestrial birds like black-bellied bustards and Temminck’s coursers.
Cisticolas provide a constant chorus, with species like buff-bellied, wing-snapping, and croaking cisticolas, while overhead you may spot Rüppell’s griffon vultures, African white-backed vultures, and lappet-faced vultures circling on thermals. By mid-morning, you return to the lodge for a short break before lunch.
In the afternoon, a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel offers another perspective on the park’s wildlife. Along the channel’s banks, herds of elephants, buffalo, and hippos congregate, while the waters and shorelines host a remarkable array of species, from giant, pied, woodland, and malachite kingfishers to pink-backed pelicans, African skimmers, saddle-billed storks, and African spoonbills. The two-hour cruise, bathed in the golden light of late afternoon, is a highlight for photographers and birders alike.
Overnight at Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge
Basis: Full Board
Day 13 – Birding and Nature Walk in Maramagambo Forest
After breakfast, you travel to Maramagambo Forest, a quiet and biologically rich area of Queen Elizabeth National Park, for a guided birding and nature walk. The forest is alive with the calls of primates, including black-and-white colobus, red-tailed, and vervet monkeys, and home to sought-after birds such as the splendid starling, red-headed bluebill, Benald’s flycatcher, and red-capped robin-chat.
Your walk also includes a visit to the Bat Cave, where millions of Egyptian fruit bats cling to the cavern walls, with African pythons occasionally spotted lying in wait nearby. This blend of birding and wildlife makes Maramagambo a uniquely rewarding stop. By midday, you return to your lodge for lunch and a relaxed afternoon, enjoying the serene surroundings before dinner.
Overnight at Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge
Basis: Full Board
Day 14 – Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park
After breakfast, you leave Queen Elizabeth National Park and head north toward Kibale Forest National Park, a journey that traces the scenic Crater Lakes region and the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains. These landscapes form part of the Albertine Rift Valley, marking the natural boundary between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The drive offers changing vistas, from volcanic crater lakes reflecting the morning light to distant snow-capped Rwenzori peaks, often called the “Mountains of the Moon.” En route, you stop for lunch in Kasese, then continue into the lush forests that signal your arrival at Kibale. By afternoon, you check in at Guereza Canopy Lodge, a secluded retreat where the sounds of primates and forest birds provide a natural soundtrack to the evening. Dinner is served beneath the towering trees, setting the tone for your adventures in this primate-rich reserve.
Overnight at Guereza Canopy Lodge – Kibale
Basis: Full Board
Day 15 – Chimpanzee Trekking & Bigodi Wetland Birding
After breakfast, you make your way to the Kibale National Park headquarters for registration and a detailed briefing before setting off on your chimpanzee trek. This pristine rainforest, with trees towering over 160 feet, is home to 13 primate species, including red colobus, black-and-white colobus, L’Hoest’s monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and grey-cheeked mangabeys. The trek typically lasts around three hours, with your guide helping you track one of the park’s habituated chimpanzee communities, whose energetic calls echo through the forest as you approach.
Along the way, the trails reveal Kibale’s rich birdlife, with highlights such as the green-breasted pitta, black-and-white shrike-flycatcher, and the vibrant yellow-spotted and yellow-billed barbets often seen feeding near fruiting trees. Once you locate the chimpanzees, you spend time observing their fascinating behaviors—grooming, foraging, and playing in their natural environment.
After lunch and a brief rest at your lodge, the afternoon takes you to the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, a community-managed reserve rich in biodiversity. Elevated boardwalks and quiet trails bring sightings of species such as the great blue turaco, willow warbler, black-capped yellow warbler, and collared sunbird, along with more primates and butterflies. This tranquil wetland also highlights the important relationship between ecotourism and conservation for surrounding villages.
Overnight at Guereza Canopy Lodge – Kibale
Basis: Full Board
Day 16 – Birding in Kibale Forest & Kanyanchu Area
Today is dedicated to deeper exploration of Kibale Forest’s birding hotspots, beginning with a morning session along the main road, where open-canopy views and fruiting trees attract flocks of sunbirds and forest specialists. Your guide will help you locate species such as the grey-headed, collared, olive, and red-chested sunbirds, as well as the melodic olive thrush and other forest-edge species.
In the afternoon, you explore the Kanyanchu area, where the dense understory and towering trees are alive with birdsong. Notable species often found here include the black-and-white shrike-flycatcher, yellow-rumped tinkerbird, olive-bellied sunbird, and the elusive joyful greenbul moving through mixed flocks. The day provides a calmer pace, perfect for focusing on observing and photographing Kibale’s smaller, more elusive residents.
Return to your lodge by late afternoon to relax before dinner, surrounded by the sounds of the forest as evening falls.
Overnight at Guereza Canopy Lodge – Kibale
Basis: Full Board
Day 17 – Transfer to Masindi (Budongo Forest Region)
After breakfast, you begin the scenic journey north to Masindi, gateway to the Budongo Forest Reserve. The drive offers opportunities for birding along roadside wetlands and wooded savannas, with your guide helping you spot species such as black bishop, fan-tailed widowbird, African mustached warbler, and Klaas’s cuckoo en route.
A stop in Kagadi allows for lunch and a short break before continuing through the verdant Albertine Rift landscapes, where rolling hills and scattered farmlands give way to the forested expanse of Budongo. By late afternoon, you arrive and check in at the historic Masindi Hotel, where dinner is served in a relaxed colonial-era setting before an early night in preparation for tomorrow’s birding.
Overnight at Masindi Hotel
Basis: Full Board
Day 18 – Birding in The Royal Mile, Budongo Forest.
After an early breakfast, with your packed lunch in hand, you set out for the renowned Royal Mile, one of Uganda’s premier birding locations. This wide forest trail, once used as a royal hunting ground, offers exceptional visibility beneath its towering canopy, allowing for excellent sightings of some of the region’s rarest and most sought-after species.
Here, your guide will help you track down highlights such as Jameson’s and chestnut wattle-eyes, Ituri batis, chinspot batis, black-headed batis, and the secretive Puvel’s illadopsis. Other specialties include a variety of flycatchers—lead-colored, sooty, forest, yellow-footed, and chestnut-capped—as well as the striking African shrike-flycatcher and a diversity of greenbuls, from the slender-billed and yellow-throated to the spotted and honeyguide greenbul.
The trail also holds a vibrant mix of larger and more colorful species, including blue-breasted, African pygmy, chocolate-backed, and dwarf kingfishers, the elegant Narina trogon, and hornbills like the white-thighed and black-and-white casqued hornbill. Raptors such as the crowned eagle and the acrobatic blue-throated roller add further excitement to the day. After hours of immersive birding, you return to Masindi Hotel in the evening for dinner and overnight.
Overnight at Masindi Hotel
Basis: Full Board
Day 19 – Masindi – Murchison Falls National Park. (Kaniyo-Pabidi)
After breakfast, you depart Masindi and enter Murchison Falls National Park through the Kichumbanyobo Gate, heading first for the Kaniyo Pabidi sector on the eastern edge of Budongo Forest. This area, with its towering mahogany trees and rich understory, is ideal for locating elusive species like Puvel’s illadopsis and the brilliant fire-crested alethe, whose striking plumage often flickers in the shadows as they forage.
From here, you continue into the heart of Murchison Falls National Park, where the mighty River Nile cuts through the savanna before plunging through a narrow seven-meter gorge to form the thundering Murchison Falls. Standing at viewpoints near the top, you witness the Nile forced into a 45-meter drop, its spray rising against a backdrop of rainbows and rushing rapids—a sight as powerful as it is unforgettable.
By afternoon, you arrive at Pakuba Safari Lodge, a riverside retreat surrounded by the park’s open plains. After check-in and lunch, the rest of the afternoon is free to relax, enjoying the lodge’s views of wandering giraffes and antelope before dinner.
Overnight at Pakuba Safari Lodge
Basis: Full Board
Day 20 – Murchison Falls – Game Drive and Boat Cruise on the Nile
An early breakfast readies you for a morning game drive across the park’s northern Delta region, where sweeping grasslands meet the waters of the Albert Nile. The drive, lasting three to four hours depending on sightings, introduces you to a rich diversity of wildlife, from elephants, buffalo, and giraffes to oribis, hartebeest, lions, leopards, and jackals, with your guide also pointing out savanna and woodland birds such as the red-throated bee-eater, swallow-tailed bee-eater, and the striking wire-tailed swallow.
After lunch and a brief rest at the lodge, the afternoon brings a boat cruise along the Nile, a three-hour journey that provides intimate views of the river’s wildlife. Schools of hippos and Nile crocodiles bask along the banks, while buffalo, elephants, and antelope descend to drink. The river teems with birdlife, including goliath herons, giant kingfishers, white-winged terns, African skimmers, and, with luck, the nocturnal Pel’s fishing owl hidden in the riverine trees. As the sun sets over the water, you return to the lodge for dinner and an evening surrounded by the sounds of the savanna.
Overnight at Pakuba Safari Lodge
Basis: Full Board
Day 21 – Murchison Falls – Kidepo Valley National Park.
After breakfast, you enjoy a final morning game drive as you exit Murchison Falls National Park through the northern Wankwar Gate, keeping watch for last glimpses of giraffes or lions along the tracks. The road then leads north through Gulu and Kitgum, where you continue birding en route, looking for species adapted to Uganda’s drier northern habitats, such as the rufous chatterer, brown babbler, and flocks of fox kestrels circling on thermals.
As the landscapes transition from wooded savanna to open, semi-arid plains, the approach to Kidepo Valley National Park feels like entering a truly remote wilderness. By evening, you arrive at Kidepo Savannah Lodge, a comfortable tented camp offering sweeping views across the Narus Valley. After check-in, you can relax and take in the solitude of one of Africa’s most untouched parks before dinner under the stars.
Overnight at Kidepo Savannah Lodge
Basis: Full Board
Day 22 – Birding & Game Viewing in Narus Valley – Kidepo.
After breakfast, your day begins in the Narus Valley, a wildlife-rich area at the heart of Kidepo known for its sweeping grasslands and seasonal wetlands. Here, herds of buffalo, zebra, hartebeest, and elephants graze freely, while your guide helps you focus on birding for the park’s specialties. Notable species include the elegant swallow-tailed kite, flocks of superb, wattled, and red-winged starlings, and the impressive kori bustard and black-bellied bustard striding across the plains.
Other highlights may include the common rock thrush, red-pate cisticola, northern white-crowned shrike, and fan-tailed raven, while raptors like the black eagle patrol the cliffs and rocky outcrops. After returning to the lodge for lunch and a chance to relax, your afternoon brings another game and birding drive through Narus Valley, timed to capture the golden light of late afternoon as wildlife gathers around water sources. Dinner is served back at your lodge, with the distant calls of jackals and owls filling the quiet night.
Overnight at Kidepo Savannah Lodge
Basis: Full Board
Day 23 – Birding in the Kidepo valley- Kidepo NP.
After breakfast, your exploration continues in the Kidepo Valley, the park’s more arid northern sector, where wide, rocky riverbeds and acacia woodlands host a unique collection of species. The morning is devoted to birding, with your guide helping you locate sought-after specialties such as the black-breasted and d’Arnaud’s barbets, the agile pale flycatcher, and the sharp-eyed grey-headed batis flitting through the thorny scrub.
This semi-arid environment is also home to regional rarities, including the rufous chatterer, brown babbler, white-bellied tit, and striking aerial hunters like the Verreaux’s eagle and the agile pygmy falcon. Along the open plains, you may also spot the common ostrich, the colorful Abyssinian roller and scimitarbill, and finches and weavers like the purple grenadier and eastern paradise whydah. By late morning, the rising heat brings activity to a lull, and you return to Kidepo Savannah Lodge for lunch and a chance to relax.
The afternoon is free to enjoy the solitude of this remote park, with the option for a shorter drive to capture the valley’s wildlife in the golden light of late day before returning for dinner under the clear Karamoja night sky.
Overnight at Kidepo Savannah Lodge
Basis: Full Board
Day 24 – Walking Safari in Kidepo National Park
This morning offers a different pace as you set out on a guided walking safari through the open landscapes of Kidepo. Accompanied by an armed ranger, you quietly trace wildlife paths, observing details often missed on game drives: tracks in the sand, the calls of hornbills echoing from the trees, and the rhythmic movements of grazing herds at a respectful distance.
Walking offers a deeper connection to the environment, and your guide helps you search for species and sights that may have been missed on earlier drives, from elusive ground-dwellers like the harlequin quail to raptors perched high on the acacia. The silence of the plains, broken only by wind and distant bird calls, underscores Kidepo’s sense of untouched wilderness.
Return to Kidepo Savannah Lodge, set in the heart of the park, for a relaxed afternoon and dinner. As night falls, the sweeping skies over the valley are filled with stars, and the quiet of this remote wilderness settles around you.
Overnight at Kidepo Savannah Lodge – Kidepo
Basis: Full Board
Day 25 – Birding Transfer to Pian Upe Game Reserve.
After breakfast, with your packed lunch, you depart Kidepo and travel south through the Karamoja region, a vast expanse of rugged hills, open plains, and pastoral communities. The route takes you through Kaabong, Kotido, Moroto, and Nakapiripirit, offering opportunities for birding along the way.
Your guide will help you look for regional specialties such as Fox’s weaver, Uganda’s only endemic bird (with several known spots along this route to search), as well as black-breasted and d’Arnaud’s barbets, pale flycatcher, grey-headed batis, and arid-zone highlights like the Abyssinian scimitarbill, Bruce’s green pigeon, and purple grenadier. Raptors including the fox kestrel, pygmy falcon, and Verreaux’s eagle may also be seen soaring over the rocky outcrops.
By evening, you arrive at Pian Upe Game Reserve, a remote and lightly visited wilderness, where you settle into the simple but comfortable UWA Bandas for dinner and overnight, with the calls of nightjars and the vast Karamoja night sky as your backdrop.
Overnight at UWA Bandas – Pian Upe
Basis: Full Board
Day 26 – Birding – Pian Upe National Park.
After breakfast, you spend the day exploring the vast plains and rocky ridges of Pian Upe Game Reserve, one of Uganda’s largest and least-visited protected areas. This rugged landscape, marked by sweeping grasslands and scattered acacias, supports a mix of arid-zone species rarely found elsewhere in the country.
With your guide’s help, you search for the endemic Fox’s weaver, found only in select spots within Uganda, along with other regional specialties such as the black-breasted and d’Arnaud’s barbets, pale flycatcher, grey-headed batis, brown babbler, and rufous chatterer. The reserve’s open terrain is also home to striking birds like the Abyssinian roller, rose-ringed parakeet, purple grenadier, and eastern paradise whydah, whose long, ribbon-like tails trail in flight.
Raptors are a constant presence here, with chances to spot the Verreaux’s eagle, fox kestrel, pygmy falcon, and martial eagle patrolling the skies, while the open plains yield encounters with the quail-plover, Clapperton’s and ring-necked francolins, harlequin quail, and perhaps the impressive common ostrich striding across the savanna. After a full day of birding and exploring, you return to the UWA Bandas for a peaceful evening and dinner beneath the endless Karamoja night sky.
Overnight at UWA Bandas – Pian Upe
Basis: Full Board
Day 27 – Transfer to Jinja.
After breakfast, you depart Pian Upe and travel south toward Jinja, tracing a route through the changing landscapes of eastern Uganda. The journey offers time to reflect on the remote wilderness you’ve just experienced while still allowing for opportunistic birding stops along wetlands and open woodlands, where species such as the brown babbler, Abyssinian roller, and purple grenadier may be spotted.
Arriving in Jinja by late afternoon, you check in at Nile Haven, a tranquil riverside retreat overlooking the Nile. The evening is free to relax, enjoy the lodge’s peaceful gardens, and take in the views of the river that marks the final leg of your Ugandan journey. Dinner is served with the gentle sounds of the Nile flowing nearby.
Overnight at Nile Haven – Jinja
Basis: Full Board
Day 28 – Source of the Nile & Departure from Entebbe
Your final day begins with breakfast at the lodge before setting out to visit two of Jinja’s most iconic sites. The morning brings you to the Source of the Nile, where the world’s longest river begins its epic journey northward from Lake Victoria. Here, you can enjoy a short boat ride or simply take in the historical and natural significance of this legendary site.
You then continue to the Itanda Falls, a series of roaring rapids that showcase the Nile’s raw energy as it cuts through the Ugandan landscape. After a relaxed lunch, you begin your return journey to Entebbe, where, depending on your flight schedule, there may be time for a final stop at craft markets before heading to the airport.
As your safari concludes, you depart with memories of Uganda’s extraordinary diversity—from its towering forests and mist-covered mountains to its arid valleys and vast savannas, and from the rare shoebill and endemic Fox’s weaver to the unforgettable encounters with chimpanzees and gorillas—all woven into a journey you’ll carry with you long after leaving the Pearl of Africa.
End of Services.
Highlights of this 28 Day Uganda Birding Tour:
Top Birds To Expect:
Shoebill, Black-billed, Strange, Orange & Weyn’s Weaver, Lesser Jacana, White-crested, Black-billed & Rwenzori Turaco, Puvel’s Illadopsis, Carruther’s, Tabora & Foxy Cisticola, White-crested Helmet-shrike, Pel’s Fishing Owl, Swallow-tailed & Red-throated Bee- Eater, Sabine’s & Mottled Spinetail, Brown Twinspot, Yellow-footed, Blue-crested, Chestnut-capped, Yellow-eyed Black, Forest & Sooty Flycatchers, Ituri Batis, African Crowned Eagle, Spotted & Joyful Greenbul, Forest Robin, African Dwarf & Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Vereaux’s Eagle-Owl, Collard Pratincole.
Plus the Papyrus Gonolek, Yellow-billed, Hairy-breasted & Yellow-spotted Barbet, Pink-footed Puffback, Bar-tailed & Narina Trogon, Yellow-crested, Brown-eared & Buff-spotted Woodpecker, Mountain-masked, Chestnut-throated & Rwenzori Apalis, African & Grauer’s Broadbill, Rwenzori Double-collared, Northern Double-collared, Purple-breasted & Regal Sunbird, Narrow-tailed, Chestnut-winged, Stuhlmann’s, Waller’s & Sharp’s Starling, Black-faced Rufous, Grauer’s Rush, Neumann’s Warbler, Ayre’s Hawk-Eagles, Equatorial Akalat, Lagden’s, Dohert’s & Bocage’s Bush-shrike
Safari Summary:
Tour Duration: 28 Days & 27 Nights
Departure / Return Location: Entebbe, Uganda
Destinations on Tour:
Entebbe
Mabamba Wetland Sanctuary
Budongo Royal Mile
Murchison Falls National Park
Kibale Forest National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest NP.
Mgahinga Forest National Park
Lake Mburo National Park
Entebbe
Quotation 2 Pax/Per Person: $9322 High Season & $8962 Low Season.
Terrain Safaris Itinerary
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