10-Day Birding Safari Experience in Uganda

Experience Uganda through its birds on this specially curated 10-day birding safari, designed for serious birdwatchers and nature lovers who want a balanced mix of endemic-rich forest species, rare wetland specialists and classic East African savannah birds. Over ten days you'll travel from the sweeping papyrus fringes of Mabamba Swamp to the montane forests of Bwindi Impenetrable and the open woodlands and lakeshores of Queen Elizabeth and Lake Mburo National Parks.

Expect guided, early-morning and late-afternoon walks along established birding trails, targeted boat outings on marshes and lakes, and the option to include a gorilla trekking day in Bwindi. Local, experienced bird guides will lead you to prime viewing sites and use a patient, field-tested approach to locate secretive endemics and sought-after specialties — from the giant, prehistoric-looking Shoebill to Albertine Rift endemics such as the African Green Broadbill.

Highlights include focused visits to Mabamba Swamp (Shoebill and marsh specialists), Lake Mburo (lakeshore and acacia-dotted savannah species), Bwindi Impenetrable (mountain gorillas and Albertine Rift endemics), and Queen Elizabeth National Park (a mosaic of habitats with high species richness and tree-climbing lions). Each day blends purposeful birding on named trails, brief habitat orientation sessions, and time for photography and checklist compiling.

• Birding at Entebbe Botanical Gardens
• Birding Excursion to Mabamba Swamp
• Birding Game Drive in Lake Mburo National Park
• Guided Birding Nature Walk in Lake Mburo National Park
• Montane Birding in the Ruhija Sector, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
• Birding the Mubwindi Swamp Trail, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
• Forest Birding in the Buhoma Sector, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
• Birding Along the Kazinga Channel by Boat, Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Birding the Mweya Peninsula Trail, Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Birding in Maramagambo Forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Game Viewing in Lake Mburo National Park
• Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
• Game Viewing in Queen Elizabeth National Park

On arrival at Entebbe International Airport you will be met by our professional guide who will warmly welcome you to Uganda and transfer you to a nearby hotel in Entebbe. In the afternoon we visit the beautifully landscaped Entebbe Botanical Gardens on the shores of Lake Victoria. This is your first birding opportunity to look for weavers, palm-nut vulture, African fish eagle, gray parrot, Ross's turaco, and great blue turaco—an ideal, relaxed introduction to the safari with easy birdwatching in an open setting.

Meal Plan: Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options:

Your day begins with an early breakfast before departing for Mabamba Wetland, a 2,424 hectare papyrus-fringed marsh on the shores of Lake Victoria. Recognized as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, Mabamba supports over 300 bird species and is one of Uganda's most reliable sites for the sought-after Shoebill.

Birding by canoe through its tranquil channels may also reveal Papyrus Gonolek, Papyrus Yellow Warbler, African Pygmy Goose, African Jacana, Goliath Heron, African Fish Eagle, Purple Swamphen, kingfishers, and an array of herons and raptors. Later after Lunch continue to Lake Mburo National Park for overnight stay.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options:

The day begins with an early breakfast and pre-dawn briefing with your specialist birding guide. After lunch, return to the field in the late afternoon as temperatures ease and avian activity intensifies, working Lake Mburo's mosaic of savannah, acacia woodland, papyrus swamp, forest edge and lakeshore habitats before sunset.

Lake Mburo is a highly rewarding birding locality, with more than 300 recorded species across its varied habitats. Key targets include Red-faced Barbet, African Finfoot, Papyrus Gonolek, Ross's Turaco, Grey Crowned Crane and Bare-faced Go-away-bird. Birding is focused along Rubanga Forest Trail, Warukiri and Miriti Wetland Trails, the Rwonyo Jetty lakeshore trail, Zebra Track and surrounding grasslands, the salt lick, and Miriti Valley.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

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After breakfast we'll depart for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, entering the Ruhija sector via the fertile hills of southwestern Uganda and the market towns of Mbarara and Kabale. Arriving in the park at midday, you'll have time for lunch and a short rest before an afternoon of exploration.

Bwindi protects half of the world's mountain gorillas and supports over 120 mammal species, as well as some 350 bird species — 23 of which are endemic to the Albertine Rift and 14 found nowhere else in East Africa. Ruhija's ridges and forest edges host a remarkable montane bird assemblage: look for Regal Sunbird, Doherty's Bushshrike, Rwenzori Batis, Mountain Masked Apalis, Blue-headed and Purple-breasted Sunbirds, Strange Weaver, and Montane Oriole.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options:

The Mubwindi Swamp Trail, located in the Ruhija sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, is a rewarding destination for serious birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts. The trail is renowned for its rich Albertine Rift birdlife, rare montane species, and the opportunity to search for the highly sought-after African Green Broadbill.

The walk begins in the highlands around Ruhija and winds down through Bwindi's beautiful montane forest towards Mubwindi Swamp. Along the way, birders pass through different habitats, including mature forest, bamboo stands, thick undergrowth, and swamp-edge vegetation. This variety creates excellent opportunities to encounter birds with different habitat preferences.

The hike is physically demanding and normally takes around 5–6 hours, making it advisable to start early and walk with an experienced birding guide. Among the notable species that may be encountered are the African Green Broadbill, Grauer's Rush Warbler, Fraser's Eagle-Owl, and a variety of other high-altitude forest birds.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options:

Buhoma is one of Bwindi's premier birding sectors, offering excellent opportunities to explore Albertine Rift endemics and montane forest specialists. Begin the day with early-morning birding along the Buhoma River Trail and Waterfall Trail, when forest activity is at its peak and mixed-species flocks are most active. In the evening, explore sections of the Buhoma–Nkuringo Trail, targeting additional forest species and late-day activity.

Birding along these trails may produce African Green Broadbill, Bar-tailed Trogon, Short-tailed Warbler, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Kivu Ground Thrush, as well as a variety of turacos, sunbirds, forest flycatchers, and others. The changing forest habitats and excellent dawn and evening activity make Buhoma highly rewarding for a full-day birding safari.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options:

Your day begins with an early breakfast, followed by a short transfer to the park headquarters for a pre-trek briefing with the Uganda Wildlife Authority. Meet your ranger guide and fellow trekkers, receive important trekking guidelines, and be assigned a habituated mountain gorilla family for your visit.

Set out on an unforgettable gorilla-trekking adventure through Bwindi's mist-draped rainforest and bamboo-cloaked slopes. Accompanied by expert UWA ranger guides and trackers, follow ancient forest trails in search of your assigned gorilla family. Depending on the group's movements and location, the trek may last approximately 3 to 6 hours.

Though challenging in places, every step is rewarded with a remarkable hour in the presence of these gentle giants. Watch a commanding silverback silently survey his family, mothers tenderly care for their infants, and playful juveniles tumble through the thick vegetation—an extraordinary wildlife encounter.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

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After breakfast, depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park, travelling through the scenic Ishasha sector. Keep watch for the region's celebrated tree-climbing lions, often seen resting among the broad branches of ancient fig trees.

Arrive in the Mweya area in time for lunch, followed by a rewarding 2-hour boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, the wildlife-rich waterway linking Lakes Edward and George. This leisurely excursion offers exceptional birding opportunities along the papyrus-fringed shores, open water, and muddy banks.

Look out for African Open-billed Storks, African Spoonbills, Glossy Ibises, Yellow-billed Storks, Marabou Storks, Saddle-billed Storks, Wattled Lapwings, Water Thick-knees, and pelicans, among many other waterbirds and shorebirds. The channel also attracts abundant mammals, including African buffalo, African elephants, hippos, and Nile crocodiles, creating wonderful opportunities for both bird and wildlife photography.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

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Today is dedicated to an exceptional full-day birding adventure across the diverse ecosystems of Queen Elizabeth National Park. Begin with a guided walk in Maramagambo Forest, a rich habitat for sought-after forest species including African Finfoot, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Black Bee-eater, African Emerald Cuckoo, forest flycatchers, wattle-eyes, and illadopsises.

Continue to the Kazinga Channel, where the wetlands and open water attract an impressive variety of waterbirds. Look out for African Fish Eagle, Pink-backed Pelican, African Jacana, herons, egrets, cormorants, and other aquatic species. Birding around the Mweya Peninsula offers opportunities to spot Grey-headed and Pygmy Kingfishers, Little Bee-eater, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Swamp Flycatcher, and Black-headed Gonolek.

The day may also include visits to the Katwe Crater area, particularly rewarding during the migratory season, as well as the Ishasha Sector, known for raptors, larger bird species, and several more elusive savannah birds. Conclude with birding along the Kanyanchu/Katunguru Bridge wetland trail, an excellent papyrus-swamp habitat for Papyrus Gonolek, White-winged Warbler, Carruthers's Cisticola, swamp warblers, and kingfishers.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options:

After an early breakfast, enjoy a short birding walk through Maramagambo Forest before continuing to Kampala or Entebbe. This lush rainforest shelters an impressive diversity of forest birds, including the White-naped Pigeon, Snowy-headed Robin-Chat, Scaly-breasted Illadopsis, Chestnut Wattle-eye, African Emerald Cuckoo, Red-throated Wryneck, Brown Illadopsis, forest greenbuls, Rwenzori Turaco, forest flycatchers and African Moustached Warbler, among others.

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch