8-Day Bwindi Birding Expedition & Gorilla Trekking Adventure

• Entebbe Botanical Gardens and Wildlife Education Centre
• Mabamba Swamp Birding Excursion
• Lake Mburo National Birding
• Ruhija Sector, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
• Mubwindi Swamp, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
• Buhoma Sector, Bwindi National Park
• Game Viewing in Lake Mburo National Park
• Mountain Gorilla Trekking
• Equator Line Experience

Upon arrival, meet our specialist birding guide for transfer to your hotel. Subject to flight timing, begin with an introductory birding excursion to Entebbe Botanical Gardens or the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC), targeting key Lake Victoria basin species.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, 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. Return to Entebbe for lunch, followed by an afternoon birding excursion in the Entebbe Botanical Gardens, where diverse habitats host Great Blue Turaco, Ross's Turaco, swifts, sunbirds, Red-headed Lovebird, weavers, finches, and many more species.

Later, continue to Lake Mburo National Park for dinner and an overnight stay at the lodge.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options:

After an early breakfast, embark on a targeted early-morning birding excursion in Lake Mburo National Park, focusing on species that may have been missed during the previous day's birding. The cool, quiet morning hours provide optimal conditions for locating active woodland, wetland, savanna, and forest-edge species.

The principal morning birding routes include the Rwonyo Trail, Miriti Valley Trail, Warukiri Valley Trail, Rubanga Forest Trail, and the Salt Lick area, each offering distinct habitats and opportunities for different bird assemblages.

After the morning birding session, return for a brief refreshment break before commencing the road transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, continuing through the changing landscapes and habitats of southwestern Uganda.

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:

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:

Ruhija, on the eastern side of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, is one of Uganda's finest highland birding destinations. Its montane forest, bamboo zones, misty ridges, and wetland pockets support an exceptional diversity of forest birds, including many sought-after Albertine Rift endemics.

Begin the morning on the Bamboo Zone Trail, a rewarding route through cool bamboo and montane forest habitat. Key targets include Rwenzori Turaco, Stripe-breasted Tit, Dusky Crimsonwing, Shelley's Crimsonwing, Rwenzori Batis, Regal Sunbird, Mountain Masked Apalis, and Handsome Francolin. Beyond its birdlife, the trail offers sweeping views across the surrounding highlands, including Rwamunyonyi Peak.

A second, shorter birding option follows the Ruhija ridges and forest edges, where open glades and flowering vegetation attract a different mix of species. Look out for Regal Sunbird, Doherty's Bushshrike, Rwenzori Batis, Mountain Masked Apalis, Blue-headed Sunbird, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Strange Weaver, and Montane Oriole.

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 unlike any other. Enjoy your packed lunch in the forest before returning to the lodge for check-out and your onward departure to Entebbe.

Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Accommodation Options:

After an early morning breakfast, you will be picked up from your lodge or hotel and transferred to Entebbe International Airport for your departure flight. This marks the end of your memorable 8-day birding safari.

Meal Plan: Breakfast