The 12 Days Birding Uganda Safari takes you two weeks in the Pearl of Africa Uganda, through visiting several different top birding sites such as some of Uganda’s national parks, and wetlands among others. During your Birding tour, you will visit such as site Mabamba Wetland, Murchison Falls National Park in Budongo forest, Kibale forest, Bwindi Impenetrable forest, and Mubwindi swamp making it the finest birding sites on your Uganda Birding Safari.
Safari Highlight of 12 Days Birding Uganda Safari
Day 1: Transfer to Mabamba Wetland
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park-Launch Cruise
Day 3: Wildlife Adventure-Murchison Falls
Day 4: Budongo Forest –Royal Mile
Day 5: Visit Budongo Forest –Using the main road
Day 6: Kibale Forest
Day 7: Chimpanzee Tracking
Day 8: Birding in Kibale
Day 9: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Day 10: Explore Ruhija –Bwindi
Day 11: Mubwindi Swamp -Bwindi
Day 12: Return to Kampala
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Transfer to Mabamba Wetland
Transfer to Mabamba Wetland: On your first day of the 12 Days Birding Uganda Safari, have morning breakfast served from hotel. After drive to Mabamba Swamp which lies within Entebbe and is a perfect site to do birding photography in Uganda. It lies a few kilometres away from the west of Entebbe across the northern shore of Lake Victoria and the place attracts more of the unique shoebills. You will look out for lesser jacana, Papyrus Gonolek, Pygmy goose, Northern Brown-throated Weaver, Blue–headed caucal, and Yellow-backed Weave among others. Birding at the Mabamba swamp is best done on a canoe, paddled by our local site-trained guides.
You will also get amazed views of it as it soars on broad wings and also look out to various bird species including Swampy Flycatcher, African Water Rail, African Purple Swam-hen, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Winding Cisticola, Squacco, Rufous bellied and purple Heron, Hamerkop, African Marsha Harrier, Malachite and pied Kingfishers, Blue-headed Cuckoo, Intermediate Egret, Fan-tailed Widowbird, Goliath Heron mentioned few. Dinner and Overnight.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 2: Transfer to Murchison Falls Np-Launch Cruise
Transfer to Murchison Falls: On day 2 of the 12 Days Birding Uganda Safari, after breakfast, drive to Murchison Falls National Park a journey which takes about 4 to 5hours drive. On your way, you will have a stopover at Luweero Triangle get to learn about the history of the Buganda massacre and also stop at the trading market to buy fruits. Continue to Masindi town and break off for lunch en route. After lunch, drive straight to the park passing through Budongo forest and Kaniyo Pabidi. You will have en-route lunch in Masindi town and then proceed.
Upon arrival at the gate, continue to drive directly to the top of the falls to experience the world’s most powerful waterfalls. After, drive to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 3: Wildlife Adventure –Murchison Falls
Wildlife Adventure: On day 3 of the 12 Days Birding Uganda Safari, wake up have a delicious breakfast, then drive for an early game viewing on the North of the Nile, animals to see include Lions, buffaloes, waterbuck, Jackson’s hartebeest, Oribis, baboons many others. Drive back to the lodge, have lunch and later go for boat cruise on Victoria Nile for about 2 hours animals to see including large crocodiles, hippos, herds of buffaloes and the area is also rich in birdlife on the papyrus banks, search for the shoebill stork, kingfishers, white egrets many others. Dinner and overnight.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 4: Budongo Forest –Royal Mile
Budongo Forest: Wake up have morning breakfast, and drive to Budongo forest for birding. The forest lies on the promises of the park. The best viewing bird life in here is at Royal Mile act is the best place to do superb birding. Expect to check out a long list of African dwarf ,White-shouldered Black Tit, shouldered Cuckoo-Shrike ,Rattling Cisticola ,Shy Foxy Cisticola ,Black faced Waxbill ,Cinnamon breasted Bunting and Savannah raptors include Wahlberg’s Eagle ,Bateleur and Martial Eagle ,Grey-crowned Crane, Black headed Oriole and Carruthers’s Cisticola ,Great Swamp Warbler ,White-winged Warbler, Tropical Boubou ,Vieillot’s Black Weaver and Grosbeak Weaver ,the Colourful Papyrus Gonolek and black-capped Apalis many more. Dinner and Overnight stay.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Visit the Budongo Forest
Visit the Budongo Forest: After your early morning break ,walk with the guide to Budongo forests where you expect to see variety of bird species such as Scaly-breasted IIIadipsis ,Cameroon Sombre ,Red-tailed Bristle bill ,Slender-billed ,Honey guide ,Yellow-crested Woodpecker ,Speckled Tinker bird ,Yellow-browed Camaroptera ,Buff-throated Apalis ,White-breasted and Grey-headed Negrofinches ,White-spotted Fluff tailed ,Crested Guinea fowl ,Tambourine Dove ,African Emerald and Dusky Long tailed Cuckoos ,Yellow bill ,Forest Robin ,Ituri batis ,Sabine’s and Cassin’s Spine tails ,Wilcock’s Honey guide ,Yellow and Grey Long bills ,Yellow-mantled weaver ,Red-headed Malimbe and many others.Dinner and Overnight.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: Drive to Kibale Forest
Kibale Forest: Have a morning breakfast, then transfer to Kibale Forest known for its premium chimpanzee tracking and birding. Also home to the highest concentration of primates in East Africa including; Chimpanzees, Vervet, red tailed and L’Hoest and blue monkeys. Bird species to be spotted in the Kibale forest include Blue-shouldered Robin Chat, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Green-breasted Pitta, Red-chested Fluff tail, Cabanis Greenbul, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, Grey-throated Flycatcher, Masked Apalis, White-napped pigeon, Grey-winged Robin many more. Dinner and overnight stay.
Meal plan; Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 7: Kibale Chimpanzee Tracking
Kibale Chimpanzee Tracking: After breakfast, go to the park headquarters for Chimpanzee trekking rules. The trekking experience takes about 2 to 5 hours. On finding them, you will be allowed one hour to spend with them to learn about their habit, behaviour, feeding, and playing among others. After, drive back to the lodge, and rest. Dinner and overnight.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 8: Birding in Kibale Forest
Birding in Kibale: After morning breakfast, go visit Bigodi wetland a perfect place for birding and butterfly viewing many more. Bird species to see include Great blue turaco and Papyrus Gonolek and others. Other birds to see here include Blue-throated roller, White-headed Wood Hoopoe, Yellow bill, Tinker barbets, Honey guide Bulbuls, Cassin’s Honey bird, White-chinned prinia and Banded prinia, Pink-footed Puff back, Black and White Flycatcher, Superb Sunbird, Mountain Wagtail, Velvet-mantled Drongo, Purple headed Starling, Black-necked Weaver, Dark-backed Weaver and Red –headed Bluebill many others. Dinner and Overnight stay.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 9: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable: After morning breakfast, you will be transferred to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park home to the world’s half-remaining population of mountain gorillas and also offers a variety of Albertine bird species about 23 species are highly localized Albertine species such as Grauer’s warbler, black faced Rufous, Black throated Apalis, banded prinia and Mountain masked Apalis and so many.
After lunch, take a walk along the Munyanja River trail from Buhoma following Bizenga River and over 40 species to be viewed like Ashy Flycatcher, Yellow-eyed Black-Flycatcher, Dusky-blue Flycatcher, Chapin’s Flycatcher, McKinnon’s grey shrike, Luhder’s and Doherty’s bush shrike. Dinner and Overnight.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 10: Guided walk in Ruhija –Bwindi
Guided walk in Ruhija: Wake up enjoy breakfast, followed by visiting Ruhija one of the top Ornithological sites in Africa. Birds to see in Ruhija include the four crimson –wings, handsome Francolin, Augur buzzard, Archer’s Robin Chat, Red-throated Wryneck, Bronze Sunbird, Brown-crowned Tchagra, Toro Olive Greenbul, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Yellow Bishop, Yellow-crested helmet shrike, Stripe-breasted Tit, Collared Apalis, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Strange, White napped Raven. Dinner and Overnight stay.
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 11: Visit Mubwindi –Bwindi
Visit Mubwindi Swamp: After having morning breakfast, we shall hike to the Mubwindi Swamp for full day birding. There are rewardable trails in which some of the most elusive rift endemics can be seen like beautiful Regal Sunbird and Archer’s Robin Chat. Other species include Rwenzori Apalis, Stripe breasted Tit, African hill babbler, Rwenzori Hill Babbler, Fraser’s Eagle Owl, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Purple breasted, Blue-headed, Archer’s Robin Chat, Eastern Mountain-Greenbul, Bar-tailed Trogon, White headed wood hoopoes, Waller’s and Stuhlmann’s Starling and Montane Nightjar among others. Dinner and Overnight.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 12: Return to Kampala
Return to Kampala: After breakfast, you listened to sweet melodies of birds in the air and trees around the lodge. Check out of the lodge and drive back to Kampala to be dropped off at your hotel or at Entebbe airport for your flight back home.
The end of the 12 Days Uganda Birding Safaris.
