21 Day Best of Uganda — Mammals and Birds Safari

Arrive at Entebbe International Airport, where you will be met by our team and transferred to your accommodation.
Depending on your arrival time, there may be an opportunity for an introductory birding session around Entebbe.

We begin early after breakfast and head to Nakiwogo, where we take the first ferry across Lake Victoria to Buwaya.
From there, we continue by road to Mabamba Wetland, one of Uganda’s premier destinations for the iconic Shoebill.
We explore the papyrus channels by traditional community canoe, searching for the Shoebill and other wetland specialists, including African Jacana, Lesser Jacana, Squacco Heron, Purple Heron, Greater Swamp Warbler and Malachite Kingfisher.
After our wetland experience, we enjoy lunch at Nkima Forest Lodge or, depending on the day's logistics, at a restaurant near the Equator before continuing to Lake Mburo National Park.

We arrive at the park in the late afternoon or evening and settle into our lodge

Today combines some of the best birding and wildlife experiences in Lake Mburo National Park.
After breakfast, we head into the park for a game drive and dedicated birding. Among the species we may search for are Crested Barbet, Spot-flanked Barbet, Black-collared Barbet, Red-faced Barbet, African Wattled Lapwing, Greater Blue-eared Starling, Green-winged Pytilia, Red-billed Firefinch, Black-bellied Firefinch, African Firefinch and Tropical Boubou.

Depending on boat availability, we take a cruise on Lake Mburo either in the morning or afternoon. From the water, we look for Striated Heron, Water Thick-knee, White-backed Night Heron, African Finfoot, Goliath Heron and Malachite Kingfisher, together with hippos, crocodiles and other wildlife along the shoreline.

As dusk approaches, we begin a night game drive, with a particular focus on searching for nightjars, which are most active around dusk and again in the early morning hours.

After breakfast, we depart for Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in south-western Uganda.
The journey takes us through the beautiful landscapes of western Uganda. We make birding stops where possible, including opportunities around the lodge and along suitable sections of the route.

We stop for lunch in Mbarara or Kabale before continuing towards the Virunga Mountains.

Today is dedicated to birding in the montane forests of Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
After an early breakfast, we set out with packed lunch for a full day in the forest. Birding begins early, when forest activity is at its peak, and we are accompanied by a local birding guide and park rangers.

Potential highlights include Rwenzori Turaco, Regal Sunbird, Olive Woodpecker, White-starred Robin, Kandt’s Waxbill, Cape Robin-Chat, Augur Buzzard, Western Tinkerbird, Rwenzori Batis, Doherty’s Bushshrike, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Strange Weaver, African Stonechat and Red-faced Woodland Warbler.

The terrain can be steep in places, but the rewards are the opportunity to explore one of Uganda’s most spectacular high-altitude forest ecosystems.

After breakfast, we report to the park visitor centre for a briefing before beginning our Golden Monkey tracking experience.
These charismatic primates are endemic to the Albertine Rift and are one of the highlights of visiting the Virunga landscape. After the trek, we have lunch before travelling to Ruhija, in the eastern sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. If time allows, we may make a birding stop around Echuya Forest or along the route before arriving at our accommodation in the evening.

Today we explore the renowned Mubwindi Swamp Trail, one of the most rewarding birding experiences in Bwindi.
We begin after breakfast and descend into the forest accompanied by park rangers and a knowledgeable local community guide.
The primary focus is the region’s Albertine Rift endemics, including the highly sought-after Grauer’s Broadbill.

Other potential highlights include Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Stripe-breasted Tit, Evergreen Forest Warbler, Handsome Francolin and Purple-breasted Sunbird.

We return to the lodge in the afternoon after a rewarding day in the forest.

After breakfast, we travel from Ruhija to Buhoma, passing through the spectacular forest landscape around the Neck.

We take time for birding along the route, searching for species such as African Black Duck, Black Bee-eater and other forest and woodland birds. We arrive in Buhoma and settle into our accommodation on the edge of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

Today is dedicated to one of Uganda’s most extraordinary wildlife experiences: Mountain Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

After the necessary briefing, we enter the forest in search of one of the habituated gorilla families. The duration of the trek varies depending on the location and movements of the gorillas.

After returning from the forest, the afternoon is reserved for relaxation and community interaction. Guests may have the opportunity to visit Ride 4 a Woman, learning about local crafts, skills and community initiatives.
For those with additional energy, there may also be an opportunity for birding around the surrounding farmland.

We spend a full day birding along the Main Trail in Buhoma, exploring the rich montane forest of Bwindi.
With packed lunch, we take our time searching for Albertine Rift endemics and other forest specialists.
Potential highlights include Red-throated Alethe, Short-tailed Warbler, Many-coloured Bushshrike, Jameson’s Antpecker, Bocage’s Bushshrike, Brown-capped Weaver, Black-billed Weaver, Fine-banded Woodpecker and Willcock’s Honeyguide.

We depart Buhoma and travel towards Queen Elizabeth National Park, entering through the famous Ishasha sector. Ishasha is renowned for its unusual tree-climbing lions, and we keep our eyes open as we drive through the sector in search of these iconic cats.There will also be opportunities to observe birds from the vehicle and enjoy the changing landscapes as we transition from montane forest to savannah.

Today we explore Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of Uganda’s richest wildlife destinations and home to an impressive diversity of bird species.

We begin with a morning game drive, searching the savannah for wildlife and bird species including Temminck’s Courser, Kittlitz’s Plover, Senegal Lapwing, Rufous-naped Lark, Flappet Lark and Red-capped Lark.

In the afternoon, we take a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, the natural waterway connecting Lakes Edward and George.

The cruise provides exceptional opportunities to observe hippos, crocodiles, elephants and numerous waterbirds from the water.

After breakfast, we enjoy some birding around the lodge before beginning our journey towards Semliki Forest National Park.

We make a stop at Katunguru Bridge to search for the Papyrus Gonolek and other papyrus specialists before continuing towards Fort Portal, where we stop for lunch.

We then continue to the Semliki region.

We spend the morning birding in Semliki Forest, one of Uganda’s most distinctive birding destinations.
The forest is particularly important for species associated with the Congo-Guinea biome, making it very different from Uganda’s eastern and highland forests.

Potential highlights include Grant’s Bluebill, African Piculet and several species of hornbills, together with many other forest specialists. In the evening, we depart for Kibale Forest National Park, arriving in the evening.

An early start today—around 5:30 am—as we search for one of Uganda’s most sought-after birds, the Green-breasted Pitta.

The species has a brief period of heightened activity around dawn, making an early start essential. After the initial search, we continue exploring the forest while also preparing for our Chimpanzee tracking experience.
In the afternoon, we visit Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, located on the edge of Kibale Forest. The wetland and surrounding habitats offer opportunities for species such as White-spotted Flufftail, Shining-blue Kingfisher and Brown-chested Alethe, as well as encounters with primates including Red Colobus.

Today is primarily a travel day as we make the long journey north towards Murchison Falls National Park.
We depart around 7:00 am, with scheduled stops along the way for refreshments, rest and opportunistic birding.

We explore Murchison Falls National Park with a combination of game viewing and birding.
During our game drive, we search for species including Rock Pratincole, Red-throated Bee-eater, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, Black-billed Barbet, Black-bellied Bustard, White-bellied Bustard and Denham’s Bustard, alongside the park’s impressive mammal diversity.

We also take a boat cruise towards the base of Murchison Falls, offering spectacular views of the Nile and excellent opportunities to observe wildlife and water-associated bird species.

After breakfast, we depart Murchison Falls and travel towards Masindi.
The journey provides opportunities for roadside birding and wildlife observation as we transition from the national park towards the surrounding countryside.

Today we explore one of Uganda’s most celebrated birding sites—the Royal Mile in Budongo Forest.
We depart early with a packed lunch and spend the day birding this exceptional forest habitat.

The Royal Mile is renowned for its diversity of forest birds, with potential highlights including Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Dwarf Kingfisher, Ituri Batis, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher and Uganda Woodland Warbler, alongside many other forest specialists.

After our birding experience, we continue to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, where we spend the night

We begin the day with a Rhino tracking experience at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, offering an opportunity to see these magnificent animals on foot while learning about Uganda’s rhino conservation efforts.

After the activity, we begin our journey to Entebbe, with a lunch stop along the way. We arrive in Entebbe in the afternoon or evening and prepare for our final morning and departure.

Our final morning provides an opportunity for some last-minute birding at the Entebbe Botanical Gardens, depending on your flight schedule.