6 Days Uganda Birding and Gorilla Safari

Destinations
  • Uganda

Overview

Uganda is one of the most popular birding destinations in Africa hosting over 50% of bird species on the continent. The country boasts over 1060 bird species which is 11% of the world’s bird species – many of them endemic to Uganda.

This concentration of so many birds in a relatively small country means that serious birders can travel to many birding locations throughout Uganda with relative ease while checking off as many species as possible and enjoying the scenic countryside along the way.

All the beaches and islands of Uganda are teeming with bird life giving you the chance to see both migratory and resident species. Birds are in the streets as they’re in the nests. Birds are in the cities as they are in the villages. Birds are everywhere here.

Bwindi has been awarded best birding destination in Africa by birding magazines; Queen Elizabeth National Park alone boasts over 600 bird species.

So, let’s look at one of our quickest birding itineraries.

(We understand that serious bird watchers take their time searching, listening, watching, identifying and recording the different bird species and we have different birding itineraries conducted by specialized birding guides to cater for every birder’s quest).

6 Day Itinerary

A Lush Africa Safaris representative will meet you at your hotel and transfer to Nakiwogo pier/dock where you will cross a stretch of Lake Victoria by ferry to access Mabamba Bay.

After being briefed by a local guide, you will embark on a motorized canoe to explore a bird haven that is Mabamba. Here, you will see bird species like the African Jacana, Purple Heron, Long-toed Lapwing, Yellow-billed Duck, White-faced whistling Duck, Northern Brown-throated Weaver, Hammerkop, Spur-winged Goose, Malachite Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, to mention but a few. The highlight of Mabamba, however, is the Shoe-billed Stork – one of the five most desirable birds in Africa by birdwatchers.

When you are done here, return to the mainland and embark on a scenic ride with lunch en-route to Queen Elizabeth National Park. If time permits, you could even throw in a sundown game-drive in Queen. Otherwise, settle in at your accommodation for a beautiful night sleep spiced up by the sound of nature.

Transfer Time: About 7hrs

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Wake up fresh and follow your adventure instincts to an action-packed sunrise game drive. Our safari guides know where the action is and they will take you right in the center of it all.

Queen Elizabeth National Park’s diverse ecosystem of grassy plains, tropical forest, rivers, swamps, lakes and volcanic craters is home to an incredible abundance of wildlife.

Game drives in this park, with the massive Rwenzoris as a backdrop, provides excellent opportunities to see lion, leopard, giant forest hog, cape buffalo, elephants, de fassa waterbuck, Uganda kob, topi and bushbuck.

With over 600 registered bird species, Queen Elizabeth is an undisputable birding sanctuary; look-out for Sacred Ibis, Black-winged Stilt, various species of sunbirds and flycatchers, vultures and egrets among others.

The park’s confluence of savanna and forest, linking to the expansive forests of the DR Congo allow visitors to spot East as well as Central African bird species.

When you’re done with the game drive, you will rest for lunch before embarking on an afternoon boat-ride on the Kazinga Channel that links Lake George to Lake Edward.

The channel houses probably the highest concentration of hippos in Africa thriving in the same community with the fierce Nile crocodiles as well as a rich bird-life that flourishes on the banks. Look-out for the African Fish Eagles, Saddle-billed Stork, Pied Kingfishers, Long-tailed Cormorants, African Skimmers and the usual suspect; Marabou Stork among other bird-species. This channel trip also takes you closer to one of the fishing villages in the park.

From the boat cruise, you will be driven back to your preferred lodging for the rest of the evening.

Activity duration may vary

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

After an early breakfast, check out and transfer to the Kyambura section of Queen Elizabeth National Park. This is a rare occasion for you to follow the path of evolution as you track man’s ‘closest cousin,’ the chimpanzee.

After your picnic lunch, exit Kyambura and head to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Possible birding sightings are Fan-tailed Widowbird, Common Kestrel, Lizard Buzzard, Striped Kingfisher, Wattled Starling, Purple Starling, African Cuckoo, Flapped Lark, Striped Francolin, Woodland Kingfisher, Arrow-marked Babbler, Long Crested Eagle, African Crake, and the African Wattled Lapwing among others. The route is another scenic belt where you expect to spot baboons, warthogs, elephants, and cape buffaloes among others. There is also a possibility of catching a glimpse of the famous tree-climbing lions as you traverse the Ishasha section of Queen Elizabeth N.P.

Exit Queen through Katookye gate and follow the meandering routes to access Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

Settle in at your preferred lodging facility for the night. A wonderful day awaits you tomorrow.

 

Transfer Time: About 5hrs

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

After an early breakfast and a briefing by a ranger guide, enter the gorilla sanctuary for your adventure. Before you even get to the gorillas, the beauty of this forest is stuff of a legend. The area offers dramatic steeply forested landscape and is incredibly dense, but criss-crossed by numerous animal trails allowing access to tourists.

The time taken and the terrain vary with the movements of these great apes. In the end, every ounce of energy and time invested in tracking the gorillas is more than worth it.

The thrill of observing these gentle and endangered giants go about their daily life is an experience of a lifetime. It is probably the most awesome safari activity. The gorillas are what we are mixed with what we once were.

If gorilla tracking ends early, we may embark on birding around the Bwindi area, for Kivu Ground Thrush, Short-tailed Warbler, Collared Apalis, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher and Red-Faced Woodland Warbler among other bird species.

Join your driver/guide and ride back to your lodging for the rest of the day.

Transfer Time: 30 minutes – 2hrs depending on the location of the gorilla family.

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Depart Bwindi for Lake Mburo National Park. Stop for birding en route. You can also stop to take in the brilliant views of the countryside. Our guides understand that taking pictures is a very important part of your trip and they will even suggest when and where you could capture your best moments.

Lake Mburo is a beautiful national park. With 332 recorded bird-species, Lake Mburo is truly a birding hotspot. Look out for the papyrus yellow warbler, brown-chested wattled plover, carruther’s cisticola, tabora cisticola, great snipe, abyssinian ground hornbill and white-winged warbler. Acacia woodland bird species are especially well-represented here.

Sail on the calm waters of L. Mburo as you spend your afternoon watching bird species like the African finfoot, Green-backed Heron, Rufous-bellied Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Giant Kingfisher and Africa Fish Eagle among others. The boat takes approximately 90 minutes after which, you will return to land and embark on a sundown game drive. L. Mburo National Park is famous for Elands (Africa’s Largest Antelopes), Burchell’s Zebras and Impalas. Other antelope species include topi, bushbuck, sitatunga, common duiker, klipspringer, oribi, defassa waterbuck and bohor reedbuck.

Retire from the day at your lodging overnight.

Transfer Time: About 06hrs

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

The crack of dawn invites you to wake up for a morning walking safari. After a short briefing by your guide, embark on the walk and search for the Red-faced Barbet, Long-tailed Cisticola, Lilac-breasted Roller, Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Green Wood-Hoopoe, Spot-flanked Barbet, Chin-spot Batis, Coqui Francolin, Temminck’s Courser among others.

After your morning birding adventure, exit L. Mburo via the Nshara park gate heading to Kampala.

You will have a stop at the Equator Point where you will stand in the middle of the world. After a short demonstration of the Coriolis effect at the center of the world, proceed with the journey to your accommodation in Kampala or a drop-off at the airport.

Transfer Time: About 05hrs

Meals

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Pricing Details

SAFARI MINIBUS

Group Size 

1 pax 

2 pax 

3 pax 

4 pax 

5 pax 

6 pax 

SRS 

Lodge

$6,020

$4,310pp

$3,920pp

$3,720pp

$3,600pp

$3,520pp

$520

Mid 

$5,310

$3,800pp

$3,400pp

$3,200pp

$3,100pp

$3,010pp

$330

Budget 

$4,620

$3,320pp

$2,930pp

$2,730pp

$2,610pp

$2,530pp

$110

                                                                        

LANDCRUISER

Group Size 

1 pax 

2 pax 

3 pax 

4 pax 

5 pax 

6 pax 

SRS 

Lodge

$6,840

$4,720pp

$4,190pp

$3,930pp

$3,870pp

$3,660pp

$520

Mid 

$6,120

$4,200pp

$3,670pp

$3,410pp

$3,250pp

$3,140pp

$330

Budget 

$5,430

$3,730pp

$3,200pp

$2,930pp

$2,770pp

$2,670pp

$110

LODGE: MWEYA SAFARI LODGE, BUHOMA LODGE, MIHINGO LODGE

MID: ENGANZI LODGE, SILVERBACK LODGE, ARCADIA LODGE

BUDGET: BUSH LODGE (TENTS), BUHOMA COMMUNITY REST CAMP, EAGLE’S NEST MBURO

(You can always choose lodging of your choice).

Pricing Includes:
  • All Safari Activities
Pricing Excludes
  • International Flight Cost

Trip Hightlights

  • Bird Watching
  • Game Drives
  • Gorilla Tracking
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