10 Days Uganda birding tour With Gorillas & Chimp Trekking

Upon your arrival at Entebbe International Airport (EBB), a representative from Greenway Nature Tours will meet you and transfer you to your hotel. If you arrive early, you may have the opportunity to go birdwatching along the shores of Lake Victoria. You might spot the striking Black-headed Gonolek and the colorful Double-toothed Barbet, both common in the area. Occasionally, Bat Hawk and African Hobby can be seen in town. Other species like the Broad-billed Roller, Palm-nut Vulture, various weavers, and possibly the Great Blue Turaco could be observed as we explore the Entebbe Botanical Garden, located on the edge of Africa's largest lake.

Overnight: The Boma, or similar, Entebbe

After breakfast, we’ll drive for about an hour to Mabamba Swamp, one of Africa’s top spots to see the impressive Shoebill. In the wetlands, we’ll encounter the Red-chested Sunbird, various weaver species with their expertly built nests, coucals, and many tropical waterbirds like Lesser Jacana. A dugout canoe ride through the vast swamp will give us the chance to spot Swamp Flycatcher and other local birds. After seeing the Shoebill, we’ll head to another spot where we may find Orange Weaver, Eastern Plantain-eater, Ross’s Turaco, large flocks of Great Blue Turaco (whose calls are one of Uganda’s signature sounds), Grey Kestrel, and the striking Double-toothed Barbet.

We’ll then embark on a 3 to 4-hour drive southwest to Lake Mburo National Park, where we’ll spend two nights. This stop helps break up the journey to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, where we’ll search for over 20 Albertine Rift endemics, located in the Western Rift, part of the Great Rift Valley.

The next morning, we’ll take a boat ride on Lake Mburo, one of the best places to see African Finfoot. We might also spot overwintering Malagasy Pond Heron, Papyrus Gonolek, and various kingfishers, such as Malachite, Giant, Pied, and the rare Shining-blue Kingfisher. The park offers great opportunities to see arid-country species, including Blue-naped Mousebird, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Golden-breasted Bunting, Red-faced Barbet (a localized species), and Spot-flanked Barbet. The Nubian Woodpecker is often heard before it’s seen. In this park, we can quickly accumulate a large bird list, with many other species to discover. Lake Mburo is the only place where we’ll likely see Plains Zebra during our Uganda birding tour, and we’ll also encounter numerous mammals, such as Hippopotamus, African Buffalo, Defassa Waterbuck, Bohor Reedbuck, Topi, Common Eland, and many more.

Overnight: Rwakobo Rock, Lake Mburo National Park

We’ll take a 4 to 5-hour drive to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, one of Africa’s richest habitats for both primates and birds, starting in the Buhoma Sector. Nestled in the valley of the Munyaga River, Buhoma sits at 1,500 meters above sea level, surrounded by steep, forested hills. It’s renowned for its exceptional birding opportunities, offering a chance to see many rare and localized Albertine Rift endemics, making it a true birding paradise.

Our birding will focus on the famous Buhoma Track, which winds through the mid-elevation forest of Bwindi, just beyond the town of Buhoma, where we’ll be staying in comfortable accommodations on the edge of the forest. We’ll be on the lookout for species like Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo, Bar-tailed Trogon, Dusky Tit, Abyssinian (Kivu) Ground Thrush, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Equatorial Akalat, Red-throated Alethe, White-bellied Crested Flycatcher, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Northern Double-collared Sunbird, Willcocks’s and Least Honeyguides, the newly described Willard’s Sooty Boubou, Black-billed Weaver, and Magpie Mannikin.

Along with the birds, we may be fortunate enough to spot wildlife such as the Black-fronted and Yellow-backed Duiker, Guereza Colobus, L'Hoest’s, Blue and Red-tailed monkeys, Chimpanzees, and various squirrel species, including Fire-footed Rope, Carruthers’ Mountain, Ruwenzori Sun, and Red-legged Sun Squirrels.

Top of Form

Bottom of FormOvernight: Ride 4 a Woman, Buhoma

On our way to Ruhija, we’ll pass through Kitahurira, also known as "The Neck," a renowned birding hotspot. Here, we’ll look for species such as Black Sparrowhawk, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Cassin’s Honeybird, Petit’s Cuckooshrike, White-chinned Prinia, Mountain Wagtail, Pink-footed Puffback, the rare Tiny Sunbird, and the striking Brown-capped Weaver. If we’re very fortunate, we may even spot the elusive Lagden’s Bushshrike.

Upon arrival, we’ll start birding the forest-covered hills, searching for the beautiful Black Bee-eater and hoping to find Grauer’s Swamp Warbler at a roadside site. This will help shorten the long walk on day 6, as the warbler is typically found in the lower reaches of Mubwindi Swamp. However, a walk to the swamp is still necessary, as it’s also home to one of Africa’s most sought-after birds, Grauer’s (African Green) Broadbill.

In the lower reaches, we may also encounter the highly localized Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher. The walk to the broadbill site and back takes a large part of the day, but it’s one of the most rewarding birding days of the tour, with a constant stream of Albertine Rift endemics.

At Ruhija, there’s an optional opportunity to trek for Mountain Gorillas (a relatively strenuous activity). If you choose not to join, you’ll be taken birding, or you can relax and enjoy the birds around the lodge.Overnight: Trekker’s Tavern Cottages, Ruhija

On our way to Kibale Forest, we’ll make a stop in Queen Elizabeth National Park, often staying on the Mweya Peninsula along the Kazinga Channel. This park, officially opened by England’s Queen in 1954, is famous for its tree-climbing lions and is home to 100 mammal species and 600 bird species. A highlight of our visit is a boat ride along the Kazinga Channel, where we’ll see Nile Crocodiles, Hippopotamuses, and a wide variety of waterbirds. We’ll also encounter Common Warthog, African Buffalo, Uganda Kob, and numerous other mammals. However, Forest Hog often steals the spotlight during our time here.

Overnight: Bush Lodge or similar

The drive from Queen Elizabeth to Kibale National Park is breathtaking as we pass through the foothills of the Ruwenzori Range, also known as the "Mountains of the Moon," and cross the equator before reaching Africa’s richest forest for primates. Our primary birding goal here is the elusive Green-breasted Pitta, which is best located at dawn when its display call helps us pinpoint its location—without it, finding this brilliantly colored bird is like searching for a needle in a haystack on the forest floor. As we look for this bird, the eerie sounds of large groups of Chimpanzees echo through the forest.

There’s also the option to trek for Chimpanzees. During our time here, we’ll likely encounter several other primates, including L’Hoest’s Monkey, the striking Uganda Red Colobus, Guereza (Eastern Black-and-white Colobus), Red-tailed Monkey, Grey-cheeked Mangabey, and the impressive Olive Baboon, which roams in large groups, typically on the ground. Additionally, we have plenty of exciting birds to look for, such as White-headed Wood Hoopoe, Narrow-tailed Starling, Black-billed Turaco, and Chestnut Wattle-eye.

Overnight: Kibale Forest Camp or similar

After our early morning breakfast, we will the transfer to Entebbe, about 5 hours away. We will reach the Entebbe International Airport where we will say our goodbyes after making friends for life. Then we all depart on our onward or homeward flights.

*Please note: For those with late night flights, a day room in Entebbe can be arranged.

*Please note: Extensions to Rwanda, Tanzania or Kenya can easily be arranged. Please don’t hesitate to ask for our expert assistance.