24 Days Best of Uganda Birding Tour With Primate Viewing

Upon your arrival, a Greenway Nature Tours representative will greet you and transfer you to your selected hotel. Depending on your arrival time, we may begin your safari with a birdwatching excursion along the shores of Lake Victoria, the largest freshwater lake in Africa.

Overnight: Boma Hotel Entebbe

On this day, we'll visit the Mabamba Swamp as part of our birding safari in Uganda. Located about an hour's drive from Entebbe, this unique swamp is a maze of channels and lagoons, home to around 260 bird species. The papyrus-lined marshes offer excellent opportunities to spot the monstrous Shoebill. You’ll also encounter the papyrus-loving Red-chested Sunbird, various weaver species known for their intricately woven nests, coucals, and a variety of tropical waterbirds like the Lesser Jacana. A dugout canoe trip through the swamp will provide a chance to see Swamp Flycatchers, among other species. After spotting the Shoebill, we’ll drive southwest to Lake Mburo National Park.

Overnight: Rwakobo Rock

Lake Mburo offers incredible birdwatching opportunities at its lake swamps, Warukiri, and Rwonyo, along with a variety of other habitats including dry hillsides, rocky outcrops, and dense savannah. The park is home to over 320 bird species, including the Papyrus Gonolek and Shoebills. In the morning, we’ll take a boat trip on the lake, which is one of the best spots to see the elusive African Finfoot. We’ll also enjoy a game drive through the park. Lake Mburo is the only place on our Uganda birding tour where we’re likely to see large numbers of Plains Zebras, along with a variety of other wildlife such as Hippos, Buffalo, Waterbuck, Reedbuck, Topi, Eland, and more.

Overnight: Rwakobo Rock or similar

Bwindi is the heart of Uganda birding, home to many endemic and rare bird species. The forest is a haven for about 350 bird species, including 23 Albertine Rift endemics. A day of birding here can reward you with sightings of Chapin’s Flycatcher, Short-tailed Warblers, Green Tinkerbirds, and the stunning Turacos. You might even have the rare opportunity to be the first to photograph Shelley’s Crimsonwing in the wild. The highlands around Ruhija offer particularly rich birding, where birders can explore the Mubwindi Swamp trail in search of the elusive African Green Broadbill. While in Bwindi, you can also choose to take an optional trek to see the Mountain Gorillas. This is a physically demanding activity, so if you prefer, you can opt for more birding, relax, or photograph birds around the lodge instead.

Overnight: Haven Lodge Buhoma & Gorilla Mist Camp Ruhija

Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to over 600 bird species across a range of habitats, from savannah to dense forests, lakes, and wetlands. After an early breakfast, we’ll begin the scenic drive to the park, making birding stops along the way. Passing through the Ishasha sector offers a chance to spot the rare Tree-climbing Lions. Depending on our arrival time, we may have some late afternoon birding. The next day starts early with birdwatching and a game drive along the Kasenyi trail. In the afternoon, we’ll embark on a boat tour of the Kazinga Channel, a hotspot for wildlife, where we might see herds of Elephants, Giant Forest Hogs (one of the most fascinating pigs on Earth), Buffalo, Monitor Lizards, Crocodiles, and abundant Hippos. Birding here is exceptional, offering fantastic photographic opportunities.

Overnight: Bush Lodge

Kibale Forest is home to six Albertine Rift endemics and about 375 bird species, found across its wetlands, tropical forests, woodlands, and savannah. The park also protects a wide variety of primates, ranging from the tiny, nocturnal Demidoff’s Galago to the Chimpanzee, our closest living relative. Here, you’ll have the option to join expeditions to observe Chimps and other primates, along with numerous bird species. We’ll also take a walk through the Bigodi Swamp, a community-run conservation project with a picturesque boardwalk winding through the marsh. It’s an ideal location for spotting special species such as the White-spotted Flufftail, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Yellow-billed Barbet, Western Nicator, Grey-winged Robin-chat, White-tailed Ant-thrush, Brown-backed Scrub-Robin, Black-and-white Shrike-flycatcher, and Black-crowned Waxbill, among many others.

Overnight: Kibale Forest Camp

On this day, we’ll begin our journey early, heading north towards Budongo Forest Reserve, the largest natural forest in East Africa. This is a longer drive, approximately 6 hours, but there will be several birding stops along the way. Located in western Uganda, Budongo is part of the larger Murchison Falls Conservation Area. Historically, it served as a royal hunting ground for the kings of Bunyoro, a tradition dating back long before conservation efforts became a priority.

The reserve is a sanctuary for an incredible range of wildlife, with birds being one of its main attractions. Budongo is home to around 366 bird species, including sixty that are found in fewer than five locations in East Africa. Unique to the area are species like Puvel’s Illadopsis and the Yellow-footed Flycatcher. Other notable regional birds include the Ituri Batis, Lemon-bellied Crombec, White-thighed and Piping Hornbills, Black-eared Ground Thrush, Rufous-sided Broadbill, Cassin’s Spinetail, Woodhouse’s Antpecker, Blue-breasted and Chocolate-backed Kingfishers, Little Green Sunbird, Sabine’s Spinetail, White-spotted Flufftail, and Yellow-crested Woodpecker.

Overnight: Budongo Eco-Lodge

Today, we’ll set off early for Murchison Falls National Park, known for its dramatic waterfall that gives the park its name, and the lush, tropical section of the Nile River that cuts through the park on its way to Lake Albert. The park is home to four of the Big Five (excluding rhinos), and over 450 bird species have been recorded here. A boat trip to the delta where the Nile flows into Lake Albert offers one of the best chances in Africa to spot the rare Shoebill.

Overnight: Murchison River Lodge

Kidepo located in the remote Karamoja region of northeastern Uganda, is home to over 470 bird species. Notable species include the Ostrich, Kori Bustard, Karamoja Apalis, Abyssinian Roller, Abyssinian Scimitarbill, Black-breasted Barbet, Northern Carmine Bee-eater, D’Arnaud’s Barbet, Fox Kestrel, Golden Pipit, Jackson’s Hornbill, Purple Grenadier, Pygmy Falcon, Red-throated Bee-eater, and White-bellied Go-away Bird. The park is renowned for having one of the most diverse faunas in Uganda, and, along with the surrounding Karamoja region, it is home to many species not found elsewhere in the country, such as the Greater and Lesser Kudu, Eland, and Cheetah.

Overnight: Kidepo Savannah Lodge

This birding tour to Mbale through Pian Upe will offer you a chance to see the Fox’s weaver, the Only Uganda’s endemic bird. Stone partridges, are also likely to be seen.

Overnight: Mbale Resort Hotel

After a leisurely breakfast, we’ll start our journey to Kampala or Entebbe, a drive of about 4 to 5 hours. Along the way, we’ll pass through Jinja, home to the source of the Nile, the longest river in the world. We’ll then continue to Entebbe International Airport, where we’ll bid farewell after sharing unforgettable experiences and forming lasting friendships. From there, everyone will head to their onward or return flights.

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