15 Days Uganda Birding & Primates

The 15 Days Uganda Birding & Primates is a curated safari tour, best suited for travelers interested in witnessing Uganda’s diverse birdlife and primates. This safari tour takes you to some of the best birding spots in Uganda for an opportunity to witness even the endemic species that can onle be seen in the country. This 15 Days Uganda Birding & Primates is crated to give visitors a rare opportunity to explore Uganda’s top sites, including Mabamba Wetland, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park,Lake Mburo National Park, Kibale, and Queen Elizabeth National Park. On this 15 Days Uganda Birding & Primates visitors will also have opportunities to spot different wildlife species that occupy the country’s diverse habitat especially while exploring its savanna safari parks.

During this safari tour, expect to enjoy memorable game drives in the savanna parks as you witness both birdlife and wildlife on your journey. This classic safari is best suited for bird lovers and primate lovers looking forward to visiting Uganda. Get in touch with our experts and start planning your journey today.

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Detailed 15 Days Uganda Birding & Primates Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Entebbe

After arriving at Entebbe, our tour guide will pick you up from your destination. Given time we shall bird around the university hill. Special birds here include; African hobby, Speckled Pigeon, Ross’s Turaco, Brown and Grey Parrot, Klaas’s, Dederick and Leivellants Cuckoo, Fork Tailed Drongo, Brown Crowned Tchagra, white Chinned Prinia Black-headed Gynolek, to mention but a few. Dinner and overnight at Anderita Beach Hotel.

Day 2: Mabamba Bay Birding

Early breakfast and then transfer to Mabamba Swamp 50 kms west of Kampala. Bird en-route to the swamps lookout for papyrus specials such as the Papyrus Gynolek, White winged warbler, Northern brown Throated, Weyns weaver to mention but a few. Move to Mabamba swamps most of the birding here is done canoeing as we look out for the rare Shoebill Stork, African Water rail, Allen’s and Purple Gallinule (swamphen) Squacco, Goliath, Purple, Grey Herons, a variety of Egrets, ducks. There are also chances of encountering the elusive Statungas Antelope adapted to swampy habitats. Return to lodge for Dinner and overnight. Anderita Beach Hotel.

Day 3 – 4: Birding Lake Mburo National Park

Have breakfast and head to Uganda’s smallest savanna park covering an area of 260sq km and is home to many zebras, Elands Impalas, and Topi. It has got a mosaic habitat of rock outcrops, dry hillside, open and wooded savanna, forests, galleries, swamps. The avifauna diversity can be attributed to the variety in habitat. There are close to 313 bird species that have been recorded till date which includes the Long tailed Cisticola (Tabora), Papyrus yellow warbler, Northern brown throated weaver, White winged warbler, African finfoot, Northern Brubru, Rofous bellied and white backed night heron, Red faced barbet, Black collared barbet, Brown chested plover, White winged tit et cetera.

Luxury : Mihingo Lodge/ Mantana Lake Mburo Camp/ Arcadia Cottages
Moderate: Lake Mburo Safari Lodge/ Rakobo Rock
Budget: Eagles Nest Camp
Meal Plan: Dinner

Day 5 – 7: Birding in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest

Bwindi is the Bird watchers paradise! It holds 348 species of birds and Contains 90% of all Albertine rift Endemic such as; the Short-tailed, Rusty-faced woodland and Grauer’s Rush Warblers, Bar-tailed Trogon, Wilcock’s Honey-guide, Yellow-eyed black Flycatcher, Kivu Ground Thrush, Dusky Crimson Wing, White-tailed Blue Monarch among others, difficult or impossible to see in any other part of East Africa. A bird watcher with some experience will be capable of spotting over 100 species in a day. You’ll get accommodate either at the Gorilla Resort or Lake Kitandara Luxury Tented Camp. Gorilla tracking is the main offering of this park and is must during the course of your stay in Bwindi.

Lower Budget: Gorilla Valley Lodge/ Travellers Rest Hotel Kisoro)
Moderate: Gorilla Safari Lodge/ Chameleon Hill Resort/ Mutanda Lake Resort
Up-market: Volcanoes Mgahinga Lodge/ Rushaga Gorillas Safari Lodge
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 8-9: Queen Elizabeth National Park

Following breakfast, we’ll drive towards the Queens Elizabeth National Park and pay a visit to several birding hotspots. A game drive in Ishasha will reward you with a sight of the tree climbing lions and other savannah species. Later in the evening, we’ll arrive at the Mweya Safari Lodge. Around this lodge, bird species like African Hoopoe, Southern Red Bishop, Red Collared Widowbird, and other species can be spotted. Dinner and overnight at the lodge of your choice.

Luxury Lodge: Mweya Safari Lodge: Katara Lodge/ Jacana Lodge
Mid-range moderate: Bush Lodge (in rooms) / Simba Safari Camp in rooms/ Buffalo Safari Resort/ Enganzi Lodge/ Ihamba Safari Lodge
Budget facility: Kazinga Channel View Lodge/ Simba Safari Camp in tents/ Bush Lodge in tents
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 9: Day of Birding

Full day birding, in the Park and the hostel gardens, which are very good for Grey-headed Kingfisher, Swamp Flycatcher, Black-headed Gynolek, Grey-capped Warbler, Slender-billed Weaver and Brimstone Canary. We take an early morning game drive towards the famous Kasenyi Track, winding through grassland dotted with trees and nearby crater lakes. Our main aim is to locate Lions and other mammals, including Hartebeest, Buffalo, Ugandan Kob (an antelope that resembles impalas), Oribi, Waterbuck, Bushbuc,k and family groups of African Elephants.

Along the roa,d we may find Scaly Francolin, Red-necked Spur fowl, several plovers, Harlequin Quail and Common Button-quail. Larks are numerous and include Rufous-naped, Flappet and the local White-tailed. Raptors include Martial Eagle, Banded Snake Eagles and Bateleur. In the afternoon we embark on a boat trip down the Kazinga Channel.

This incredible area for water birds will afford stunning views of Pink-backed Pelican, Saddle-billed Stork, Hamerkop, African Spoonbill, Yellow-billed Stork, Water Thick-knee, African Skimmer and over-summering Palearctic shorebirds. In the evening before dinner we will try a night drive with in the peninsular searching for Gabon and Slender-tailed Nightjars, as well as owls. Return to lodge for dinner and overnight.

Luxury Lodge: Mweya Safari Lodge: Katara Lodge/ Jacana Lodge
Mid-range moderate: Bush Lodge (in rooms) / Simba Safari Camp in rooms/ Buffalo Safari Resort/ Enganzi Lodge/ Ihamba Safari Lodge
Budget facility: Kazinga Channel View Lodge/ Simba Safari Camp in tents/ Bush Lodge in tents
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 10: Birding-Kibale National Park

After breakfast, you will be driven to Kibale National Park birding on the way with our lunch boxes. This is a few hours’ drive and therefore birding along the way or afternoon birding in the forest is fruitful.

Luxury: Ndali lodge/Primate lodge/Kibale forest/Kyaninga lodge
Moderate: Mountains of the moon/Kibale forest camp
Budget: Rwenzori travelers/kibale forest camp/Chimpanzee forest guest house
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 11: Kibale National Park

This day will be spent at the Kibale NP with activities mainly being birding and Chimp tracking. After having our morning meal, we make it to the chimp tracking briefing ground where the tour guides will brief us about the trip following which we’ll have to complete the required procedures. After that, the tracking journey will start. It can strenuous and consume the whole day depending upon the location of chimps and luck. Either picnic lunch or a hot menu lunch will be organized at a scenic place as per the trend of the day’s activities.

Kibale Conservation Area has an excellent concentration of both special primates and birds. The primates normally found in Kibale are Red Colobus Monkey, Grey-cheeked Mangabeys, Chimpanzee, Red-tailed Monkey and Galagos. The forest is home to many bird species like Bicoloured Manikin, White-napped Pigeon, Black-bellied Seed cracker, Green-backed Twinspot, Scaly Francolin, Marsh Tchagra, Afep Pigeon, Narina’s Trogon, Joyful Greenbul, Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo, Black Bee-eater, Blue-headed Coucal, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Scaly-throated Honeyguide and Black-faced Rufous Warbler. Dinner and overnight will be once again at Kibale Primate Lodge.

Luxury: Ndali lodge/Primate lodge/Kibale forest/Kyaninga lodge
Moderate: Mountains of the moon/Kibale forest camp
Budget: Rwenzori travelers/kibale forest camp/Chimpanzee forest guest house
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 12: Birding to Murchison Falls NP

Early breakfast, drive to Murchison Falls National Park birding on the way and carry packed lunch or have lunch at Hoima Kolping hotel. This is a long drive with less birding. Dinner and overnight at Paraa lodge/Nile safari lodge/Fort Murchison lodge.

Up-Market: Paraa Safari Lodge
Moderate: Fort Murchison Lodge / Murchison River Lodge/ Pakuba Lodge
Low Budget: Fort Murchison Lodge (Tents) / Murchison River Lodge (Tents)/ red chilli rest camp
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 13: Murchison Falls National Park

We’ll spend our entire day at the Murchison Falls National Park exploring the birdlife of the park. After breakfast at the lodge, we’ll go for a game and birding drive towards the northern section of River Nile. Lunch will be organized at the Paraa Safari Lodge which will be followed by a boat cruise to the bottom of the fall. The main bird species found in the park are Pennant-winged and Long-tailed Nightjar, Carmine Bee-eater, Brown-backed Woodpecker, African Black Scimitar bill, Pel’s Fish-owl, Standard-winged, Cabanis’s and Brown-rumped Bunting, Black-rumped Waxbill, Brown-backed Woodpecker, Spotted Morning thrush, Silver bird, Bar-breasted Fire finch, Bronze-tailed Starling, Rock Pratincole, Four-banded Sand grouse, White-rumped Seedeater Beautiful Sunbird, Northern Red Bishop etc.

Up-Market: Paraa Safari Lodge
Moderate: Fort Murchison Lodge / Murchison River Lodge/ Pakuba Lodge
Low Budget: Fort Murchison Lodge (Tents) / Murchison River Lodge (Tents)/ red chilli rest camp
Meal Plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner