You will visit Lutembe bay on Lake Victoria and get introduced to savannah birds. Later evening you will proceed to bird Entebbe botanical gardens looking out for birds like the Cormorants, Herons, Egrets, Storks, Black-winged Stilt, doves, Turacos, Kingfishers, Hornbills, Sunbirds, Starlings, Weavers. If you are lucky you may also see the Brown and Grey Parrot, Klaas’s, Diederik, and Red-Chested Cuckoo among others. Overnight stay at your Hotel in Entebbe City.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Included.

Early breakfast, you will  proceed to bird the Mabamba Wetlands bay. At Mabamba Swamp, most of the birding is done on a canoe, paddled by our local guides. The main highlight to scan for Shoebill both in the sky and down in the marsh.

Also look out for the; Swamp Flycatcher, Fun tailed widowbird, Crey crowned crane Hen, African Water Rail, African Jacana, African Pigmy Goose, White-faced Whistling Duck, Squacco Heron, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Winding Cisticola, Goliath Heron, and, Yellow-billed Duck, Malachite Kingfisher, Stripped kingfisher Long toed Plover, Rare sightings may include Black Crake, African Green Pigeon, African Purple Swamp Common Moorhen, Blue-headed Coucal. Look out for Epauletted fruit bat hanging and Mash mongoose.

This huge and beautiful forest of 306sq. km can be explored via an extensive trail network. Mabira forest is of ornithological importance with over 300 bird species recorded here. The forest is one of the two forests in East Africa where the pretty Tit Hylia has been recorded and this rare bird is seen here with surprising regularity.  Other birds that you should expect to see here include the Great Blue Turacco, African Pita, Nahan’s Francolin, African Gray Parrot, Hornbill species and a variety of Sunbirds.

Mabira Forest, this huge and beautiful forest of 306sq. km can be explored via an extensive trail network. Mabira forest is of ornithological importance with over 300 bird species recorded here. The forest is one of the two forests in East Africa where the pretty Tit Hylia has been recorded and this rare bird is seen here with surprising regularity.  Other birds that you should expect to see here include the Grey throated tit flycatcher, Little greenbul, Red tailed Monkeys, Black sparrow hawk, White spotted greenbul, Forrest robin, Sooty boubou/lowland sooty boubou, White spotted flufftail, Yellow whiskered greenbul, Cameroon somba greenbul Lead collared flycatcher, Chestnut wattle eye and African pied hornbill.

Later afternoon take a boat ride (30minutes) to the source of River Nile. There is also an obelisk at the other side of the river to mark the spot where the English explorer John Speke first discovered the Source of the Nile in 1862 on his first visit to Uganda.

Mahatma Gandhi monument. When he died in 1948, his ashes were divided up and sent to many locations around the world to be scattered. Some of these ashes were scattered here at the Source of the Nile in Uganda.

Overnight stay at your Hotel in Jinja Town.
Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Included. 

Today you’ll transfer  to Ziwa Rhino sanctuary on the way to Masindi Town. You will do on foot Rhino tracking.

Birding by road side. Specie sightings include: Grey headed Kingfisher, Red cheeked cordon blue Klaasis Cuckoo, African mourning dove, Grey woodpecker (female),Fork tailed drongo, Northern puffback, White headed barbet,White crested turaco,Tawny Flanked prinia, Golden oriole, Black winged Kite, Piac Piac, Purple Banded sunbird, Velvet Mantled Drongo, Lesser blue Eared starling, White winged widowbird, Black belled bustard, Western Banded snake Eagle, White headed barbet, Pin tailed whydah.

Overnight stay at your Hotel in Masindi Town.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Included.

We bird Budongo’s famous Royal Mile in the early morning. It is a wide forestry track considered by many to be the country’s premier forest birding locality. This is the best place in Uganda for Chocolate backed kingfisher, Nahan’s Francolin, and Chestnut-capped Flycatcher. There are many look alike forest Greenbuls to test us including; Spotted, Xaviers, White-throated, Red-tailed and Honeyguide Greenbuls. Canopy flocks support Yellow-mantled Weaver, Rufous Thrush and Uganda Woodland Warbler. Yellow Mantled widowbird, Black crowned Tchagra, Pale breasted Illadopsis, , Pygmy kingfisher, Yellowbill/ Blue Malkoha, Chestnut caped Apalis, Buff throated Apalis, Wilcox honeyguide, Scary Illadopsis, Little grey greenbul, Western Black oriole, Forest Flycatcher, Yellow Billed barbet, Buff throated Apalis, White Breasted nigrita, Cannabis Banting, Rufous crowned iramomera, Golden crowned woodpecker, Olive green, Cameroptera, Alexander Bush squirrel, Red legged squirrel, Red faced cisticola, Western olive sunbird, Yellow fronted canary.  We retire and check in at your Hotel in Masindi Town.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Included.

Today’s Highlights: Viewing Top of Falls & Evening Birding drive.

Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest National Park  bisected by the mighty River Nile.  Continue to view Top-of the stunning Kabalega falls, the point where River Nile is squeezed through such a tiny space (7m gap) plunging 42m deep making one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world. What a stunning sight, foaming, crashing white water rushing through narrow channels of stone. The payoff is a killer view back toward the falls. You will be thrilled by this magical place and so glad that you need another day.

You will continue on an evening game drive. Look out for, Rattling Cisticala, Red billed Quelea, White crested turaco, Spot flanked barbet, Black billed Barbet, Beautiful sunbird, Klass cuckoo, Heuglins francolin, Brown throated wattle eye, Northern puffback, Greyish eagle owl, Peregrine Falcon. Return to your  lodge in Murchison falls national park.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Included.

Depart for early (6.30am) for game drive. Enjoy a 3 hour game safari, keep an eye out for the elephants, leopards, lions, warthogs and giraffes as well as large herds of animals such as oribi, Hartebeets, Kobs and buffalo, but please note – some wild animals like leopards, lions can be elusive! Key Species to look out for: Arrow Marked barbler, Red bellied Paradise flycatcher, African Palm Swift Black billed wood dove, Chestnut crowned weaver/chestnut capped weaver, Ruppels starling, Brown crown Tchagra, Red eyed dove, Martial Eagle,Red necked Falcon,African, Grey Hornbill, White browed cuckoo,White headed sowing, Black billed barbet, Red rumped swallow, Abyssinian Ground hornbill, Steppe Eagle, Black Bellied Bustard, Grey Backed Fiscal, Yellow throated long craw, Red necked francolin, Denham’s Bustard, Slender mongoose, Flappet Lark, White faced whistling duck, Crowned Plover, Spotted thicknee, Water thicknee, bee eaters, Black belled dove, Crested francolin, Griffons Vulture, Abdim’s Stork.

At 2:00pm, you will depart for a 3-hour boat cruise along the Victoria Nile to the bottom of Murchison falls. Along the way, you’ll be passing large numbers of giant Nile crocodiles, schools of hippos, vast range of birds – birds feeding on open water; birds that hunt the river margins; like stilts, kingfishers, storks, kingfishers; birds feeding off rising from water insects; like swallows, bee-eaters and pranticoles. Yellow Billed stork, Goliath Heron, Crested reed warbler, African Mash Warbler, Gret Egret, Wire Tailed Swallow, Purple heron, African Darter, African Fish Eagle,Western Banded snake, Rock Prantincole, Saddle billed stork, straighted heron, Red throated bee eaters, Pied kingfisher.

Enjoy this breathtaking scenery. Upon return, your driver/guide will pick you and take you back to lodge for overnight stay. You will drive back to your lodge in Murchison falls.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Included.

Today morning we have a chance of going for a delta cruise for one more opportunity to scan for the shoebill and other water birds, life of fishermen. After you will have a guided transfer to Kibale Forest National park – home of Chimpanzees and 13 other different species of primates and the endemic the Green-breasted Pitta. Today is a long road drive (6 hours), driving through farmlands, villages and the lush countryside. We shall have a few birding stops along the way.

Approximately 5,000 chimpanzees live in the wild in Uganda. In Kibale Forest National Park, you will find one of the largest populations of chimpanzees in Africa – about 1450 individuals. Kibale N.P is an extension of the great rainforests of Central Africa. It is inhabited by three large “communities” of chimps, each with over 120 individuals.

Primate species sightings: Besides Chimpanzees, you will also have chances of seeing other monkey species that live here; the guereza colobus, red-tailed monkey, grey-cheeked mangabey, and olive baboons. It is also home to the rare L’hoest’s Monkey and East Africa’s largest population of the threatened Red Colobus Monkey.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Included.

After an early breakfast you will have a short drive (about 15 minutes ) to Kibale Forest National Park gate. We head out into the forest. Your main focus this morning  will be to search for the elusive Green breasted Pitta. The Pitta is one of the most sought after bird species in this country. A very uncommon bird and restricted to forest interiors and active very early morning.  With guidance of our site guide and rangers we are hopeful to boost our chances of finding the Green breasted Pitta.

There are chances of spotting White-throated Greenbul, Thick-billed Honeyguide up in the canopy, Brown-chested Alethe. Yellow-billed Barbet, Yellow-mantled Weaver along route to the lodge.

The Kibale forest environment also boasts 325 bird species, including 6 that are endemic to the Albertine Rift region. They include; the Black capped Apalis, Blue-headed Sunbird, Collared Apalis, Dusky Crimsonwing, Purple-breasted Sunbird and Red-faced Woodland Warbler.

Other species include: Narina Trogon, African Emerald Cuckoo, Grey Parrot, Black-billed Turaco, Yellow-billed Barbet, Red-tailed Ant Thrush, Blue-shouldered Robin-chat, Chestnut Wattle eye, Narrow-tailed Staring among other birds.

Rare sightings include, Black Bee-eater, Yellow-spotted Nicator, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Little Greenbul, Black-eared Ground-Thrush, Blue-breasted Kingfisher.

Later afternoon, we drive back to Kibale visitor center  for orientation on chimp tracking. The activity may last from a few hours to several hours, commonly ranging from 2 to 4 hours. Kibale forest is home to 13 primates of Uganda. Accommodation your lodge at Kibale Forest.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Included.

After breakfast, proceed to bird the Bigodi swamp; Deidrick cuckoo, Tawny franked prinia , African Dusky flycatcher, Red bellied flycatcher, Black backed puffback (common), Yellow fronted canary, House sparrow, Magpie mankin, Bronze sunbird, Yellow white eye, African emerald cuckoo, Macknons fiscal

African pigeon, Blue spotted wood dove, Grey headed nigrita, Black capped yellow warbler

Variable sunbird, Common waxbill, White chinned prenia, Black bishop, Grosbeak weaver, Green headed sunbird, Collard sunbird, Dark capped yellow warbler, Stripped kingfisher, Lizard buzzard, Golden breasted woodpecker, Cinnamon chested bee eater.

There after transfer you will to Queen Elizabeth, crossing the Equator as you get close to Lake Kikorongo, birding en-route to your lodge where you will spend two nights. Look out for birds like Helmeted Guinea Fowl, Red-necked Spurfowl, Great blue Turaco, Barbets, Tinkerbirds, Kingfishers, Bee eaters, Cuckoos, Lesser Striped Swallows, Black-lored babbler, Grey-backed Shrike, Sunbirds among other birds.

Accommodation your lodge at Queen Elizabeth.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Included.

The Park, named after the Queen of England in 1954, is Uganda’s second largest national park. Queen Elizabeth National Park has the highest biodiversity ratings of any game reserve in the world. This is evidenced by the presence of open savannah, rainforest, dense papyrus swamps and brooding crater lakes, and the vast Lake Edward. Queen Elizabeth National Park has almost 100 mammal species and a remarkable 612 bird species hence making it a superb safari destination.

Key bird sightings: After early breakfast, head out for a morning game drive/ birding.

Grey backed fiscal, Yellow billed woodpecker, Yellow billed spoonbill, Blue spotted wood dove, Northern black flycatcher, Ring necked dove, Black lored babbler, Brown coucal, Spot flanked barbet, rufous naped lark, Black chinned quail finch, Jacobins cuckoo – pica race, Plain Backed pipit, Flappet lark, Tarmnicks courser, red Capped lark, Kithers plover, Chinspot batis, Klaas cuckoo, Red billed quelea, White throated bee eater, Black headed weaver .

There are chances of finding lions, hyenas, elephants, vultures, hawks, cuckoos, Lunch at the Lodge and in the afternoon go on launch (boat) cruise on the Kazinga Channel to see a variety of wildlife like, hippos, crocodile and bird life from a boat for two hours.

The Kazinga channel is a narrow strip of water that connects Lakes George and Edward, with excellent photographic opportunities for waterside birds and abundant Hippopotamus, huge families of buffalos, and elephants. Look out for birds like Yellow-billed Stork, Saddle-billed Stork, African Spoonbill, Raptors, Plovers, White-browed Robin-chat, Rufous napped Lark, Red-chested Sunbird, Scarlet chested Sunbird, Red throated bee eater, Ruff Water Thick knee, Yellow billed stork, Common Green Shank’, African spoonbill, Lesser masked Weaver, Pigmy kingfisher, Malakite king fisher, Black kite, Eurasian Thick nee, African skimmer, among other birds. On a lucky day you could find Giant forest hog on the channel banks.

Accommodation at your Luxury Lodge in Queen Elizabeth

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Included.

After breakfast, leave Queen Elizabeth National Park with your picnic lunch. Afternoon, there are chances of finding tree lions of Ishasha and proceed to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest birding en-route arriving in the late afternoon. Look out for birds like Martial Eagle, Francolins, Barbets, Chats, Cuckooshrikes, Sunbirds, Fork tailed Drongo, Larks, Pipits, Weavers, Widowbirds among other birds. You will look out for mammals like Topi, Uganda Kob, Water Buck, Buffaloes, Elephants, Baboons and others.

You will check in at at your lodge by Bwindi forest edge.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Included.

After an early breakfast, start looking for species  like White breasted nigro finch, Blue Throated Brown Sunbird, Yellow spotted barbet, Grey winged Robinchart, Tumbling dove, Chapins flycatcher (E), Collard flycatcher, Petit cuckoo shrike  , White eye slated flycatcher (blue grey), African Paradise flycatcher, Little greenbul, Black throated Apalis, Black Bellied, weaver – with yellow on head, Red capped robin chat/Natal Robin,African Harrier Hawk, Great Blue Turaco, Plani Greenbul / Cameroon, Yellow throated tinkerbird, Honeyguide, greenbul, Buff throated apalis, Western olive sunbird (Male and Female look alike),Brown capped weaver, Anthos’s greenbul, Shellys greenbul, African green Pigeon, Mountain Wagtail,Bar tailed Trogon, Wallers Starlings,Yellow Billed Barbet, Blackfaced rufous warbler, Blackbee eater, Kivu ground thrush (E), Redfaced woodland warbler (E), Black billed turaco, Elliots Woodpecker, Grey throated Barbet , Sooty Flycatcher, Green Sunbird, Equatorial Akalat (E) Highland endemic, Red Tailed Bristlebill, Red Tailed greenbul, Red tailed, woodland warbler, Grey throated flycatcher, Purple breasted sunbird (E), Ludhers Bushshrike , Green lylia, Black necked weaver, Thick billed seed eater, Bagher fetched, Streaky seedeater, Slender billed greenbul, White browed Robin chart, Golden breasted bunting, Village Indigobird, Bohemis Squirrel, Bronze sunbird, Bukages Bushshrike, Green Crombec, Red legged sun squirrel (mammal)

Evening at 4pm, time permitting get on a village walk and experience local way of life. You will visit the pygmies ‘Batwa’- the original natives of the forest who were originally hunters and food gatherers, observe their ways of living. The Batwa were given land upon relocation from the forest. The donations they receive out of the village walk are therefore used to buy clothes and food. They also sell local crafts.

Accommodation at your lodge by Bwindi forest edge.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Included.

This is the day you will be going Gorilla trekking. After an early breakfast, head to register for your Gorilla Trek. Thereafter, go for briefing and then start gorilla tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. We recommend you to wear good walking shoes and carry good rain gear and enough drinking water. Gorilla trekking can be tough and challenging and one has to be reasonably fit. You will carry a picnic lunch with you into the forest but not to share with the Gorillas J and you will be thrilled to see these Gorillas and the return journey from Gorilla trekking could be easier.

After trekking continue birding along neck through to Ruhija. look out for birds like Black Bee-eater, Red-throated Wryneck, Mountain Wagtail, Toro Olive-Greenbul, White-starred Robin, Olive Thrush, Cassin’s grey Flycatcher, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Chubb’s Cisticola, Banded Prinia, Mountain Masked Apalis, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Collared Apalis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Grey Cuckoo-shrike, Sharpe’s Starling, Regal Sunbird, Strange Weaver, Dusky Twinspot, Yellow Bishop, Black-throated Seedeater among other birds.

Accommodation at your lodge by Bwindi forest edge near Ruhija Gate – Bwindi East

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Included.

Full day gorilla trekking another gorilla family.

After trekking, we head out birding on a Community trail in Ruhija.

African Dusky flycatcher, Chestnut throated Apalis (E), Regal sunbird (E), Northern double collard sunbird, Yellow whiskered greenbul,Cinnamon breasted bee eater, Red-faced woodland warbler (E), Mountain Oriole,Rwenzori Batis (E), White tailed blue flycatcher Mountain Masked Apalis (E ), Cinamon chested bee eater, Grey throated Barbet, Caruthers squirrel (mammal), Three horned chameleon – High altitude and highly endemic and African giant snail are common sightings.

Other special birds include Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Banded Prinia, Black-throated Apalis, Mountain Masked Apalis, Red-throated Alethe, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Ashy Flycatcher, Dusky-blue Flycatcher, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Chin-spot Batis, Rwenzori Batis, Black-and-white-Shrike-flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Waxbill, Magpie Mannikin, Yellow-crowned Canary, Thick-billed Seed-eater, Streaky Seedeater,  Oriole Finch, Mountain Buzzard, Ayre’s Hawk Eagle, Handsome Francolin, Black-billed Turaco, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo,  Scarce Swift, Bar-tailed Trogon, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Black Bee-eater, Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Red-chested Owlet, Tullberg’s Woodpecker, Elliot’s Woodpecker, African Broadbill, Western Green Tinkerbird, African Green Broadbill, Lagden’s Bush Shrike, Petit’s Cuckoo Shrike, Grey Cuckoo Shrike, Archer’s Ground Robin, Toro Olive Greenbul, Ansorge’s Greenbul, Equatorial Akalat, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Olive Thrush, White-tailed Ant Thrush, Grauer’s Rush Warbler, Short-tailed Warbler, Neumann’s Warbler, and Red-faced Woodland Warbler.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Included. 

Forest birding in Bwindi ranks the best in Uganda.  23 highly localized Albertine Rift Endemics have been recorded in Bwindi forest. You will meet a local site gguide and start birding Ruhija along the road and/or Mubwindi Swamp, looking for African green Broadbill, (Grauer’s broadbill). Other species to look out for include; Grey cuckoo shrike,White headed wood hope,Fine banded woodpecker, Yellow billed Barbet, Olive Pigeon/Ramnon Pigeon, Black billed turaco, Waller starlings flying, Mountain greenbul, Blue headed sunbird (E), Slender billed blublu, Cardinal woodpecker (female),African mountain Burbler, Brown capped weaver, White tailed blue flycatcher, Bushbuck (mammal), Yellow Eyed black flycatcher (E), Yellow white eye, Buff throated apalis, Gruels Broadbill (E), Greurs Rush warbler (E), Strange Weaver (E), Black fronted duiker (mammals), Dusky chromosomwing (E), Chinspot Batis, Yellow eyed black flycatcher, White belly breasted flycatcher(E),Africa dusky dwaf flycatcher, Rwenzori Apalis/collard Apalis(E), Mountain Masked Apalis(E)

Expected Mammal sightings; Caruthers squirrel, African giant snail, three horned chameleon – High altitude and highly endemic, Great lakes Bush Viper (reptile). Later we drive to Kisoro town. Drive time: Two and half hours.

Accommodation at your hotel in Kisoro Town

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Included.

Today morning we transfer to Mgahinga national park visitor centre, from where we’ll start off birding. On arrival look out for White-starred Robin and Northern Double-collared Sunbird. After a short briefing start to walk in the direction of Sabinyo Volcano. The trail is not steep and climbs from 2300 to 2900 meters. Look out for specialties like the Rwenzori Turaco, Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird, Shellys and Dusky crimsonwings. Archer’s Ground Robin, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Variable Sunbird, Northern Double-collared Sunbird Olive-breasted Greenbul, African Olive Pigeon, Afep Pigeon, Rwenzori Batis, Western Tinkerbird, Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird, Strange Weaver, Chubb’s Cisticola, Kandt’s Waxbill, Rwenzori Batis, Doherty’s Bushshrike, Crowned Eagle, Rwenzori Hill Babbler, Mountain Masked Apalis, Chestnut-throated Apalis and a Montane Nightjar flushed from the trail. Rwenzori Apalis, White-necked Raven, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler and Albertine Boubou, Dusky Turtle Dove.

After picnic lunch your guide will transfer 4 hours to Lake Mburo National park for overnight.

Accommodation at Your lodge in Lake Mburo Nat Park.

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Included.

The main focus at lake Mburo NPK is to look for African fin foot an endemic specie on shores of lake mburo papyrus. Lake Mburo National Park is 260 sq. km. The park boasts of an extensive open acacia woodland missed with savannah, rolling hills, open grassy valleys and five smaller lakes.

We do a safari birding drive, expect to see Emerald-spotted Wood Dove, Brown Parrot, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Blue- napped Mousebird, African Grey Hornbill, Red-faced Barbet, Spot-flanked Barbet, Black-chested Snake Eagle, Larks, Pipits, Long tailed Cisticola, Yellow-breasted Apalis among others birds.

At 2pm we take a boat cruise to look for the African Finfoot and other good species such as White Backed and Black Crowned Night Herons, Giant Kingfisher. We continue our drive back to the lodge.

Before dinner try the African Scops Owl, Swamp, Black-shouldered and Freckled Nightjars among other birds. In terms of mammal sightings – this is probably the best parks to see the giant Eland as well as Zebra, Topi, Impala, the more uncommon Klipspringer, Burchell’s Zebra, Buffalo & Hippopotamus. You could choose to go for night game drive excursion this evening for 2 hours.

Accommodation at your hotel in Lake Mburo

Meal plan: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Included.