11 Days Uganda Birding Safari : This 11 Days Uganda birding safari while take you Uganda’s top birding destinations including Murchison falls national park, Kibale forest national park, Semiliki national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Bwindi national park and Lake Bunyonyi. This Uganda safari Tour starts and ends in Kampala. This birding safari is also combined with wildlife experience like boat cruises, gorilla and chimpanzee trekking, and nature walks. Below is the itinerary.
Safari highlights
Day 1: Birding excursion at Mabamba wetland – Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Day 2: Shoe Bill trek – Transfer to Murchison falls national park – Top of the falls visit
Day 3: Game drive and launch cruise – Murchison Falls
Day 4: Transfer to Kibale National Park
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Day 6: Transfer to Semuliki National Park – Hot springs and night game drive
Day 7; Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park boat cruise and evening game drive
Day 8: Lion tracking – transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
Day 9: Gorilla trekking experience – Bwindi forest
Day 10: Explore Lake Bunyonyi
Day 11: Transfer to Entebbe – Departure
Detailed safari
Day 1: Birding excursion at Mabamba wetland – Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
Depending on your location in Entebbe, you will be met by our company representative and connect to Mabamba wetlands at 8 am. Mabamba swamp is located around the shores of Lake Victoria and is one of the best birding sites in Uganda that offers visitors an excellent birding experience and an encounter with different bird species. This site is also one of the few places in Uganda where there are higher chances to encounter the rare shoebill stork. Your safari guide will meet you and thereafter set off for birding at Mabamba wetlands. You will take a canoe ride at Mabamba where you will get closer to different bird species that reside here. You may also see the rare shoebill stork. You will spend half a day birdwatching.
Later in the afternoon, have lunch, then set off to transfer to Ziwa rhino sanctuary. It’s a 4 hours’ drive from Kampala arriving in late afternoon, dinner and overnight stay at Ziwa Rhino Guesthouse for budget option/Amuka Safari lodge for either mid-range or Luxury
Day 2: Shoe Bill trek – Transfer to Murchison falls national park – Top of the falls visit
Wake up early and set off to Lugogo swamp in Ziwa rhino sanctuary for your bird watching experience and the shoebill trek. As early as 6 am, get on the canoe ride and go through the through the swamp and get great opportunity to find the shoebill, and also see the beautiful Ugandan sunrise over Lugogo Swamp. Water birds are plentiful and this activity is a must for anyone who loves nature or is interested in birding. Spend about 4 hours on the swamp then return to the lodge for late breakfast, refresh and check-out.
Thereafter, proceed to Murchison falls national park. It’s a 3-4 hours with en-route lunch ad stop at the top of the Murchison falls, before you connect to your booked lodge for relaxation, dinner and overnight stay at Paraa Safari Lodge for Luxury option/Pakuba Safari Lodge for mid-range/Parkside Safari lodge for budget
Day 3: Game drive and launch cruise – Murchison Falls
Early morning breakfast and then go for a game drive where you will spot various animal species like elephants, giraffes, lions, Uganda kobs among others. In the afternoon, you will go for a launch cruise on the park’s main tourist attraction the unique Murchison Falls as well as the River Nile with its streaming hippo and serried ranges of crocodile along the sandbanks, as well as large numbers of different species getting down to drink & bathe. Dinner and overnight as above
Day 4: Transfer to Kibale National Park
You will have breakfast early and then drive to Kibale forest national park with lunch en route in Fort portal town. It is a 7-8 hours’ drive from Murchison falls national. Late afternoon, proceed to your booked lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Kyaninga Lodge for the luxury option/Chimpanzee forest guest house for mid-range/Isunga lodge for a budget option
Day 5: Chimpanzee trekking and Bigodi swamp walk
Have early morning breakfast and go for briefing and start Chimpanzee trekking. Kibale Forest National Park is one of the best safari destinations in Africa for chimpanzee tracking. Kibale’s 795km2 National Park contains one of the most beautiful and with the most varying tracts of tropical forest in the whole of Uganda. This is the place to a number of forest wildlife, most especially 13 species of primate coupled with chimpanzees.
After trekking, you will have lunch and then visit Bigodi wetland where you will experience a lot of birdlife and unspoiled nature. Dinner and overnight at lodge as above.
Day 6: Transfer to Semuliki National Park – Hot springs and night game drive
On the 6th day of your 11 Days Uganda Birding Safari, you will wake up early in the morning and transfer to Semuliki National Park. Reach the Park headquarters where you will register and visit the Hot springs of Sempaya and the Pygmies at their new settlement at Ntandi. In the afternoon, drive to the wildlife reserve for a game drive and look out for animals like Leopards, Forest Elephants, and so on.
Check into at for dinner. Late evening, you will go on a night game drive and search for wildlife species such as the slender mongoose, several cats, white-tailed mongoose, and diminutive genet. Semuliki wildlife reserve is one of the Parks in Uganda where one can go on the night game drive. Return to your lodge late at night for an overnight stay at Semiliki Safari Lodge
Day 7; Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park boat cruise and evening game drive
You will have breakfast and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park where you will arrive well in time for lunch. Enjoy your lunch and then go for a launch cruise where you will spot various water animals like Hippos and crocodiles, the cruise will also enrich you with various water birds. Connect for an evening game drive in the Kasenyi area for animals like the elephants, buffaloes and on a lucky day, you may encounter the lions and leopards. Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight stay at Elephant Plains Lodge for the luxury option/Parkview Safari Lodge for a Mid-range option/Pumba Safari Cottages for a budget option
Day 8: Lion tracking – transfer to Bwindi impenetrable national park
In the morning after breakfast, connect for the lion tracking experience then embark on your journey to Bwindi national park. It’s 5-7 hours depending on your trekking sector. You will have lunch en-route, arriving in Bwindi in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at Buhoma Lodge for the luxury option/Buhoma Haven lodge for mid-range/Buhoma Community Rest Camp for a budget option
Day 9: Gorilla trekking experience – Bwindi forest
On the 9th day of your 11 Days Uganda Birding Safari, enjoy early morning breakfast and transfer to the park headquarters with your packed lunch for a briefing by the ranger guides before entering the forest in your trekking gears including trekking sticks, good hiking shoes and stocking for tacking-in, long-sleeved shirts and long trousers, and a raincoat or jacket to mention but a few. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi is no different from other trekking parks that is trekking takes 2 to 8 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas as they roam the park freely and there is no way of telling where they will be for a particular day however the rangers will be able to find them as they tracked daily. On finding them, you will be allowed to spend 1 hour as you view and take photos of these gentle primates before you descend back.
After trekking, meet your safari guide and connect to Lake Bunyonyi. It is a 2-3 hours drive from Bwindi national park. Lake Bunyonyi is the best place a relaxation after gorilla trekking. Connect to your lodge with views of the rolling hills. Dinner and overnight at Bunyonyi Birdnest lodge for luxury/Arcadia Cottages Lake Bunyonyi for a mid-range option/Bunyonyi overland resort for a budget option
Day 10: Explore Lake Bunyonyi
Lake Bunyonyi means “place of little birds” and the lake is made of steep hills covered with lush green vegetation showing from the water edges. So after your breakfast, connect for a canoe ride to visit some of the islands on the lake and also sight different bird species. You will also enjoy doing other excursions of your choice. Dinner and overnight stay lodge as above.
Day 11: Transfer to Entebbe – Departure
You will have breakfast then drive out of the park to connect to drive back to Kampala with en-route lunch and visit of the Equator. Proceed to Entebbe and depending on your flight, you will either be dropped at your own booked hotel or proceed to the airport for your onward flight back home. End of Uganda Safaris tour
