Uganda Birding Safari
1,080+ Species · 7 Days

Arrive Entebbe or depart from Kampala hotel in the early morning. Drive directly to Mabamba Wetland on Lake Victoria's northern shore — 45 minutes from Entebbe, this papyrus swamp is the most reliable site in East Africa to see the Shoebill Stork, one of the world's most sought-after birds.

Board a local canoe with your expert birding guide and paddle silently through the papyrus channels. Shoebill encounters here are almost guaranteed — you'll typically spend 30–60 minutes photographing one at close range. Also watch for Papyrus Gonolek, Blue-headed Coucal, White-winged Warbler, and the endemic Papyrus Yellow Warbler. Afternoon: drive to Queen Elizabeth NP (4 hours). Evening game drive en route or at Mweya. Dinner and overnight at your QE lodge.

Pre-dawn start for a morning game drive on the Kasenyi Plains — excellent for Grey Crowned Crane, Saddle-billed Stork, African Fish Eagle, and raptors including Martial Eagle and Long-crested Eagle. After breakfast, take the famous Kazinga Channel boat cruise — 2 hours on Africa's largest natural channel, with extraordinary waterbird diversity: African Skimmer, Pink-backed Pelican, Goliath Heron, Giant Kingfisher, and 50+ species typically recorded on a single cruise.

Afternoon drive to Ishasha Sector through the Maramagambo Forest boundary — excellent for Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill, Western Black-and-white Colobus, and forest raptors. Evening birding along forest edge.

Depart QE after an early morning birding walk in the Ishasha Sector — target the elusive African Pitta (seasonal) and forest edge species. Drive north through Fort Portal to Kibale Forest National Park — the most primate-rich forest in Africa, and an extraordinary birding destination with 375+ species recorded.

Afternoon guided walk in Kibale's buffer zone targeting Blue-throated Roller, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Hairy-breasted Barbet, and multiple sunbird species. Listen for the bubbling calls of Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird and watch for Crowned Eagle soaring above the canopy. Overnight Kibale lodge.

A full day dedicated to Kibale's extraordinary avifauna. Pre-dawn start with your guide targeting African Wood Owl and nightjar species on the forest trails. Dawn chorus in one of Africa's great forests — an unforgettable acoustic experience.

Morning forest walk targeting Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill, Great Blue Turaco, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Grey Parrot, Red-chested Owlet, and 13 primate species.

Afternoon: Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary walk — a community-managed trail bordering Kibale, exceptional for African Green Broadbill, Great Blue Turaco, Blue-headed Sunbird, Little Greenbul, and wetland species along the papyrus margins. Expert community birding guide accompanies you alongside your Roam Beyond specialist.

Drive south through the Rwenzori foothills and Kasese plains to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park — a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Africa's most biodiverse forest, with 350+ bird species including 23 Albertine Rift endemics found nowhere else on Earth.

Afternoon guided birding walk in the Buhoma buffer zone — immediately productive for Handsome Francolin, Kivu Ground Thrush, Mountain Illadopsis, Strange Weaver, and with luck the African Green Broadbill. Bwindi's forest edge at dusk is extraordinary — flocks of sunbirds, weavers, and starlings coming to roost. Overnight Bwindi lodge.

This is the day Bwindi delivers its most spectacular birding — a full day targeting the 24 Albertine Rift endemic species that occur in Uganda only in this forest. Your specialist guide leads you on the designated birding trails, spending time in productive areas rather than rushing between checkpoints.

Key targets include: African Green Broadbill, Shelley's Crimsonwing, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Grauer's Warbler, Chapin's Flycatcher, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Rwenzori Turaco, and the remarkable African Emerald Cuckoo. Early afternoon: explore the Ruhija sector (higher altitude, different avifauna) targeting Rwenzori Nightjar and Mountain Buzzard. Full picnic lunch in the forest.

Final morning birding in Bwindi's buffer zone before departure. Optional extension: stop at Lake Mburo National Park en route (2 hours) — a completely different habitat with Shelley's Francolin, African Fin Foot, Papyrus Canary, White-winged Warbler, and the only Zebra in southern Uganda.

Continue to Kampala or Entebbe. Your guide will update your species list total and assist with identification notes. Estimated arrival Entebbe by 7pm.

Average species count on this tour: 400–600 species in 7 days. Personal records of 650+ have been recorded by specialist groups.