12 Days Uganda Birding Expedition

Detailed Itinerary of 12 Days Uganda Birding Expedition.

Day 1: Arrival in Entebbe – Mabamba Swamp Birding

Arrive at Entebbe International Airport where you’ll meet your birding guide. After check-in at your lodge, set out for your first birding adventure at Mabamba Swamp — famous for the Shoebill Stork. Glide through papyrus channels on a canoe while spotting species such as Lesser Jacana, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Papyrus Gonolek, and African Pygmy Goose. Return to your lodge for dinner and bird checklist review.

Overnight: Papyrus Guesthouse / Boma Hotel Entebbe

Day 2: Transfer to Kibale Forest National Park

After breakfast, depart for Kibale Forest, Uganda’s primate and birding capital. En route, watch for Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill and Pied Crow. Arrive in the afternoon and, time allowing, enjoy some introductory birding around the lodge grounds or along forest edges.

Overnight: Primate Lodge / Turaco Treetops

Day 3: Kibale Forest Birding & Bigodi Wetland

On this day of 12 days Uganda Birding Expedition you will spend the day birding in Kibale Forest, home to over 370 bird species. Seek forest specials like Green-breasted Pitta, African Pitta (seasonal), Blue-headed Bee-eater, Yellow-spotted Barbet, and Grey Parrot. In the afternoon, visit Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary for swamp specials such as Papyrus Gonolek, White-winged Warbler, and Great Blue Turaco. Primates like Red Colobus and Mangabey are an added bonus.

Day 4: Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park – Birding En Route

Drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park, birding along the scenic crater lakes and savannah. En route, look out for Brown Snake Eagle, Black Bishop, and flocks of Wattled Starlings. After lunch, do an evening birding drive in the Kasenyi plains for raptors like Martial Eagle, Bateleur, and Grassland Pipits.

Overnight: Buffalo Safari Lodge / Mweya Safari Lodge

Day 5: Game Drive & Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise

An early morning game and birding drive will reveal species like Black-bellied Bustard, African Wattled Lapwing, and Temminck’s Courser, alongside lions and elephants. In the afternoon, enjoy a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, a haven for water birds: African Skimmer, Pink-backed Pelican, Goliath Heron, and Great White Pelican.

Day 6: Birding Ishasha & Transfer to Bwindi

Drive through the Ishasha Sector, scanning fig trees for tree-climbing lions while birding for species like Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo and Compact Weaver. Continue to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, a world-famous birding and gorilla trekking site. Enjoy some evening birding around Buhoma.

Overnight: Buhoma Lodge / Gorilla Forest Camp

Day 7: Bwindi Buhoma Birding – Albertine Rift Endemics

Spend the day on forest trails in search of Albertine Rift endemics. Look out for African Green Broadbill, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Black-faced Apalis, Grauer’s Warbler, and Handsome Francolin. The forest teems with butterflies, monkeys, and other wildlife. Birding in Bwindi is challenging but deeply rewarding.

Day 8: Optional Gorilla Trekking or Continue Birding

Today, you may choose to track mountain gorillas (optional at extra cost) or continue birding along the Waterfall Trail. New birding targets include Red-throated Alethe, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, and Bar-tailed Trogon. The Buhoma community trails also offer views of colorful sunbirds and waxbills.

Day 9: Transfer to Lake Mburo National Park

Drive to Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda’s smallest savannah park but rich in birds. Bird along the way for species like Long-crested Eagle and Grey Crowned Crane. Evening birding may reveal White-winged Tit, Brown-chested Lapwing, and African Finfoot along the lake.

Overnight: Rwakobo Rock / Mihingo Lodge

Day 10: Lake Mburo Birding & Boat Ride

Spend the morning birding acacia woodland and rocky outcrops, looking for Crested Barbet, Green-capped Eremomela, and Spot-flanked Barbet. Enjoy a boat ride on Lake Mburo for African Finfoot, African Darter, and Malachite Kingfisher. Watch for impalas and zebras grazing nearby.

Day 11: Return to Entebbe – Birding En Route

After breakfast, do some final birding as you exit the park. Visit Mpanga Forest Reserve en route, targeting Forest Woodhoopoe, Grey Parrot, and Red-headed Bluebill. Arrive in Entebbe in the evening for a relaxed dinner and a checklist wrap-up with your guide.

Overnight: Papyrus Guesthouse / Boma Entebbe

Day 12: End of 12 days Uganda birding expedition.

Depending on your flight time, you may opt for some last-minute birding of your 12 days Uganda Birding Expedition in the Entebbe Botanical Gardens or at Lutembe Bay (great for migrant waders). Later, transfer to Entebbe International Airport for your departure, marking the end of this rich and rewarding birding adventure