Uganda Birding and Wildlife Tour

This tour is all about birds and African mammals. 

If you like to hike, there is an option to see the mountain gorillas and chimpanzees.

Printable Bird List 
(Checklist of birds that we have seen on this trip)

• Travel Dates:  June 3 - 12, 2021
• Group Size:  4 - 6 Travelers plus guides
• Trip Length: 10 days
• Rates: Rate per person = $6,250 (based on double occupancy)
• Rates include:  Domestic transfers, lodging, breakfast, lunch, dinner, scheduled group tours and basic travel insurance.
• Not included:  International airfare, customs & immigration fees and visas, alcohol, trip cancellation insurance, gorilla and chimpanzee permit.
• Requirements:  You will need a yellow- fever vaccination and we highly recommend that you talk with your doctor about recommended vaccinations for Uganda.
• Adventure level:  Moderate, please check the “Welcome” page for definition

**Visa Requirement:  If you have a U.S.A. passport, you will need a visa to enter Uganda.  It is strongly recommended that you get an electronic visa on-line before you travel; visa is $50, plus $35 processing fees = $85

Please Note:  Not included in the price of the tour is your permit to hike to view the gorillas and chimpanzees.  This is an option for the tour because the hike is strenuous, mountainous and the trail can be muddy and slippery.  If you are not able to hike the trail, there will be an alternate activity for the day which is included in your tour.  The permit fees to view gorillas and chimpanzee are set by the Ugandan government.  Currently the fees are $600 for the gorilla permit and $150 for the chimpanzee permit. The price will most likely increase by 2022 and that price is unknown until the time is closer. 

Special offer:  Included with your trip (one per room) is a copy of the field guide "The Birds of East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi" (Princeton Field Guides) by Terry Stevenson and John Fanshawe. You will receive this book when you reserve your trip so you will have time to study and know the beautiful birds of Uganda. 

Map of the travel route here:  Uganda Map (opens a new page)

If you would like to see recent photos click here:  Newsletter Archives (opens a new page)

More photos can be found here:  Photo Gallery (opens new page)

Basic Itinerary

Day 1:  Arrival in Entebbe
Flights are overnight and you will need to schedule your flight for arrival on day one, which is March 21st. Depending on specific flight schedules, sometimes this actually might take 2-days.  Flights arrive at the Entebbe International Airport (EBB) where you will be met at the airport by the guides and transported to the lodging about a 15 minute drive.  

Day 2:  Entebbe
Uganda is full of wonderful parks for walking, birding and wildlife viewing.  In the morning, just outside Entebbe, we will visit the Mabamba Wetlands with a motorized boat to view birds such as the mighty Shoebill, Pinked-backed Pelican, Long-tailed Cormorant, Squacco Heron, Malachite Kingfisher and the Blue-breasted Bee-eater.  In the afternoon on the drive back to Entebbe we are likely to see the African Open-billed Stork, Great Blue Turaco, Sunbirds and Weavers, among others.  

Day 3: Kibale
After breakfast a drive west to Kibale in the Toro Kingdom with birding and wildlife viewing en-route on this 5-hour trip. There will be numerous stops to look for birds like flycatchers, kingfishers, swallow, chats, sunbirds, just to name a few and of course African mammals.   

Day 4:  Kibale
Kibale National Park is one of the rainforests in Uganda and is famous for its primates.  It is home to 13 different primate species making it the number one protected area with the largest number of primates on the African continent.  These primates include Chimpanzees, several species of Colobus, Red-tailed Monkey and Grey-cheeked Mangabey.  There are 325 different species of birds identified in the park including the Green-breasted Pitta, Yellow-billed Barbet, African Emerald Cuckoo and Narina Trogon.  On this day you have the option to hike to view the Chimpanzees or continue birding and wildlife viewing in the area. 

Day 5: Queen Elizabeth National Park
Next, we will travel 2-hours to Queen Elizabeth National Park driving along the foothills of the Rwenzori Mountains crossing the equator on our way for a boat tour for wildlife viewing.  The park is the second largest in Uganda and ranks highest in regards to overall diversity, with a bird list of over 600 species.  The park has a mosaic of habitats from moist forests at Imaramagambo to the wild savanna which is excellent for lions, leopards, elephants, hyenas and baboons.   Birds we are likely to see:  Lizard Buzzard, Woodland Kingfisher, Cisticolas and Black Bishop, just to name a few. 

Day 6: Bwindi
The day will start with a morning safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park for birding and wildlife viewing.  In the afternoon we will travel to Bwindi which is about a 3-hour drive while we look for birds and wildlife en-route. 

Day 7:  Bwindi
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of nature's unspoiled areas found in southwestern Uganda and has a vast diversity of mammals and birds and is home to several endangered wildlife species.  Bwindi is also home to a special group of bird species only found in the western rift valley known as the Albertine Rift Endemics with 23 species in all.  Bwindi National Park is home to half the world's Mountain Gorillas and is the only place in the world where chimpanzees and gorillas live together.  On this day you will have an option to hike to see the gorillas or an alternate activity. 

Day 8:  Lake Mburo National Park
The morning will continue with wildlife viewing in Bwindi and looking for birds such as barbets, tinkerbirds, woodpeckers, flycatchers, weavers, puffbacks and cuckoo-shrikes, as well as African mammals.  In the afternoon we will head to Lake Mburo for our lodging for the evening, about a 5-hour drive, and as always birding and wildlife viewing en-route.    

Day 9:  Lake Mburo National Park
Our travels have brought to one of the very special places in Uganda: Lake Mburo National Park.  Home to 320 different bird species and 68 mammal species, the park is small, but incredibly beautiful.  We will spend the whole day in the park and hope to see numerous bird species including African Finfoot, Brown-chested Plover, Red-faced Barbet, and Long-tailed Cisticola.  Mammals to be seen:  eland, zebra, impala, buffaloes, hippos, topi and many others.  

Day 10:  Fly Home 
From Lake Mburo it is a 4-hour drive back to Entebbe.  Most all international flights leave in the evening and so there will be plenty of time to get to the airport.  If you need or want an extra night in Entebbe, arrangements can be made for you.  

Please note:  The lodging described in this itinerary is always our first choice based on availability.  Details of this trip are a little vague as it is VERY flexible. Destinations throughout the trip are based on the desires, ability and goals of the group.