Length of Tour
10-days/9-nights
Brief Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrive in Entebbe [EBB]
Day 2 – Shoebill at Mabamba Wetlands, PM Botanical Gardens
Day 3 – Transfer to Kibale NP, PM Chimpanzee Trek
Day 4 – Chimpanzee Trek at Kibale NP
Day 5 – Transfer to Queen Elizabeth NP, PM game drive
Day 6 – Game drive and boat on Kazinga Channel
Day 7 – Transfer to Bwindi Impenitrable NP
Day 8 – Gorilla Trek at Bwindi Impenetrable NP
Day 9 -Gorilla Trek at Bwindi Impenetrable NP
Day 10 – Fly to Entebbe [EBB] for afternoon departure
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrive in Nairobi on an evening flight. Transfer to hotel
Day 2 – Shoebill at Mabamba Wetlands.
Early breakfast, then out to nearby Mabamba Wetlands on the shores of Lake Victoria. This is one of the few remaining swamps in the country protected by the local communities – an extensive papyrus swamp with its labyrinth of channels and lagoons, classified as an Important Bird Area, and home to several pairs of Shoebills, Uganda’s most famous avian resident. This charismatic monotypic species is certainly amongst the most sought-after birds in Africa, and we’ll make special efforts today to find it by paddling through the channels by boat.
There will of course be a good selection of classic East African water birds, including Pink-backed Pelican, Long-tailed Cormorant, Goliath Heron, African Open-billed, Saddle-billed, and Marabou Storks, Hammerkop, White-faced Whistling-Duck, Yellow-billed Duck, African Fish-Eagle, African Marsh-Harrier, African Water Rail, Purple Swamphen, Allen’s Gallinule, African Jacana, Long-toed and Spur-winged Plovers. Apart from the numerous water birds, we are likely to see a nice variety of open country and water edge species, perhaps including Speckled Pigeon, African Green Pigeon, Eastern Plantain-eater, Malachite, Giant, and Pied Kingfishers, Blue-headed Coucal, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Crowned Hornbill, Angola and Rufous-chested Swallows, Winding Cisticola, Greater and Lesser Swamp-Warblers, Papyrus Yellow Warblers, Swamp Flycatcher, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Papyrus Gonolek, Slender-billed, Northern Brown-throated, and Golden-backed Weavers, and Papyrus Canary.
We’ll have some time in the afternoon to explore the Entebbe Botanical Gardens.
Days 3 & 4 – Transfer to Kibale National Park for Chimpanzees
Kibale National Park is extensive protecting a large block of rainforest that offers both excellent birding, and our main opportunity to see Chimpanzee in the wild. The park probably has the greatest variety and concentration of primates found anywhere in East Africa, and is famous for its Chimpanzees. Superb birds and primates, combined with easy access and excellent infrastructure, makes a visit to Kibale more than worthwhile. Some of the many species we will look for around Kibale include African Crowned-Eagle, White-spotted Flufftail, Afep Pigeon, Red-winged Francolin, African Emerald, Dusky Long-tailed and Red-chested Cuckoos, Yellowbill (or Blue Malkoha), Black-billed Turaco, Narina Trogon, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Black and White-throated Bee-eaters, White-headed Wood Hoopoe, Speckled, Yellow-rumped, and Yellow-throated Tinkerbirds, Streaky-throated (split from Hairy-breasted), Yellow-billed and Yellow-spotted Barbets, African (Green-breasted) Pitta, Grey-winged and Snowy-headed Robin-chats, African Broadbill, Willcock’s & Thick-billed Honeyguides, Cassin’s Honeybird, White-headed Saw-wing, Mountain Wagtail, Velvet-mantled Drongo, Petit’s Cuckoo-Shrike, Joyful & Honeyguide Greenbuls, Brown and Scaly-breasted Illadopses, Banded and White-chinned Prinias, Masked and Buff-throated Apalises, Grey-throated and Black-and-white Flycatchers, Red-bellied Paradise Flycatcher, Pink-footed Puff-back, Chestnut-winged and Purple-headed Starlings, Superb, Green-headed & Green-throated Sunbirds, Dark-backed and Vieillot’s Black Weavers, Red-headed Malimbe, Gray-headed Negrofinch, and Black-crowned Waxbill.
Days 5 & 6 – Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park
Spanning the equator is the vast Queen Elizabeth National Park boasting of impressive crater lake, expansive grasslands, papyrus swamps and tropical forests, huge herds of Elephant and Buffalo, along with Lions and a diverse array of birds. It contains Uganda’s best game populations as well as some of Uganda’s best bird watching!
An exciting boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel will yield many species of birds. This is a narrow neck of water that connects Lakes George and Edward, with excellent photographic opportunities for waterside birds including African Skimmer, Striated Heron, African Spoonbill, Pink-backed Pelican, Water Thick-knee, Pied Kingfisher, and abundant Hippopotamus.
Days 7 – 9 – Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable NP for Gorillas
This morning we drive through the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park and we have chances of an encounter with the tree-climbing lions famous for this area of the park ultimately leading us to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest late in the evening.
On our two full days in Bwindi, we set off early, with packed lunch, to the park headquarters for a briefing prior to Gorilla tracking. This is the most exciting lifetime experience of all time. The gorillas are gentle animals and it is an unforgettable experience to photograph them as they interact. It is a wonderful experience to stare in to the eyes of these gentle giants; watch them in awe as they play and go about their daily activities. It is indeed a “once in a lifetime” experience that you must never miss. Each encounter is different and has its own rewards; you are likely to enjoy the close view of adults feeding, grooming and resting as the youngsters frolic and swing from vines in a delightfully playful display. We will also look for other primates like the L’ Hoest Monkey, Black and White Colobus; Red tailed, and Blue monkeys. Mammals include the Rwenzori Duiker, Yellow-backed Duiker, Caruthers Squirrel, Bohm’s and Alexander Squirrels, and many other species.
Day 10 – Fly to Entebbe for departure
This will be a transfer day with a flight to Entebbe, for our an afternoon departure.
Note that the itinerary and accomodations may vary.
Recommended Field Guide:
