14-Day Luxury Birding Uganda Safari
Birding in Uganda is more than a hobby. It is an immersion into a world where over 1,000 species live in a space the size of Great Britain. This 14-day journey takes you from the edge of Lake Victoria to the misty heights of the Albertine Rift. You will travel in a custom 4×4 Land Cruiser. You will stay in the finest lodges in the country. Your guide will be a specialist who knows every call and plumage detail. This trip is built for those who want to find rare birds without losing the comforts of home. A luxury safari is defined by the quality of your surroundings and your tools. We use extended 4×4 Toyota Land Cruisers. These vehicles have pop-up roofs for 360-degree viewing. Inside, you will find charging points for your camera batteries and a fridge stocked with cold drinks. More importantly, we provide window seats for everyone. Your guide is a certified birding expert. They do not just drive. They carry high-end spotting scopes and reference books. They understand the local habitats. They know where a Green-breasted Pitta might display or where a Shoebill is nesting.
Safari Highlights Table
Day 1: Arrival and Lakeside Birding in Entebbe
Your journey begins at Entebbe International Airport. Our team will meet you at the arrivals gate. A short drive takes you to your hotel on the shores of Lake Victoria. After checking in, we spent the afternoon at the Entebbe Botanical Gardens. This is a gentle way to start your bird list. The gardens
are home to many species. You can see the Great Blue Turaco hopping through the canopy. Look out for the Ross’s Turaco and the African Grey Parrot. The lakeside trees often hold the African Fish Eagle and various Sunbirds.
Accommodation: Protea Hotel Entebbe (Luxury)
Target Species: Great Blue Turaco, Ross’s Turaco, Orange Weaver, African Fish Eagle.
Day 2: The Mabamba Shoebill and Lake Mburo
We wake up early for a boat trip to Mabamba Swamp. We use a private wooden boat to navigate the 
narrow papyrus channels. We are looking for the Shoebill Stork. This bird looks like a prehistoric creature. It stands still for hours while waiting for lungfish. After the swamp, we drive toward Lake Mburo National Park. This park is the only place in southern Uganda to see certain acacia-dwelling birds. We arrive at your lodge, which is built into the granite rocks with views over the park.
- Accommodation: Mihingo Lodge (Luxury)
- Target Species: Shoebill Stork, Papyrus Gonolek, African Finfoot, Blue-breasted Bee-eater.
Day 3: Savannah and Water Birding in Lake Mburo
The morning starts with a birding walk. Walking allows us to get closer to species like the Red-faced Barbet. In the afternoon, we take a boat on Lake Mburo. We look for the elusive African Finfoot along the muddy banks. You will also see many Kingfishers and Herons. The park is home to many zebras and impalas, which add a classic safari feel to the birding.
Accommodation: Mihingo Lodge (Luxury)
Target Species: Red-faced Barbet, Tabora Cisticola, African Finfoot, White-backed Night Heron.
Day 4: Into the Mist of Bwindi Forest
We drive toward the southwest to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. This is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It holds over 350 bird species and half the world’s mountain gorillas. We head to the Ruhija sector. This area is higher in altitude and cooler. Your lodge sits on a ridge overlooking the forest canopy.
Accommodation: Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge (Luxury)
Target Species: Black-billed Turaco, African Green Broadbill, Handsome Francolin.
Day 5: Tracking the Albertine Rift Endemics
Today is a deep dive into the forest. We walk the trail toward the Mubwindi Swamp. This is the best place to find the African Green Broadbill. The trail is steep in parts, but the birding is unmatched. You will hear the calls of the Ruwenzori Turaco and the Strange Weaver. Your guide will use their scope to help you see birds hiding in the thick moss.
Accommodation: Ruhija Gorilla Safari Lodge (Luxury)
Target Species: African Green Broadbill, Grauer’s Warbler, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, Ruwenzori Batis.
Day 6: Gorilla Trekking and Forest Edge Birding
You have the option to track mountain gorillas today. It is a physical challenge but a life-changing experience. If you prefer to stay with the birds, we explore the forest edges and the “Neck.” This area connects two parts of the park. It is excellent for spotting Black Bee-eaters and various Greenbuls.
Accommodation: Buhoma Lodge (Luxury)
Target Species: Black Bee-eater, Cassin’s Flycatcher, Many-colored Bush-shrike
Day 7: Through the Ishasha Plains to Queen Elizabeth Park
We drive north through the Ishasha sector. This area is famous for lions that climb trees. As we drive, we look for birds of the open savannah. We might see the Martial Eagle or the Bateleur. We arrive at the Kazinga Channel in the late afternoon. Your lodge offers private decks where you can watch elephants come down to drink.
Accommodation: Kyambura Gorge Lodge (Luxury)
Target Species: Martial Eagle, African Wattled Lapwing, White-browed Robin-Chat.
Day 8: Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise and Kasenyi Plains
Morning birding takes us to the Kasenyi Plains. We look for the Grey Crowned Crane, which is the national bird of Uganda. After lunch, we take a private boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel. This is one of the highest concentrations of water birds in Africa. You will see Great White Pelicans, African Skimmers, and thousands of Pied Kingfishers.
Accommodation: Kyambura Gorge Lodge (Luxury)
Target Species: African Skimmer, Pink-backed Pelican, Saddle-billed Stork, Gull-billed Tern
Day 9: Chimpanzees and Forest Birds in Kibale
We drive toward Kibale Forest National Park. This forest has the highest density of primates in the world. We spend the afternoon birding the forest roads. We are looking for the Great Blue Turaco and the Grey Parrot. Your lodge is located near the forest edge, allowing you to hear the forest sounds at night.
Accommodation: Kyaninga Lodge (Luxury)
Target Species: Great Blue Turaco, Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill, Hairy-breasted Barbet
Day 10: The Rare Green-breasted Pitta
We start before dawn. Our goal is to find the Green-breasted Pitta. This bird displays in the early light on the forest floor. It is one of the hardest birds to find in Africa. Later, we visit the Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary. This community-run project is a haven for swamp-dwelling birds and monkeys.
Accommodation: Kyaninga Lodge (Luxury)
Target Species: Green-breasted Pitta, Brown-chested Alethe, Papyrus Canary, Speckled Tinkerbird.
Day 11: Travel to Murchison Falls
This is a long travel day, but we make several stops. We drive through tea plantations and small villages. We bird the Escarpment overlooking Lake Albert. You can see the Silverbird and the Cliff Chat here. We enter Murchison Falls National Park and head to a lodge on the banks of the Nile.
Accommodation: Nile Safari Lodge (Luxury)
Target Species: Silverbird, Foxy Cisticola, Vitelline Masked Weaver
Day 12: The Royal Mile and Budongo Forest
We visit the “Royal Mile” in the Budongo Forest. This is a wide forest road that is perfect for birding. It is level and easy to walk. We look for the Chocolate-backed Kingfisher and the Dwarf Kingfisher. The canopy is thick, but the road allows for good light.
Accommodation: Nile Safari Lodge (Luxury)
Target Species: Chocolate-backed Kingfisher, Puvel’s Illadopsis, Ituri Batis, Nahan’s Francolin
Day 13: The Nile Delta and Murchison Falls
We take a boat trip to the Lake Albert Delta. This is another prime spot for the Shoebill. The delta is where the Nile enters Lake Albert. It is a vast area of water and papyrus. In the afternoon, we drive to the top of Murchison Falls. The water squeezes through a tiny gap in the rocks. It is a powerful sight.
Accommodation: Nile Safari Lodge (Luxury)
Target Species: Shoebill Stork, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Denham’s Bustard, Rock Pratincole.
Day 14: Return to Entebbe
On our final day, we drive out of the park. We make a final stop at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. While the rhinos are the main draw, the birding in the woodlands is excellent. We continue to Entebbe for your evening flight home.
- Target Species: White-crested Turaco, Bruce’s Green Pigeon, Red-headed Weaver.
Best Time to Visit
According to the Uganda Wildlife Authority, birding is good all year. However, the best time for migratory birds is from November to April. The dry seasons from June to August are better for forest walks in Bwindi and Kibale.
What to Bring
Binoculars: We recommend 8×42 or 10×42 magnification. Clothing: Neutral colors like khaki or green. Long sleeves protect you from insects in the forest. Footwear: Waterproof hiking boots are essential for the forest trails.
