10 Days Wings of Uganda Birding Safari
Tour Description
This 10 Days Wings of Uganda Birding Safari is designed for birders who value nuance, patience, and ecological storytelling. Beginning on the still shores of Lake Victoria, the journey flows through Mabamba’s papyrus wetlands, Semuliki’s Congo Basin forests, open Rift Valley savannahs, and finally the mist-laced heights of Bwindi. Each habitat is entered gently, allowing sound, movement, and light to guide discovery. Small group sizes, expert birding guides, and a deliberately unhurried pace create space for listening as much as looking, ensuring meaningful encounters rather than rushed checklists across Uganda’s most evocative avian corridors nationwide today.
Highlights include canoe birding with the legendary Shoebill, immersion in Semuliki’s lowland rarities, prolific waterbirds along the Kazinga Channel, and intensive Albertine Rift endemics in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. Evenings are reserved for rest, reflection, and checklist reviews, reinforcing a sustainable rhythm that favours clarity over exhaustion. This journey prioritizes depth over distance, intimacy over spectacle, and continuity over speed, offering a cohesive narrative where habitats transition seamlessly and species accumulate naturally. Uganda’s Great Birding Arc is crafted for dedicated birders seeking lasting understanding, emotional resonance, and a quietly transformative experience across Uganda’s richest avian landscapes regionally.
Tour Highlights
Mabamba Shoebill Encounter
Canoe birding with iconic species.
Semuliki Congo Forests
Rare lowland endemics and specialties.
Congo Basin Rarities
Unique species beyond East Africa.
Rift Valley Transitions
Forests opening into vast savannahs.
Kazinga Channel Birding
Prolific waterbirds and skimming species.
Bwindi Albertine Endemics
Globally rare montane forest birds
Includes & Excludes
- All parks entry fees
- Conservations fees
- All transits
- All accommodations on full board (3meals per days)
- Government taxes
- Unlimited drinking water , Beer on jeep, Non- alcoholic drinks.
- International flights.
- Travel insurance.
- Alcoholic beverages.
- Personal expenses.
- Anything not stated in the above itinerary or written as ‘optional’.
Tour Details
Day 1: Arrival By The Lake
Entebbe | Gentle Beginnings (Drive Time: 10–15 minutes)
- Arrival at Entebbe International Airport
- Private transfer to the shoreline of Lake Victoria (local name lake Nalubale)
- Afternoon at leisure with optional lakeside birding
Expect: Pied kingfishers, Great blue turaco, African fish eagle & more.
“Uganda introduces herself softly—on the wings of water birds.”
- Overnight: At a boutique hotel near Lake Victoria
- Meals: Dinner
Day 2: Shoebill Waters
Mabamba Swamp | Uganda’s Icon
- 06:00: Early breakfast
- 06:30–11:00: Canoe birding excursion in Mabamba Swamp
- Key species
- Shoebill
- Blue-breasted bee-eater
- African jacana
- Papyrus gonolek
- Key species
- Lunch by the lake
- Afternoon transfer toward Fort Portal
“To see a shoebill is not a sighting—it is an encounter.”
Overnight: http://www.chimpundulodge.com/(near Fort Portal tourism city)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Drive Time: 5 hours
Day 3: Into The Congo Basin
Semuliki National Park | Lowland Rarities
- Early breakfast & transfer into Semuliki (Birders’ haven)
- Full-day birding in Semuliki National Park
This is Uganda’s only true Congo-forest birding zone.
Target species include
- Shoebill (Semuliki delta)
- Nkulengu rail
- Yellow-throated cuckoo
- White-crested hornbill
- Lyre-tailed honeyguide
“Here, the forest speaks in unfamiliar accents—Congo whispers.”
- Picnic lunch inside the park
- Evening checklist session at the lodge
- Overnight: Chimpundu Eco-Lodge
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4: Forest To Rift Valley
- Kibale Forest to Queen Elizabeth National Park (Drive Time: 1.5–2 hours)
- Dawn birding around lodge grounds
- Transfer through crater lakes and escarpments into Queen Elizabeth NP
En-route sightings:
- African green broadbill
- Black-and-white casqued hornbill
- Ross’s turaco
- Afternoon rest overlooking the savannah
“The land opens wide—forests fall away into sweeping plains.”
- Overnight: Lodge in Queen Elizabeth NP
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5: Savannah & Channel Birds
Queen Elizabeth | Game Drive & Kazinga Channel
- 06:00 Morning game drive with birding focus
Expect:
- Martial eagle
- Verreaux’s eagle-owl
- Secretary bird
- Lunch at lodge
- 14:00–17:00 Boat cruise on Kazinga Channel
Highlights:
- African skimmer
- Pink-backed pelican
- Saddle-billed stork
“The channel is alive—wings skim water, shadows drift.”
- Overnight: Same lodge
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6: Ishasha & The Southern Reach
Tree-Climbing Lions & Transition South
- Early breakfast
- Transfer through Ishasha sector
Birding en route:
- African cuckoo-hawk
- Brown snake eagle
- Great blue turaco
- Arrival in Bwindi foothills
“The savannah fades—mountains rise, mist gathers.”
- Overnight: Eco Lodge in Bwindi
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Drive Time: 4–5 hours
Day 7: Albertine Endemics
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest | Birding Day
- Full-day guided birding in Bwindi
Target Albertine Rift endemics:
- African green broadbill
- Shelley’s crimsonwing
- Handsome francolin
- Grauer’s rush warbler
“Every step deeper brings birds found nowhere else on Earth.”
- Afternoon rest with forest views
- Overnight: Same lodge
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8: Bwindi Continued
Forest Layers & Mixed Flocks
- Morning birding on alternative forest trails
- Focus on mixed-species flocks and canopy species
Possible sightings:
- Rwenzori batis
- Dusky crimsonwing
- Bar-tailed trogon
- Optional cultural interaction with Batwa community
“Here, birds and people share ancient ground.”
- Overnight: Same lodge
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9: The Return Through The Highlands
Bwindi to Lake Victoria
- Breakfast & departure
- Scenic drive through terraced hills and wetlands
- Lunch en route
“The journey back is reflective—checklists complete, memories full.”
- Overnight: Samara Residence Hotel near Lake Victoria
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- Drive Time: 7–8 hours
Day 10: Departure
Final Sightings & Farewell
- Early morning optional garden birding
- Transfer to Entebbe International Airport
“The birds remain. You carry their echoes.”
- Meals: Breakfast
- Flights: Daytime or evening departures
Consolidated Costing Table (Per Person Sharing | Usd)
- 2 pax minimum
- Private 4×4
- Specialist birding guide
- Mid–high quality lodges
- Full board (except where noted otherwise)
| Cost Category | Component / Description | Nights / Days | Unit Cost (USD) | Subtotal (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | Samara Residence Hotel | 2 Nights | 220 | 440 |
| Accommodation | Chimpundu Lodge | 2 Nights | 325 | 650 |
| Accommodation | Safari Lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park | 2 Nights | 325 | 650 |
| Accommodation | Eco-Lodge in Bwindi | 3 Nights | 350 | 700 |
| Accommodation Subtotal | 9 Nights | 2,450 | ||
| Transport & Guiding | Private 4×4 Safari Vehicle (Fuel, Insurance, Parks, Airport Transfers, Professional Driver Guide) | 10 Days | — | 1,250 |
| Transport & Guiding | Specialist Birding Guide (Full Itinerary) | — | — | 450 |
| Transport & Guiding Subtotal | 1,700 | |||
| Parks & Activities | Mabamba Swamp Shoebill Canoe & Permits | 1 Activity | — | 100 |
| Parks & Activities | Semuliki NP Entry & Birding | 1 Day | — | 75 |
| Parks & Activities | Queen Elizabeth NP Entry | 2 Days | — | 80 |
| Parks & Activities | Kazinga Channel Boat Cruise | 1 Cruise | — | 40 |
| Parks & Activities | Bwindi NP Birding Entry & Gorilla Permit | 2 Days | — | 200 |
| Parks & Activities | Conservation & Community Fees (Multiple Sites) | — | — | 35 |
| Parks & Activities Subtotal | 530 | |||
| Trip Ops, Support & Levies | Trip Planning & Operations | — | — | 220 |
| Grand Total (Per Person) | Uganda’s Great Birding Arc – 10 Days | USD 4,900 |
Optional Add-Ons (Per Person | USD)
| Option | Cost (USD) |
|---|---|
| Single Room Supplement | +1,350 |
| Domestic Flight (Bwindi → Entebbe) | +300 |
| Batwa Cultural Experience | +40 |
| Extra Birding Day (Bwindi or Semuliki) | +100 |
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