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Uganda Birding and Wildlife Safaris

10-Days Rwanda Birding and Gorilla

Amazing birding and wildlife tours in uganda

Bird Watching & Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda

Important bird areas on this tour

  • Akagera National Park – Savannah and wetland birds, plus unique Tanzanian specialties.
  • Volcanoes National Park – High-altitude forest species and gorilla habitat.
  • Nyungwe National Park – Albertine Rift endemics and dense forest species.

Main Targets

  • Shoebill encounters in Akagera.
  • Savanna birding and game viewing in Akagera.
  • Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park.
  • Roadside birding en route to Nyungwe.
  • Forest birding in Nyungwe National Park.
  • Canopy walk experience in Nyungwe.

Tour Overview

Explore Rwanda’s rich birdlife and breathtaking landscapes on this 9-day bird-watching and gorilla trekking adventure. This journey takes you through Akagera National Park’s savannas, the dense forests of Nyungwe, and the volcanic slopes of Volcanoes National Park. Expect to see rare bird species, diverse wildlife, and experience an unforgettable gorilla trek.

Main Target Birds

  • Akagera National Park: Shoebill, Red-faced Barbet, Tabora Cisticola, Crested Barbet, Broad-tailed Warbler, Souza’s Shrike, Bare-faced Go-away Bird.
  • Volcanoes National Park: White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Snowy-crowned Robin Chat, Green-headed Sunbird.
  • Nyungwe National Park: Ruwenzori Turaco, Great Blue Turaco, Rockefeller’s Sunbird, Red-throated Alethe, Regal Sunbird, Dusky Crimsonwing.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival & Transfer to Akagera National Park


Arrival at airport, meet your guide do introductions and later drive leisurely with limited birding stops to Akagera national park in northwestern Rwanda. Akagera national park with low-lying plains, dozens of lakes, savanna and woodland zones.  Shoebill encounters, great savanna birding and spectacular game viewing, It also borders Tanzania in the northwest making it great area to spot Tanzania specialties like Red-faced Barbet, Tabora cisticola, Crested barbet and other more from the bordering wildlife of western Tanzania!

Day 2: Full-Day Birding & Game Drive in Akagera

Whole day bird watching and game in Akagera national park. Today after early breakfast start birding looking out for species like Broad-tailed Warbler, Bennett’s Woodpecker, Sooty Chat, White-winged Black Tit, Flappet Lark, Souza’s Shrike, Crested Barbet, Red-faced Barbet, Long-tailed, Trilling, Tabora, Rattling and Winding Cisticolas, Miombo Wren Warbler, Green-capped Eremomela, Red-faced Crombec, Rueppell’s Long-tailed Starling, Amethyst Starling, Senegal Lapwing, Water Dikkop, Brubru, Bare-faced Go-away Bird, Brown Parrot, Red-necked Spurfowl, White-crowned Black Chat, Familiar Chat, Black-winged Bishop and Arrow-marked Babbler, Greater Blue-eared Starling, Shoebill, African Open-billed Stork, Egyptian Goose, Long-toed Lapwing, Spur-winged Plover, Black Crake etc. mammals like, monkey, giraffe, hog, hipo, sitatunga, topi, waterback  pause around for photography.  

Day 3: More Birding & Boat Cruise on Lake Ihema


Today also birding and game to lookout for the species that we could have missed the previous day of birding. Add evening boat cruise at Lake Ihema or other.

Day 4: Transfer to Volcanoes National Park

Birding watching transfer to the volcanoes national park. Toaday we checkout early from Akagera national park and embark on the road to the volcans with stops to stretch and look at birds, reach and do evening leisurely birding around the lodge, lookout for species like village weaver, bronze sunbird, red-capped robin chat, snowy-crowned robin chat, white-tailed blue flycatcher, green-headed sunbird, baglafecht weaver and many more, mammals like L’hoest monkey, golden monkey etc, show up for photos

Day 5: Gorilla Trekking & Evening Birding

Gorilla trekking experience and later get to our lodge to rest or do leisurely evening birding around the lodge.

Day 6: Transfer to Nyungwe National Park


Checkout and drive to Nyungwe National park. Nyungwe forest is situated in south-west Rwanda between Lake Kivu and the international border with Burundi. This beautiful birding area lies west of Butare, with the Butare-Cyangugu road passing straight through the middle, providing excellent roadside birding. About 270 species have been recorded in Nyungwe, reflecting the wide habitat diversity and altitudinal range. These include all the 25 species of the Albertine Rift mountains Endemic Bird Area that occur in Rwanda, Chapin’s Flycatcher and Rockefellers’ Sunbird (both globally threatened, restricted-range and biome-restricted). Also, 11 of the 23 species of Guinea–Congo Forests biome and 71 of the 74 species of this biome of Afrotropical Highlands that occur in Rwanda have been recorded at this site!

Day 7: Full-Day Birding in Nyungwe


Whole day birding in the park-Uwinka trail to lookout for; Stripe-breasted Tit, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Red-throated Alethe, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Ruwenzori Turaco, Great Blue Turaco, Handsome Francolin, Rockefeller’s Sunbird, Miombo Rock-Thrush, Mountain Masked Apalis, Black-faced Apalis, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Collared Apalis, Grauer’s Warbler, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Kivu Ground-Thrush, White-tailed Blue-flycatcher, Red-chested, SunbirdRegal Sunbird, Olive Woodpecker, Mountain Greenbul, Rwenzori Hill-babbler, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Northern Puffback, White-starred Robin, Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird, Dusky Crimsonwing, Thick-billed Seedeater, Streaky Seedeater, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo etc

Day 8: Birding in Matheniko Wildlife Reserve

Today, you will have both breakfast and lunch packed and drive to the Matheniko Reserve area. You will have breakfast as you pick some birds at the UWA headquarters compound. After breakfast, you will embark on serious birding in the park lookout for; straw-tailed, Eastern paradise, pin-tailed, steel-blue wydahs, chestnut sparrows, white-headed and red-billed buffalo weavers, and many other species. Mammals like lesser kudu and dik diks are also highlights of this park.


Accommodation: Kara-Tunga Safari Camp

Day 8: Morning Birding & Optional Activities

  • Try to spot missed species.
  • Optional canopy walk or chimpanzee trekking.

Day 9: Transfer to Kigali & Departure

  • Drive back to Kigali for your flight home.
  • Tour ends.

Tour price includes

  • Park fees for non-residents
  • All activities listed
  • Accommodation
  • Professional birding guide
  • Transportation
  • Airport transfers
  • Meals (as per itinerary)
  • Drinking water

Tour Price Does Not Include

  • International flights
  • Additional accommodation before/after the tour
  • Tips
  • Personal items (souvenirs, insurance, visas)
  • Government-imposed tax/park fee increases

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