Uganda Birding Safari: From Swamps to Savannah Itinerary

Day 1: Spend a Day Birding at Mabamba Shoebill Swamp

You'll spend the day birding at Mbamba Swamp and the neighbourhood community bush. Local communities protect one of the few remaining productive wetlands in Uganda. Extensive papyrus swamps with labyrinthine channels and lagoons, classified as an Important Bird Area (IBA), are home to multiple shoebills—Uganda's most famous avian residents and the only representatives in their family, which are among the most sought-after birds on the entire African continent. It is only traced by canoeing through the channels with a wooden boat. Other species of Mabamba include the papyrus gonolek, blue-breasted bee-eater, lesser Jacana, African Jacana, white-winged black tern, grey-headed gull, African skimmer, little egret, long-toed lapwing, spur-winged lapwing, and a few more.

Accommodation: Forest Cottages

Day 2: Entebbe Botanical Gardens & Transfer to Mabira Forest

Explore Entebbe Botanical Gardens, home to over 250 bird species like the great blue turaco and saddle-billed stork. Later, drive to Mabira Forest for more birding.

Accommodation: Griffin Falls Camp

Day 3: Full-Day Birding in Mabira Forest

The forest boasts over 350 bird species, and its diverse ecosystems provide a home for both forest and woodland birds. While on your birding tour in Mabira Forest Reserve, expect to spot birds such as the African grey parrot, Nahan's francolin, or the vibrant blue-throated roller, splendid glossy-starling, northern brown-throated weaver, slender-billed weaver, scaly francolin, green-backed heron, tawny-franked prinia, black and white-casqued hornbill, back kite, yellow-fronted tinkerbird, saddle-billed stork, open-billed stork, marabou stork, grey-caped warbler, pied crow, little egret, black-headed heron, cattle egret, spotted-backed weaver and many more.

Accommodation: Griffin Falls Camp

Day 4: Morning Birding & Drive to Mount Elgon

You'll enjoy birding in the morning at Mabira Forest to pick a few species that you could have missed on the previous day of birding. Later, after breakfast, you'll drive straight to the Mount Elgon National Park area and have a lunch break at Mbale Town. Early arrivals will give you a chance to stroll around the lodge and pick a few species.

Accommodation: Home of Friends

Day 5: Kapkwai Forest Birding

You'll enjoy birding and wildlife viewing. Mount Elgon's forests are home to a diverse array of birds, with over 300 species recorded. The park harbors 43 of the 144 species of Guinea–Congo Forests biome and 56 of the 88 species of Afro-tropical Highland biome that occur in Uganda. There are isolated records of the near-threatened Taita falcon species.

Accommodation: Home of Friends

Day 6: Sipi Falls & Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve

This morning, you will conduct limited birding around the lodge as you explore the Sipi Falls area for epic falls viewing and photography, available to those who are willing. You'll have a lunch break at the Sipi Falls area before you transfer to the Pian Upe Game Reserve. Early arrival will give you the chance to select a few species here before reporting to the lodge.

Accommodation: Pian-Upe Bandas

Day 7: Birding in Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve

You will wake up early for breakfast and start birding from the lodge, accompanied by an armed ranger guide, as you enter the park. You'll be birding here for the whole day. The highlights of this park are not limited to the Fox's Weaver (the only Ugandan endemic species), Karamoja Apalis, yellow-necked francolin, dark-chanting gosh-hawk, rufous chatterer, Boran cisticola, and many other birds and mammals, such as elands, buffalos, and cheetahs if you get the chance. You'll have a hot lunch at the bandas.

Accommodation: Pian-Upe Bandas

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 while picking some birds at the UWA headquarters compound. After breakfast, you will embark on a serious birding expedition in the park, looking out for straw-tailed, Eastern paradise, pin-tailed, and steel-blue wydahs, chestnut sparrows, white-headed and red-billed buffalo weavers, and many other species. Mammals such as lesser kudus and dik-diks are also highlights of this park.

Accommodation: Kara-Tunga Safari Camp

Day 9: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park & Evening Birding

Drive to Kidepo, stopping for birding along the way. Enjoy an evening game drive, spotting birds like the foxy cisticola and mammals like zebras and elephants.

Accommodation: Apoka Rest Camp

Day 11: Morning Birding and Transfer to Gulu

Enjoy a morning birding session in Kidepo before heading to Gulu for dinner and an overnight stay.

Accommodation: Acholi Inn

Day 9: Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park and Evening Birding

Drive to Kidepo, stopping for birding along the way. Enjoy an evening game drive, spotting birds like the foxy cisticola and mammals like zebras and elephants.

Accommodation: Apoka Rest Camp

Day 12: Drive Back to Entebbe via Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

Take a detour to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for optional rhino tracking and birding. Have lunch, and then drive to Entebbe Airport for your flight home.