Uganda and Rwanda Blissful Birding 14 Day Tour
Day 1
Arrival at Kigali, Pick up and drive to your hotel for overnight. Relax, introduction and briefing for the albertine rift trip in Rwanda and Uganda
Safari Activities
- Arrival at Kigali International Airport
- Pick-up and transfer to the hotel
- Relaxation at the hotel
- Introduction and trip briefing
- Preparation for the Albertine Rift trip in Rwanda and Uganda
Meals
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Birding in Nyungwe Forest
Transfer birding to Nyungwe Forest. 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!
Safari Activities
- Transfer to Nyungwe Forest in southwestern Rwanda.
- Roadside birding along the Butare–Cyangugu road as it passes through the forest.
- Birdwatching in Nyungwe Forest, exploring its diverse habitats and altitudinal zones.
- Search for Albertine Rift endemic species, including Rwanda’s mountain endemics.
- Look for rare and threatened species, including Chapin’s Flycatcher and Rockefeller’s Sunbird.
- Observe Guinea–Congo Forest and Afrotropical Highlands biome species.
- Enjoy the scenic forest landscapes and diverse wildlife habitats of Nyungwe.
Meals
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Full-Day Birding in Nyungwe (Uwinka Trail)
Whole day birding in the park-Uwinka trail for albertine endemics, 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
Safari Activities
- Full-day birding in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park along the Uwinka Trail.
- Search for Albertine Rift endemic bird species and other forest specialties.
- Look out for Ruwenzori Turaco, Great Blue Turaco, Handsome Francolin, Stripe-breasted Tit, Red-throated Alethe, Archer’s Robin-Chat, Rockefeller’s Sunbird, and Grauer’s Warbler.
- Explore the montane forest habitat for Apalis species, sunbirds, warblers, flycatchers, robins, greenbuls, and seedeaters.
- Photograph and observe the diverse forest birdlife and natural surroundings along the trail.
- Continue birding throughout the day, focusing on locating as many Albertine Rift endemics and other target species as possible.
Meals
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Transfer to Uganda – Mgahinga National Park
Transfer while birding to Uganda-Mgahinga National Park via Cyanika border. Mgahinga boasts birding with a list of over 180 species of birds and at least 14 Albertine endemics can be seen here. Reach here, early arrival gives a chance to do evening birding around.
Safari Activities
- Transfer to Mgahinga National Park while birding along the route.
- Cross the Cyanika Border into the Mgahinga area.
- Birding around Mgahinga National Park, home to over 180 bird species.
- Search for Albertine Rift endemics, with at least 14 species possible.
- Evening birding around the park if arriving early.
- Arrival and settling in at the accommodation.
Meals
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Full-Day Birding in Mgahinga
Whole day birding in Mgahinga gorilla national park in search for Rwenzori Turaco, Crowned Hornbill, Black Kite and Crowned Crane, Handsome Francolin, Dusky Turtle Dove, Alpine Chat, Kivu Ground Thrush, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Lagden’s Bush Shrike, Scarlet-tufted Malachite Sunbird, Montane Double-collared Sunbird. Farmland along the Northern edge of the Park is guarded by a dry stone wall that keeps Buffalo in the Park and out of crops. The trail along the wall is ideal for birding. Along this trail look out for Chubb’s Cisticola, Banded Prinia and Doherty’s Bush Shrike are vocal yet inconspicuous in habitats of tangles at the forest edge whilst Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher and Mackinnons’s Fiscal favors more exposed perches. Common Stonechat is abundant but here shares the habitat with many of the typical African open-country species: including Wing Snapping Cisticola, Yellow-throated Longclaw, Grassland Pipit, and Yellow Crowned Canary.
Safari Activities
- Whole-day birding in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
- Birding along the dry stone wall trail on the northern edge of the park.
- Exploring forest-edge habitats and searching for shy and vocal bird species.
- Birding open-country and farmland habitats along the park boundary.
- Searching for montane and Albertine Rift bird species throughout the different habitats.
- Wildlife and scenic viewing along the park’s northern boundary and surrounding mountain landscape.
Meals
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (Ruhija Sector)
Bird watching transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park-Ruhijja Sector. Forest birding in Bwindi ranks the best in Uganda with the best sight guides who use their mouth whistles to mimic the birds. A zigzag drive from the main gate to the lodge through the forest gives a chance to spot a handsome francolin on the roadside plus other birds.
Safari Activities
- Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Ruhija Sector
- Bird watching along the way to Bwindi
- Forest birding in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
- Bird identification using expert local guides and bird-mimicking whistles
- Roadside birding on the zigzag drive from the park gate to the lodge
- Spotting the Handsome Francolin and other forest bird species
Full-Day Birding in Bwindi (Ruhija – Mubwindi Swamp)
Whole day birding in bwindi impenetrable national park-Ruhijja sector. Today early after our break first, start our day birding the mail trail to mubwindi swanp. The main highlights of this trail is the African Green Broadbill and the Grauer’s Warbler and other birds/or endemics like Chapin’s Flycatcher, Blue-Headed Sunbird, Regal Sunbird, Rockeffeller’s Sunbird, Purple-Breasted Sunbird, Strange Weaver, Dusky Crimson-Wing, Red-Collard Mountain Babbler, Chapin’s Mountain Babbler, Neumann’s’ Warbler, Prigogine’s Greenbul, Black-Faced Apalis, Collard Apalis, Stripe-Breasted Tit, Grauer’s Cukooshrike, Yellow-Crested Helmetshrike, Ruwenzori Batis, Dwarf Honeyguide etc
Safari Activities
- Full-day birding in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – Ruhija Sector.
- Early morning birding along the Mubwindi Swamp Trail.
- Searching for African Green Broadbill and Grauer’s Warbler.
- Birding for Albertine Rift endemics and other forest specialties.
- Return to the lodge after a full day of forest birding.
Meals
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Birding Through “The Neck” to Buhoma
Morning birding in the community to try species that we could have missed I the previous day of birding and proceed with our transfer to Buhoma sector of bwindi via the “NECK” several stops will be made on this journey to try several spots for a couple specialties. Even further down on our road, cultivated areas provide feeding opportunities for many seedeaters. Our main targets here will be the highly sought-after Dusky Twinspot and Yellow-Bellied, Black-Headed and Black-Crowned Waxbills. African Stonechat; Streaky and Thick-Billed Seedeaters; African Citril and Cape Canary may also be found here. Noisy Chubb’s Cisticolas will mock us from deep within the bracken! And the beautiful Doherty’s Bushshrike can be lured out from the dense vegetation. Mackinnon’s Shrikes survey the road from high, exposed perches! The NECK,’ another well-known birding locality. Here we will search for species such as Black Goshawk; Bronze-Napped Pigeon; Cinnamon-Chested, Black Bee-Eater; Cassin’s Honeyguide; Petit’s Cuckoo-Shrike; White-Chinned Prinia; the enigmatic Chapin’s Flycatcher; Mountain Wagtail; Pink-Footed Puffback; the rare Tiny Sunbird and the attractive Brown-capped Weaver. We have many chance of seeing the L’heost’s, Red Tailed and the Black and White Colobus Monkey on our journey! There are so many special birds at these elevations that we do not want to rush through, we continue with our drive to Buhoma
Safari Activities
- Morning community birding for missed species
- Transfer to Buhoma, Bwindi via the NECK
- Birding at cultivated areas and roadside habitats
- Birding at the NECK for Albertine Rift and high-altitude specialties
- Search for Dusky Twinspot, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Tiny Sunbird and other target species
- Primate viewing, including L’Hoest’s, Red-tailed and Black-and-white Colobus Monkeys
- Continue to Buhoma with birding stops along the way
Meals
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Full-Day Birding in Buhoma Sector
Whole day birding in Buhoma sector of bwindi impenetrable national park in search for; Cabanis’sGreenbul, Narrow-Tailed Starling, Grey-Winged Robin Chart, Eliots Woodpecker, Northern Double-Collard Sunbird, Black-Billed Weaver, Bocage’sBushshrike, Pink-Footed Puffback, Petit’sCukooshrike, White-Bellied Nigrafinch, Cameroon SombreGreenbul, African Broadbill, Buff-Throated Flycatcher, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Yellow Bill, Black-Faced Rufous Warbler, Little Grey Greenbul, Equatorial Akalat, Short-Tailed Warbler, Red-Headed Malimbe, White Browed Crombec, Mountain Black Boubou, Jameson’s Anti-Peckeretc
Safari Activities
- Full-day birding in the Buhoma sector of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
- Forest trail birding through the montane rainforest and surrounding habitats.
- Search for Albertine Rift and forest bird species, including Cabanis’s Greenbul, Narrow-tailed Starling, Elliot’s Woodpecker, African Broadbill, Equatorial Akalat, Mountain Black Boubou, and Jameson’s Antpecker.
- Spot and photograph a variety of forest birds such as sunbirds, flycatchers, greenbuls, bushshrikes, puffbacks, cuckooshrikes, weavers, and warblers.
- Explore different forest habitats and listen for bird calls to locate elusive species.
- Return to Buhoma after a full day of birding.
Meals
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Optional Gorilla Trekking or Birding in Buhoma
Trekking day for those interested in gorillas, on this day, we set of early, with packed lunch, to the park headquarters for a briefing prior to Gorilla Tracking. 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 youngster’s frolic and swing from vines in a delightfully playful display. Gorilla tracking involves part or one day in the Impenetrable Forest. Sometimes the gorillas can be located within an hour or so, but at other times it sometimes takes an entire day of quite hard trekking to find them and return, so you need to be physically fit if you wish to maximize your chances. Very occasionally, in spite of all efforts, the gorillas prove elusive. Depending on the time we get back we might have optional village to the communities around the gorillas the pygmies inclusive or evening birding around the self-guided train in Buhoma, another Eden of birding in Uganda and later transfer to our lodge for dinner and overnight (the trip could end here and return back to Kigali for the flight back home) or take some days further through queen Elizabeth national park for some interesting savanna species
Safari Activities
- Gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
- Gorilla viewing and photography
- Optional community/village visit
- Evening birding around Buhoma
- Transfer to the lodge for dinner and overnight
- Optional continuation to Queen Elizabeth National Park or transfer to Kigali
Meals
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Birding in queen Elizabeth national park (find the lions of Ishasha sheltering from the fierce rift valley sun on the boughs of ancient fig trees!). Early after breakfast we depart birding to queen Elizabeth national park through kanungu area where chances abound to trace for rarity of Rufous-Breasted Wryneck in this area, continue birding to the southern sector of queen Elizabeth where we can’t miss the likes of Whinchats, Greater Scimitarbill, Black Kit, Superb Sunbird, still on a way in ishasha area Little Button, Blue, Common, Harlequin Quails skulk in short grasses along the way. A couple of mammals like Cape Buffalo, Lions, Elephants, Uganda Kobs, Waterbacksetc thrill in this area.
Safari Activities
- Birding en route to Queen Elizabeth National Park through the Kanungu area.
- Search for the Rufous-breasted Wryneck, a key birding target in the Kanungu area.
- Birding in the Ishasha sector, looking for species such as Whinchats, Greater Scimitarbill, Black Kite, and Superb Sunbird.
- Search for quails including Little Buttonquail, Blue Quail, Common Quail, and Harlequin Quail in the grasslands.
- Wildlife viewing in Ishasha, with opportunities to see tree-climbing lions resting on ancient fig trees.
- Game viewing for Cape Buffalo, Elephants, Uganda Kob, Waterbuck, and other wildlife.
Meals
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Birding and Boat Cruise at Kazinga Channel
From early morning, birding in queen Elizabeth national park and evening boat cruise at Kazinga Channel. In this morning we try for Broad Tailed Warbler, Martial Eagle, Verreaux’s Eagle-Owl, Amur Falcon, Striated Heron, African Spoonbill, Water Thick-Knee, Three-banded Plover, Marsh, Green, Wood and Common Sandpiper, Plain Martin, Lesser Swamp-Warbler, White-Winged Warbler, Caruther’sCisticola, Black-Headed Gonolek, Papyrus Gonolek, Red-Faced Cisticola, Red-Chested Cukoo, Northern Puffback, Tropica Boubou, Diederik, Klaas’s, African-Emerald Cukoos, Little Stint, Yellow-Throated Long-Claw, East-African Swee, Common Waxbill, Crimson-Rumped Waxbill, and Yellow-billed Ox-pecker etc. mammals include; Olive Baboon, Valvet Monkey, in the kyambura gorge we find the Chimps, Blue and Red Tailed Monkey etc. evening we take boat ride at kazinga channel.
Safari Activities
- Early morning birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park
- Bird and mammal watching around the park
- Kyambura Gorge excursion for Chimpanzees and other primates
- Evening Kazinga Channel boat cruise for birds and wildlife
Transfer to Entebbe – Mabamba Swamp for Shoebill
Stop at Mabamba Swamp to search for the Shoebill before heading to the airport for departure.
Safari Activities
- Mabamba Swamp birding
- Shoebill search
- Canoe excursion
- Transfer to the airport for departure
Included
- Park fees for non-residents
- All activities listed
- Accommodation
- Professional birding guide
- Transportation
- Airport transfers
- Meals (as per itinerary)
- Drinking water
Not Included
- International flights
- Additional accommodation before/after the tour
- Tips
- Personal items (souvenirs, insurance, visas)
- Government-imposed tax/park fee increases