18 Day Birding Safari in Uganda and Rwanda

Uganda and Rwanda stand out as one of Africa’s most prolific birding destinations in East Africa due to their diverse ecosystems, from the dense rainforests to the sprawling savannas.  Start your expedition in Uganda, often referred to as the Pearl of Africa for its breathtaking scenery and incredible biodiversity that is home to over 1,090 bird species. Among these are 24 Albertine Endemics, including the rare Fox’s Weaver, which is exclusive to Uganda. Cross the border into Rwanda, a country celebrated for its dramatic vistas and verdant hills. Rwanda’s birding opportunities are equally impressive, with over 750 species recorded within its borders and 29 are Albertine Endermics. 

The 18 Day Birding Safari in Uganda and Rwanda promotes Conservation and ethical Birding Practices and Supports Local Community Guides.

• Conservation Initiatives:  We support habitat conservation efforts and initiatives aimed at protecting endangered species like the Albertine Endemics. By raising awareness of the various birding sites, we strive to ensure that Uganda’s birdlife thrives for future generations.
• Ethical Birding Practices: Our guides are trained to follow ethical birding guidelines, prioritizing the well-being of birds and their habitats. We encourage responsible behavior such as minimizing disturbance to nesting sites and adhering to designated trails, ensuring that our presence has a positive impact on local wildlife.
• Supporting Local Guides and Experts: We employ knowledgeable local guides who are passionate about Uganda’s birds and ecosystems. By hiring local experts, we not only enhance the safari experience with their expertise but also contribute to the livelihoods of individuals who are deeply connected to the land and its wildlife.
• Luxury Lodges: Stays in luxurious lodges and tented camps offering comfort, stunning views, and top-notch amenities to enhance your experience. 

Join us on this Birding Safari for an unforgettable adventure into Uganda’s birding paradise.

18 Day Birding Safari in Uganda and Rwanda

Day 1: Arrival

Arrive at Entebbe International Airport and transfer to your luxurious lakeside hotel. Relax and enjoy the serene environment, with options for a spa treatment or a leisurely walk in the lush gardens.  Accommodation and Meals  at Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort & Spa 

Day 2: Mabamba Swamp Birding

After breakfast head to Mabamba Swamp taking a canoe ride in search of the rare Shoebill Stork. The Mabamba Swamp is more renowned for its amazing bird record of about 260 bird species and it’s a sanctuary to four threatened species including the Papyrus Gonolek, Blue Swallow, Pallid Harrier, and White-Winged Warbler.

Look out for other bird species such as the African Marsh Harrier, Yellow-throated Greenbul, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Yellow-billed Tinkerbird, Yellow-billed Ducks, Yellow-backed Weaver, Woodland Kingfisher, Wood Sandpiper, Winding Cisticola, White-winged Black Terns among others.  Return to Lake Victoria Serena Resort and Golf Spa for a relaxing evening.

Day 3: Transfer to Kibale National Park

Set off to Fort Portal on the 18 Day Birding Safari in Uganda and Rwanda with stopovers at Papyrus Swamps for some birding sessions along the way, look out for Red-necked Falcon, Marsh Tchagra, Thick-billed and Slender-billed, Weavers, Black-crowned and Fawn-breasted Waxbills, Yellow-mantled Widowbird and Black Bishop.

You may spot black-and-white colobus monkeys, baboons, and more primates hiding in trees along the road. You will have lunch in Fort Portal Town, this area is famed for the fabled mountains of the moon and many tea plantations.

Accommodation and meals at Primate Lodge Kibale.

Day 4:  Kibale Forest and Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary

After breakfast, begin your day with an exciting birding expedition in the forest. Keep your eyes peeled for notable species such as the Green Breasted Pitta, African Broadbill, African Pied Wagtail, Great Blue Turaco, Pin-tailed Whydah, Slender-billed Weaver, Kibale Ground Trush, Blue-headed Sunbird, Black-capped Apalis, Collared Apalis, Dusky Crimsonwing, Purple-breasted Sunbird, and Red-faced Woodland Warbler, among others.

After lunch, proceed to the Bigodi Sanctuary at the Magombe Swamp for a two-hour nature walk. This sanctuary boasts a rich avian diversity of over 200 species, including the Papyrus Gonolek and the impressive Great Blue Turaco. Look out for the Swamp Flycatcher, Hairy-breasted Barbet, Yellow-spotted Barbet, Yellow-billed, White-spotted Flufftail, Western Nicator, White-tailed Ant-thrush, as well as other species like the Grey-winged Robin-chat, Brown-backed Scrub-robin, Brown-eared Woodpecker, Grey Parrot, Bronze Sunbird, Black-crowned Waxbill, Blue-throated Roller, Black Bishop, White-breasted Negro Finch, and more.

Enjoy your accommodation and meals at the Primate Lodge Kibale, reflecting on the day’s birding discoveries amidst the lush surroundings.

Day 5: Kibale Forest – Queen Elizabeth Park

Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park arriving in time for lunch at the camp on this 15 Days Birding Safari in Uganda. Later in the evening, you will have an evening game drive in the park searching for the first wildlife, including warthogs, buffaloes, waterbucks, and elephants. Queen Elizabeth NP is home to over 600 species.  The park’s confluence of savanna and forest, linking to the expansive forests of DR Congo allows visitors to spot East and Central African species.

Accommodation and Meals at Mweya Safari Lodge- Luxury Safari Tent

Day 6: Maramagambo Forest & Boat Cruise

After breakfast, we start early for a birding session in Maramagambo Forest. We will have birding from the lodge towards the Maramagambo forest.

Look out for the Whinchat, Common Redstart, White-fronted Black Chat, Sooty Chat, Cameroon Sombre Greenbul, Yellow-throated Greenbul, Black, White-breasted, and Red-shouldered Cuckoo Shrikes.

The Black and Penduline Tits, Nubian Woodpecker, White-tailed and Red-tailed Ant-thrushes, Brown Illadopsis,  Shining-blue Kingfisher, Brown-eared Woodpeckers, Least Honeyguide, Grey Greenbul, Brown-chested Alethe, and many others.

After lunch, take on a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, a natural channel between Lake Edward and Lake George.

This cruise is a birders’ paradise, the shores of the channel offer a variety of habitats, each appealing to different species of bird species Greenshank, Common Ringed Plover, Ruff, Black-tailed Godwit, and Grey (Black-bellied) Plover, African Skimmers, Yellow-Billed Stork.

Accommodation and Meals at Mweya Safari Lodge- Luxury Safari Tent

Day 7: Queen Elizabeth – Bwindi – Buhoma Sector

We drive through verdant countryside, you will pass traditional homesteads and enjoy panoramic views arriving in time for lunch in Bwindi National Park, home of the endangered mountain gorillas.

Bwindi offers some of the finest montane forest bird watching in Africa and is an unmissable destination for any birder visiting Uganda. There are an estimated 350 bird species with 23 endemics to the Albertine Rift and 14 recorded nowhere else in Uganda. Globally threatened species such as African Green Broadbill and Shelley’s Crimsonwing are also found here.

Other birds include the Handsome Francolin; Black-billed Turaco; African Broadbill; Black and Cinnamon-chested Bee-eaters; Western Green Tinkerbird; Purple-breasted, Blue-headed, and Regal Sunbirds; Short-tailed and Black-faced Rufous Warblers; Mountain-masked and Collared Apalis; Mountain and Yellow-streaked Greenbul; and Many-colored Bush-Shrike, among others. Accommodation and meals at Mahogany Springs.

Day 8:  Birding in Buhoma Sector- Waterfall Trail

Buhoma Sector in Bwindi has several birdwatching trails and you will be birding along the Water Fall Trail for 2-3 hours, a scenic birding spot with three picturesque waterfalls while searching for elusive forest species. During your hike, look out for the Chapin Flycatcher, Collared Apalis, Black-faced Apalis, Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Rwenzori Batis, Short-tailed Warbler, Kivu Ground Thrush, Purple-breasted Sunbird, and Rufous Flycatcher.

Have a picnic lunch and head out again for another birding session along the trail recommended by your birding guide.  Other species include Yellow-streaked Greenbul, African Hill Babbler, Mountain Illadopsis, Grey Cuckoo Shrike Yellow-eyed Black Flycatcher, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-throated Apalis, Collared Apalis, Stripe-breasted Tit, Rwenzori Batis, Montane Sooty Boubou, Blue-Headed Sunbird.

Accommodation and Meals at Mahogany Springs

Day 9: To Rwanda – Kigali

After breakfast, head to Kigali arriving at the border crossing where they will process your entry into Rwanda. You will proceed to your accommodation for relaxation. Depending on the time you arrive in Kigali, you may have an introductory birding session at Nyarutarama Lake, adjacent to the Kigali Golf Course, where a plethora of bird species awaits your observation.

Look out for the Yellow-billed Duck, Squacco Heron, White-faced Whistling Duck, Hottentot Teal, Red-billed Teal, African Spoonbill, Spur-winged Geese, Little Grebe, Common Moorhen, Hadada Ibis, Black Crake, Black Egret, Cattle Egret, and Black-headed Heron, among others.

On the eastern shore of the lake, you’ll find acacia woodlands that attract the Mountain Buzzard, Swifts, Sunbirds, and other fascinating species. After your birdwatching adventure, return to the hotel for further relaxation. Accommodation and meals at the Retreat By Heaven.

Day 10: Kigali- Akagera National Park

After breakfast at your hotel, we start on our journey to Akagera National Park arriving in time for check-in, relaxation, and lunch. After lunch, you will head out for a bird-watching session along the marshy areas for species like Pied Crow, Veillots Black Weavers, African Darter, and Great Egret among others. dinner and an overnight stay. Accommodation and meals at Ruzizi Tented Camp 

Day 11: Birding in Akagera National Park

After breakfast, you will spend the day in the park which boasts about 480 bird species living in savannah and woodland areas.  Look out for these specials: Red-faced Barbet, Northern Brown-throated Weaver; Papyrus Canary, Brown-Chested Lapwing,  Caruthers’s Cisticola, White-collared Oliveback, and Grey-crowned Cranes among others. 

In the afternoon head to Lake Ihema and take a boat cruise looking out for African finfoot, Papyrus Gonolek; White-Winged Swamp Warbler; the elusive rare Shoebill Stork, African fish eagle, Grey Crowned Crane, and African Openbill among others.

Accommodation and Meals at Ruzizi Tented Camp. 

Day 12: Akagera National Park – Kigali

After a relaxed breakfast, head back to Kigali arriving in time for lunch and relaxation. In the evening head out to the Nyabarongo Wetlands, a prime birding spot just outside Kigali. This area is home to species like the White-collared Oliveback, Papyrus Canary, and African Marsh Harrier. The wetlands provide a different birding experience, focusing on wetland and papyrus-loving birds. Accommodation and Meals at the Retreat by Heaven.

Day 13: Kigali to Nyungwe Forest National Park

After breakfast, we start on our journey to Nyungwe National Park, the recommended birding trails are Karamba Trail, Rangiro Road, and Waterfall Trail.

After lunch, you may have a birding session in Nyungwe Forest. Look out for the frequently sighted species, the Rwenzori Nightjar, White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, Kivu Ground Thrush, the Handsome Francolin, Dwarf Honeyguide, Great Blue Turaco and Rwenzori Turaco, montane Double Collared Sun, and the Red Throated Alethe.

Accommodation and Meals at Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel

Day 14:  Birding in Nyungwe Forest National Park

Nyungwe Forest National Park has about 300 bird species and 27 of these are Albertine Rift endemic. There are quite several birding trails in the park including Bigugu, Gisakura, Karamba, and Kamiranozu.

Head out to the 13 km Bigugu Trail in the forest, one of the best spots for observing the Red Collared Warbler. Look out for Some of Nyungwe’s specials: Kungwe Apalis, Regal Sunbird, Red-collared Babbler, Rwenzori Turaco, Handsome Spurfowl, Rwenzori Batis, Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, Blue-headed Sunbird. 

Other species include Albertine Owlet, the Congo Bay Owl, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, the Dusky Crimsonwing, Rockefeller’s Sunbird, Handsome Francolin, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Chestnut Owlet, White-headed Wood-hoopoe, Olive and Elliot’s Woodpeckers, among others.

Along the Gisakura trails, look out for the Red-throated Alethe, Archer’s Robin-chat, and the elusive Kivu Ground Thrush among others. Accommodation and meals at Nyungwe Top View Hill Hotel

Day 15: Nyungwe Forest – Lake Kivu

Breakfast and then head to Lake Kivu arriving in time for lunch. After lunch, head out for a boat cruise while on a birding safari. Look out for huge numbers of White-breasted Cormorants, Pied Kingfishers, Yellow-Bellied Waxbill, Familiar Chat, Brown-throated Wattle-eye, and Spot-flanked Barbet and Osprey can be seen fishing during its migration. Accommodation and meals at Lake Kivu Serena Hotel. 

Day 16: Lake Kivu -Rugezi Swamp – Volcanoes Park

The drive from Lake Kivu in Gisenyi to Musanze is about one hour—Head to Rugezi Swamp which is the only RAMSAR  wetland in Rwanda. The swamp has 194 bird species that include several globally threatened species and one Albertine rift endemic.

Look out for the Grauer’s Swamp Warbler, Grey Crowned Crane, Caruthers’s Cisticola Cisticola, Papyrus Canary, and the  Papyrus Yellow Warbler. Later head to Volcanoes National Park at your accommodation for relaxation. Accommodation and meals at Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel

Day 17: Birding in Volcanoes National Park

After breakfast, embark on your birdwatching safari in Volcanoes National Park. The park has over 200 bird species of which 16 are endemic to the Volcanoes in the Virunga ranges of the mountains.

Look out for the Archer’s ground robin, Grauer’s rush warbler, Cinnamon bracken warbler, Black and White mannikin, Rwenzori batis, white-tailed blue flycatcher, and Rwenzori Batis. Head back to Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel for relaxation. 

Day 18: Volcanoes National Park – Kigali- Departure.

After breakfast, proceed back to Kigali, you may also visit Mount Kigali, the largest hill in Kigali that has a forest atop which is a worthy birding spot some of the birds you can find include: the African Paradise Flycatcher, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Southern Black Flycatcher, Red-chested Cuckoo, Green-backed Camaroptera, Thick-billed Seedeater, Tropical Boubou, Northern Puffback, Common Bulbul, Bronze Mannikin, Yellow-fronted Canary. Head back to Kigali Town for lunch and refreshment before your departure flight back home. 

Included in the 18 Day Birding Safari in Uganda and Rwanda.

• Ground transportation in a safari customized 4WD Toyota Landcruiser with gasoline/fuel, 
• All birding excursions
• Refillable Water Bottles
• English-speaking Tour Guide
• Accommodation and Meals
• All Park Entrance Fees.

Excluded in the 18 Day Birding Safari in Uganda and Rwanda.

• International Airfares
• Uganda and Rwanda Entry Visa Fees
• Tips, and Gratuities for your Driver/guide and hotel staff
• Optional activities unless specified as included
• Any other services not expressly shown in the itinerary or indicated as included.