10 days Uganda gorillas and birding expedition will take you through Uganda’s captivating diverse landscapes and the country’s beautiful National Parks to encounter various wildlife. You will encounter the most sought after bird type known as the shoebill stork and several other bird species that attract birders to explore Uganda’s Important Bird Areas. Meet the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat whereas you encounter much other wildlife on exploring the country’s stunning National Parks such as Lake Mburo National Park, Kibale forest National Park known for its diverse Chimpanzee population, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park that harbors half of the world’s remaining mountain gorilla population.
Day 1: Arrival & Mabamba swamp birding
Your driver guide from Glory summit tours and travel will be waiting to receive you at the airport after which he will transfer you to your reserved hotel in Entebbe to check-in, relax a bit and have a day’s meal. He will take you through a briefing about your itinerary and immediately set off for Mabamba swamp where your birding expedition will commence. Mabamba wetland is one of Uganda’s most important birding sites harboring over 300 bird species with the elusive shoebill stork inclusive. This is a wetland of international importance where you should expect to spot several bird types on your guided canoe ride along the wetland for example the goliath heron, black crake, lesser jacana, orange weaver, black egret, papyrus Gonolek, black-faced rufous warbler, pied kingfisher, spur-winged goose to mention but a few. Return to your hotel in Entebbe to have your relaxed dinner and an overnight.
Day 2: Travel to Lake Mburo & afternoon boat cruise
Today morning have your relaxed breakfast, checkout and set off for your 4 hours’ drive to Lake Mburo National Park with a stopover at the equator line in Kayabwe to have an experience of where the earth is divided into two equal parts. You will have a good time here as you take photos at the equator monument and make visits to the craft shops around to buy some souvenirs. Arrival will be in the early afternoon to check-in at your booked lodge and have lunch. After lunch, you will head off for a boat cruise along Lake Mburo sailing amidst schools of hippopotamuses and colonies of various bird types. Expect to see bird species for example the malachite kingfisher, black-bellied bustard, pied kingfisher, bare-faced go away bird, papyrus Gonolek, saddle-billed stork, yellow-breasted Apalis, red-faced barbet, African fin foot, blue-breasted kingfisher, shoebill stork, southern ground hornbill to mention but a few. Retire off the boat cruise to be driven back to your lodge to have dinner and an overnight.
Day 3: Rubanga forest birding adventure & transfer to Kibale National Park
Have your breakfast very early in the morning and set off to explore Rubanga forest with the guidance of a ranger and an experienced birder guide. Rubanga forest is one of the Park’s relevant features harboring more than 40 bird species usually referred to as the forest birds. You should as well expect to encounter some water birds since this beautiful forest is located near River Rwizi. During your birding tour within Rubanga forest, expect to see several bird types for example the harrier hawk, double toothed barbet, grey-backed comeroptera, narina trogon, green pegion to mention but a few. You will as well spot several primates enjoy themselves in the forests for example red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus, olive baboons, vervet monkeys and many more after which you will return to your lodge to have lunch. After lunch, checkout and transfer to Kibale National Park arriving to check-in at your reserved lodge to have your dinner and an overnight.
Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking & Bigodi wetland sanctuary
Enjoy your scrumptious breakfast this early morning and be driven to the Park headquarters for a briefing about chimpanzee trekking. Hike into the Park’s dense forests with the guidance of your ranger guide expecting a thrilling chimpanzee troop encounter in their natural habitat. You will have an hour with the chimpanzees as you enjoy their playfulness, feeding habits and social interactions. Return to your lodge to have lunch after which you proceed for a guided walk with in the Bigodi wetland where you will encounter several other bird types and wildlife. This jungle swamp is a home to the great blue turaco and over 138 other bird species. You will look out for bird species for example hornbills, weaver birds, cuckoos, wax bills, king fishers, papyrus Gonolek to mention but a few. You will get back to your lodge for relaxation in the evening as you wait to have dinner and an overnight.
Day 5: Kibale forest nature walk & depart for Queen Elizabeth National Park
Today you will have your breakfast very early in the morning and report to Kanyanchu visitor’s center where you will be briefed by your professional ranger guide explaining the interesting wildlife you will encounter on your trail. You will set off to have an experience of walking under a closed canopy of ever green forests while having your eyes on forest bird types for example the black bee-eater, white napped pigeon, nahan’s partridge, African pitta, western nicator, lowland masked Apalis, black-caped Apalis to mention but a few. Adorable primates will as well be seen roaming the forests for example the olive baboons, blue monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkeys, De Brazza’s monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys to mention but a few. You will return to your lodge to have lunch after which you will checkout to embark on your drive to Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Day 6: Morning game drive & Birding around Mweya and Kazinga shores
Have your breakfast served today morning and hit the Park’s savannah plains for wildlife viewing. You will be driven along the Park’s tracks as you gaze at various animals for example lions, African elephants, buffaloes, hyenas, bushbucks, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, jackals, hippopotamuses to mention but a few. Several savannah bird species will as well be seen during your game drive after which you will return back to your lodge to have lunch. After lunch, head off for birding around Kazinga channel shores and Mweya peninsular. Queen Elizabeth National Park harbors over 600 bird species which is the most comprehensive checklist of any protected area in East Africa. Bird species to look out for include the African fish eagle, white-winged warblers, swamp fly-catcher, Nubian wood pecker, grey-headed kingfisher, swamp nightjar, Martins and many more. Return back to your lodge for dinner and an overnight.
Day 7: Birding at Maramagambo forest & Kazinga channel boat cruise
Wake up to a hefty breakfast transfer to Maramagambo forest located on the right side of the western arm of the rift valley along the Kichwamba escarpment. You will enjoy the presence of these forest birds in their natural habitat as you look out for bird species like the brown illadopsis, blue shouldered robin chat, African fin foot, black coucal, yellow billed barbet, red-fronted tinker bird and many more. Get back to your lodge to have lunch after which you will report to Kazinga channel for a boat cruise as you sail between schools of hippopotamuses and spot crocodiles lying along the Kazinga channel shores. Various bird types will as well be spotted for example the pin tailed whydah, king fishers, swamp nightjar, red-chested sun bird, cormorants, mouse bird and many more. Get back to the lodge to have dinner and an overnight.
Day 8: Transfer to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Grab yourself a cup of coffee and checkout to be transferred further in the south to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park with an en-route drive around the southern section of Queen Elizabeth National Park known as the Ishasha sector. This sector is known for harboring tree climbing lions that you will able to see hanging up in tree branches. You will continue with your drive to Bwindi with your lunch en-route along the way arriving in the late afternoon to check-in at your pre-arranged lodge. Have a relaxed evening at your lodge as you wait to have dinner and an overnight as you warmup for the most fascinating safari activity in the next morning.
Day 9: Gorilla trek & Birding within Bwindi forests
This day is unlocked with a hefty breakfast to be driven to the park headquarters with your packed lunch where you will catch up with a briefing about gorilla trekking etiquettes and safety. Having been allocated a gorilla family, you will hike through Bwindi’s misty forests with the help of ranger guides as you search for the gentle giants. Trekking the endangered mountain gorillas may last for about an hour to 6 hours depending on their movements. An hour is allowed with the gorillas after which you will have your lunch in the forests. Continue with your hikes in the forests as your attention turns to bird types as your birding guides helps you out in identifying several bird species for example African queen broadbill, rufous warbler, handsome francolin, Rwenzori turaco, regal sun bird and many more. Retire off the forests back to your lodge to have dinner and an overnight.
Day 10: Transfer to Kampala & departure
Today morning have your breakfast, checkout of the lodge in Bwindi to embark on your 9 to 10hours’ drive while you capture the tranquil beauty of the Kigezi area also known as the Switzerland of Uganda. You will have a stopover in Mbarara for your lunch after which you will make a visit to Igongo cultural center where you will have an insight into the Ankole tribal group that inhabits parts of western Uganda. You will proceed with your drive to Kampala arriving in the evening to be dropped off at a hotel in the city center or at the airport in Entebbe depending on the time for your departure flight.
