12 Day Uganda Birding, Primates and Wildlife Safari

On arrival at Entebbe International Airport, meet your Kenzi Safaris representative and safari guide who will welcome you to Uganda.

Transfer to your hotel in Entebbe, check in and spend some time relaxing after your flight.

Depending on your arrival time, head to the Entebbe Botanical Gardens for your first birding experience.

Walk through the gardens while looking for some of the bird species found around the Lake Victoria region.

Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, meet your safari guide and travel towards Mabamba Wetland on the shores of Lake Victoria.

Mabamba is one of Uganda’s important wetland birding areas and is particularly known as a location where birders can search for the shoebill.

Board a traditional canoe with a local birding guide and explore the wetland channels.

Keep watch for the shoebill and other wetland species while slowly moving through the papyrus and open-water areas.

Spend the morning birding before returning to meet your driver-guide.

Continue towards Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, with lunch along the way.

Arrive later in the day, check in at your lodge and relax for the evening.

After breakfast, meet the ranger guides at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for a briefing before beginning your rhino tracking experience.

Walk through the sanctuary with an experienced ranger while searching for rhinos and learning about their behaviour and conservation.

After the experience, meet your driver-guide and begin the journey towards Kibale Forest National Park.

Enjoy lunch along the way and continue birding whenever suitable opportunities arise during the journey.

Arrive in the Kibale region later in the day.

Depending on your arrival time, enjoy some birding around the forest edge before checking in at your lodge.

Begin early for a dedicated birding experience in Kibale Forest National Park.

One of today's main targets is the Green-breasted Pitta, alongside other forest species.

Explore the forest with an experienced birding guide while looking and listening for species such as the African Pitta, Black Bee-eater, African Grey Parrot, Blue-breasted Kingfisher, Western Nicator, Yellow-rumped Tinkerbird, Brown-chested Alethe and other forest birds.

Return for lunch and some time to relax.

Later, visit Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary for another guided birding walk.

Explore the wetland, forest edge and surrounding vegetation while looking for birds, monkeys, butterflies and other wildlife.

Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, transfer to the chimpanzee trekking starting point in Kibale Forest National Park.

Meet your ranger guide for a briefing before entering the rainforest in search of a habituated chimpanzee community.

The trek also provides further opportunities to experience Kibale's forest environment and primate life.

Once the chimpanzees are located, spend the permitted viewing time observing their behaviour as they feed, communicate, groom and move through the forest.

After trekking, return to your lodge for lunch before checking out.

Continue towards Queen Elizabeth National Park, with birding opportunities along the journey where possible.

Arrive at your lodge, check in and relax for the evening.

Begin the day early with a lion tracking and wildlife experience in Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Explore the Kasenyi area while looking for lions and other wildlife, including elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs, waterbucks, warthogs and other savannah species.

Birding will continue during the drive, giving you an opportunity to search for some of the species associated with the park's open grasslands and woodland habitats.

Return to the lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon, head to the Kazinga Channel for a boat safari.

The boat trip provides an excellent opportunity to combine birding with wildlife viewing.

Look for different water birds and other species along the shoreline while also watching for hippos, Nile crocodiles, elephants, buffaloes and other animals coming to the water.

Return to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

After breakfast, leave Queen Elizabeth National Park and begin your journey towards Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

Travel through the Ishasha sector, with opportunities for wildlife and birding along the way.

Ishasha is particularly known for its tree-climbing lions, although sightings depend on the natural movements of the animals.

Continue towards Bwindi with lunch along the way.

On arrival, head out for an afternoon or evening birding experience around the forest and waterfall trail.

Search for forest species including the Bar-tailed Trogon, Purple-breasted Sunbird and other birds associated with the Bwindi forest ecosystem.

Later, transfer to your lodge for dinner and overnight.

After an early breakfast, collect your packed lunch and transfer to the designated park headquarters for your mountain gorilla trekking experience.

Meet the ranger guides for a briefing before entering Bwindi's rainforest in search of your assigned habituated gorilla family.

The trek can take several hours depending on the location of the gorillas and the conditions of the forest trails.

Once the gorillas are located, spend the permitted viewing time observing them in their natural environment.

After your gorilla encounter, trek back to the starting point and meet your driver-guide.

Continue towards Kisoro, with birding stops along the journey where time allows.

The drive takes you through beautiful southwestern Uganda towards the Virunga region.

Arrive at your lodge in the evening for dinner and overnight.

Gorilla Trekking Note

Gorilla trekking involves walking through natural rainforest and mountainous terrain.

The duration and difficulty of the trek varies depending on the location of your assigned gorilla family.

A reasonable level of fitness is recommended, and local porters are available to carry backpacks and provide assistance along more challenging sections of the trail.

After an early breakfast, transfer to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for a full day dedicated to birding.

Explore different habitats within the park with an experienced birding guide.

The Virunga and Albertine Rift environment provides opportunities to search for species including the Regal Sunbird, Purple-breasted Sunbird and other regional forest and mountain birds.

Enjoy your packed lunch during the birding experience and continue exploring the park in the afternoon.

Later in the day, return to your lodge while continuing to watch for birds along the route.

After breakfast, return to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for your golden monkey trekking experience.

Meet your ranger guides for a briefing before entering the forest.

Trek through the bamboo vegetation while searching for a habituated golden monkey troop.

Once the golden monkeys are located, spend the permitted viewing time observing them as they feed, jump between bamboo stems and interact.

After the experience, return to the starting point and meet your driver-guide.

Begin your journey towards Lake Mburo National Park, continuing to watch for birds during suitable stops along the way.

Arrive later in the day, check in at your lodge and relax.

After breakfast, head into Lake Mburo National Park for a morning combining birding and wildlife viewing.

Explore the park with your guide while looking for different bird species alongside wildlife such as zebras, giraffes, impalas, buffaloes and other animals.

Return to your lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon, head out onto Lake Mburo for a boat safari.

The boat provides another rewarding birding experience, particularly for species associated with the lake and its shoreline.

You may also encounter hippos and other wildlife around the water.

Later in the day, enjoy additional birding as you return towards your lodge.

After breakfast, check out of your lodge and begin your journey towards Entebbe.

Continue birding during suitable stops along the route while enjoying the landscapes of central Uganda.

Stop at the Equator in Kayabwe for photographs, refreshments and an opportunity to browse locally made crafts.

Continue towards Entebbe.

Depending on your international flight schedule, you may make another visit to the Entebbe Botanical Gardens for a final birding experience.

Your Kenzi Safaris driver-guide will then transfer you to your hotel or Entebbe International Airport for your departure flight.

This marks the end of your 12-Day Uganda Birding, Primates & Wildlife Safari.