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This 22-day Uganda birding safari covers the country’s main habitats in one loop: Mabamba Swamp for the shoebill, the forests of Mabira, Budongo, Kibale and Semuliki, the Nile and savanna of Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth, and the Albertine Rift highlands of Bwindi and Lake Bunyonyi. With a specialist bird guide, keen birders can expect a trip list of 450–600 species, including many Albertine Rift endemics and Central African forest birds that are hard to see elsewhere in East Africa.
Uganda has recorded more than 1,000 bird species, and three weeks gives time to bird each habitat at dawn, when it matters most.
Uganda Birding Safari — 22-Days: A Journey Into the Feathered Soul of Africa
Days 1–3: Entebbe, Mabamba and the lakeshore
Day 1: arrive at Entebbe and bird the lodge grounds or lakeshore if time allows; black-headed gonoleks, African openbills and yellow-billed kites are common. Day 2: an early boat trip through the papyrus channels of Mabamba Swamp, on Lake Victoria west of Entebbe, the best-known place to see the shoebill, along with lesser jacana, papyrus gonolek and blue-breasted bee-eater. Day 3: Entebbe Botanical Gardens, with great blue turaco, orange weaver and other forest-edge birds, and, water levels permitting, Lutembe Bay for waterbirds and migrants. Read about where to see the shoebill.
Days 4–7: Mabira and Budongo forests
Days 4–5: Mabira Forest, east of Kampala, an accessible lowland forest with forest wood-hoopoe, red-tailed bristlebill, many greenbuls and, with luck, the rare Nahan’s partridge. Days 6–7: Budongo Forest Reserve, south of Murchison Falls. The famous Royal Mile, an old forest road through tall mahoganies, is one of Uganda’s best birding walks, with chocolate-backed and African dwarf kingfishers, yellow-footed flycatcher and the localised Puvel’s illadopsis, found in East Africa only here.
Days 8–10: Murchison Falls and the Albertine escarpment
Days 8–9: Murchison Falls National Park, with game drives on the northern savanna for Abyssinian ground hornbill and other dry-country birds, and a boat trip on the Nile, where red-throated bee-eaters nest in the riverbanks, rock pratincoles perch on the rocks and shoebills are sometimes seen in the delta. See our guide to Murchison Falls National Park. Day 10: a long travel day south via Hoima, birding wetlands and farmland along the way.
Days 11–15: Kibale, Semuliki and Fort Portal
Days 11–12: Kibale Forest National Park, best known for chimpanzees but also home to more than 370 bird species, including the green-breasted pitta, which birders search for in the early rains. Chimpanzee tracking can be added; the permit costs US$250, rising to US$300 from 1 January 2027. See our guide to chimpanzee tracking in Kibale.
Days 13–14: Semuliki National Park on the Congo border, a lowland forest that is an extension of the Congo Basin and the best place in Uganda for Central African species such as Nkulengu rail, Congo serpent eagle, Hartlaub’s duck and several hornbills. Birding here is hot, humid and slow, and very rewarding. Day 15: the crater lakes around Fort Portal, with rolling hills, tea estates and birds of forest edges and farmland.
Days 16–19: Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi
Days 16–17: Queen Elizabeth National Park, with game drives and a boat trip on the Kazinga Channel, where kingfishers, African skimmers, waders and huge numbers of waterbirds share the banks with hippos and buffalo. Days 18–19: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home to around 350 bird species, including most of Uganda’s Albertine Rift endemics. Ideally, spend at least one day at Ruhija, where the trail to Mubwindi Swamp is the place to look for African green broadbill, and another in the lower forest at Buhoma. See our guide to the Ruhija sector.
Days 20–22: Lake Bunyonyi and return
Days 20–21: Lake Bunyonyi, a calm lake of islands and terraced hills, for relaxed birding by canoe and on the shore, with grey crowned cranes in nearby wetlands. The nearby Echuya Forest is worth a visit for montane species and Grauer’s swamp warbler in its swamp. See our Lake Bunyonyi guide. Day 22: a long drive back to Entebbe, or a flight from Kisoro, in time for an evening departure.
Adding gorillas
Many birders add a gorilla trek in Bwindi. A permit costs US$800, or US$600 in April, May and November, and the trek takes a full morning or longer, so add an extra day rather than giving up a birding day. Book the permit early, as it sets the dates for the rest of the trip.
When to go and what to bring
Birding is good all year. From November to April, Palearctic migrants add to the list, and many residents breed and are in full plumage during the rains; the drier months of June to August and December to February make forest trails easier. Bring good binoculars, a camera with a long lens, rain gear, waterproof boots and a field guide to the birds of East Africa or a birding app. A specialist bird guide makes a huge difference, especially in the forests, where many birds are found by call. Our guide to Uganda birding tours covers sites and guides.
Frequently asked questions
With a specialist guide, keen birders often record 450–600 species on a three-week trip.
Mabamba Swamp near Entebbe is the most reliable; the Murchison Falls delta is another option.
Birding is good all year. November to April brings migrants and many breeding birds; the drier months make forest trails easier.
Yes. Add a day in Bwindi for the trek; the permit costs US$800, or US$600 in April, May and November.
