23-Day Uganda Gorillas, Chimpanzees and Rare Birds Safari

Meet the guide on arrival in Entebbe and transfer to the agreed accommodation. With sufficient daylight after the flight, a Botanical Gardens session may introduce birds around the Lake Victoria shore and possible primates. Potential birds include Bat Hawk, turacos, hornbills, storks, African Grey Parrot and Pink-backed Pelican.

Take a morning boat excursion through Mabamba Swamp, with Shoebill and papyrus wetland birds as possible observations. The wider list includes Papyrus Canary, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Long-toed Lapwing, African Jacana, African Fish Eagle and African Marsh Harrier. Continue to Mabira Forest for rainforest birding.

Use the morning on a guided Mabira Forest walk, watching for birds and primates. Afterwards, turn east for the long road journey into Karamoja and the Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve area.

Explore Pian Upe’s dry savannah and woodland. Possible birds include White-billed Buffalo-Weaver, White-bellied Bustard, Red-and-yellow Barbet, Black-bellied Firefinch, Clapperton’s Francolin, Karamoja Apalis and Fox’s Weaver. Mammals may range from eland and giraffe to buffalo, topi and Uganda kob, while cheetah or leopard would be chance observations.

Travel through northeastern Uganda toward the Moroto area, using stops across open country and wetlands. Yellow-bellied Eremomela, Pygmy Batis, Jackson’s and Hemprich’s hornbills, Four-banded Sandgrouse, Fawn-coloured Lark, Bristle-crowned Starling and African Grey Flycatcher are listed possibilities.

Follow the Karamoja route north until reaching remote Kidepo Valley. Stops for birds or wildlife depend on the road schedule and current conditions, while wide savannah landscapes dominate the journey.

Spend the day on a wildlife drive across Kidepo’s savannah. Possible birds include Fox Kestrel, Pygmy Falcon, Abyssinian Roller, Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Secretarybird, Kori Bustard and dry-country weavers and barbets. Large mammals may include elephant, buffalo, lion, giraffe, zebra and spotted hyena.

Travel southwest from Kidepo to Murchison Falls National Park. Roadside and late-day birding may produce Black-headed Gonolek, Silverbird, Denham’s Bustard, Grey-headed Kingfisher and both Red-throated and Northern Carmine bee-eaters, alongside possible large mammals.

Survey Murchison Falls National Park by vehicle across the savannah, then shift to the Nile for a boat-based session. Hippos, crocodiles and varied waterbirds use the river, while raptors and large mammals may be encountered in the surrounding park.

Turn toward Masindi and bird Budongo Forest’s Royal Mile. Potential priorities include forest greenbuls, Grey-headed Oriole, Chestnut-capped Flycatcher, White-thighed Hornbill, Blue-throated Roller, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher and Nahan’s Partridge. Several monkey species are also possible.

Continue to Semuliki Valley National Park for lowland forest birding and possible primates. Listed bird possibilities include Red-headed Malimbe, Yellow-throated Nicator, Green-tailed Bristlebill, Piping Hornbill, Red-billed and Black Dwarf hornbills, and African Piculet.

Return to Semuliki’s forest during the morning, then make the journey to Kibale National Park. Available field time is balanced against road conditions, access and opportunities for bird or primate observations.

Join the guided chimpanzee-tracking activity in Kibale after permit confirmation. Other possible primates include red-tailed and blue monkeys, L’Hoest’s monkey, Uganda mangabey, ashy red colobus and black-and-white colobus. A nocturnal option is discussed separately for suitable dates.

Make Green-breasted Pitta a principal Kibale forest possibility. Shining-blue Kingfisher and White-throated Greenbul may also occur, together with Grey-throated Tit-Flycatcher and African Blue Flycatcher. Continue later to Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary; any evening activity depends on access and conditions.

Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park and explore the Kazinga Channel by boat. Possible waterbirds include Yellow-billed Stork, African Spoonbill, Black Crake, Goliath Heron, Malachite Kingfisher, African Fish Eagle and African Skimmer. Elephants, buffalo and hippos also use the wider park.

Explore Queen Elizabeth National Park’s Ishasha sector, where tree-climbing lions are possible. Listed birds include Long-crested Eagle, White-headed Barbet, White-headed and Hooded vultures, Grey Crowned Crane, Marsh Tchagra, Banded Snake Eagle and Green Woodhoopoe.

Enter Bwindi Impenetrable National Park on a guided mountain gorilla trek. Participation depends on a confirmed permit and park arrangements, while forest conditions and gorilla movements determine the walking time. Other possible forest wildlife includes duikers and several monkey species.

Bird the Buhoma trails for Albertine Rift and other forest species. Possible priorities include Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Great Blue Turaco, Equatorial Akalat, Black-faced Rufous Warbler, Blue-shouldered Robin-Chat, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Neumann’s Warbler and African Broadbill.

Work the forest corridor at The Neck and higher-elevation trails around Ruhija. Western Bronze-naped Pigeon, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Grey Apalis, Red-faced Malimbe, Mountain Sooty Boubou, Mountain Wagtail, African Black Duck and Black Bee-eater are among the listed possibilities.

Travel to Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and begin birding its montane habitats. Potential species include Purple-breasted Sunbird, Rwenzori Batis, Regal Sunbird, Handsome Spurfowl, Mountain Oriole, White-starred Robin, Dusky Crimsonwing and Mountain Buzzard.

Join golden monkey tracking when the required permit and arrangements are confirmed, then continue montane birding. Possible birds include Doherty’s Bushshrike, Mountain Masked Apalis, Red-throated Alethe, Blue-headed Sunbird, Rwenzori Double-collared Sunbird and Rwenzori Turaco.

Travel toward Lake Mburo with wetland birding stops. Carruthers’s Cisticola, White-winged Swamp Warbler, Papyrus Canary and Papyrus Gonolek are listed possibilities. A late boat excursion may add kingfishers, White-backed Night Heron and African Finfoot when timing and operating conditions allow.

Begin with the remaining Lake Mburo wildlife and birding time, then make the road journey to Entebbe and the confirmed departure. Possible mammals include eland, topi, waterbuck, buffalo, zebra and impala; birds may include Black-bellied Bustard, Black-headed Gonolek, African Grey Hornbill and Lilac-breasted Roller.