24 Days Uganda and Rwanda Birding: Savannas and Albertine Forests

Meet the guide at Entebbe International Airport and transfer to the hotel. An afternoon visit to the Botanical Gardens introduces birds of the lake shore and mature trees, with about four hours allocated to birding. Look for turacos, hornbills and kingfishers, and watch for monkeys. Stay at Boma Hotel Entebbe.

Spend about four morning hours searching Mabamba’s channels for Shoebill, jacanas and papyrus birds. After lunch, travel to Masindi, allowing approximately four to five hours. Nyabyeya birding in the evening is optional if time and energy permit. Overnight at Masindi Hotel.

Use the morning for approximately four hours in Nyabyeya’s grassland and woodland. In the afternoon, switch to Budongo’s Royal Mile for forest birds such as Ituri Batis, Chocolate-backed Kingfisher and White-thighed Hornbill. Monkeys and possible chimpanzee encounters add interest. Return to Masindi Hotel.

Bird on the way through the Butiaba Escarpment, allowing three to four hours to the park gate plus the drive inside. The morning search covers dry bush, grassland and rocky habitat. A planned 4 p.m. cruise approaches the falls, with attention to river birds and wildlife. Stay at Bamboo Village Lodge.

Explore the northern bank on morning and afternoon drives, with around four hours allocated to each session. Search for Abyssinian Ground Hornbill, Denham’s Bustard, bee-eaters and raptors while watching for giraffe, elephant and antelope. Use the afternoon to cover additional areas before returning to Bamboo Village Lodge.

Allow a final two-hour morning birding session before the drive toward Kibale, estimated at five to six hours. After arrival, look for forest-edge birds around the lodge rather than adding another distant excursion. Stay at Chimpanzee Forest Lodge.

Start early with a local ranger guide for four to six hours in Kibale, concentrating on Green-breasted Pitta and other forest birds. After lunch, spend about three to four hours at Bigodi with a site guide. Look for Great Blue Turaco, barbets, kingfishers and papyrus birds alongside the primates. Return to Chimpanzee Forest Lodge.

Travel roughly one and a half to two hours toward Semuliki and take a packed lunch for an extended forest day with a ranger guide. Search for hornbills, malimbes, African Piculet and other lowland specialties. Very elusive birds such as Nkulengu Rail and Long-tailed Hawk remain difficult possibilities. The program allows a lodge in the Kibale or Semuliki area for the night.

Leave early for Queen Elizabeth, an estimated two-and-a-half-to-three-hour journey. Combine a Kasenyi game drive with a Kazinga Channel cruise after lunch; a private boat is an optional arrangement. Watch for pelicans, storks, eagles and mammals along the water. Stay at Bush Lodge.

Bird in Queen Elizabeth through the morning, then transfer after lunch to Lake Mburo, allowing approximately three to four hours. An evening or night drive is optional for owls, nightjars and nocturnal mammals. Stay at Hyena Hill Lodge or Rwakobo Rock.

Spend the morning exploring acacia and savanna habitat, with a sustained birding session of around six hours. A roughly two-and-a-half-hour boat outing and lakeshore birding follow later. Search for Red-faced Barbet, Tabora Cisticola and water-associated species. Return to the same lodge.

Make the six-to-seven-hour birding transfer from Lake Mburo toward Buhoma through the Kigezi highlands. After settling in, look for birds around the lodge and forest edge. Sunbirds, turacos and greenbuls are among the possibilities. Stay at Ride 4 a Woman Lodge.

Dedicate morning and afternoon to Buhoma’s forest, with more than eight hours planned for the day. Search slowly through the vegetation for forest specialties and mixed bird activity. Gorilla tracking is separate from the birding day; incidental gorilla encounters are not expected. Overnight again at Ride 4 a Woman Lodge.

Bird through the Neck during the move toward Ruhija, with an estimated one-and-a-half-to-two-hour transfer before stops. Continue to look for birds along the route, then use the evening for the school trail or further time at the Neck. Stay at Bakiga Lodge.

Set aside a full, intensive day for Ruhija’s montane birdlife, with morning and afternoon exploration. Search for Albertine Rift specialties in the forest and suitable associated habitat. The day provides time to pursue difficult birds before returning to Bakiga Lodge.

Use the morning for roadside birding around Ruhija, with about five hours planned. After lunch, transfer to Kisoro, a drive estimated at three to four hours. Stay at Travellers Rest, the base for the Mgahinga visit.

Spend a long birding day in Mgahinga, focusing on the Sabinyo Gorge trail and montane habitat. The search includes another set of Albertine Rift specialties. Golden monkey trekking is optional and must be arranged around the birding program. Return to Travellers Rest in Kisoro.

Travel to Kigali, allowing approximately three to five hours including the border crossing. After checking in, visit Nyandungu for wetland and woodland birding during the afternoon or evening. Kigali accommodation options include Heaven Lodge, Hotel des Mille Collines and Lemigo Hotel.

Drive from Kigali toward Akagera, estimated at two and a half to three hours. Spend the day combining game drives with focused birding stops around savanna, lakes and wetlands. A Lake Ihema boat trip is optional. Stay at Akagera Transit Lodge.

Continue birding in the park during the morning, revisiting areas or searching for species still to be found. After lunch, return to Kigali on an approximately two-and-a-half-to-three-hour drive. Overnight in one of the listed Kigali hotel options.

Travel through Rwanda’s hills and tea-growing landscapes toward Nyungwe, allowing about five to six hours. Use the arrival afternoon for birding near the lodge and forest edge, with approximately four hours planned if the journey allows. Stay at Ken-Barham Hotel.

Spend two full days exploring Nyungwe, with roughly eight hours of birding planned on each day. The route includes Uwinka and Kamiranzovu-area trails, targeting Albertine Rift specialties and montane forest birds. Look for Rwenzori Turaco, sunbirds, apalises and forest babblers while allowing time for difficult sightings.

Use the morning for a final forest session, with about four hours available for accessible trails or missed birds. After lunch, make the five-to-six-hour return transfer to Kigali International Airport. The flight schedule needs to allow for this final overland journey.