8 Days Birding In Uganda Tour
3000$
per personOn this tour, you will have an opportunity to see the Shoebill, the Kingfisher, Open-billed Stork, Grey-crowned Crane, Wahlberg’s Eagle, Palm-nut Vulture, Black and White Casqued, Cuckoo Hawk, Bat Hawk, White-faced Scops Owl, African Grey and Brown Parrots, Red-faced Lovebird, Black-headed Gonolekas; as well as snakes. At Lake Victoria and Mabamba Swamp, your guide will paddle you out across the water-hyacinthy channels in a twelve-foot long canoe.
Uganda has over 1,100 bird species, much more than the whole of Europe combined. The tour visits Entebbe and areas around Lake Victoria, Mamamba Swamp and Queen Elizabeth Park. Birders could see up to 450 bird species, as well as other wildlife primates, game. The wetter months (February May and September November) are usually recommended for birding as most birds breed during this time and are more active and vocal.
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DepartureThis safari starts and finishes in Entebbe.
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Departure TimePlease arrive by 9:15 AM for a prompt departure at 9:30 AM.
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Return TimeApproximately 8:30 PM.
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Dress CodeCasual. Comfortable athletic clothing, hiking shoes, hat, light jacket.
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Include
From Our Gallery
Birding in Entebbe, Murchison Falls, Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth Park, Bwindi, Mgahinga and Lake Mburo with Gorillas.
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Day 1: Arrival
Arrival at Entebbe International Airport. Meet your local guide and transfer to Lake Victoria Windsor Hotel. (Birders who arrive in the early hours of the day will have a welcome birding afternoon around Entebbe Botanical Gardens).
Look out for Slender-billed Weaver, Brown-throated Weaver, Golden-backed Weaver, Yellow-backed Weaver, Grey-headed Gull, Long-tailed Cormorant, Common Squacco Heron, Yellow-billed Duck, Pied Kingfisher, Giant Kingfisher, Swamp Flycatcher, Broad-billed Roller, Black-and-white Casqued Hornbill, Splendid Starling, Black-headed Gonolek, Orange Weaver, Verreaux’s Eagle-owl, Red-chested Sunbird, Ross’s Turaco, Pied Hornbill, Crowned Hornbill, Open-billed Stork, Great Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Grey-caped Warbler and many others.
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Day 2: Birding in Entebbe
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Day 3: Birding in Mabamba Swamp
After an early breakfast, drive to Mabamba Swamp 50km west of Kampala. Stop enroute in Mpigi Swamp for papyrus rarities. Open your eyes for a White-winged Warbler, Papyrus Gonolek, Yellow-backed Weaver, Northern Brown-throated Weaver, Blue-headed Coucal, and other swamp specialities. Continue in Mabamba Swamp. Most of the birding is from on a canoe.
Look out for the Shoebill Stork both in the sky and down on the marsh. Also look out for the Swamp Flycatcher, African Purple Swamphen, African Water Rail, Common Moorhen, Lesser Jacana, African Jacana, African Pygmy Goose, White-faced Whistling-duck, Squacco Heron, Blue-breasted Bee-eater, Winding Cisticola, Goliath Heron and Black Crake to mention but a few. Return to your hotel for dinner and overnight stay.
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Day 4: To Queen Elizabeth National Park
Depart early in the morning for Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) as you bird en-route. Stop at Mbarara for lunch. QENP has over 600 recorded bird species. Serious birders may be interested to know that the one-day record for QENP is 296; one of the highest in the whole World. An excellent variety of species is seen here include pelicans, skimmers, kingfishers, thick-knees, storks, martins, swallows, weavers, raptors, canaries, kites, and many grassland specialties.
Birding in the park begins early in the morning on the open savannah. Return to the hotel for lunch. In the afternoon enjoy birding on a boat trip along the Kazinga Channel, which joins Lake Edward and Lake George. Return to the Buffalo Safari Lodge for Dinner and an overnight stay.
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Day 5: To Queen Elizabeth National Park
Depart early in the morning for Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) as you bird en-route. Stop at Mbarara for lunch. QENP has over 600 recorded bird species. Serious birders may be interested to know that the one-day record for QENP is 296; one of the highest in the whole World. An excellent variety of species is seen here include pelicans, skimmers, kingfishers, thick-knees, storks, martins, swallows, weavers, raptors, canaries, kites, and many grassland specialties.
Birding in the park begins early in the morning on the open savannah. Return to the hotel for lunch. In the afternoon enjoy birding on a boat trip along the Kazinga Channel, which joins Lake Edward and Lake George. Return to the Buffalo Safari Lodge for Dinner and an overnight stay.
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Day 6: Lake Mburo National Park
After an early breakfast, birding around the peninsular is very productive. Check out at 10:00am for Lake Mburo National Park. Your drive is punctuated with several stops to see the Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Crowned Plover, Wattled Lapwing, Southern Red Bishop, Variable Sunbird, African Harrier, several lark species and many others.
Enjoy the fabulous Long-horned Ankole cattle as you bird. Dinner and overnight at Mantana luxury tented camp with a nice view in Lake Mburo National Park. Enjoy the sounds of birds such as Morning Dove, Deidric cuckoo, Grey-capped Warbler, Black-headed Weaver, etc.
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Day 7: Lake Mburo National Park
Leave at dawn to get the African Finfoot on Lake Mburo before it disappears into the papyrus beds floating on the lake. Look out for the Brown-chested Lapwing, Lilac-breasted Roller, Carmine Bee-eaters, Black-bellied Bustard, Helmeted Guineafowl, Handsome Francolin, Rufous-naped Lark, vultures, eagles, kites and the like. Transfer to Entebbe.
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Day 8: Departure
Departure for Entebbe International Airport for your international flight.
Tour Location
Uganda has over 1,100 bird species, much more than the whole of Europe combined.
History of the Uganda
Uganda's history is marked by a transition from organized kingdoms to British colonial rule and ultimately to independence, followed by periods of internal conflict and political instability.
The country's borders, drawn in the late 19th century, encompassed diverse societies, including centralized Bantu kingdoms in the south and more decentralized Nilotic and Sudanic peoples in the north.
Early Kingdoms and Colonialism:
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Kingdoms:By the 11th century, organized kingdoms like Buganda, Bunyoro, and others emerged, based on agriculture, crafts, and trade.
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British Influence:British explorers and missionaries arrived in the late 1800s, followed by the establishment of the Uganda Protectorate in 1894. The British expanded control through treaties with other kingdoms, including Toro, Ankole, and Bunyoro.
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Colonial Economy:Commercial production of coffee, cotton, and copper was promoted to support British economic interests.
Independence and Post-Colonial Era:
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Independence:Uganda gained independence in 1962, with Milton Obote as the first Prime Minister.
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Political Instability:The early years of independence were marked by political tensions, including the abrogation of the 1962 constitution and the rise of military regimes.
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Obote and Amin:Prime Minister Obote declared himself President and later faced a coup led by Idi Amin, who ruled from 1971 to 1979.
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Museveni:Yoweri Museveni, after a period of interim government, came to power in 1986 and remains the current president.
Key Events and Figures:
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Buganda Kingdom:The kingdom of Buganda played a significant role in Uganda's history, initially granting autonomy and then experiencing tensions with the central government.
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Milton Obote:Uganda's first Prime Minister and later President, Obote was a key figure in the early years of independence.
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Idi Amin:Amin's military rule was a period of significant human rights abuses and instability.
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Yoweri Museveni:Museveni's long tenure as President has been marked by efforts to stabilize the country and promote economic development.
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History of Uganda - WikipediaIn 1894, Uganda became a protectorate of the British Empire, and in 1962, the United Kingdom granted independence to Uganda making...
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Uganda - WikipediaUganda gained independence in 1962, with Milton Obote as the first prime minister. ... In 1894, the Uganda Protectorate was establ...
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History of Uganda | Events, People, Dates, Maps, & Facts | Britannica28 Mar 2025 — The early history of Uganda, like much of sub-Saharan Africa, is a saga of movements of small groups of cultivators and...
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Our Gallery
Birding in Entebbe, Murchison Falls, Kibale Forest, Queen Elizabeth Park, Bwindi, Mgahinga and Lake Mburo with Gorillas.
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What is included in this tour?
Items that are included in the cost of tour price.
Price includes:
- 1 night at African Roots Guest House
- 2 Nights at Hotel Murchison River Lodge
- 1 Night at KonTiki hotel
- 2 Nights at Chimpanzee Forest Guest House
- 1 night at Semliki Safari Lodge
- 2 nights at Buffalo Safari Lodge
- 2 nights at Mutanda Lake Resort
- 1 night at Crater Bay Cottages
- 1 night at Mburo Safari Lodge
- All park Entrance fees
- Game drives
- 1 Gorilla Permit
- 1 Chimpanzee Permit for Kibale Forest
- Boat cruise on The River Nile in Murchison
- Boat cruise on Kazinga Channel
- Boat cruise on Lake Bunyonyi
- Boat cruise on Lake Mburo
- Vehicle for the tour
- Local guide fee
- Transfer in and Out
- Water
What is not included in this tour? Items that are not included in the cost of tour price. Price excludes:
- Meals in Entebbe or Kampala. Tour is on Full Board basis for the rest of the trip
- All flight ticket for clients
- Chimpanzee Permit (if required) for Budongo Forest, $95pp
- Alcoholic drinks and drinks off meal time
- Video camera and photographic fee
- Porter’s fee
- Tips and laundry
- Any other expenses apart from those described above including expenditures of a personal nature such as phone calls
Boma Guest House in Entebbe or to Hotel Africana or Bougainviller Hotel in Kampala Paraa Safari Lodge or Nile Safari Lodge Crown Hotel/Konteki Hotel Chimpanzee Forest Guesthouse Buffalo Safari Lodge/Mweya Lodge/Jacana Lodge Buhoma Homestead/Gorilla Resort/Bwindi Engagi Lodge Travellers Rest hotel Mburo Safari Lodge/Mihingo Lodge
