Uganda is home to over 1,050 bird species, which can be found across various habitats, from forests, swamps and agricultural lands to lakes and savannahs. These superb and diverse birding safaris in Uganda feature some of the wealthiest areas in Uganda for birds, appealing in particular to those who dream of seeing the amazing Shoebill, the exciting forest species of the ‘Albertine Rift’ and, of course, the incomparable Gorillas and Chimpanzees trekking.
2-hour sunset cruise on Lake Victoria
Visit Maramba Swamps – Shoebill Storks
Flight to Bwindi NP
Gorilla Trekking
Flight to Entebbe
Flight from Johannesburg to Entebbe Airport. At Entebbe, you will be welcomed by our friendly safari team and transferred to your hotel. Enjoy a 2-hour sunset cruise on Lake Victoria.
Stay: 2 Friends Beach Hotel
Room: Pool view room
Meals: Dinner & breakfast
After an early morning breakfast, drive to Mabamba Swamps. Upon arrival in Mabamba Swamp, you’ll meet your local guide. The canoe trip through the papyrus swamp will take you to the unscathed attractiveness of the wetlands, where you will have the highest chance of seeing Shoebill and other papyrus specialist birds like Saddle-billed Stork, Malachite Kingfisher, African Jacana, and other swamp specialities. In the afternoon, drive to airport for your flight to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home of the endangered mountain gorillas. You will be welcomed by your driver and transferred to your hotel.
Stay: Haven Lodge
Room: Standard room
Meals: Lunch, dinner & breakfast
Early morning departure from the lodge to the trailhead at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for your mountain gorilla trekking experience. After a comprehensive briefing about the aspects of gorilla behaviour, details about the gorilla family you’ll be trekking, and safety precautions, your adventure will start! Gorilla trekking can be strenuous, and a certain level of fitness is required. Coming face-to-face with a mountain gorilla is one of the most memorable wildlife encounters in Africa, if not the world. This is adequate time for photography and observing these great primates in their natural habitat. Afterward, you will return to the base where your driver will be waiting to transfer you to the lodge to enjoy leisure time or partake in the Batwa Experience (the cost will be for your account and is not included in your package). Known as the “Keepers of the forest” the enchanting Batwa pygmies of Bwindi are a hunter-gatherer tribe that has lived side-by-side with the wildlife of these parks for hundreds of years. The Batwa Experience is a hands-on historical and cultural encounter during which the Batwa demonstrate and describe their traditional way of life as hunter-gatherers.
Stay: Haven Lodge
Room: Standard room
Meals: Lunch, dinner & breakfast
Enjoy the morning at leisure, before your transfer to the Kihihi airstrip (about 1 hour from the lodge) for your flight to Entebbe Airport for your onward flight home.
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Valid until: 31 Dec ‘26
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INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS FROM SOUTH AFRICA:
International flights from Johannesburg are available on Air Uganda.
GORILLA PERMITS:
A vast wetland area on the northern shores of Lake Victoria, west of Entebbe, covering approximately 16,500 hectares. Designated as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance, it is one of the best places in Africa to see the rare shoebill stork. The swamps also support a rich diversity of birdlife, including papyrus gonolek, malachite kingfisher, and African jacana. Canoe excursions through the papyrus channels offer excellent birdwatching and chances to spot sitatunga antelope and other wetland species.
A 331 km² primeval rainforest in southwest Uganda, famous as a refuge for roughly half of the world’s mountain gorillas (several gorilla groups are habituated for visits). This UNESCO World Heritage Site is exceptionally biodiverse – the “Impenetrable Forest” lives up to its name with dense jungles harboring over 1,000 flowering plant species, 120 mammal species (from elephants and duikers to chimpanzees), and 350+ bird species, offering one of Africa’s richest ecosystems in a compact area.
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