10 days Uganda Gorilla Trek and Birding Tour

Overview.

This tour will take you to most of the birding destinations starting with Semliki National Park through Kibale National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Bwindi and then ending with Lake Mburo National Park. While in Bwindi, take part in gorilla trekking, an experience that lasts for about hours including an hour in their presence.

While on this tour, expect to meet birds like the great blue Turacos, green-breasted pita, vultures, hawks, fish eagles, kingfishers, hornbills, pelicans, Egrets and many more. Enjoy the equator view at Kayabwe, a rift valley viewpoint at the foothills of the Rwenzori mountains.

Detailed Itinerary.

Day1. Pickup from Kampala/Entebbe and head to Semliki National Park, rift valley viewpoint

The driver guide will greet you with a smile and quickly take you through a briefing about this amazing tour. Begin the scenic journey which will take about 6 to 7 hours on the road. The landscape is covered with hills, mountains, Rift Valley scenery, tea plantations and more. Arrive in the evening and if time allows you will enjoy birding around your lodge.

Day2. Birding in Semliki and evening transfer to Kibale NP

Take a good time birding in this park which is known as the True Birders Haven and expect to meet birds like African Piculet, long-tailed hawk, red-sided broadbill, black-faced rufous warbler and lemon-bellied crombec, Lyre-tailed Honeyguide, Congo Serpent Eagle, Black-wattled Hornbill, Piapiac, Red-throated Bee-eater and many more others.

While birding, animals like black and white colobus monkeys, olive baboons, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, vervet, galagos and more will be seen.

In the evening, head to Kibale National Park home to over 350 unique bird species including the great blue Turacos, Green breastfed pita, Ross’ Turacos, Giant kingfishers and many more. Arrive and head to the lodge for your dinner and overnight stay.

Day3. Birding in Kibale forest and Bigodi Swamp

Begin the day early in the morning with breakfast and then head to Kibale National Park with a park ranger to begin searching for these birds where you expect to meet birds like the Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Black-capped Apalis, Collared Apalis, green breasted pitta, African pitta, crowned crane, black and white casqued hornbill, great blue Turacos and more others. While in the forest, you have a high chance of meeting chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, vervet monkeys, red colobus monkeys, L’hoest monkeys and many more primates.

In the afternoon, take a birding in Bigodi Swamp where you expect to meet Abyssinian ground thrush, Scaly-breasted illadopsis, Red-chested owlet, Grey parrot, Black-capped Apalis, Blue-breasted kingfisher, yellow-billed Barbet, papyrus gonolek, Great Blue Turaco, black and white colobus monkeys and many more others. While here meet the olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, red-tailed monkeys and more. Return to the lodge and end the day with dinner.

Day4. Transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park and birding on the boat cruise

Leave the lodge with a leisurely breakfast, you can do birding around the lodge, and transfer to Queen Elizabeth National Park, the birds’ paradise where migratory birds can be spotted. The journey to this park is through the crater lakes such as Kifuruka, Nyinambuga and many others. Arrive in Queen Elizabeth and take a boat tour in the afternoon to enjoy birds like the African shoebill, Pink-backed pelican, Yellow-billed stork, Malachite kingfisher, Fish eagle, Pied kingfisher and many more.

Day5. Full-day birding in Queen Elizabeth NP

Take a full day birding in the park where you expect to meet different birds such as the Great Blue Turaco, Gray-crowned crane, Long-Crested Eagle, Black-and-White-Casqued Hornbill, white-faced whistling Duck, Fulvous whistling Duck, Egyptian Goose, Garganey, Hottentot Teal, Hammerkop, African Jacana, Great Egrets and many more.

Day6. Head to Bwindi National Park

Leave Queen Elizabeth National Park and head to Bwindi National Park through the Ishasha sector. On the way, expect to meet birds like Grey woodpeckers, Long-crested eagles, Martial eagles, Broad billed roller, Striped Kingfisher, African White-backed Vulture, Hooded Vulture, Brown Snake Eagle, Palm-nut Vulture, Lappet-faced vultures and Ruppell’s Griffon Vulture and many more. Arrive and head to the lodge where you’ll also be able to see some birds flying around.

Day7. Gorilla trekking and birding

Wake up early, have your breakfast and then drive to park offices for a briefing about the gorilla trekking adventure. Here the park guide ranger will explain the rules and regulations, requirements for trekking, and assign park guides and porters if needed.

Begin the search for the gorilla family. You’ll later spend an hour after meeting the gorillas though the overall experience can take about 6 to 8 hours. While in the forest, expect to meet birds like African Blue and African Emerald cuckoos, White Tailed Blue Fly Catchers, the Common Bulbul and more.

In the evening, take a birding tour in the park where you expect to meet birds like the strip-breasted tit, African wood owl, guel’s rush warbler, the yellow-eyed black flycatcher, the African green pigeon, Black-crowned night Heron and many more others. Return to the lodge and this will mark the end of the day.

Day8. Transfer to Lake Mburo NP

Wake up and enjoy breakfast which will be followed by a transfer to Lake Mburo National Park, the smallest savannah national park in Uganda. It has amazing birds and wild animals such as impalas and zebras. Arrive and begin an evening birding tour where birds like Mosque swallow, Papyrus gonolek, Papyrus yellow Warbler, Red-faced barbet, Shoebill, Southern ground hornbill, Tabora cisticola and many more others. Reach the lodge and this will be the end of the day.

Day9. Birding in Lake Mburo NP

Take a full day birding in the park with the guidance of the park ranger or guide, you will encounter different birds like the African finfoot, Papyrus gonolek, Grey crowned crane, African fish eagle, Yellow-rumped tinker bird, Coqui Francolin, Bateleur, Rufous-bellied Heron, ground hornbill and more.

Day10. Transfer back to Kampala/Entebbe, equator view

Head back to Kampala with en route birding and also have a great time at the Uganda equator viewpoint. Take photos, buy souvenirs and probably have lunch at this point. Be dropped at the airport and this will mark the end of the tour.