15-days Birding Uganda and Wildlife Adventure will include Uganda’s most know birding destination and wildlife experience which includes, Rhino tracking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, Boat safari to the Murchison Falls, Chimp tracking in Kibale, Game-viewing drives in Queen Elizabeth, ultimate gorilla trekking in Bwindi National Park.

Day 1: Arrive at Entebbe Airport and Transfer to the hotel.

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, you will be met by our professional tour guide who will warmly welcome you into the Pearl of Africa and later drive you to check in at your hotel in Entebbe or Kampala.

Day 2: Visit the Mabamba Swamp.

Early transfer to Mabamba Swamp, 50 km west of Kampala. Mabamba Swamp is one of the best places to spot the rare Shoebill Stork. But also, many other species can be found here, like the Allen’s Gallinule, Grey herons, African Water Rail, Goliath, Purple and a variety of egrets and ducks. The best way to enjoy the rich birdlife is by canoe. In the afternoon visit the Botanical gardens the best place in Entebbe to spot many species of birds, tropical trees, plants, flowers, butterflies and monkeys in abundance along Lake Victoria. Have the afternoon at leisure.

Day 3: Transfer from Entebbe to Murchison Falls National Park. Approx. 350km/6-7hrs drive.

Today we will depart for the most beautiful, protected area in Uganda: Murchison Falls National Park. Enroute we will make a stop at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, home to the only wild rhinos in Uganda. The reserve was created to reintroduce rhinos to the country which had been extinct since 1982. Together with a guide you will track the rhinos and observe them in their habitat at a very close and safe distance.

Have lunch at the Rhino sanctuary and thereafter we will drive to Murchison Falls National Park and drive for an hour deeper into the National Park to the site of Murchison Falls after which the park is named – one of Uganda ‘s most beautiful sights. If time allows, you will be able to visit to Top of the falls for a first view of the magnificent waterfalls. Check in at your lodge for dinner and overnight. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 4: Morning game drive in Murchison Falls National Park

After an early breakfast we start the day with a game drive on the northern bank of the Nile, with chances of seeing Nubian Giraffe, elephants, lions, Lelwel’s Hartebeest, Oribis, Waterbucks, different species of the savannah woodland birds, and if lucky even the elusive leopard to top the Africa’s “The Big 5” amongst a multitude of African plains game before returning to your lodge for lunch.

In the afternoon, enjoy a Nile launch cruise to the bottom of the water falls for game viewing at close quarters. Visit the top of the falls. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 5: Game drives in Murchison Falls National Park

Morning delta cruise and afternoon game drive. Optional chimp trekking in Budongo Forest at an extra cost.

Day 6: Transfer from Murchison Falls NP – Kibale Forest National Park.

After breakfast, check out and drive south to Fort Portal, with lunch (packed) enroute. Fort portal rests in the shadow of the fabled ‘Mountains of the Moon’ and is famous for her many tea plantations.

Continue into Kibale National Park arriving at the lodge in time for dinner and overnight. Kibale Forest National Park is an extensive Biodiversity National Park in South Uganda and also known as the “Primate Paradise” has one of the greatest varieties and concentration of primates in Africa including our famous cousins the Chimpanzee, Red Colobus Monkeys, Vervet Monkeys, L’Hoest’s, Black-and- White Colobus and the Olive Baboons. There is also a wide array of unique birds, forest elephants (smaller and hairier than the more familiar savannah elephant) and much more.

Day 7: Chimpanzee Tracking in Kibale Forest – afternoon Bigodi Swamp

Today the forest opens its doors for a sensational chimpanzee tracking experience. Following the pre-tracking briefing, you will walk or drive to the trailhead for the start of an unforgettable adventure – hiking in the footsteps of the habituated family of chimpanzees.

Enroute, your guide will enthrall you with stories and facts about the forest and her other inhabitants including other species of primates and birds and other big mammals. Upon sighting the chimpanzees, you will spend an unforgettable one hour with them as they go about their daily life – feeding, playing, grooming, taking care of their young, howling and screeching, in their natural habitat.

Return back to the lodge for lunch then in the afternoon enjoy a guided nature walk through the Bigodi wetland. Bigodi Swamp Walk is an initiative of the local community and is known for its rich diversity of birds and primates. The path and board walk maybe flooded and muddy after heavy rainfall and gumboots are recommended. The walk is about 4km in length taking 3-4 hours at birding pace with local community guides. All proceeds from eco- tourism go back to into the community, a conservation project well worth supporting. Later return to the lodge.

Day 8:  Crater lakes and afternoon at leisure

Visit the crater lakes in Kibale and have the afternoon at leisure. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 9: Transfer from Kibale – Queen Elizabeth National Park. Approx. 185km / 3hrs drive

After an early breakfast, you will proceed south alongside the majestic Rwenzori ‘Mountains of the Moon’ to Queen Elizabeth National Park. You will arrive in time for lunch and an afternoon game drive. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 10: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise

The day begins early when we start with a morning game drive and head to the mating ground of the Uganda kobs. We search for lions, elephants, buffaloes and other wild animals in their natural habitat. In the afternoon we take on a boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel, a natural channel between Lake Edward and Lake George. The channel is 33 km long and 2-3 km at its widest points.

The scheduled 2-hour boat ride (beverages and snacks included!) will cover a 12-14 km stretch of the channel, with almost guaranteed excellent wildlife sightings including multitudes of hippopotamus – possibly the world’s highest concentration – Nile crocodiles, wallowing buffaloes on its reedy banks, elephants, and birdlife. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 11:  Game drive in Ishasha Sector, game drive with sundowner

After your Exquisite breakfast, you will depart the northern part of QENP and drive to the southern section of Queen Elizabeth National Park in search of the tree climbing lions, with a game drive through the Ishasha side in search of the tree climbing lions It is a beautiful route with the Rwenzori Mountains on your right side and the green valley on the left this is one of the most amazing scenic views you will experience, getting there in time for lunch and some rest.

Later on, you will enjoy another game drive in search of the tree climbing lions, returning back in time for a beautiful sundowner at the lodge as you watch the sun go down. Later return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Day 12: Game drive in Ishasha sector.

Morning and afternoon game drive in Ishasha in search of the tree climbing lions. Dinner and overnight stay.

Day 13: Queen Elizabeth – Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Approx. 100km/1hr drive

You will wake to a game drive in the wilderness while enjoying the sunrise that the wild has to offer, after your drive you will be amused to a bush breakfast set out in the heart of the park. After this check out and head further south to Bwindi National Park, home of the gorillas. Upon arrival check in and relax at the lodge. Later return to the lodge for dinner and overnight stay.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, home of the rare but critically endangered Mountain Gorillas (gorilla beringei beringei), lies on the edge of the Albertine Rift Valley in south-western Uganda, with a wide altitude range between 1,160m and 2,600m. The forest itself, dating back to the ice ages, is one of Uganda’s oldest and ecologically most diverse with almost 400 species of plants, 350 species of birds including 23 Albertine Rift endemics as well as 120 mammal’s species including lots of smaller ones like rodents and bats but also the Gorillas, Baboons, Elephants and Antelopes.

Day 14: Gorilla Tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable (3 to 8 hours)

Arise early today and prepare for an amazing adventure, an unforgettable encounter with the gentle giants of Bwindi! Following breakfast, transfer to the park offices where participants are divided into groups of 8 and allocated a gorilla family as well as a tracking guide. Please remember to bring your passport for registration, appropriate, waterproof hiking boots and a light raincoat. To protect from stinging nettles, we recommend long pants and long-sleeved tops. A pair of old gardening gloves can help grabbing onto the vegetation while most hotels/lodges provide a walking stick that come in very handy especially when hiking downhill.

A small waterproof backpack is an excellent idea to carry a light snack, bottled water as well as protection for your camera. After a pre-tracking briefing by your guide (touches on the gorillas generally, your assigned gorilla family as well as appropriate safety precautions), you drive to the trailhead for the start of your thrilling adventure – participants can expect to walk long distances in steep and sometimes muddy conditions with rain overhead, which can be tough and require a degree of fitness.

Granted, the time taken can be quite unpredictable taking anything from 2 to 8hrs or longer however the thrill of coming face to face with a giant Mountain Gorilla silverback will more than compensate for the effort in their quest. Upon sighting the gorillas, you spend the allowed one hour with them as they go about their daily life; feeding, moving, playing, raising their young and sometimes wrestling by the juveniles – it is a totally unique and unforgettable experience!

NB: Coming face to face with a giant Mountain Gorilla must truly be the most genuinely breathtaking wildlife experience on earth.

Afterwards, you hike back to base where your Driver will be waiting to transfer you to the lodge for a deserved shower and lunch or dinner depending on the time taken on the trek.

Day 15:  Fly to Entebbe and Departure

After breakfast, transfer to Kihihi Airstrip for your morning domestic flight to Entebbe ETD 09h45 ETA 11h25, transfer to the ldoge for a day room. Later transfer to Entebbe Airport, connect with your international flight back home.