The tour focus is on birds, wildlife, beautiful landscape and culture in the Eastern Uganda through the Shoebill site, Entebbe botanical gardens, Mabira Forest, Mt Elgon forest, Pian Upe national reserve, Matheneko National Reserves, Ziwa Rhino Ranch and the most isolated true African wilderness —The Kidepo Valley National Park.
You’ll be collected from the airport.
Accommodation before the tour starts can be arranged for an extra cost.
Day 1
Morning mabamba shoebill watching, afternoon birding at Entebbe botanical gardens
You’ll spend the day birding at Mbamba Swamp and the Entebbe neighborhood gardens.
Local communities protect one of the few remaining productive wetlands in Uganda – the mabamba wetland. Extensive papyrus swamp with labyrinth channels and lagoons,classified as Uganda important bird area, it’s a home of multiple shoebills-Uganda’s most famous avian resident and the only representative in its family.
Shoebill is only traced by canoeing through the channels with a wooden boat. Other likes of Mabamba include; papyrus gonolek, blue-breasted bee-eater, lesser Jacana, African Jacana, white-winged black tern, grey-headed gull, African skimmers, little egret, long-toed lapwing, spur-winged lapwing and a few more.
You spend the whole afternoon the Entebbe botanical gardens hanging out for; great blue turaco, Ross’s turaco, saddle-billed stork, golden-backed weaver, yellow-backed weaver, orange weaver, African palm-swift, winding cisticola, African Grey Parrot, white-faced owl, wood owl.
Day 2-3
Birding at mabira forest forest
You will drive Entebbe area to mabira area, lunch at the hotel and start birding with the site guide in the afternoon on day 2 and day 3 full birding.
The forest boasts over 350 bird species, and its diverse ecosystems provide a home for bothforest and woodland birds. While on your birding tour in Mabira Forest Reserve, expect to spot birds such as the African grey parrot, Nahan’s francolin, or the vibrant blue-throated roller, splendid glossy-starling, northern brown-throated weaver, slender-billed weaver, scaly francolin, green-backed heron, tawny-franked prinia, black and white-casqued hornbill, back kite, yellow-fronted tinkerbird, saddle-billed stork, open-billed stork, marabou stork, grey-caped warbler, pied crow, little egret, black-headed heron, cattle egret, spotted-backed weaver and many more.
Day 4
Birding tansfer close to mount Elgon forest
You’ll enjoy birding in the morning at Mabira Forest to pick a few species that you could have missed on the previous day of birding. Later after breakfast, you’ll drive straight to the Mount Elgon National Park area, and have a lunch break at Mbale town. Early arrivals will give you a chance to stroll around the lodge and pick a few species.
Day 5
Forest Birding at Kapkwai Forest Exploration Center
You’ll enjoy birding and wildlife viewing. Mount Elgon’s forests are rich in birds, with a list of over 300 species. The park harbors 43 of the 144 species of Guinea–Congo Forests biome and 56 of the 88 species of Afro-tropical Highland biome that occur in Uganda. There are isolated records of the near-threatened species, the Taita falcon and others like East A frican spotted creeper that our colleague (Davis Kibuga) just recently spotted after many years of record, Hartlaub’s Turaco, Golden-winged Sunbird, and other any more.
Day 6
Sipi Falls, Afternoon Pian-Upe Game Reserve
Today morning, you will do limited birding around the lodge as you connect the Sipi Falls area for epic falls viewing and photography for those who are willing to. You’ll have a lunch break at the Sipi Falls area before you transfer to the Pian Upe Game Reserve. Early arrival will give you a chance to pick a few species here before you report at the lodge.
Day 7
Birding at Pian-Upe Wildlife Reserve
You will wake up early for breakfast and start from the lodge birding into the park with the aid of an armed ranger guide. You’ll be birding here for the whole day. The highlights of this park are not limited to fox’s weaver (the only Ugandan endemic species), Karamoja Apalis, yellow-necked francolin, dark chanting gosh-hawk, rufous chatterer, Boran cisticola, and many other birds and mammals like elands, buffalos, cheetahs if you get chance for it. You’ll have a hot lunch at the bandas.
Day 8
Birding at Matheniko Wildlife Reserve
Today, you will have both breakfast and lunch packed and drive to the Matheniko Reserve area. You will have breakfast as you pick some birds at the UWA headquarters compound. After breakfast, you will embark on serious birding in the park lookout for; straw-tailed, Eastern paradise, pin-tailed, steel-blue wydahs, chestnut sparrows, white-headed and red-billed buffalo weavers, and many other species. Mammals like lesser kudu and dik diks are also highlights of this park.
Day 9
Birding and Wildlife Transfer to Kidepo Valley National Park and game drive in the Evening
You’ll enjoy birding with a packed lunch while driving to Kidepo National Park. You will drive and en route birding with limited stops to stretch and look at birds. Early arrival will give you a chance to do an evening game drive introduction and pick a few species like foxy cisticola, brown-crowned Tchagra, and other birds. Mammals like topi, zebras, and elephants also pause for the pictures.
Day 10
Birding and Wildlife Game Drive at Kidepo Valley National Park (optional night game drive)
Very early morning, you will start your game drive birding to the Kidepo river. You will start and end with the aid of the ranger guide with a picnic lunch. Looking for species like the beautiful sunbird, Clapperton’s francolin, lesser blue-eared starling, superb starling, yellow-billed shrike, Abyssinian roller, etc. At night you may decide to do game drive for nocturnal species like Leopard, porcupines etc.
Day 11
Birding and Drive to Gulu Town Dinner and Overnight Stay
Early morning after breakfast, you will do a short game drive until mid-day as you head to the Narus Valley side. You may not reach the valley because the target is to try out what you missed the previous day. Later after lunch, you will drive to Gulu town. You’ll have dinner and an overnight stay there.
Day 12
Drive back to Entebbe with a Detour at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
This will be quite a long journey with a detour to Ziwa Rhino Ranch. You will wake up early to drive with limited birding stops along the way. Lunch break at Ziwa Restaurant. You’ll have optional rhino tracking and birding. Later, you’ll drive straight to Entebbe Airport for your return flight.
Accommodation:No accommodation (End of tour)Meals & Drinks:
- Breakfast & lunch (Dinner not included)
- Drinking water (Other drinks not included)
End of tour
You’ll be dropped off at the airport.
Additional accommodation can be arranged for an extra cost.
Important to Know
- Rates are per person and exclude the international flight from/to your home country.
Rates Per Person
Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
Per person
Solo traveler (1 room)
$5,115
2 people (1 room)
$3,267
3+ people
Included
- Park fees (For non-residents)
- All activities (Unless labeled as optional)
- All accommodation (Unless listed as upgrade)
- A professional driver/guide
- All transportation (Unless labeled as optional)
- All Taxes/VAT
- Roundtrip airport transfer
- Meals (As specified in the day-by-day section)
- Drinking water (On all days)
Excluded
- International flights (From/to home)
- Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour
- Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)
- Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)
- Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees