A sixteen-day route for serious birders across Semuliki, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi and Mgahinga, built around the Albertine Rift endemics.
The Albertine Rift is one of Africa’s richest zones for endemic birds. This route covers every accessible site in Uganda: the lowland Congo-basin forest of Semuliki, Kibale, the savannahs of Queen Elizabeth, both sectors of Bwindi and the volcanic slopes of Mgahinga.
It begins gently with the shoebill and the Royal Mile in Budongo, and builds toward the African green broadbill at Mubwindi Swamp.
Uganda
Luxury safari
Handpicked luxury lodges and camps, chosen for their setting, service and guiding.
Private safari
Your own vehicle and guide for the whole journey, never shared with other travellers.
Made to measure
Change the pace, a lodge or an activity and we rebuild the itinerary around you.
Start any day
Travel on the dates that suit you, subject to lodge and permit availability.
Solo travellers welcome
Priced for one on request, with the single supplement shown under Rates.
Pace and fitness
Balanced, fitness: challenging.
Arrive and spend the afternoon in the Entebbe Botanical Gardens for great blue turaco, Ross’s turaco and orange-tufted sunbird.
Overnight
The Boma Entebbe (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
A quiet boutique guesthouse in a leafy garden, ten minutes from Entebbe airport.
Paddle into Mabamba Swamp at dawn for the shoebill, lesser jacana, papyrus gonolek and blue-breasted bee-eater, then drive north to Masindi.
Walk the Royal Mile, one of Africa’s great forest birding tracks, for chocolate-backed and blue-breasted kingfishers, Nahan’s partridge, Ituri batis and Uganda wood warbler.
Overnight
Nile Safari Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Timber bandas on the south bank of the Nile, with a pool above the river.
Enter Murchison Falls and visit the top of the falls for rock pratincole nesting on the rocks. Bird the riverine forest in the afternoon.
Overnight
Nile Safari Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Timber bandas on the south bank of the Nile, with a pool above the river.
Cruise down to the Nile-Lake Albert delta for African skimmer, saddle-billed stork and Pel’s fishing owl, then drive the northern plains for Abyssinian ground hornbill and Denham’s bustard.
Overnight
Nile Safari Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Timber bandas on the south bank of the Nile, with a pool above the river.
Drive along the Albertine escarpment, through Fort Portal, to Semuliki, the eastern edge of the Congo basin rainforest.
Overnight
Semliki Safari Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Uganda's first luxury safari lodge, tucked into the woodland of the Semliki Valley.
A day on the Kirumia Trail for white-crested, black dwarf and piping hornbills, Congo serpent eagle and Xavier’s greenbul.
Overnight
Semliki Safari Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Uganda's first luxury safari lodge, tucked into the woodland of the Semliki Valley.
A short drive to Kibale, then forest edges and road clearings in the afternoon for joyful greenbul, superb sunbird and barbets.
Overnight
Primate Lodge Kibale (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
The only lodge inside Kibale Forest, a short walk from the chimpanzee briefing.
Enter the forest before sunrise for the Green-breasted Pitta in its short display window. In the afternoon, walk Bigodi Wetland for papyrus gonolek and white-winged warbler.
Overnight
Primate Lodge Kibale (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
The only lodge inside Kibale Forest, a short walk from the chimpanzee briefing.
Drive south across the Equator to Queen Elizabeth and take the two-hour Kazinga Channel cruise for African finfoot and goliath heron.
Overnight
Mweya Safari Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
The classic lodge of Queen Elizabeth, on the Mweya Peninsula above the Kazinga Channel.
Drive through the Ishasha sector, where tree-climbing lions rest in the fig trees, and climb into the lower montane forest of Buhoma.
Overnight
Bwindi Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Eight bandas facing the forest in Buhoma, a short walk from the gorilla trek briefing point.
Walk the waterfall trail and forest tracks for short-tailed warbler, red-faced woodland warbler, equatorial akalat and banded prinia.
Overnight
Bwindi Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Eight bandas facing the forest in Buhoma, a short walk from the gorilla trek briefing point.
Bird the Neck, a riverine forest corridor, as you climb to Ruhija at 2,300 metres. Look for black bee-eater and Rwenzori batis.
Overnight
Bwindi Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Eight bandas facing the forest in Buhoma, a short walk from the gorilla trek briefing point.
A demanding, rewarding day down to Mubwindi Swamp for the African green broadbill, Grauer’s rush warbler, Carruthers’s cisticola, Archer’s robin-chat and regal sunbird.
Overnight
Bwindi Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Eight bandas facing the forest in Buhoma, a short walk from the gorilla trek briefing point.
Drive south to the volcano borderlands and bird the lower slopes for Rwenzori turaco, handsome francolin and Stripe-breasted tit.
Overnight
Mount Gahinga Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Lava-stone bandas at the gate of Mgahinga, under three Virunga volcanoes.
A morning on the volcanic gorge trail for Kivu ground thrush and Shelley’s crimsonwing, then the long drive back to Entebbe.
The Boma Entebbe (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
A quiet boutique guesthouse in a leafy garden, ten minutes from Entebbe airport.
Lunch & dinner
Nile Safari Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Timber bandas on the south bank of the Nile, with a pool above the river.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Semliki Safari Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Uganda's first luxury safari lodge, tucked into the woodland of the Semliki Valley.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Primate Lodge Kibale (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
The only lodge inside Kibale Forest, a short walk from the chimpanzee briefing.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Mweya Safari Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
The classic lodge of Queen Elizabeth, on the Mweya Peninsula above the Kazinga Channel.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Bwindi Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Eight bandas facing the forest in Buhoma, a short walk from the gorilla trek briefing point.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Mount Gahinga Lodge (opens the property’s website in a new tab)
Lava-stone bandas at the gate of Mgahinga, under three Virunga volcanoes.
Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Important to know
Rates per person
| Season | Solo | 2 people | 3 people | 4 people | 5 people | 6 people | 7+ people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High season (Jun to Oct, Dec to Feb) | US$11,880 | US$10,070 | US$9,466 | US$9,466 | US$9,466 | US$9,466 | Get quote |
| Low season (Mar to May, Nov) | US$10,430 | US$8,840 | US$8,310 | US$8,310 | US$8,310 | US$8,310 | Get quote |
Prices are per person, in US dollars, and depend on the number of travellers sharing the vehicle and guide. They are sample rates for planning and will be confirmed when you enquire, as lodge and permit prices change each year. Sightings of any single species cannot be guaranteed, but the route is built to give you the best chances.
Best time for this trip Jun to Aug, Dec to Feb
Pack layers: forests and ridges are cold at dawn and can be wet at any hour, while the plains are hot. Bring waterproofs, sturdy waterproof boots, long socks to tuck trousers into, a wide-brimmed hat, 8×42 or 10×42 binoculars and, for photography, a fast lens.
Made to measure
Every Uwera safari is private. Slow the pace, add a night by a lake, swap a lodge or bring the children: tell us in your request and we will rebuild the itinerary around you.
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