5 Days Budongo and Bugoma birding expedition

Tour Overview

The 5 Day Budongo and Bugoma birding expedition is a fun package for travellers. It is specifically for those who want to explore birds in Uganda’s most birding tourist destinations. This safari will take you to Budongo Forest, which is adjacent to Murchison Falls National Park.

This is one of the birding areas that Uganda boasts about. You will also carry out birding in Kaniyo Pabidi forest in Murchison Falls. During this trip, you will head to Bugoma forest, another bird dwelling area.

While on this birding expedition, you will encounter several birds. They are plenty but a few of them include; rufous-chested swallow, eagles, barbets, lesser striped swallow, white-breasted sooty chat, Isabelline wheatear, white-fronted black chat, Abyssinian ground hornbills, rollers, yellow-throated greenbul to mention but a few. You will as well encounter wildlife such as leopards, lions, buffaloes, elephants, giraffes and others.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park

Upon arrival, our driver guide will pick you up from the airport. Immediately, he will take a few seconds t0 brief you about your 5 days Budongo and Bugoma birding expedition. Thereafter, you will set off for Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda’s largest national park. This is because it stretches to make 3,893 square kilometers. This expanse of land is a bird dwelling area that hosts over 470 birds.

This park is located in northwestern Uganda. It more or less takes you about a 6-hour drive from Kampala the capital city of Uganda. The lunch en route will be in Masindi. Arriving in Murchison Falls will be in the evening. Check-in to the lodge, freshen up, and have dinner and overnight.

Day 2: Birding in Budongo Forest and boat cruise

On this day, you will arrive very early in the morning. Meet your driver guide and be transferred to Budongo forest which is located in the south of Murchison Falls National Park. You will get a chance to see birds when they are still in their nests. Meanwhile, lots of them will be flying out to start their day.

While in the Budongo forest, you will have a chance to spot birds that cannot be found elsewhere in East Africa. These are; the yellow-footed flycatcher and Pavel’s illadopsis.

Budongo forest is one of the largest natural forests that Uganda celebrates. It has several wildlife such as chimpanzees, birds, plants, forest elephants, bush pigs, buffaloes, baboons, monkeys, and butterflies among other animals.

On your search for birds, you will meet the following birds black lured, brown babblers, eagles, rufous chested swallow, barbets, white-fronted black-chat, and Ethiopian swallow among others. You will return to the lodge in time for lunch, and then do something different in the evening. You go for a launch cruise to the Nile Delta.

Enjoy the stretch of the Nile which attracts wildlife. A great deal of them include buffaloes, elephants, hippos and antelopes will be seen at the river bank. It is on this launch cruise that you will be rewarded with sighting shoebill storks, cormorants, kingfishers, and eagles, among other birds. You will return to the lodge in the late evening for dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Check-out and transfer to Bugoma Forest

Arise in the morning, enjoy a scrumptious breakfast, bid farewell to Murchison Falls and head to Kibale Forest National Park. You will do a game drive in the morning as you check out of the park, expect to be welcomed by herds of elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, and hartebeests among others, several birds will be seen as well as you enjoy the game drive.

You will exit the park, and head to Bugoma Forest located in the Rift Valley floor, lunch will be served at Bugoma Forest Lodge, thereafter embark on an excursion in this forest, to see different species of monkeys, birds and flora species. Return to the lodge, relax, have dinner and overnight stay.

Day 4: Chimpanzee trekking and Birding in Bugoma Forest

Unfold your day with a delicious breakfast in a nicelooking cup. Meet your driver guide and head to the briefing area of Bugoma forest. Kickstart the day with a chimpanzee trekking adventure. Later on, do a birding experience.

Bugoma forest has a recorded number of 225 bird species. It is a home to two species of birds that are widely threatened and these are; black-eared ground thrush which is also known as (zoothera camaronesis) and nahan’s francolin which is also widely known as (Francolinus nahani). Bugoma forest is home to other bird species such as the Ethiopian swallow, francolins, owls, kites, and eagles, among other birds.

The forest is endowed with other species like chimpanzees, baboons, monkeys, and butterflies among other wild species, you will later return to the lodge for lunch, and then in the evening, you will have a guided nature walk to Bigodi wetland another birding area located in Kibale national park.

You will spot shoebill storks, saddle-billed storks, and herons, and later return to the lodge for dinner and an overnight stay.

Day 5: Check-out and departure

On the 5th day, you will wake up in the morning, enjoy a scrumptious breakfast, check out and transfer back to Kampala. You will arrive in time for lunch, have an en-route lunch and then be dropped at the hotel or the airport depending on your time for your flight.

Soledad Gomez

Fun Safari. Loved it. Godwin was an amazing guide! He was informative, funny and took us around well. He was able to find so many animals and the weather was amazing. He allowed us to take time at each spot when we saw an animal we were looking forward to seeing. All our lodges were carefully chosen by Coleb and we all loved them. We booked the 6 days safari and highly recommend it to everyone visiting Uganda. We had a wonderful time!. 10/10 recommended!!

Maria Torondel

We rated this experience top of everything, because it truly was outstanding in every way! From our pickup which was punctual, quick and comfortable to our Safari in Murchison falls, Kibale and Bwindi NP, Standard safaris delivered to the dot. Our guide was a very Kind, punctual and extremely knowledgeable person who could tell us many facts about each and every animal we encountered. Due to his insights we were able to spot 4 of the Big Five, the Rhinos, buffaloes, lions and Elephants multiple times, as well as Hippos, Crocodiles, Giraffes and many more. Thanks to his calm and patience we were even able to watch an elephant fight right in front of us without any safety concerns. It was truly a very memorable day with a lot of fun and also good food.This is truly an experience for everyone, from solo travellers to big groups! Great tour company with a great guide!!!!!!!

Alexis F

This was an amazing experience organised by Standard Safaris through Coleb. During the tour itself, we got a chance to see so many animals and we learned a lot of interesting facts from our tour guide Godwin. He was funny and made sure we all got a chance to speak and see the full beauty of Uganda. We had an excellent time and a good tour for the whole family.

Elena Hoya

It was my first time in Uganda and honestly it was an amazing tour. Our pick up and drop off were comfortable. Our guide throughout the safari was excellent at his job. He was attentive with everyone and was very knowledgeable about all the cultures and landscapes of the country. During planning, Coleb did his best in tailoring our itinerary to fit our travel needs. I'm so glad we booked this tour. It was one of a kind.

E A

My wife and I had the trip of a lifetime, an unforgettable experience from start to finish. From gorilla trekking to game drives, every moment was magical and the wildlife encounters were simply breathtaking. Our guide Godwin was knowledgeable and attentive, and every detail of the trip was perfectly organized. Uganda’s beauty exceeded all our expectations, and the team took wonderful care of us throughout. Thank you for showing us the Pearl of Africa, we’ll cherish these memories forever. Highly recommended

KLAU conde

I LOVE MY SAFARI WE DID GORILLA TREKING AND WE WERE LOOKING FOR THE BIG FIVES, Everything was phenomenal the drivers the lodges my favorite one was Acacia Lodge, where you open the door of your lodge and you have the Elephants and hippos there . we also went to the Ecuatorian line very cool

Elisa Peralta

We spent a WONDERFUL time in Rwanda, thanks to Standard Safaris and especially thanks to our amazing driver George. If you plan to go on safari in Rwanda with Standard Safaris, ask him as your driver guide. He will share all his knowledge and experience about animals, nature, people, food etc… He drives very safely and is friendly. Thanks to him we saw a lot of animals ( especially the big 5😃 in Akagera NP) and Know so much more about Rwanda. We were travelling with our 2 children (7 and 11 years old), and they were delighted. We feel very lucky and we are grateful for this wonderful safari in East Africa.

Susana Lara Valenciano

We booked a 9-Days safari in Uganda with Standard Safaris, all-inclusive with a driver guide, all tour activities, permits and lodges. Honestly, we were very happy to have George as our guide. He drove us safely around the country and explained many things along the way. Thanks to him, we were able to spot many animals in the national parks, and we always stayed on track with our itinerary. The jeep was new and well maintained, however, the seats in the back were quite high with small windows, which made it difficult to look outside. But nevertheless, we still had a 10/10 safari experience in Uganda. We look forward to returning for another safari next year and telling our friends about Standard Safaris.

Pablo Sanchez Rubio

My wife and I had a gorilla safari of a lifetime in Uganda late last month. Our driver/guide Denis was incredible. He gave us so much information about Uganda and was so knowledgeable about the wildlife, cultures, people, politics, the geography, etc. By the end of the week we considered him a friend and we will recommend him and Standard Safaris to anyone looking to go to East Africa. Thank you so much guys!

Salome Ochando

If there were 10 stars I would give them. From my first "Hello" with Coleb to our last set of selfies on the equator with Denis, this tour company out-did themselves!! Absolutely professional and helpful from beginning to end. We're already booking another trip for next year! They had organised everything- gorilla permits, chimpanzee permits, all national park entrance fees, lodgings, every meal included. It was so easy I didn't even know where we were going until we were there! Pure relaxation. We had a few extra free days at the end so Coleb suggested adding on Mabamba Wetland and this was a wonderful experience with the shoebill and all these beautiful birds. Denis is the best tour guide I've ever met. 100% knowledgeable and professional and accommodating and..a new friend😊.. Thank you Standard Safaris!!

Top Uganda Safari Packages 2026/2027

Uganda Safaris are highlights of all safaris in Africa. Being the pearl of Africa, the country has so much to satisfy almost all needs of adventurous and relaxed, old and young, plus solo and group tourists, there is nothing that Uganda cannot offer, ranging from gorilla trekking safaris, wildlife expeditions and cultural tours. See some of our top Uganda safari tours below.