10 Days Birding Vacation

Today, meet your guide and head to the Masaka and Nyabarongo marshes near Kigali for a full day birding watching tour. This will provide you the chance to witness water birds and migratory groups; Rwanda’s two wetlands serve as excellent nesting grounds for many different bird species. Afterward, you’ll return to the lodge for some relaxation and an overnight stay.

After an early breakfast, you will begin your journey to Nyungwe Forest National Park. You will stop in various birding sites to bird, which may include fields, tiny woodland areas, and open plains. This will be a much longer travel day because Nyungwe forest is around 7-8 hours’ drive from Kigali. Once in Nyungwe, you will check-in for the night.

After an early breakfast, you will meet the park rangers and site guides at the park’s administrative center in Gisakura and travel into the forest to search for some of the region’s iconic bird species. You must pack a lunch and have enough water to last the entire day. Some of the birds to watch for include the Regal-Sunbird, Kivu-ground Thrush, Congo-bay Owlet, Rwenzori-Nightjar, and Red-faced Red-collared mountain-babbler, Woodland Warbler, Rwenzori-Turaco, and Rwenzori-Batis Once you’ve had a lovely time, you’ll go back to the lodge for dinner and the night.

This day is fully optional, and clients should always let us know what they will like to do so that we can arrange the activity of their choice at the time of booking. Depending on the clients’ preferences, you may go chimpanzee trekking in Cyamudongo or you may continue to bird in the forest.

After breakfast, you’ll begin your drive to Rwanda’s newest national park, Gishwati Mukura, which is home to primates like chimpanzees and golden monkey trekking. Depending on your arrival time, you might be able to bird near the park’s boundary and nearby fields before continuing to your overnight lodging at the lodge.

After breakfast in the morning, you’ll meet the park rangers and site guides and proceed into the forest to seek for some of the area’s unusual bird species, including Regal Sunbird, Grauer’s swamp warbler, Ruwenzori Batis, Wood hoopoe, Purple-breasted Sunbird, Martial Eagle, Strange weave, Grey Crowned Crane, Dusky Crimsoning.

After breakfast, you will begin driving along the Kivu belt, looking for birds along the route. When you reach Volcanoes National Park, you’ll travel to your lodge for the night and some rest. If you have time, you might also drive to Lake Bulera and Ruhondo for a boat tour and bird watching.

After breakfast, you will be driven to the park headquarters in Kinigi to meet the ranger guides for your full-day birding excursion. Nyungwe Forest is better suited for birding and is where you will observe the most of the park’s distinctive birds. At least 16 Albertine Rift endemics (birds unique to the Albertine Rift) are present, including the attractive francolin, Ruwenzori turaco, Ruwenzori batis, Ruwenzori double-collared sunbird, and Archer’s robin-chat.

This is an optional day, depending on what you want to do. Those who wish to see mountain gorillas in Volcanoes National Park can pre-arrange gorilla permits when purchasing the birding safari, or they can schedule another day of birding in the park.

After breakfast, you will bid farewell to the lodge and transfer to Kigali city, stopping for en-route birding in the fields. Upon arrival in Kigali, you will be transferred to the airport for your departure flight or to your booked accommodation in Kigali for the night.