Uganda is a landlocked country located across the equator in East Africa with a warm tropical climate all year-round. The country is safe to visit and offers off-the beaten track experiences including mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and game viewing in Kidepo Valley, Murchison falls, Queen Elizabeth and Lake Mburo National parks.
Nicknamed the “Pearl of Africa” by Winston Churchill in his book “My African Journey” in 1902, Uganda contains beautiful landscape including Lake Victoria, swamps and wetlands, lush savannah, tropical forests, mountains including Virunga volcanoes and snowcapped peaks of Ruwenzori. Uganda’s 10 national parks, 13 wildlife reserves and 14 sanctuaries provide habitat to a variety of flora and fauna.
Uganda is famous for the half of the world population of mountain gorillas (over 400 individuals which is almost half of 1063 world mountain population). Kibale national park in Uganda, also, boasts of harboring 13 primate species including chimps, grey cheeked mangabays, red colobus monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, Demidoff’s potto, etc. Other 345 mammal species include the Big Five (lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and white rhino), cheetah, hippos, Rothschild’s giraffe, plains zebra, impala, Uganda kob, topi, eland, hartebeest; 142 reptiles including Nile crocodiles, three horned chameleon, gaboon viper, African rock python; 86 amphibians; 501 fish species including 2 endangered cichlid species; 1242 butterfly species; and over 4500 plant species.
The gateway to Uganda at Entebbe airport is 34 km from Kampala the capital city. Both are ideal places to begin or end your trip with city tour and beach holidays on Lake Victoria, Africa largest fresh water lake. The nearest protected area Lake Mburo National Park is 240 sq.km (4 hours’ drive) south-west of Kampala and offers a break for the long journey to southwestern Uganda. Travelers fully vaccinated or not arriving at Entebbe airport are required to go through mandatory testing for covid-19. Uganda tourist visa can be obtained online as well as on arrival.
Uganda safari – game drives and boat cruises
Game drives in Uganda offer opportunities to explore savannah parks including Murchison falls, Kidepo valley, Lake Mburo, Queen Elizabeth, Tooro-Semuliki and Pian-Upe Wildlife Reserves and Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Vehicles mostly used include land cruisers with pop up roofs which allow visitors to stand for game and scenery viewing. Open game drive vehicles are available for hire at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) visitor centers offering a better game viewing opportunity for keen photographers. Those intending to spot nocturnal mammal species including leopard, civets, pangolins and night owls, Uganda Wildlife Authority Rangers must accompany you for night game drives in Murchison falls park, Queen Elizabeth (Mweya peninsula) and Lake Mburo national parks. Besides game drives, Murchison falls offers a wonderful hot air balloon safari. In Queen Elizabeth national park, Kasenyi Safari Camp will take their guests out when a lion or leopard kill is reported nearby.
Away from the protected areas in western Uganda, the semi-arid plains of Kidepo Valley National park and Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve offer a totally different game drive experience with a chance to spot some of the 28 mammals not found elsewhere including cheetah, white-eared kob, bat-eared fox, greater and lesser Kudu, mountain reedbuck, Guenther’s dik dik and large herds of up to 4000 buffaloes.
Boat Safaris in Uganda
Also known as launch trips, boat trips, provide a chance to explore water channels including Nile River, Kazinga channel, Lake Mburo, Mabamba swamp, and Lake Albert, in search of aquatic wildlife. Boat cruises last for 3 hours and carry a maximum of 45 people in Murchison falls and 40 in Queen Elizabeth national parks. For visitors looking for a secluded experience, the motorized canoes (wooden boats powered with engine) are small enough to access areas on water not accessible by large boats in search for shoebill stalk on Lake Albert, Nile River and Mabamba swamp. Game viewing experience by boat cruises vary but also share similarities for instance, more crocodiles can be spotted along the Nile River and large pods of hippos together with elephants, buffaloes and numerous flocks of water birds at Kazinga channel.
Primate Trekking safaris in Uganda
Uganda offers the best primate trekking experience in Africa. Among the prominent primates include mountain gorillas in both Bwindi and Mgahinga forests and golden monkeys in the latter; 13 species of primates including chimpanzees, grey-cheeked Mangabeys, red colobus moneys, black and colobus monkeys among others in Kibale Forest National Park.
Gorilla safaris permit in Uganda costs $700 compared to $1500 for Rwanda. Most travelers choose Uganda for budget gorilla tours. However hiking in Bwindi impenetrable forest is relatively challenging owing to the nature of the terrain.
Below are the primate trekking activities in Uganda:-
• Chimpanzee trekking safaris in Kibale Forest National Park, Kyambura gorge, Budongo and Kalinzu Forest Reserves.
• Golden monkey tracking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
• Gorilla Habituation Experience (4 hours with semi-habituated gorillas in Rushaga sector of Bwindi
• Chimpanzee habituation experience (CHEX) only in Kibale Forest
• Kibale Forest night walk
Game viewing activities in Uganda
• Game drives in four savannah parks including Kidepo Valley, Murchison falls, Lake Mburo, Queen Elizabeth National Park and Pian Upe Wildlife Reserve.
• Boat cruises for game viewing on the Nile river, Kazinga channel and Lake Mburo
• Walking safari in Lake Mburo National Park
• Biking, horseback riding for game viewing in Lake Mburo National Park.
• Rhino trekking at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
• Hot air balloon safaris – Murchison Falls National park by Dream Balloons
Experiential Wildlife Activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Lion tracking
• Hippo census
• Bird counts
• Mongoose tracking
Bird Watching Tours in Uganda
• Mabamba swamp shoebill stork birding tour
• Motorized canoe riding for shoebill stalk on Lake Albert and Murchison Falls National Park
• Spotting lesser pink flamingos on Lake Munyanyange near Lake Katwe, Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Mubwindi Swamp Walk in Ruhija – Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
• Buffalo wall walk, Mgahinga
• Bat caves in Immaramagambo forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Buhoma- Nkuring walking safari
Adventure activities in Uganda
• White water rafting on the Nile river Jinja
• Mountain climbing such as Mount Rwenzori and Mount Elgon hiking; hiking virunga volcanoes in Mgahinga including Mt. Muhabura, Mt. Gahinga and Mt. Sabinyo
• Equatorial experience with photo-shoots and swimming on the waters of Lake Victoria
• Zip-lining in Mabira Forest Reserve and Lake Bunyonyi
• Canoe riding on Lakes of Bunyonyi, Mutanda and Mulehe which is best done after gorilla trekking in Bwindi forest
• Sport fishing on Lake Victoria
• Gorilla filming
• Rock climbing in Kapchorwa and Sipi falls, eastern Uganda.
• All terrain quad bikes in Jinja city and Sesse islands
• Beach holiday in Sesse islands, Lake Victoria.
• Road trips through crater lakes between Kibale Forest and Queen Elizabeth National Parks
Best Cultural Experiences in Uganda
Cultural activities in Uganda can be done in various locations including village walks around national parks to city tours in Kampala, Jinja and Entebbe, among others. Some of these activities include:-
• Batwa community trails to visit pygmies at Garama in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
• Banana beer brewing experience in Buhoma Sector, Bwindi
• Hot springs and Batwa cultural encounters in Semuliki National Park
• Karamojong and Ik tribes Kidepo Valley National Park
• Entanda cultural village tour in Mityana district. The experience offers organic food buffet, hunting expedition, lessons on customs of Buganda kingdom such as marriage and visiting the bush.
• Royal Mile Walk at Mengo hill in Kampala
• Kasubi royal tombs, a UNESCO site in Kampala city
• Sezibwa waterfalls in Mukono district
• Kikorongo Women’s community in Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Kichwamba escarpment farm tours, Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Lake KaTwe Salt mining experience in Queen Elizabeth National Park
• Bigodi Swamp Walk in Kibale Forest National Park
• Rest in bananas, Fort Portal City.
Top 7 Protected Areas of Uganda
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
Bwindi impenetrable forest is a UNESCO world heritage site for its rich biodiversity. The park covers about 321km2 (124 square miles) with dense evergreen montane and lowland tropical forests at 1,160m – 2 607m above sea level. Bwindi is located in southwestern Uganda and can be accessed by road or air through Kihihi in the north; in the west, through Kabale municipality; and in south through Kisoro municipality especially for guests from Rwanda’s border town of Cyanika. The park is 512 km south west of Kampala capital city of Uganda and 164 kms north of Kigali – the capital city of Rwanda. 
Bwindi tropical forest is home to 400 of 1063 which is half of the mountain gorilla population in the world. She has the highest number of habituated gorilla families which are 22 in total. The park offers gorilla trekking as well as habituation experience. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National park has four sectors including Buhoma (park headquarters), Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo. Gorilla families in Buhoma sector include Rushegura, Habinyanja, Mubare, Katwe, Binyindo and Muyambi; four Gorilla groups in Ruhija sector include Bitukura, Oruzogo, Kyaguriro and Muzika; Rushaga sector has 8 gorilla families including Bikingi (under habituation), Kahungye, Mishaya, Nshongi, Bweza, Kutu and Mucunguzi; and Nkuringo has four gorilla families including Nkuringo, Bushaho, Christmas and Posho.
Apart from the gorillas, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park is home to 120 mammals, 348 bird species of which 23 are Albertine Rift Endemics and more than 1000 flowering plants. The biodiversity of Bwindi forest also contains 220 species of butterflies, 27 species of frogs, 10 primate species including blue monkeys, red tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys; velvet monkeys, baboons, De Brazza monkeys, L’hoest monkeys, Potto, Spectacled and Demidoff’s galagos.
Hiking trails in Bwindi forest including Ivi and Munyanga rivers, waterfall walk in Buhoma sector offer a chance to discover nature. A 17 km trail starts from Buhoma through the forest to Nkuringo sector. Mubwindi swamp and bamboo forest trail in Ruhija sector offer a chance to search for African green broadbill, one of the 23 Albertine Rift Endemics.
Village walks in Buhoma includes a banana beer brewing activity and visiting a traditional herbalist for his stunning metaphysics. In the same vein, a visit to the Batwa (pygmies) homestead exposes you to the ancient pre-historic fire-making Batwa style.
Kibale Forest National Park (primate capital of the world)
Kibale Forest covers about 795km2 which contains moist evergreen tropical forest and to savannah woodland plains on the floor of the Albertine Rift Valley. The forest is located in western Uganda and can be accessed by road through Fort Portal tourism city in north from Murchison falls. Kibale forest is 243km2 west of Kampala capital city and 60 km2 south of Mweya peninsular.
The park is a habitat for 13 species of primates including chimpanzees, grey cheeked mangabays, red colobus monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys; blue monkeys, red tailed monkeys, L’hoest monkeys, De Brazaa monkeys, velvet monkeys, baboons, bush baby and potto. This is one of the highest concentration of primates in Africa and the reason why Kibale forest is called the “primate capital of the world”. Other mammals in the forest include forest buffalos and elephants, giant forest hog, warthogs, red fronted and blue duikers, leopard, African golden cats and civets. A total of 357 bird species are recorded in this park including Albertine Rift Endemics such as Dusky Crimson wing, collared apalis, purple-breasted sunbird, red-faced woodland warblers, African green breasted pitta, western and yellow-ramped tinkerbird, Congo African grey parrot etc.
Activities to do in Kibale include chimpanzee trekking safari which is available for booking at Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) offices in Kampala or through a tour operator. Chimpanzee tracking begins at 7:30 am for the morning session and 2:00pm for those intending to go for an afternoon chimp trek. Chimpanzee Habituation Experience (CHEX) is another activity done in this park This 4 hours morning experience with chimpanzees as they nest, offers a chance to visitors to accompany researchers and habituators into the forest. A night walk can also be done for those intending to spot nocturnal creatures including bush baby (Demidoff’s galago) and potto. The park has the Makerere University Biological Filed Station dedicated to environmental monitoring and research on the chimpanzees.
Besides the chimp trek in the forest, the Bigodi wetland tourism offers another wonderful experience – a swamp walk. The 4 sq.km Bigodi swamp is a habitat for 8 species of primates, over 200 birds and Sitatunga antelope.
From Kibale forest, guests travel to Queen Elizabeth National park for boat cruise along Kazinga channel. The road trip offers a stopover at the equator monument for photo-shoots and water experiment.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park is located on the equator between (910m – 1350m) on the rift valley floor, western Uganda. Established in 1952 as Kazinga National Park, by joining Lake George and Lake Edward game reserves, the protected area was renamed two years later to commemorate the Queen of England’s visit. The park covers an area of 1,978 km2 (764 sq. miles) divided into two sectors namely; Kasenyi plains (Mweya) in the north and Ishasha wilderness to the south bordering Democratic Republic of Congo. The park is an Important Bird Area (IBA) attracting over 600 species of birds including lesser pink flamingos and shoebill stork.
Also known as “the medley of wonders” Queen Elizabeth National Park contains diverse ecosystems ranging from savannah, humid tropical forests like Kalinzu and Kyambura gorge; and wetlands, rivers and lakes including Kazinga channel which joins Lake George and Lake Edward. The park known for her volcanic features including volcanic cones and deep spectacular craters many covered with crater lakes such as Lake Katwe where salt is extracted is a must – visit gem in Africa. 
Well-known for its tree climbing lions in Ishasha, Queen Elizabeth national park was designated as a ‘Lion Conservation Unit (LCU)’ in 2006 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The park contains a potential lion stronghold in Central Africa with about 250 lions both in Kasenyi and Ishasha plains. With over 600 birds and 95 mammal species including inter alia, chimpanzees, elephants, buffalos, lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, Uganda kobs, etc, QENP is off the beaten path. The park is famous for tree climbing lions. In East Africa, it is only in Ishasha Game Reserve in Uganda and Lake Manyara in Northern Tanzania that tree-climbing lions tour can successfully be carried out.
Murchison Falls National Park
The largest and oldest conservation area in Uganda derives its name from the powerful and spectacular Murchison falls, where the Nile River squeezes through a narrow gorge 7-meters (23feet) wide and tumbles down 43-meter cliff (141 feet) into the gorge known as the ‘devil’s cauldron’ to create a trademark rainbow.
Located between 619m -1292m above sea level at the end of the Albertine Rift Valley, the park contains diverse habitats including Borassus palms, mixed grass and woodland savannah ecosystems, riverine and tropical forests and papyrus wetlands. Murchison Falls National Park is one of the beautiful places in Uganda.
Gazetted in 1925 and established as a national park in 1952 with an area of 3,840 sq.km including Budongo Central Forest Reserve and Bugunju Wildlife Reserve, Murchison Falls National Park, boasts of 79 mammal including 4 of the Big Five and 450 bird species including 4 of 12 Lake Victoria Basin species, 14 of the 22 Sudan-Guinea Biome species, 11 of 14 Guinea-Congo Forest species, 6 of 86 Afro-Tropical Highland species and 3 of 32 Somali-Masai Biome species. Large flocks of African skimmers, lesser flamingos and Great Snipe congregate along the banks of Nile River when water levels are low between December and February. The shoebill is regularly spotted on two islands along the Nile-Delta stretch inside the park.
A boat cruise along the Nile River to the bottom of the falls offers a chance to spot water birds, Nile crocodiles, hippos, monitor lizards, waterbucks, elephants and buffaloes. Besides game drives, hot air balloon safari in Murchison Falls provide a wonderful scenery viewing experience. 
Murchison falls National Park 305 km from Kampala capital city and also accessible by air at Pakuba airstrip. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary situated 68 km on the way to the park in Nakasongora district provides rhino trekking experience. The 33 southern white rhinos are protected in a fenced 70 sq.km private land owned by Rhino Fund Uganda (RFU). Both black and white rhinos became extinct Uganda during the civil war of 1970 to 1980’s. The sanctuary is a breeding center with hope for rhino numbers to increase and Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) has a study plan for relocation to protected areas including Murchison falls and Kidepo Valley National Parks. Being lease land, Ziwa has faced challenges including temporary closures but has been re-opened through legal agreement.
Southern sector of Murchison falls is dominated by Budongo Central Forest Reserve including Kaniyo-Pabidi Eco-tourism site. The reserve covers 825 km of moist evergreen lowland forests lying at 1100 meters above sea level providing habitat for 9 primate species including chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, velvet monkeys and baboons; 24 mammal species including leopards, forest elephants, giant forest hogs, bush pigs and waterbucks; 360 species of birds of which 60 are Congo Forest biome species including olive-breasted greenbul, pavel’s illadoposis, pied and great spotted cuckoo among others common birds including forked-tailed drongo, black and yellow billed kites etc.
For those intending to visit Murchison falls, the Kaniyo-Pabidi Eco-tourism site managed by Jane Goodall institute offers chimpanzee tracking, nature walks and conservation research. Permits for Budongo chimpanzee tracking are booked through a tour operator and Budongo Eco-lodge, the only accommodation in the forest reserve.
Kidepo Valley National Park
Also Known as the “true African wilderness” Kidepo Valley National Park is located in the remote semi-arid Karamoja region northeastern Uganda along the border with Kenya and South Sudan. Getting there by air through Apoka airstrip takes 1-hour flight, 9-11 hours’ drive (582 km) by road from Kampala capital city and 312 sq.km from Mbale city. Established in 1958, the park covers about 1442 sq.km of rugged savannah cut across by Narus and Kidepo Rivers in valley at 900m to Morungole ranges at 2750m extreme northwest including Kanangorok hot springs.
The Narus valley provides permanent source of water attracting most of the wildlife including large mammals that graze in the area of open tree savannah all year-round. Kidepo lies in the Somali-Masai Biome rich in biodiversity with 86 mammal species of which 28 are not found in other protected areas of Uganda including cheetah, Aard wolf, greater and lesser kudu, Guentter’s dik dik, striped hyena, caracal, white-eared kob and African wild dog; over 480 species of birds including ostrich, 16 Sudan-Guinea biome species such as taital fiscal, golden pipit, pallid harrier, lappet-faced vulture, Rufous chatterer etc.; 4 Guinea-Congo forest species namely; black breasted barbet and grey wren barbler and 56 birds of prey including lesser kestrel, Denham’s bustard, Egyptian vulture, Verreaux’s eagle, Egyptian vulture, pygmy falcon etc.
Game drive safari experience in Narus valley offers an off-the beaten path with a chance to spot predators including cheetah, lion, leopard, striped hyena as well as elephants, Nubian giraffes, plains zebra, impala, greater and lesser kudu, hartebeest etc. The population of cape buffaloes in Kidepo valley national park is estimated to be same as the number of wildebeests in Serengeti ecosystem of Kenya and Tanzania.
Karamoja community is dominated by the Nilotic ethnic tribes including the Karamojong semi-nomadic pastoralists and Ik Bushmen with unique cultural heritage resembling that Masai (Kenya and Tanzania) and San people (Botswana). The homesteads of the Karamojong known as Manyattas are enclosed villages containing mud huts and cattle kraals are spectacular. The region has faced challenges including drought, low levels of education, cattle rustling wars between tribes in the neighboring northwest Kenya. A better future for the region is on the radar with government intervention through Karamoja Integrated Development Program (KIDP).
Lake Mburo National Park
Nicknamed the ‘whispers of the wild’ Lake Mburo National Park offers walking safari experience African bush a way of feeling closer to nature. Covering 370 sq.km, the smallest of four savannah parks in Uganda has rich biodiversity due to varied habitats including mixed acacia savannah grasslands, metamorphic rocky ridges, tropical forests galleries and 13 lakes forming the Lake Mburo-Nakivali wetland system (26834 ha) designated as a Ramsar site in 2006. The park is home to 68 mammal species including impala, Butchell’s zebra, topi, eland, water and bushbucks, Rothschild’s giraffe, buffalo, leopard, warthog, hippos, Nile crocodiles; over 317 species of birds of which 22 are Palearctic and afro-tropical migratory birds including willow warbler, martial eagle, African harrier hawk, lappet-faced and white-headed vultures, African martial harrier, black-chested, brown and banded snake eagles, Gabar and dark chanting goshawks and 2 endangered cichlid fish species including arrow cichlid and Oreochromis Karonae.
Visitors have an opportunity to view wildlife by game drive, boat cruise, horseback, mountain biking, bush, nature and community walks. Most of the lodges offer family friendly accommodation including Mihingo Safari Lodge.
Gazzetted in 1933 as a controlled hunting area, the protected area upgraded to a game reserve in 1963 and to a national park in 1983. Surrounded by the Ankole cattle corridor, Lake Mburo National Park has faced challenges including drought, tse-tse fly invasion, encroachment and invasive species are turning the open plains into bush thereby affecting the ecosystem. Most of the wildlife including antelopes and zebras avoid the thickets and graze into the communities creating potential for human-wildlife conflicts. Uganda Wildlife Authority embarked on a move in 2019 to remove Invasive Alien Species (IAS) of plants from the park which has improved the quality of habitats for animals as well as game drive safari experience.
The park is 240 km west of Kampala capital city and easier to access by 4-hour drive and provides a stopover for those intending to break the long journey to southwestern Uganda.
Best time to visit Uganda
With tropical weather and climate, Uganda can be visited all year-round. The dry season however, during June to September and December to February is better for those planning a gorilla tour including game viewing activities. Being on the equator, the temperature ranges between 18 °C and 25 °C in Kampala city, Entebbe town and Jinja, in the southwest nights tend to be cold with 6°C which require warm clothing in your packing list, in the north around Murchison falls and Kidepo valley in the northeast it gets hot with 31°C to a maximum of 40°C.
Africa Adventure Safaris is your ultimate travel agent on your Uganda safari. We offer tailor made Uganda tours to trek mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, game drives, hiking and cultural tours among others at affordable rates.
