Things To Do in Uganda

Trekking mountain gorillas in Bwindi or Mgahinga is the highlight of any Uganda trip, an hour spent with a wild gorilla family in the forest. Uganda holds the most gorillas and the lower permit price. It is a genuinely moving experience.

Uganda offers the finest chimp tracking in Africa, above all in Kibale, with its dense population and high success rate, plus Kyambura, Budongo and Kalinzu. A full-day habituation experience is also available. The forest comes alive with their calls.

In Mgahinga, you can track the bright, playful golden monkeys of the Virunga volcanoes, found only in this corner of Africa. It is a gentle, affordable trek that pairs perfectly with gorillas. The lively troops are a joy to watch.

Uganda’s savanna parks, Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and remote Kidepo, offer wilder, quieter game drives than the famous names, with lions, elephants and more. They pair beautifully with the primate forests. The parks feel off the beaten track.

A boat safari on the Kazinga Channel or the Nile at Murchison Falls is among the best in Africa, drifting close to hippos, crocodiles, elephants and a wealth of birds. The Kazinga Channel holds some of the highest wildlife concentrations on the continent.

Uganda is the birding king of Africa, with over a thousand species in a small country, from the prehistoric shoebill to the Albertine Rift endemics of the western forests. Birds are seen alongside almost every other activity. It is a birder’s first choice.

On foot, Uganda reveals its detail, from the community-run Bigodi swamp walk near Kibale to forest trails in Bwindi and the crater-lake country. Walks suit families and birders and pair with the primate treks. The pace lets you notice everything.

Uganda’s cultures run from the Batwa forest people of the south-west to the Karamojong herders of the north-east, with village visits, music and craft. Done through the communities, these visits add a human dimension to a safari. The welcome is warm.

Community visits, like the Batwa Trail and the Bigodi wetland project, put local people in charge of their own tourism, with the money funding schools and conservation. They go a step beyond a cultural show. Your visit does some good.

Uganda’s mountains range from the glaciated Rwenzori, the Mountains of the Moon, to the huge caldera of Mount Elgon and the Virunga volcanoes at Mgahinga. There is a hike for every level, from a day walk to a week-long expedition. The scenery is spectacular.

Cycling lets you explore Uganda’s green hill country at a human pace, from the crater lakes around Fort Portal to Lake Bunyonyi and the tracks near Lake Mburo and Kibale. It pairs with the primate treks. The rides are scenic and gentle.

The White Nile at Jinja is one of the world’s great rafting rivers, with warm, powerful rapids up to grade five and gentler family floats. Jinja is the adventure capital of the region. It is a pure shot of adrenaline.

At Jinja you can leap from a tower over the Nile on a bungee, one of the most dramatic ways to experience the source of the great river. It sits alongside the rafting and other adventures. The drop toward the water is a thrill.

Quad biking around Jinja takes you through villages, plantations and trails along the Nile, a fun, accessible way to explore the countryside under your own power. No experience is needed. It suits all ages and abilities.

Uganda’s caves, from the bat-filled lava tubes of Mount Elgon to others around the country, offer a different kind of adventure underground, often with cultural and historical stories attached. They add variety to a hiking trip. The caves are intriguing.

The hot springs of Semuliki, where boiling water bursts from the ground in a Central African rainforest, are a natural wonder and a birding hotspot. They are the signature of this off-the-beaten-track park. The setting is wild and green.

At the Ziwa rhino reserve, on the way to Murchison Falls, you can track white rhinos on foot, the only place to see rhino in the wild in Uganda after their reintroduction. It is a rare chance to walk near these giants. The tracking is gentle and guided.

Horse riding around Lake Mburo and other areas offers a quiet way to get close to plains game, since wildlife is less wary of a horse than a vehicle. It suits riders of varying experience. The bush feels different from the saddle.

Uganda’s lakes and the Nile offer fishing for the mighty Nile perch, which can top a hundred kilos, along with tilapia and other species, in beautiful waters. It is a hard-fighting freshwater sport. The settings are lovely.