Uganda packs mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, tree-climbing lions and the source of the Nile into a country the size of Britain. It is greener and wilder than most people expect, and it rewards travellers who want their safari to feel personal rather than packaged.
The west is where most journeys unfold: the rainforests of Bwindi and Kibale, the savannah and hippo-lined channels of Queen Elizabeth, and the glaciers of the Rwenzori on the Congo border. In the north, Murchison Falls sends the entire Nile through a gap barely seven metres wide, while Kidepo Valley offers some of the loneliest, loveliest game viewing in East Africa. Between the parks you drive through tea estates, banana plantations and crater-lake country, and you meet people who are genuinely glad you came.
We shape each trip around what matters to you, often pairing a gorilla trek with chimpanzees and a classic game drive, and we like to finish with something slow: a boat on Lake Mburo or a quiet evening by the Nile.
Uganda is home to almost half of the world’s mountain gorillas, split between Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga on the Virunga volcanoes, and to thousands of chimpanzees, with Kibale the easiest place to find them. The savannah parks hold elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, hippo and Uganda kob, plus Rothschild’s giraffe in Murchison and Kidepo, and cheetah in Kidepo’s remote valleys. Queen Elizabeth is known for lions that rest in fig trees in the Ishasha sector.
Birders find Uganda hard to leave. More than 1,000 species have been recorded, from the prehistoric-looking shoebill in the papyrus swamps to Albertine Rift endemics such as the African green broadbill and Rwenzori turaco in the mountain forests.
Chance of seeing
Our estimate for a stay of two or three nights with a good guide. Wildlife is wild, so nothing is promised.
Sitting on the equator but largely above 1,000 metres, Uganda is mild rather than hot. Daytime temperatures are typically 24°C to 28°C, with cooler nights around 15°C to 17°C, and it is noticeably colder in the highlands around Bwindi, Mgahinga and the Rwenzori, where nights can drop to 8°C to 10°C. The long rains fall from March to May, with April the wettest month, and the short rains arrive in October and November. Even in the rains, mornings are often clear and showers tend to come in the afternoon.
| Month | Day °C | Night °C | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 18 | 60 |
| Feb | 28 | 18 | 80 |
| Mar | 27 | 18 | 140 |
| Apr | 26 | 18 | 180 |
| May | 25 | 18 | 130 |
| Jun | 25 | 17 | 70 |
| Jul | 25 | 17 | 60 |
| Aug | 25 | 17 | 90 |
| Sep | 26 | 17 | 110 |
| Oct | 26 | 17 | 140 |
| Nov | 26 | 17 | 140 |
| Dec | 26 | 17 | 90 |
Approximate long-term averages. Higher ground is cooler, and forests can rain in any month.
Uganda has two dry seasons: the longer one from June to September and a shorter one from December to February. Days are warm and mostly sunny, around 25°C to 28°C in Kampala and the savannah parks, and cooler in the southwest highlands. Roads and forest trails are firmer, and animals stay close to permanent water. Even now, the rainforests can bring a shower on any afternoon.
The long rains fall from March to May, with April usually the wettest month, and the short rains come in October and November. Rain tends to arrive as heavy afternoon storms rather than all-day drizzle, and mornings are often clear. Forest trails and some park tracks become muddy and slow, but the country is at its greenest, lodges are quieter and migrant birds are present from November.
The dry seasons, June to September and December to February, are the easiest time to travel: trails are firmer, roads are kinder and game gathers near water. They are also the busiest months for gorilla permits, so we book well ahead. The wetter months have real appeal too: the country is at its greenest, there are fewer visitors, some lodges offer lower rates, and migrant birds arrive from November to April. We would steer most first-time visitors away from April and early May if they can.
Best time to visit Jan to Feb, Jun to Sep
National ParkBwindi Impenetrable National ParkMountain gorilla trekking
National ParkKibale National ParkChimpanzee tracking
National ParkQueen Elizabeth National ParkKazinga Channel boat safari and tree-climbing lions
National ParkMurchison Falls National ParkThe Nile forcing through a seven-metre gorge
National ParkKidepo Valley National ParkRemote savannah wilderness
National ParkLake Mburo National ParkWalking safaris among zebra and eland
National ParkMgahinga Gorilla National ParkGorillas and golden monkeys on the Virunga volcanoes
National ParkMount Elgon National ParkCaldera hikes on an ancient volcano
National ParkSemuliki National ParkSempaya hot springs and Congo-basin birds
Wildlife Reserve & SanctuaryNgamba Island Chimpanzee SanctuaryRescued chimpanzees on a Lake Victoria island
Wildlife Reserve & SanctuaryPian Upe Wildlife ReserveRemote Karamoja savannah
Wildlife Reserve & SanctuaryToro-Semliki Wildlife ReserveSavannah and forest running down to Lake Albert
Wildlife Reserve & SanctuaryZiwa Rhino SanctuaryWhite rhino tracking on foot
Forest ReserveBudongo Forest ReserveChimpanzee tracking in mahogany forestForest ReserveKalinzu Forest ReserveChimpanzees on the edge of Queen Elizabeth
WetlandMabamba SwampSearching for the shoebill by canoe
Lake & IslandsFort Portal Crater LakesCrater lakes and tea country
Lake & IslandsLake BunyonyiQuiet terraced islands after a gorilla trekLake & IslandsLake MutandaCanoeing beneath the Virunga volcanoes
Scenic AreaSipi FallsWaterfalls and coffee farms on Mount Elgon
City & TownJinjaThe source of the Nile
City & TownKampalaUganda’s capital: markets, food and musicMost travellers arrive at Entebbe International Airport on the shore of Lake Victoria, about 45 minutes from Kampala. From there, the parks are reached by road with our own guide and vehicle, or by scheduled and charter flights to airstrips such as Kihihi and Kisoro for Bwindi, Kasese or Mweya for Queen Elizabeth, Pakuba for Murchison and Kidepo. Many guests combine Uganda with Rwanda, crossing overland from Kigali to southern Bwindi in about 4 hours.
Most visitors need a visa, which can be applied for online as an e-visa before you travel. If you are also visiting Rwanda or Kenya, the East Africa Tourist Visa covers all three countries on one application. Rules vary by passport and do change, so we will confirm exactly what applies to you when we plan your trip.
Gorilla trekking needs a permit, which costs US$800 per person per trek at the time of writing; prices are set by the Uganda Wildlife Authority and change from time to time. The minimum age is 15. Chimpanzee tracking and other primate experiences have their own permits, and we arrange all of them for you.
A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required to enter Uganda, so please carry it with your passport. Malaria is present throughout the country, and we recommend you speak to a travel clinic about antimalarials and routine vaccinations well before you go. Drink bottled or filtered water, which every lodge we use provides.
Uganda is a friendly and welcoming country, and the parks and lodges we work with are safe and well run. As anywhere, take sensible care with valuables in Kampala and in busy towns. Our guides are with you throughout, and we keep in touch with conditions on the ground so we can adjust plans if ever needed.
Our take
“Give it time”
We always tell guests that Uganda is best taken slowly. The distances look short on a map, but the roads wind through hills and villages, and some of our favourite moments happen between the parks rather than in them. If time is tight, we would rather you fly one long leg and linger in fewer places than rush a longer list. Two nights at each stop is our usual minimum, and three at Bwindi if you can spare it.
Safaris from
US$160 per person
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