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Uganda

The source of the Nile river starts in the Rwenzoris, Africa’s tallest mountain range that stretch across western Uganda shrouded in mist and teeming with glaciers, waterfalls and alpine lakes. These ‘mountain’s of the moon’ are the home of Uganda’s mountain gorillas and tracking them through this majestic habitat is one of the country’s most iconic experiences.

Nature – diverse and resplendent – looms large in Uganda. And Ugandans have worked hard to create and maintain national parks and conservation zones for its incredible biodiversity. Rafting the Nile is a world-class adrenaline adventure while booking a safari will most likely reveal Africa’s Big Five. There are fewer visitors here than in other parts of East Africa so the only competition you’ll have for space is the odd hippo wandering into your campsite.

Explore Uganda

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Home to almost half the world’s surviving mountain gorillas, the World Heritage–listed Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of East Africa’s most…
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Top of the Falls
Once described as the most spectacular thing to happen to the Nile along its 6700km length, the 50m wide Victoria Nile is squeezed here through a 6m gap…
I
Igongo Cultural Centre
Located 12km from Mbarara on the road to Kampala, this cultural village features the best museum displays in Uganda. Set on the grounds of a former palace…
Murchison Falls National Park
Uganda’s largest national park is one of its very best; animals are in plentiful supply and the raging Murchison Falls, where the Victoria Nile crashes…
Kidepo Valley National Park
Offering some of the most stunning scenery of any protected area in Uganda, Kidepo Valley National Park is hidden away in a lost valley in the extreme…
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Mengo Palace
Built in 1922, this small palace is the former home of the king of Buganda, though it has remained empty since 1966 when Prime Minister Milton Obote…
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Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary
This sanctuary in Lake Victoria is home to around 50 orphaned chimps that have been rescued from elsewhere in Uganda and are being rehabilitated as much…
Queen Elizabeth National Park
This fabulous national park is on nearly all itineraries, and while you'll never be far from other safari groups, you're guaranteed to see a large range…
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Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary
Located 23km southeast of Entebbe in Lake Victoria, Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, or 'Chimp Island', is home to over 40 orphaned or rescued…

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Home to almost half the world’s surviving mountain gorillas, the World Heritage–listed Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of East Africa’s most…
T
Top of the Falls
Once described as the most spectacular thing to happen to the Nile along its 6700km length, the 50m wide Victoria Nile is squeezed here through a 6m gap…
I
Igongo Cultural Centre
Located 12km from Mbarara on the road to Kampala, this cultural village features the best museum displays in Uganda. Set on the grounds of a former palace…
Murchison Falls National Park
Uganda’s largest national park is one of its very best; animals are in plentiful supply and the raging Murchison Falls, where the Victoria Nile crashes…
Kidepo Valley National Park
Offering some of the most stunning scenery of any protected area in Uganda, Kidepo Valley National Park is hidden away in a lost valley in the extreme…
M
Mengo Palace
Built in 1922, this small palace is the former home of the king of Buganda, though it has remained empty since 1966 when Prime Minister Milton Obote…
N
Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary
This sanctuary in Lake Victoria is home to around 50 orphaned chimps that have been rescued from elsewhere in Uganda and are being rehabilitated as much…
Queen Elizabeth National Park
This fabulous national park is on nearly all itineraries, and while you'll never be far from other safari groups, you're guaranteed to see a large range…
N
Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary
Located 23km southeast of Entebbe in Lake Victoria, Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, or 'Chimp Island', is home to over 40 orphaned or rescued…

Latest Stories from Uganda

Story
Uganda reopens to visitors with new safety rules to protect people and wildlife
Oct 13, 2020 • 2 min read
After being closed for six months, the country has committed to providing a safe and sanitary experience for visitors.
Wildlife & Nature
Uganda’s incredible mountain gorillas are having a baby boom
Sep 15, 2020 • 2 min read
Seven baby gorillas have been born so far in 2020 in Uganda, five of whom arrived at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Luxury
A day on safari in Africa: what you can expect in camp and in the wild
Oct 22, 2019 • 5 min read
If you’ve never before been on safari in Africa, you may wonder how your days will be spent. Here we run down what you can expect, from dawn to nightfall.
Sustainable Travel
The rewards of visiting Uganda's Batwa tribe
Sep 16, 2019 • 6 min read
While saving the endangered mountain gorillas has left the Batwa people without their homeland, a new tourism enterprise may preserve their future.
Art
A perfect day in Kampala
Jul 25, 2019 • 7 min read
Although visitors to Uganda come for the country’s rolling green landscapes and abundance of wildlife, logistics mean that everyone will likely have at…
Wildlife & Nature
Why seeing chimpanzees in Uganda is one of the world's greatest wildlife experiences
May 17, 2019 • 6 min read
Chimpanzees may get much less hype in the travel media than endangered mountain gorillas, but tracking our closest relative through the African jungle is…
Wildlife & Nature
A new way to see Uganda's gorillas in the mist
Feb 27, 2018 • 6 min read
Sharing time with mountain gorillas in the wilds of Africa’s rainforests is utterly magical: nothing prepares you for their sheer beauty and brawn, those…
Food
From farm to cup: top nine coffee houses in Kampala
Oct 14, 2016 • 4 min read
Instead of sending its best beans across the world, Uganda has slowly turned its coffee from an export into a delicious brew savoured at home and loved by…
Wildlife & Nature
Where to hang out with Uganda’s chimpanzees
Aug 12, 2013 • 4 min read
Eyes trained on the canopy, the hunters slipped with speed and agility across the forest floor. Although communication was kept to a minimum everyone…
Wildlife & Nature
Gorillas in the mix in Uganda
Apr 5, 2012 • 3 min read
From its top to its tail, Uganda is rife with national parks. Chimpanzees play in the shadow of the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains, elephants drink from…
Wildlife & Nature
Why Uganda should be on your must-see list
Oct 28, 2011 • 3 min read
Uganda, Lonely Planet's top country for 2012, is a highlights reel of the African landscape. With its dense misty forests, snow-peaked mountains, glassy…
Beaches
Top 5 spots to chill out in Uganda
Oct 24, 2011 • 3 min read
Uganda is not somewhere that most would associate with a relaxing holiday. Many people see it purely as a destination for adventure travel whether…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Uganda.

See
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Home to almost half the world’s surviving mountain gorillas, the World Heritage–listed Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of East Africa’s most…
See
Top of the Falls
Once described as the most spectacular thing to happen to the Nile along its 6700km length, the 50m wide Victoria Nile is squeezed here through a 6m gap…
See
Igongo Cultural Centre
Located 12km from Mbarara on the road to Kampala, this cultural village features the best museum displays in Uganda. Set on the grounds of a former palace…
See
Murchison Falls National Park
Uganda’s largest national park is one of its very best; animals are in plentiful supply and the raging Murchison Falls, where the Victoria Nile crashes…
See
Kidepo Valley National Park
Offering some of the most stunning scenery of any protected area in Uganda, Kidepo Valley National Park is hidden away in a lost valley in the extreme…
See
Mengo Palace
Built in 1922, this small palace is the former home of the king of Buganda, though it has remained empty since 1966 when Prime Minister Milton Obote…
See
Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary
This sanctuary in Lake Victoria is home to around 50 orphaned chimps that have been rescued from elsewhere in Uganda and are being rehabilitated as much…
See
Queen Elizabeth National Park
This fabulous national park is on nearly all itineraries, and while you'll never be far from other safari groups, you're guaranteed to see a large range…
See
Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary
Located 23km southeast of Entebbe in Lake Victoria, Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, or 'Chimp Island', is home to over 40 orphaned or rescued…

Guidebooks

Learn more about Uganda

Ready to go? Get to the heart of Uganda with one of Lonely Planet's in-depth, award-winning guidebooks.