Uganda is one of the most exciting and beautiful holiday destinations in the world. Whether you are wowed by landscapes, wildlife, culture, or simply seek adventure, Uganda is the perfect destination for you. In 1907, Winston Churchill dubbed Uganda the Pearl of Africa!
Here are some unique things to do in Uganda:
1. Go Mountain Gorilla Trekking
Number one on our list of things to do in Uganda is gorilla trekking. If you're looking for adventure, you can't get any better than this! Get up close and personal with mountain gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Only a handful of people get to spend time with wild mountain gorillas in their natural habitat, because there are roughly only 720 left on the planet. Gorilla trekking is therefore both a fascinating and truly unique experience, one that's understandably at the top of many people's bucket lists!
2. Visit Endangered Rhinos
Due to poaching (the very last wild rhino in the country was killed in 1982), you won't spot rhinos in Uganda's national parks. But the good news is that there are several white rhinos living happily in the expansive Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary.
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The sanctuary was started in 2005 by the rhino reintroduction project, and profits from visitors go towards the breeding programme and their eventual release into the wild! These endangered, magnificent creatures are free to move around on 7,000 ha of land.
Watch them at close range on a one- to two-hour trek whilst they roam in their natural habitat. This is a spectacular African experience not to be missed!
3. Canoe on Lake Bunyonyi
Believed to be the second deepest lake in Africa, Lake Bunyonyi is one of the country’s top natural treasures. Hence why it's also on our list of the top things to do in Uganda! The lake is framed by lush, terraced hills, but it’s the 29 islands of various shapes and sizes scattered across the water that make it most magical.
It's the perfect place to relax, explore the neighbourhood on a quad bike or go bird watching. The word bunyonyi in the local language actually means 'birds', and yes, you guessed right - it's thus called because the lake is home to an extremely broad range of bird species! Get your camera ready and check out those stunning views.
Hop on traditional Ugandan wooden boats and paddle to one of Lake Bunyonyi's many hidden islands, one of which has a small adventure park including a zip line!
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And don't forget to bring your swimsuit. Lake Bunyonyi is known as one of the few lakes in Uganda free of bilharzia (a common parasite found in southern Africa), making its waters safe for swimming. It’s also free of dangerous wildlife like hippos and crocodiles.
4. Go on Safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park
If you consider yourself a bit of a nature buff, you've probably heard about the Queen Elizabeth National Park. It's the most popular tourist attraction in Uganda and the most visited national park - and we can see why! It's home to 96 species of mammals, including lions, buffaloes, warthogs, hippos, crocodiles and elephants. You can spot them all at close range.
What's more, you can see the park's tree-climbing lions! Very few African lions climb trees. Nobody knows for sure why a handful of lion populations in Uganda and Tanzania go up trees when their brethren don't. Some think they climb trees in order to avoid tsetse fly bites. Others believe it's a way for them to escape the heat on the ground. Whatever the real reason, they look rather comfy!
5. Take a Boat Safari on Kazinga Channel
A narrow stretch of water connecting Lake Edward and Lake George, this channel is among the most important features in the Queen Elizabeth National Park and can't be missed!
The park is known for being home to the world’s largest concentration of hippos, who happen to live side by side with Nile crocodiles. Taking a boat cruise down the channel is a great way to keep your distance yet still see these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat.
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6. Visit the Salt Pans of Lake Katwe
Lake Katwe is a traditional salt-mining lake known for its high-quality salt. Small salt mines make a pretty pattern on the edge of the lake. We recommend popping by on your way to Queen Elizabeth National Park to see how the local community mines the salt.
FYI, the lake was formed in the aftermath of a violent volcanic eruption.
7. Explore the Town of Entebbe and its Surroundings
Entebbe is a small, green and laid-back town on the shore of Lake Victoria. It's a fantastic hub for adventure sports, exploring nature and cultural pursuits.
And bonus: Entebbe International Airport is just next door! This makes it the perfect overnight stop on your way in or out of Uganda.
Some of the activities you can do in Entebbe include:
- Horse riding
- Visiting Entebbe Botanic Gardens
- Shopping at the craft markets
- Mountain biking
- Visiting Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary (which protects orphaned chimps)
- Exploring the impressive Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre
8. Have Fun on Lake Victoria
While in Entebbe, you have to make the most of Lake Victoria! This majestic expanse of water is shared by Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. Spending time on the waters of Lake Victoria is most definitely on our list of the top 20 things to do in Uganda!
Some popular activities include:
- Kayaking
- Sunrise or sunset canoeing
- Playing volleyball
- Fishing
- Swimming at Lido Beach
Did you know that Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and the chief reservoir of the White Nile?
9. Explore the City of Kampala
Northeast of Entebbe, Kampala is a dynamic and engaging city with a rich and colourful history. Visiting the capital city adds yet another flavour to your Uganda experience, and you get to see one more side of real Africa!
Our local leader can take you to a local restaurant or bar in the evening, which can be an adventure in itself! If you've enough time, also be sure to check out the Kasubi Tombs, the resting place of four kings of Buganda and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We also recommend dinner at Ndere Cultural Centre, where guests are treated to a traditional dance performance.
10. Hike to Sipi Falls
Just a short drive from Kampala, Sipi Falls in Mount Elgon National Park is a series of three tall waterfalls cascading in a 99 m drop along the lower slopes of Mt Elgon.
There are different hikes you can take, all starting from the small trading centre of Sipi. If you're feeling ambitious, it's possible to undertake a day hike from the main waterfall to the three smaller falls that lie upstream, one of which has a beautiful swimming pool at its base. Be sure to pack your bathing suit!
You can also abseil the cliff face alongside the main waterfall - a must for thrill-seeking travellers!
11. Adventure Activities in Jinja
Uganda really is the perfect place to get your adventure on, and the small colonial town of Jinja is the country's adventure capital!
Jinja is where the White Nile flows out of Lake Victoria. Many consider Jinja to be the true source of the Nile! It's an incredibly beautiful spot, and we recommend spending at least a couple of nights here, raising your adrenaline in the day, and relaxing by the shore in the evenings.
Some of the exciting adventure activities on offer in or near Jinja are:
- Kayaking
- White-water rafting
- Tubing
- Mountain biking
- Bungee jumping
- Horse riding
- Quad biking
The town itself presents beautiful colonial-era architecture and a buzzing local community.
One of our favourite Jinja-based activities is tubing on the River Nile!
12. Visit Murchison Falls
Murchison Falls became one of Uganda’s first national parks in 1952. It's the largest national park in Uganda and one of the best destinations for those interested in the country’s wildlife. Today, you can expect to see elephants, crocodiles, endangered giraffes, leopards, hartebeests, oribis, Uganda kobs, buffalos, hippos, antelopes and waterbucks. That's a long list!
The park is also home to 460 species of birds, including the shoebill stork.
And of course, a visit to Murchison Falls would not be complete without a visit to the falls themselves up close in person. You can do this on an unforgettable boat cruise.
13. Meet Rothschild's Giraffes
Rothschild's giraffes comprise one of the smallest populations of giraffes in the world. It's estimated that there are only around 1,600 of them left in the wild. Its IUCN status is "near threatened". These giraffes can be found in just Kenya and Uganda.
Murchison Falls National Park is home to the largest population of Rothschild's giraffes. Rothschild's giraffes are actually one of the tallest giraffes, able to grow to almost 6 m tall!
Fun fact: a group of giraffes is called a tower of giraffes. How appropriate!
14. Zip Line Through Mabira Forest
Mabira Central Forest Reserve is just 44 km east of the capital of Kampala, and on the way to the town of Jinja. This makes it an easy addition to your Uganda itinerary.
Apart from being a beautiful, ancient rainforest that's ideal for hikes and exploratory walks, it has a fantastic zip line that it's dubbed the Mabira Forest Canopy Super Skyway! The zip line grants you amazing views over the canopy, and you'll see the River Musamya as you fly over it.
While you're laughing and whizzing through the air with your pals, keep an eye open for African fish eagles, palm nut vultures and great blue turacos, among others! At the end of the zip line, you hike back to base camp via Griffin Falls.
15. Bike Through Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo National Park may be smaller than the others, but boy, does it pack in a whole load of wildlife! Its fantastic location, between Entebbe and Bwindi, makes it a good stopover to avoid long drives or a flight.
When there, why not do things a little differently and take a bike ride through the park when the sun starts setting? It's the only safari in Uganda where you're allowed to be outside the car! You’ll see zebras, antelopes, baboons, giraffes, long-horn cattle - all from a very close range.
Note that whilst you can explore the national park at any time of day, morning game drives are better for getting photographs.
16. Trek to See Kibale Forest's Chimpanzees
It's not only the gorillas that attract animal lovers to Uganda. Chimpanzee trekking is also a fascinating experience and one you won't forget in a hurry!
On a chimp tracking excursion, you go on a guided hike through beautiful Kibale Forest to find a troop. Once you find them, you spend about an hour with them, observing them eating, grooming, playing and maybe even swinging from one tree to another if you're lucky!
17. Stand at the Ugandan Equator
Instagrammers at the ready - the Ugandan Equator is one of the most photographed and well-known landmarks in the whole country. And of course it is, since we all love the idea of saying we're in two places at once!
At the Equator, you're able to stand with one of your feet in the northern hemisphere and the other in the southern hemisphere. This effectively lets you stand on both sides of the world at the same time.
18. Hike in the Rwenzori Mountains
Another worthy addition to our list of the top things to do in Uganda is to visit the mighty, mist-shrouded Rwenzori Mountains! A UNESCO World Heritage Site in western Uganda, the Rwenzori Mountains are a hiker's paradise. You can embark on short day hikes or tackle more challenging, multiday treks. Mountaineers can have a go at Africa's fourth-highest peak: Mt Ngaliema (5,109 m)!
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