The 8 best places to visit in Uganda
Aside from all the negative press, Uganda used to get in the past years, it is known as the Pearl of Africa with so much to offer in terms of safari, the culture, and the amazing people.
Uganda has many amazing sites to see but in this post, I list down the 8 best places to visit in Uganda
1. SOURCE OF RIVER NILE
River Nile is known to be the longest river in the world so if you travel to Uganda and not visit the source of the Nile, then literally you’ve not seen Uganda. It is located in Jinja city in the Eastern part of Uganda, approximately 80 km from Kampala.
Many tourists travel from far and near to see the source of the Nile. It is not surprising that it’s number one on the list of the best places to visit in Uganda. It’s fascinating how water at the source moves in a different direction compared to other areas.
2.MURCHISON FALLS NATIONAL PARK
This is the largest national park in Uganda harboring the glorious Murchison falls. Murchison falls is a breathtaking site as the Nile river water gushes through the 8 meter gorge creating a beautiful musical sound. You can read more about it here. It is located 283 km north-west of Kampala which is the capital of Uganda.
The park is endowed with a lot of wildlife animals like the lions, leopards, elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, Uganda cob, bush backs etc. And along the shores of the Nile, you are able to see the hippopotamus , crocodiles and many more creatures. The park also houses over 400 bird species, so if you enjoy bird watching like i do, you shouldn’t miss out this amazing place.
3. QUEEN ELIZABETH NATIONAL PARK
Spanning on the districts of Kasese, Rukungiri, Kamwenge and Rubiririzi, in the western region of Uganda, Queen Elizabeth is approximately 400km south-west of Kampala. Being one of the most visited parks in Uganda, Queen Elizabeth never disappoints as it lives to its reputation of offering an amazing flora and fauna.
The park is famous for volcano features and its crater lakes. It is home to many animals like the African Bush back elephants, tree climbing lions, hippopotamuses Ugandan cob, African buffaloes , Leopards , lions and you will definitely not miss out on the monkeys.
Hippopotamuses at Kazinga channel
4. BWINDI IMPENETRABLE NATIONAL PARK
Home to almost half of the world’s mountain gorillas, Bwindi impenetrable national park is one of the best places to visit in Uganda. The large impenetrable forest provides shelter to baboons, chimpanzees, elephants,antelopes, different bird species and butterflies.
The highlight of the safari is the gorilla trekking. You will be required to purchase a gorilla trekking permit prior to the safari since only 8 people are allowed to track a specific mountain gorilla group. The gorilla trekking safari can take one to eight hours depending on where the gorillas slept the previous night.
Related post: 5 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE TRAVELING TO UGANDA
5. KAMPALA CITY
Located in the heart of Uganda, Kampala comes up as the most diverse city in the country accommodating millions of people from different tribal ethnics and being the capital , it’s the most developed city in Uganda. Over time, many western cultures have been adapted .
Kampala city center
The city offers so many places that shouldn’t be missed out if you want to learn about Kampala in depth ;
- Kampala down town- get the feel of the real life of the locals, the markets, the taxis parks and how local businesses are carried out.
- Places of worship ; Gadaffi mosque- old Kampala mosque- The biggest mosque in Kampala, Namirembe cathedral for the protestants, Lubaga cathedral for the catholics.
- Temples; The Bahai Temple, Shree Swaminarayan Temple.
- The independence monument;
- The Buganda kingdom palace, The Kasubi Tombs
Gadaffi mosque-old kampala mosque
6. JINJA CITY
Located in the Eastern part of Uganda, Jinja is known to be a “vacation” place. It is a laid-back city with an all year round “summer”, where the breeze of Lake Victoria has never been so cool and the views so breathtaking, this explains the many tourists that flock this place. A number of fun activities await you from River Rafting, Bungee jumping, Boat cruising, Camping, to Quad biking.
River Rafting at the Nile.
7. THE EQUATOR
Uganda is blessed to be one of the few countries where the equator passes. It is just 72 km from Kampala. If visiting Queen Elizabeth National park or Bwindi impenetrable forest is on your list, the Equator can be treated as a stopover and at the same time ticked off your bucket list.
8. THE UGANDA WILDLIFE EDUCATION CENTER- ENTEBBE ZOO
Having been listed as the best zoo in East and Central Africa, Uganda Wildlife Education Center is one of the best places to visit in Uganda. It harbors most of the wild animals especially those that may have been rescued from animal traffickers and poachers. You can be able to have a close-up encounter with the chimpanzees or a guided tour to see the lions, white rhinos, leopards, zebras, and many other animals.
The list of best places to visit in Uganda goes on and on but those are some of the best that i have visited so far. But if your stay is longer you can also check out these;- Mountain Rwenzori, Mountain Elgon, and the Uganda Museum.
Related post: 10 best African countries to visit in 2019
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Love Esy
Great start Esy .Made some of our lives easier and challenge to explore the beauty of the magnificent world….
Thanks Ritah. Yes the world is so beautiful not to explore it!!
Uganda sounds like the perfect balance between enjoy nature, wildlife and some local culture in the cities too. It’s a wonder it hasn’t been on my list yet!
It is victor, with so many places to go on safari and at the same time many places to relax and connect with the locals. Indeed it is a perfect balance, there is always
something for everyone .You should add it on the list already.
Uganda is rich in beauty and magnificent wildlife. I did not know that the Nile started in Uganda. Kampala sounds quite cosmopolitan.
Yes Uganda has the source of the Nile. Kampala is a very interesting city, like a mixture of western and traditional
Very interesting. I never knew all these things about Uganda – that it’s the source of the Nile and about the impenetrable forest. Sometimes I wish humans would leave those poor gorillas alone instead of making them a tourist attraction. Then again, that goes for all wildlife.
Uganda is so full of life. The sheer number of national parks bears testimony to that. But I am happy to see that Kampala can be an ideal spot to take things slow and experience some great Ugandan history and culture. Do you have a blog on some of the must-try food in Uganda? Would love to read that too.
Kampala is full of diversity, tops the list in the country. I don’t have any post about food in kampala currently , but you have just given me a great idea. I am definitely going to write one as soon as possible. Thank you.
Wow, so much nature and wildlife in Uganda! I’m quite curious about the tracking gorillas… Sounds like it could be an incredible experience. Thanks for sharing this about your country!
Gorilla trekking is an amazing experience – one of the highlights of traveling to Uganda for many tourists.
Uganda has come a long way!
There sure are so many activities to do, places to visit and experiences to be had right?
Thank you for sharing this with us ?
Thank you for appreciating. Yes right, there are so many things to see and do in uganda
What a great list of things to do in Uganda. Personally, my favourites would be the wildlife (which is most of them to be honest) but who could resist a picture opportunity at the Equator?
The wildlife in Uganda is amazing and enormous. It is not surprising that it is the most tourist attraction in Uganda. And of course who wouldn’t want a picture at the Equator.
I just wonder what I would like more. Seeing life of locals or wildlife. I think Uganda is one of the best places for wildlife photography. But
Trust me, you would like both and you would fail to choose the best. But if you are a wild life photographer, you would be so excited to see the wild life, its amazing.
I just wonder what I would like more. Seeing the life of locals or wildlife. I think Uganda is one of the best places for wildlife photography. But I am always more interested in people in every place I go.
Wow I have never bee to Uganda. Your blog post made me want to pack my bags and leave NOW! totally enjoyed the pictures too. Keep sharing 🙂
Thank you so much Anna. I am so happy, i’ve given you some inspiration to travel to Uganda. I hope you can travel there some time, you will love it. And i will definitely keep sharing- I hope i can inspire you more and more
I had no idea that Uganda has so many beautiful attractions. Glad to know that it is blessed with so many splendid National Parks. Adding it to my wishlist!
Yes it has a lot – i might have left out some few but its definitely a must see if you are into wildlife and nature
I never knew Uganda offered so much! Now I want to go! Thank you for sharing!
Uganda has so much to offer, more than i could even fit in one post. I really hope you visit one time, you will be amazed