Top Uganda Destinations, 6 Places You Should Visit for Uganda Safaris & Tours

Uganda was famously christened the ‘’Pearl of Africa’’ by Winston Churchill, is a land of immense beauty and astonishing biological diversity. Unlike its neighbours, Uganda offers a complete East African safari experience in a highly condensed, easily moveable area from the dense rainforests sheltering Mountain Gorillas to the sprawling savannas with lions, and from the source of the Nile to the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains. This guide takes you through the must-visit Uganda safari destinations that define its rich tourism landscape.

1. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park: the gorilla heartland.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the cornerstone of Ugandan tourism and the world’s most crucial location for Mountain Gorilla trekking. Its ancient, dense rainforests host nearly half of the world’s remaining Mountain Gorillas, making a visit here the ultimate wildlife pilgrimage.

The experience: gorilla trekking safari involves hiking deep into the dense, steep terrain to spend one hour observing a habituated gorilla family. This is an amazing moving, life-altering safari experience. The park is divided into four sectors Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo and each proving access to the different gorilla families and then surrounding communities.

Beyond the gorillas: Visitors can also engage in the Gorilla Habituation Experience (GHE) in the Rushaga sector, which allows for four full hours with a gorilla family still undergoing the habituation process. The park also offers excellent birdwatching, hosting over 350 species, and then cultural encounters with the Batwa Pygmy Community, the traditional ‘’keepers of the forest.’’

  1. Queen Elizabeth National Park: Classic savanna safari.

Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in the right valley floor, Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s most famous savanna reserve, offering traditional game drives, beautiful wetlands and then varied wildlife viewing.

Wildlife and scenery: the park has a remarkable variety of the ecosystems, including the open savannas, sparkling lakes, fertile wetlands and the dramatic backdrop of the Rwenzori Mountains. It is a home of the four of the Big five, with leopards and lions being common sightings. The park’s most unique attraction is the tree climbing lions found in the Ishasha sector, a rare behaviour believed to help them escape tsetse flies and scout for prey.

The Kazinga channel: the park’s most rewarding safari activity is the boat safari along Kazinga channel, which connects Lake Edwars and Lake George. This channel is densely populated with the hippos, crocodiles, buffaloes and thousands of waterbirds, offering a spectacular, leisurely viewing experience.

3. Murchison Falls National Park: Power and majesty.

Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP) is Uganda’s largest and then most powerful protected area, defined by the immense flow of the Nile River as it squeezes through a narrow gorge.

Murchison Falls: the park is named after the dramatic waterfall where the entire volume of the Nile River bursts through a 7-meter-wide gap before dropping 43 meters. Visitors can take a hike to the top of the falls for the breathtaking view of this raw power, or take a boat safari to the bottom of the falls, where wildlife converges on the riverbanks.

The Game drives: the savanna north of the Nile is excellent for game drives, offering sightings of lions, elephants, giraffes (including the endemic Rothschild’s giraffe) and one of the Uganda’s largest buffalo populations.

Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary: Enroute to or from Murchison Falls National Park, travellers stoop at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the only place in Uganda to track the White Rhinoceros on foot. This sanctuary is the key to Ugandan’s goal of eventually reintroducing to the national parks.

4. Kibale Forest National Park: Chimpanzee tracking capital.

Kibale is widely regraded as the best place in the world for chimpanzee tracking. This stunning tropical rainforest boats the highest concentration and diversity of primates in East Africa.

The Primate capital: the park is a home to 13 different primate species. The main activity is the Chimpanzee Tracking Experience, which involves following the guided as they locate communities of these noisy, social primates in the trees. Visitors can choose the standard one-hour encounter or the Chimpanzee Habituation Experience (CHEX) which allows for a full day spent with the chimps, observing them from morning until evening.

Other attractions: Besides chimps, Kibale offers the excellent birding and guided nature walks, exploring the incredible botanical richness of the forest.

  1. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park: Where Gold meets Silver.

Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is a small but then an important park in the southwest, part of the Virunga Massif, and then it holds the unique distinction of being ‘’where gold meets silver.’’

The Two Primates: The ‘’silver’’ refers to the mountain gorillas, shared with Rwanda and then Democratic Republic of Congo. The ‘’gold’’ refers to the colourful Golden Monkeys, endemic to the high-altitude bamboo forests of the Virunga Volcanoes. Visitors here can track both primates, making for a truly special experience.

Volcano Climbing: Mgahinga offers tiresome but then rewarding climbs up three of its extinct volcanoes. Mount Muhabura, Mount Gahinga and Mount Sabinyo. The views from the summits are spectacular, offering panoramic vistas of Uganda, Rwanda and then Democratic Republic of Congo.

  1. Rwenzori Mountains National Park: The Mountain of the Moon.

For adventurous travellers and mountaineers, the Rwenzori Mountains offer a completely different challenge. This UNESCO site is a home to the Africa’s third-highest peak, Mount Margherita (5109 m) and often shrouded in mist.

The experience: this is known as the ‘’Mountain of the Moon,’’ the Rwenzoris are famous for their unique, high-altitude plant life, including giant heather, groundsels, and lobelias. Trekking here is physically demanding, involving many days and then nights, and of which it offers an experience closer to the Alphine climbing than the traditional hiking.

Finally, Uganda offers a complete, holistic African journey to every tourist on a Ugandan trip. From the intense emotional encounter of gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi to the classic Big five in Murchison and Queen to the dramatic waterfalls of Murchison, Uganda’s compact size makes it possible to combine diverse destinations into one spectacular safari itinerary with Focus East Africa Tours