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Uganda Travel Guide – Parks, Best Time and More!

Uganda Safaris Uganda

With its rich variety of forest, savannah and wetland habitats, Uganda is arguably Africa’s most diverse wildlife destination. There are jungles inhabited by gorillas and chimps, waterways alive with hippos and crocodiles, and open plains roamed by the iconic Big Five. Which means that here, in one compact safari circuit, wildlife-lovers can hope to encounter all the continent’s most alluring large mammals.

coin icon Rates (USD)
$283 to $774 pp/day
calendar icon Best Time To Go
June to August and December to February (Most parks)
clock icon High Season
June to September (It's rarely crowded)
arrows icon Size
241,038km² / 93,065mi²
Uganda Video icon Watch Video Photos icon View Photos +49 Photos Full screen icon Open Map

Pros & Cons

  • Home to almost half the world’s endangered mountain gorillas
  • One of Africa’s top chimp trekking destinations
  • Possible to combine a classic savannah safari with diverse primate viewing
  • Good balance between vehicle, boat and walking activities
  • Excellent birding, with more than 1,080 species recorded
  • The best place in Africa to see the iconic shoebill
  • Scenic beauty includes three of Africa’s eight tallest massifs: Rwenzori, Virunga and Elgon
  • Home to Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake and the source of the Nile
  • Big Five not as easily seen as in some other safari countries
  • Relatively long driving times between some parks

Wildlife

Elephant, buffalo and hippo are plentiful. Lion, white rhino, zebra and giraffe are also quite easily seen in the right location. Leopards are widespread but less certain. Birding is a real highlight, with a checklist of over 1,080 species that includes many forest birds difficult to see elsewhere. Another standout is primate viewing, with gorilla and chimp present alongside around a dozen monkey species. Antelope include the Uganda kob, an endemic species found in most savannah reserves and a favorite prey of lion.
More about the wildlife

Activities

Uganda is one of only two places in the world that offers mountain gorilla trekking. It also contains several parks and forest reserves where you can track chimpanzees (humankind’s closest relative) in their natural habitat. Many other activities are available in the savannahs, forests, mountains and wetlands of Uganda’s parks and reserves. These include guided and unguided game drives, boat safaris, bird watching, mountain climbs, rhino tracking and walking safaris.

Weather & Climate

Uganda’s tropical climate differs a little between the north and south of the country. The north experiences a rainy and warm Wet season from March to November, followed by an almost equally warm Dry season from December to February. The south has two Dry seasons (June to August and December to February) broken up by two Wet seasons (March to May and September to November).
More about the weather and climate

Best Time to Visit

The drier months from June to August and December to February are best for wildlife viewing in Uganda. There’s also plentiful sunshine at this time. In the wetter months, there’s the possibility that rain will cut off roads and wash out your primate trekking adventure.
More about the best time to visit

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