Uganda is blessed with abundant tourism attractions from mountains, apes and primates, waters, birds, wildlife and more which make activities in different regions of Uganda and most of them are in ten national parks of Uganda

Bwindi impenetrable national park

Extent and size: Bwindi impenetrable national park covers an area of approximately 331 square kilometers
Location: This Park is located in south western region of Uganda, near the border of democratic republic of Congo and shared by the districts of Kisoro to the north, Kanungu, and Rubanda districts
Attractions: its home to half of the world’s population of the mountain gorillas, it offers mountain gorilla tracking experiences, bird watching, and nature walks

Gazetted: established in

Queen Elizabeth national park

Extent and size: Queen Elizabeth national park covers an area of about 1,978 square kilometers.

Location: it’s situated in western region of Uganda, bordering Lake Edward and George and is shared in districts of kasese,

Attractions: it’s a habitat for diverse wildlife including elephants; tree climbing lions, numerous bird species, and visitors can enjoy game drives, boat cruises and chimpanzee tracking at kyambura gorge

Murchison falls national park

Extent and size: Murchison falls national park spans approximately 3,893 square kilometers.

Location: it’s located in the north western region of Uganda along the Victoria Nile.

Attractions: it’s a home to the powerful Murchison falls, abundant wildlife such as elephants, giraffes, as well as boat safaris on the Nile River.

Gazetted: established as a national park in 1962

Kidepo valley national park

Extent and size: kidopo valley national park covers an area of around 1,442 square kilometers

Location: located in northeastern Uganda near the borders with south Sudan and Kenya.

Attractions: kidepo valley national park with in its remoteness it has a diverse wildlife including the cheetahs, ostriches, and cultural interactions with the local communities like the karamajong people
Gazetted: this park was established in 1962

RWENZORI MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

Extent and size: Rwenzori mountains national park covers an area of about 996 square kilometers

Location: it’s situated in western region of Uganda along the border with democratic republic of Congo

Attractions :the park features the snow capped mountains( mount Stanley), diverse flora and fauna, challenging hiking trails including margherita peak climbs and other wild animal and local cultures neighboring the park that includes the Bamba, Bakonjo and more.

Gazzeted: the park was established in 1991

Semuliki national park

Extent and size: semuliki national park covers an area approximately 220 square kilometers

Location: it’s located in western region of Uganda near the border of democratic republic of Congo

Attractions: offers unique wildlife such as pygmy hippos, forest elephants, sepaya female and male hot springs, bird watching, and culture encounters with the Batwa people
Gazetted: established as a national park in 1993

Mountain Elgon national park

Extent and size: mountain Elgon national park covers an area of around 1,279 kilometers on the Ugandan side of Mount Elgon and is located in the eastern region of Uganda bordering Kenya.

Location: located on the eastern border of Uganda in Kenya

Attractions: features Mount Elgon’s caldera with hot springs like sipi falls, diverse ecosystems, supporting various species like elephants and buffaloes, caves for explorations etc

Gazzetted: established as a national park in 1993

Mgahinga gorilla national park

Extent and size: mgahinga gorilla national park covers approximately 33.7 square kilometers.
Location: situated in southwestern region of Uganda in Rwanda and democratic republic of Congo borders with virunga mountain ranges.
Attractions: offers mountain gorilla trekking experiences similar to its neighboring park of bwindi impenetrable national park but also features primates of golden monkey trekking opportunities
Gazetted: it was established as a national park in 1991

Lake mburo national park

Extent and size: lake mburo national park covers an area approximately 370sq km

Location: it’s located in western region of Uganda between masaka and Mbarara in large extent in kiruhura district

Attractions: zebras, impalas, are common here, boat trips at Lake Mburo and sport fishing.
Gazetted: its established in 1983 officially

Pian upe wildlife reserve

Extent and size: covers an area of 2sq km

Location: it’s located in north eastern Uganda near kadam

Attractions: it’s inhabited by rare landscapes and species of cheetahs

Mountains of Uganda

Uganda is blessed with stunning and diverse landscapes that includes several prominent mountains that attract adventure and nature enthusiasts. Some of the renowned mountains in Uganda include mount muhabura, mount sabinyo, mount gahinga, sabinyo, and the Rwenzori Mountains.

Mountain muhabura

Location: mount muhabura is located on the border between Uganda and Rwanda and is part of the virunga mountains ranges in the greater virunga massifs

Altitude: it’s standing at an altitude of 4,127 meters above sea level with 36m Crater Lake at the top

Mount Gahinga

Location: Mount gahinga is also situated on the border between Uganda and Rwanda; it’s a dormant volcano and forms part of the Virunga Mountains.

Altitude: it has an elevation of approximately 3,474 meters (11,398 feet) above sea level

Mount sabinyo

Location: mount sabinyo is dormant volcano with rugged terrain distinctive appearance with peaks; it is part of the Virunga Mountains and is situated on the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and the democratic republic of Congo

Mount Elgon

Location: Mount Elgon is located on the eastern border of Uganda and Kenya and is an extinct shield volcano with one of the largest calderas in the world

Altitude: it has two main peaks_wagagai at 4,321 feet meters (14,177 feet) and sudek at 4,302 meters (14,140 feet)

Rwenzori Mountains

Location: The Rwenzori Mountains are located in western Uganda along the border with democratic republic of Congo and are famous for their permanent glaciers and unique afro-alpine vegetation.

Altitude: it stands at a height of 5,109 meters (16,763) above sea level and the highest peak is margherita

Waters of Uganda

There are a stunning variety of water bodies that contribute to Uganda’s beauty and biodiversity. That includes Lake Victoria, lake Bunyonyi, Lake Albert, sipi falls, lake mutanda, and kazinga channel

Lake Victoria.

Extent and size: Lake Victoria is the largest lake in Africa and the second-largest freshwater lake in the world, it cover an area of approximately 68,800 square kilometers

Location: it’s shared by the three countries: Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania and it occupies a significant part of the country.

Tourism attractions: Lake Victoria offers various tourism activities such as boat cruises, fishing activities, bird watching, visit to sesse islands

Lake Bunyonyi

Extent and size: lake bunyonyi is one of the deepest lakes in Africa with a depth of about 44 meters. And covers an area of approximately 25 square kilometers

Location: it’s located in southwestern Uganda and stretches in of kabale and Rubanda districts. It has stunning scenic beauty and terraced hills surrounding its shores and is composed of 29 islands.

Tourism attractions: There are activities and like canoeing, swimming, hiking around the terraced hills surrounding the islands, experiencing the local cultures of the Bakiga local people for home stays, local cuisines, visiting the Batwa Bushmen

Lake mutanda.

Extent and size: lake mutanda is a small freshwater and covers an area of about 20 square kilometers

Location: it’s located in the south western region of Uganda near the border of Uganda, Rwanda and democratic republic of Congo.

Tourism attractions: tourists can enjoy islands explorations such as visit to Skelton Island, and other 26 islands, canoeing, nature walks, zip lining, and sunbathing apart from the mgahinga gorilla national park and Bwindi impenetrable national parks gorilla tracking that the lake is near to

Murchison falls

Extent and size: Murchison falls is a magnificent waterfall on the Victoria Nile and is a popular tourist destination for its powerful cascades and beauty.

Location: it’s located in northwestern Uganda within the Murchison falls national park

Tourism attractions: tourists here can enjoy boast safaris, along the river Nile to view wildlife as hippos, crocodiles, elephants, and birds, hiking to the falls, for panoramic view of the falls and surroundings

Kazinga channel

Extent and size: kazinga channel is a natural waterway that connects Lake Edward and Lake George

Location: it’s located in western region of Uganda with in Queen Elizabeth national park and has a rich biodiversity

Tourism attractions: boat cruises along the channel offers specula views of wildlife such as hippos, crocodiles, buffalo herds, elephants, bathing at water’s edge, numerous species of birds and fish vendors

Sipi falls

Extent and size: sipi falls is a renowned its scenic settings amidst the lush coffee plantations and a series of three waterfalls on foothills of Mount Elgon with dramatic cliffs

Location: it’s located near the town of kapichirwa in eastern region of Uganda

Tourism attractions: tourists here enjoy hiking to each waterfall viewpoint, local coffee farms and views of magnificent Mount Elgon.

Historical sites and cultural tourism attractions in Uganda

Uganda is a country with rich history, numerous historical and cultural tourism attractions around the country which includes:

Kasubi tombs and kings palace

Location: it’s a UNESCO world heritage site located in Kampala which is about 40km from Entebbe airport and are the burial site for the kings of Buganda and holds a significant cultural and historical importance of the Baganda tribe of people in Uganda

The Batwa people and cultural trails

Location: in Mgahinga gorilla national park, Bwindi impenetrable national park, semuliki and lake bunyonyi western and southwestern region of Uganda and they showcase their traditional lifestyle of how they once lived in the forests and caves

Namugongo martyrs shrine

Location: its locates in Kampala central region of Uganda and commemorates execution of the 32 young men who were Christian converts who were killed in orders of kabaka mwanga 11 the king of Buganda between 1885 and 1887

The amabere ganyina mwiru caves

Location: it located in fort portal in western region of Uganda which is surrounded with beautiful crater lakes the site has rich history and folklore

About the primates and apes of Uganda

Mountain gorillas are a critically endangered species of the great ape family of chimpanzees, olungatnoes, and are sub-species of the eastern gorilla and are found in mountainous areas of central Africa in virunga massif which includes three countries of Uganda, Rwanda, and democratic republic of Congo respectively within the national parks of volcanoes national park in Rwanda Bwindi and mgahinga gorilla national parks in Uganda and virunga national park In democratic republic of Congo

Feeding: mountain gorillas primarily feed on vegetation such as leaves, stems, bamboo shoots, fruits and occasionally on insects

Social: They live in sable family groups led by a dominant silverback male, along with females and their infant offsprings and the social structure within groups is complex with strong bonds between family members

Life span: these majestic creatures can live live around 35-45 years when safe from wildlife threats like poaching, diseases and safe habitat

Chimpanzee trekking

Chimpanzees are one the dominates of the great apes and the closest living relatives to humans and are found in forests of Uganda in kibale national park, budongo forest reserve, kyambura gorge in queen Elizabeth national park

Feeding: chimpanzees have a diverse diet that includes fruits, leaves, seeds, insects, and occasionally meat from hunting mammals and birds

Social life: they live in communities consisting of multiple members led by an alpha male and exhibit complex social behaviors such as use of tools and communication through vocalization and gestures

Life span: the lifespan of chimpanzees is around 40-50 years in their natural habitat and some individuals reaching 60 years when safe from poaching, human transmitted diseases and other factors

Tree climbing lions:

Uganda is blessed with its unique tree-climbing lions found in Queen Elizabeth national park and ishasha sector of Bwindi impenetrable national park, these lions have adapted to their arboreal lifestyle by climbing trees to rest during the day or escape from insects on the ground

Feeding: they feed on mainly large mammals, like antelopes, buffaloes, impalas, rabbits etc

Social life: They live in prides led by a dominant male lion with lioness and their cubs. The social structure within lion prides is essential for hunting cooperatively about defending territories against prides

Life span: The lives span of lions in the wild typically around 10-14 years but can be longer

Golden monkeys

Golden monkeys are one of the rare primate species found in the virunga massifs of republic of Rwanda, Uganda and democratic republic of Congo and in Uganda in mgahinga gorilla national park one of the few places to observe the golden monkeys in their natural habitat

They are strikingly beautiful monkeys with bright golden fur, playful behaviors and round shaped face

About the birds of Uganda

Uganda has a rich avifauna with 1088 species as of 2023 of which three are endemic species. And can be categories based on various taxonomic groups such as struthioniformes (ostriches) Anseriformes (ducks and geese and galliformes (pheasants and grouse) and threes birds have webbed feet, flattened bills, and feathers with an oily coating that helps them to swim efficiently.

There are shoebills (balaeniceps rex) the great blue turaco ground kivu, crested canes and more.

Birding in Uganda offers rewarding experiences for both amateur and experienced birdwatchers due to its diverse landscapes, that includes rainforests, savannahs, to lake shores mountains and gorges, with thousands of bird species and some of the notable birding species include Bwindi impenetrable national park, Ruhija sector, mubwindi swamp, lake albert rift where rarest species like the African Broadbill can be found.

Zoos and sanctuaries.

Visit to Entebbe Uganda wildlife education Centre a conservation facility located in Entebbe that was established in 1952 with a primary aim on wildlife conservation, research and environment education.

It serves as wildlife education center as a sanctuary for rescued and confiscated animals, providing them with safe and natural environment, through rehabilitation and releasing them back to the wild whenever possible,

Visitors will gain exposure of various exhibits showcasing diverse flora and fauna with a range of species of big cats such as lions, tigers’ primates, reptiles, birds, and through guided tours there will be much to learn

Botanical gardens

Entebbe botanical gardens situated adjacent to the Entebbe wildlife education Centre was established in 1898 and these gardens cover approximately 40 hectares and serves as a living museum of Uganda’s plant biodiversity. The gardens feature a diverse collection of indigenous species, making a popular destination for botanists’ nature lovers and with education tours to learn about ecological significance of different plant species and conservation.

Ngamba islands

Is located in Lake Victoria near Entebbe and is home to the ngamba island chimpanzee sanctuary which was established in 1998 by chimpanzee sanctuary and wildlife conservation trust and it provides a safe haven for orphan chimpanzees

It covers an area of 100 hectares of forested land that helps the chimpanzees roam freely in their natural habitat and here visitors can observe the intelligent primates, close up during feeding and educational sessions led by experienced guides and in addition to chimpanzees’ visitors can engage in various activities such as birding watching, boat cruises on Lake Victoria, cultural experiences and local community tours