Uganda vacations 2024 & 2025

In Uganda you can hike through dense forest to track mountain gorillas, see elephant, buffalo, lion, and leopard on safari, or watch the Nile force its way through a narrow gorge at Murchinson Falls. Most visitors come to Uganda to see the world’s last remaining mountain gorillas, and the challenging hike through the mountains on the trail of these great apes is a highlight of a trip. However, Uganda also offers rewarding safaris by 4x4, boat, and on foot in its national parks and wildlife reserves and you can expect to see rare tree-climbing lion, hippo, elephant, and a wide variety of primates.

In Uganda you can stay in small lodges and tented safari camps, or urban guesthouses and hotels. The choice of places to stay here isn’t as varied as in some other destinations, and in some places can be quite limited, but our specialists have chosen a variety of comfortable options with good standards of food and service.

You could stay in luxurious stone cottages while tracking gorillas, thatched cottages overlooking the grassy plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park, or in safari lodges in Murchison Falls National Park. For more ideas, browse our collection of places to stay in Uganda to start planning your trip.

Most visitors to Uganda go to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park, and Murchinson Falls National Park.

One of the most biologically diverse forests in Africa, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to more than half the world's population of mountain gorillas, and tracking the troops through the dense forest is a tough but rewarding adventure. By contrast, the wide savannah plains of Queen Elizabeth National Park are home to lion, hippo, buffalo, hyena, and crocodiles, while Murchinson Falls National Park offers sightings of a wide variety of wildlife where the Nile surges through a cleft in the Rift Valley escarpment.

Although mountain gorillas are the main draw in Uganda, you’ll also get the chance to see most of the Big Five, including lion, elephant, buffalo, and leopard. Rare tree-climbing lion can also be seen, and on boat trips along the Ishasha River, hippo wallow in the water and elephant line the banks. Kibale Forest National Park is home to 13 species of primate, including chimpanzees, red colobus and L’Hoest’s monkeys, and grey-cheeked mangabeys, while the birdlife at Murchinson Falls includes over 460 species.

It takes around 20 hours to fly from the East Coast of the US to Uganda.

The time zone in Uganda is UTC+3 hours. Daylight Savings Time is not observed.

The best way of getting around southern Uganda is by road as the distances are relatively small and the scenery a highlight. For travel in northern Uganda and for visits to Murchison Falls, we recommend taking a light aircraft, particularly during the wet seasons.

American citizens need a visa for travel to Uganda. You can apply for an eVisa up to 60 days in advance on the Electronic Visa Application System website. Visas are valid for 90 days from the issue date.

Your doctor can provide you with immunization advice for Uganda, but you should also ensure you’re up to date with the recommended vaccinations for your home country. You can also check the recommended vaccinations by visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Malaria is a risk throughout Uganda. Please see your doctor for advice about which antimalarial medication you should take.

You can reduce your risk of contracting malaria by avoiding being bitten by mosquitoes. Wear long, loose clothing, use insect repellent, and use mosquito nets where provided.

Your passport should be valid for six months beyond your return date from Uganda and have two consecutive blank pages.

You must be 15 years or older to track gorillas in Uganda. Tracking the troops requires hiking through dense forest on steep mountainsides and is not suitable for children under 15.

Gorilla tracking in Uganda begins early in the morning when trackers scout the forest for clues to the gorillas’ location. Your guide will then take you onto the mountain paths in the direction of where the troop was last seen. Depending on where the gorillas are located, the hike can take anywhere from half an hour to several hours with your guide pointing out evidence of gorilla activity as you go.

As you approach the gorillas’ location you may hear grunts or grumbles, or see movement in the trees ahead, but nothing quite prepares you for your first sight of the troop, sitting on the ground or climbing among the trees. Their facial gestures and human-like hands are so similar to our own that just being in their presence and knowing how threatened they are feels like an enormous privilege.

You’ll get to spend an hour observing the gorillas as they munch on leaves, strip bark, groom each other, or cuddle infants. Visits are kept short, and you’ll need to keep a certain distance away to avoid causing the apes distress and to prevent disease transmission.

Sitting in a hushed group observing the gorillas, you’ll be close enough to take photographs, witness the charismatic interactions between troop members, and discern the intelligence, delight, or concern on their faces. Infants cling to mother’s backs, silverbacks lord over the scene, and others chew on bamboo shoots as if unaware of the human presence. For most visitors, the hour with these gentle giants leaves them smitten and very aware of the extraordinary connection we have with these apes and the fragility of the ecosystems that support them.

Wear long trousers, good walking boots, and gloves when tracking gorillas in Uganda. The forest is dense here and trousers will protect you from scratches and insect bites, while a pair of gloves are handy to help steady yourself on branches along the slippery mud trails. A pair of walking poles can also be helpful as you might encounter steep ascents and descents on the mountain slopes.