Must-see attractions in Uganda

  • Uganda, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, mountain gorilla

    Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

    Southwestern Uganda

    Home to almost half the world’s surviving mountain gorillas, the World Heritage–listed Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of East Africa’s most…

  • Waters of Murchison Falls.

    Top of the Falls

    Uganda

    Once described as the most spectacular thing to happen to the Nile along its 6700km length, the 50m wide Victoria Nile is squeezed here through a 6m gap…

  • Igongo Cultural Centre

    Southwestern Uganda

    Located 12km from Mbarara on the road to Kampala, this cultural village features the best museum displays in Uganda. Set on the grounds of a former palace…

  • A rainbow arches over the spectacular Murchison Falls, Uganda, Africa

    Murchison Falls National Park

    Uganda

    Uganda’s largest national park is one of its very best; animals are in plentiful supply and the raging Murchison Falls, where the Victoria Nile crashes…

  • Burchell s zebra in Kidepo National Park, a park set in a semi arid wilderness of spectacular beauty in the far north of Uganda, bordering Southern Sudan.

    Kidepo Valley National Park

    Uganda

    Offering some of the most stunning scenery of any protected area in Uganda, Kidepo Valley National Park is hidden away in a lost valley in the extreme…

  • Mengo Palace

    Kampala

    Built in 1922, this small palace is the former home of the king of Buganda, though it has remained empty since 1966 when Prime Minister Milton Obote…

  • Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, on Ngamba Island, Lake Victoria, Uganda.

    Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary

    Eastern Uganda

    Located 23km southeast of Entebbe in Lake Victoria, Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, or 'Chimp Island', is home to over 40 orphaned or rescued…

  • African elephants in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda.

    Queen Elizabeth National Park

    Southwestern Uganda

    This fabulous national park is on nearly all itineraries, and while you'll never be far from other safari groups, you're guaranteed to see a large range…

  • A chimpanzee in the Budongo Forest in the Murchison Falls National Park.

    Budongo Forest Reserve

    Uganda

    The Budongo Forest Reserve is a large (825-sq-km) tract of virgin tropical forest on the southern fringes of Murchison Falls National Park. Its main…

  • Taks Centre

    Uganda

    It's worth popping into this happening community arts centre to see what's on, whether it be an art exhibition, fireside chat or cultural performance…

  • 32° East Ugandan Arts Trust

    Kampala

    This centre for Ugandan contemporary artists includes exhibit space, a library, workspace and resource centre. It is in the process of moving to a nearby…

  • Chimpanzee

    Kibale Forest National Park

    Southwestern Uganda

    The 795-sq-km Kibale National Park is a lush tropical rainforest, believed to have the highest density of primates in Africa. It's most famous for being…

  • Mt Elgon National Park

    Eastern Uganda

    Spread out over the slopes of a massive extinct volcano, Mt Elgon National Park is a good place to spot various primates and lots of birds, including the…

  • Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

    Southwestern Uganda

    The smallest of Uganda’s national parks (34 sq km), Mgahinga punches well above its weight. Tropical rainforest cloaks three dramatic extinct volcanoes…

  • Rwenzori Mountains National Park

    Southwestern Uganda

    The legendary, mist-covered Rwenzori Mountains were named a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1994 because of both their beauty and biodiversity. It’s the…

  • Source of the Nile River

    Jinja

    The birthplace of the mighty Nile river (or one of them anyway…), here the water spills out of Lake Victoria on its journey to the Mediterranean flowing…

  • Kihingami Wetlands Sanctuary

    Southwestern Uganda

    This eco-tourism site, set up with the help of Fort Portal’s Kabarole Tours, preserves an attractive 13-sq-km valley that otherwise would have been…

  • Nabugoye Synagogue

    Eastern Uganda

    An unexpected find in this neck of the woods, the synagogue is a simple, yet appealing, rustic red-brick building (with plans to revamp). The Jewish…

  • Kasubi Tombs

    Kampala

    The Unesco World Heritage–listed Kasubi Tombs are of great significance to the Buganda kingdom as the burial place of its kings and royal family. The huge…

  • Lake Mburo National Park

    Southwestern Uganda

    The 370-sq-km Lake Mburo National Park is an increasingly common stop on the safari circuit. It’s the only place in southern Uganda to see zebra and…

  • Great Lakes Museum

    Southwestern Uganda

    Along the highway on approach to Kabale, keep an eye out for this museum. It has a varied collection of artefacts and masks, information on clans, and…

  • Nabajjuzi Wetlands

    Southwestern Uganda

    Just out of Masaka on the way to Mbarara, these Ramsar site–listed wetlands offer excellent opportunities to spy two of Uganda’s most elusive animals: the…

  • Source of the Nile Gardens

    Jinja

    On the western bank of the river you'll find the pleasant Source of the Nile Gardens and Speke Monument – a pillar commemorating where the British…

  • Afriart Gallery

    Kampala

    This classy little gallery features works by serious local artists. Downstairs has changing monthly exhibits, while upstairs is a permanent collection,…

  • Nyero Rock Paintings

    Eastern Uganda

    Uganda's oldest rock-art site, with six panels painted on the granite outcrop of Moru Ikara. Figures include concentric circles, zebra, canoes and people…

  • Makerere Art Gallery

    Kampala

    Small, but definitely worth a visit, with fascinating monthly exhibitions; check the website for events. There are also some cool sculptures on the…

  • Kampala Hindu Temple

    Kampala

    Right in the city centre, this temple has elaborate towers and a swastika-emblazoned gate. Peek inside to see the unexpected dome.

  • Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary

    Uganda

    The Big Five are back. In 2005, Rhino Fund Uganda opened this private 70-sq-km reserve, 170km northwest of Kampala, about 30 years after poachers shot the…

  • Parliament House

    Kampala

    Open to the public, a visit to parliament is an interesting way to spend an hour or two. You can either tour the building or see the government in action …

  • Salt Mine

    Southwestern Uganda

    The interesting village of Katwe on the north shore of Lake Edward, 4km west of Main gate (Kabatoro gate), is famous for its salt industry. Salt mining on…

  • Uganda Martyrs’ Shrine

    Kampala

    Located in Namugongo, this shrine marks the spot where Kabaka Mwanga II ordered the execution of 14 Catholics who refused to denounce their faith,…

  • Uganda Museum

    Kampala

    There’s plenty to interest you here with a varied and well-captioned ethnographic collection covering clothing, hunting, agriculture, medicine, religion…

  • Semliki Wildlife Reserve

    Southwestern Uganda

    The Toro-Semliki Wildlife Reserve is the oldest protected natural area in Uganda, having first been set aside in 1926. Once one of the best-stocked and…

  • Semuliki National Park

    Southwestern Uganda

    The Semliki Valley is a little corner of Congo poking into Uganda. The only tropical lowland rainforest in East Africa is a continuation of the huge Ituri…

  • Bulange Royal Building

    Kampala

    A great place to learn about the history and culture of the Buganda Kingdom; guided tours take you inside the parliament building, providing interesting…

  • Mpanga Forest Reserve

    Eastern Uganda

    About 35km out of Kampala, the 453-hectare Mpanga Forest Reserve is a decent option if you want to escape the chaos of Kampala for a day or two. It's best…

  • Mparo Tombs

    Uganda

    Two kilometres down the Masindi Rd (4km out of Hoima) is the final resting place of the renowned Bunyoro king Omukama (‘King’) Chwa II Kabalega and his…

  • National Mosque

    Kampala

    One of Kampala's premier sights, the prominent National Mosque (widely known as the Gadaffi Mosque) was begun by Idi Amin in 1972 but only completed in…

  • Rubaga Cathedral

    Kampala

    This twin-towered Roman Catholic cathedral has a memorial to the Uganda Martyrs, with 22 Catholic victims (later declared saints) enshrined in the stained…

  • Leopard Village

    Southwestern Uganda

    Leopard Village is one of the communities within Queen Elizabeth National Park. It's possible to visit it on a tour run by Uganda Carnivore Program, which…

More destinations you need to see