Travel to Uganda

You hear them before you see them: branches cracking somewhere up the slope, then a deep grunt. A few minutes later your guide pulls back the leaves and a silverback is sitting there, chewing, ignoring you completely. An hour with the mountain gorillas of Bwindi is the reason many people come to Uganda, and it stays with you.

Uganda has much more than gorillas, though. You can track chimpanzees in Kibale Forest, watch tree-climbing lions in Queen Elizabeth National Park, take a boat to the foot of Murchison Falls and raft the Nile at Jinja. The Rwenzori Mountains have glaciers on the equator, and remote Kidepo Valley feels like nowhere else in East Africa.

Here are our tips for planning a safari in Uganda and what a Uganda safari costs.

Our travel tips below are sorted by what you want to do: Gorilla and Chimpanzee Trekking, Safaris and National Parks, Outdoor and Nature, Things to Do and See and General Travel Tips.

Visa Requirements for Uganda

Most visitors need a visa. Apply online on the official Ugandan immigration portal at visas.immigration.go.ug before you travel: you receive an approval letter by email, print it, and the visa is issued when you arrive. A single-entry tourist visa costs $50. Use the official portal only, as copycat sites charge much more.

If you also visit Kenya or Rwanda, the East Africa Tourist Visa costs $100 and covers multiple entries to all three countries for 90 days. It does not cover Tanzania, and leaving the three countries ends it.

Your passport must be valid for at least six months after arrival. Since October 2026, a yellow fever certificate is no longer required to enter Uganda, but the vaccine is still recommended, and neighboring countries may ask for it when you travel on.

Important Cultural Information

English and Swahili are the official languages, and Luganda is widely spoken around Kampala. Ugandans are friendly and polite, and greetings matter: say hello and ask how someone is before you get to your question.

Dress modestly in towns and villages. Military-style clothing is illegal for everyone, including children. Always ask before you photograph people, and don’t photograph military or government sites, including the Owen Falls Dam near Jinja. Same-sex relationships are illegal in Uganda with severe penalties, so check your government’s travel advice before you go.

Banking & Money in Uganda

The currency is the Ugandan shilling (UGX). Uganda is mostly a cash economy: cards work at larger hotels, lodges and upmarket restaurants, but not much beyond that. ATMs are easy to find in Kampala, Entebbe, Jinja and the bigger towns, but rare near the parks, so take cash before you head out.

US dollars are widely used for permits, lodges and tours. Bring recent, undamaged notes, as old or torn notes are often refused, and small denominations get a lower exchange rate. Locals pay for almost everything with mobile money.

Medical Emergency Information

The emergency number for police, fire and ambulance is 999. Kampala has good private clinics, but medical care in rural areas and near the parks is basic, so make sure your travel insurance covers evacuation.

Malaria is present in most of Uganda, so see a travel clinic about antimalarials and vaccinations at least eight weeks before you go. You can’t join a gorilla trek with a cold or other infectious illness, as gorillas catch human diseases easily. Read about how fit you need to be for gorilla trekking.

If you’re looking for travel insurance, we are an affiliate of SafetyWing, a travel medical insurance provider.

Wi-Fi and Internet in Uganda

Hotels and lodges usually have Wi-Fi, though it can be slow in the national parks. For data, buy a local SIM at Entebbe airport (you need your passport) or an eSIM before you go. MTN and Airtel are the two main networks. Use a VPN on public Wi-Fi, like ExpressVPN.

Arrival in Uganda

International flights land at Entebbe International Airport (EBB) on Lake Victoria, about 40 km from Kampala. Many travelers fly in via Nairobi, Kigali, Addis Ababa, Doha, Dubai or Istanbul. Only ticketed passengers may enter the terminal.

Overland, Uganda has busy border crossings with Kenya and Rwanda. Many gorilla trekkers fly into Kigali in Rwanda, which is closer to Bwindi and Mgahinga than Entebbe.

Areas of Uganda

Most trips follow a loop through the west and south-west, where the main parks and forests are.

Bwindi and Mgahinga

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in the far south-west holds almost half of the world’s mountain gorillas, and has four trekking sectors: Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo. Nearby Mgahinga has one habituated gorilla family plus golden monkeys on the slopes of the Virunga volcanoes. Here’s our guide to trekking gorillas in Bwindi.

Queen Elizabeth and Kibale

Queen Elizabeth National Park has savanna, crater lakes and the Kazinga Channel, where a boat trip brings you close to hippos, elephants and birds. The Ishasha sector is known for its tree-climbing lions. To the north, Kibale Forest is the best place in Uganda for chimpanzee trekking.

Murchison Falls

In Murchison Falls National Park the Nile squeezes through a gorge only about 7 meters wide. Game drives on the northern bank bring giraffes, elephants and lions, and a boat trip takes you up to the foot of the falls. On the way, the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is the only place in Uganda to see rhinos in the wild.

Kidepo, Lake Mburo and Semuliki

Kidepo Valley in the far north-east is remote, wild and rarely crowded. Lake Mburo, the closest park to Kampala, has zebras and impalas and allows horseback and walking safaris. Semuliki on the Congo border is a lowland rainforest with hot springs and forest birds.

Mountains and the Nile

The Rwenzori Mountains rise to 5,109 meters, with glaciers and giant lobelias, and Mount Elgon on the Kenyan border has caves and the Sipi Falls nearby. Here’s our guide to hiking in Uganda. At Jinja, near the source of the Nile, you can go white water rafting, kayaking or simply sit by the river.

Kampala and Entebbe

Kampala is a busy, hilly capital with markets, the Kasubi Tombs and the Uganda National Mosque, which has views across the city. Here are the best places to visit in Kampala. Entebbe, on Lake Victoria, is quieter and a good place to start or end a trip, with botanical gardens and boat trips to the Ngamba Island chimpanzee sanctuary.

Transportation in Uganda

Most visitors travel with a safari operator and a driver-guide, as distances are long and road conditions vary. Domestic flights connect Entebbe and Kampala with airstrips near Bwindi, Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth and Kidepo and save long drives.

Ugandans drive on the left. Self-driving is possible with a 4×4 and experience, but avoid driving outside the main towns after dark. In Kampala, boda-bodas (motorbike taxis) are everywhere but risky, so use ride-hailing apps or registered taxis instead.

Accommodation in Uganda

Near the parks you’ll find everything from simple guesthouses and community-run bandas to comfortable lodges and luxury tented camps. Around Bwindi, book your lodge in the sector where your gorilla permit is, as the sectors are hours apart by road.

Kampala and Entebbe have international hotels and guesthouses, and Lake Bunyonyi in the south-west is a good place to unwind between treks. Gorilla permits and good lodges sell out months ahead in the dry seasons, so book early.

What to Eat and Drink in Uganda

Ugandan food is hearty and based on staples. Try matoke (steamed and mashed green bananas), luwombo (stew steamed in banana leaves), groundnut sauce, posho (maize porridge) and the Rolex, a chapati rolled with an omelet that you’ll find at street stalls everywhere. Tilapia from Lake Victoria is a local favorite.

Uganda grows good coffee and tea, and Nile Special and Club are the local beers. Tipping guides, trackers and porters on gorilla treks is customary.

Gorilla Trekking in Uganda

A gorilla permit gives you one hour with a habituated gorilla family, after a hike of anywhere from one to several hours through steep forest. Permits are issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and sell out well ahead. Under the 2024 to 2026 tariff, a permit costs $800 for foreign non-residents, and UWA fees may change from January 2027, so check current rates before you book.

Gorilla trekking runs all year. The drier months from June to September and December to February are easiest on the trails. Our guide to gorilla trekking in Uganda and Rwanda compares both countries, and here’s why responsible gorilla trekking matters for the gorillas’ future.

Things to Do and See in Uganda

Beyond the parks, Uganda has plenty to fill a trip:

• Rafting and kayaking – on the Nile at Jinja.
• Bird watching – Uganda has more than 1,000 bird species, see the best places for bird watching in Uganda.
• Lake Bunyonyi – canoe trips and island stays in the hills of the south-west.
• Sipi Falls – waterfall hikes and coffee tours on the slopes of Mount Elgon.
• Kampala – markets, the Kasubi Tombs and the city’s nightlife.

For a longer list, see the tourist attractions in Uganda and the things to do on a safari in Uganda.

Safety Tips for Uganda

Uganda is a welcoming country, and millions of visitors travel without problems. In Kampala, watch your belongings in crowded places, keep your phone out of sight in traffic and use registered taxis or ride-hailing apps after dark.

Go to the national parks with a registered operator and follow your guide’s instructions; armed rangers accompany gorilla treks as a matter of routine. Don’t cross into the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, where there is ongoing conflict, and check your government’s travel advice before you go.

Conclusion

Uganda gives you the most intimate wildlife encounter in Africa, an hour with mountain gorillas, and then keeps going: chimps in the forest, lions in the trees, the Nile thundering through Murchison Falls and glaciers on the equator.

Start with planning your safari, book your gorilla permit early, and give yourself time to slow down by a lake at the end.