National parks · Uganda
Murchison Falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi and Lake Mburo: a short guide to Uganda’s parks, with links to our trips and articles.
National parks
Uganda’s parks pair the Nile at Murchison Falls with the primate forests of Kibale and Bwindi, the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth and the game drives of Lake Mburo.
One of the best safari destinations in Uganda for game viewing. Visitors take a boat cruise to the foot of the falls and hike to the top, where the Nile is forced through a narrow gorge.
Our Murchison Falls itinerary suggests the dry months, roughly December to February and June to September.
Home to chimpanzees and several other primate species, with chimpanzee tracking and an optional chimpanzee habituation experience.
A game drive, a cruise on the Kazinga Channel, salt lakes and a chance of tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector.
Gorilla tracking in the forest, including an hour spent with a family of mountain gorillas.
Game drives, a boat cruise and a bush walk, at the end of our 12-day Uganda journey.
Trips
Journeys through Uganda’s parks. Every trip is quoted for your dates and your party.
Read next
Three articles from our travel blog to read before you choose your parks.
Nicknamed the “Pearl of Africa”, Uganda is where jungle meets savanna and some of the world’s rarest wildlife roams free.
Read the articleWhy gorilla trekking is a unique experience, and how it contributes to preserving the mountain gorilla population.
Read the articleAfrica’s national parks are delicate ecosystems, protected by rules that ensure their survival and your safety.
Read the articlePlan my trip
Three fields and a few words about where and when. We read your note and reply by email.
There is no obligation. Every journey is quoted for your dates and your party.
Frequently asked questions
On our 12-day gorilla and chimpanzee journey, December to February and June to August are the strongest months, with firmer forest trails and good game viewing. September is a good alternative. The long rains from March to May and the short rains in October and November make trails muddy and steep, though trekking still goes ahead.
Our Uganda trips run from four days to twenty. Four days covers Murchison Falls, and six days is a primate-focused trip. Eight to ten days adds Queen Elizabeth National Park. Our 12-day route links Murchison Falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi and Lake Mburo, and the 20-day journey covers the country at an unhurried pace.
Uganda is best for primates and variety. In Bwindi you track mountain gorillas and spend an hour with a family, and in Kibale you track chimpanzees. Murchison Falls offers a boat cruise to the foot of the falls, and Queen Elizabeth adds game drives, the Kazinga Channel and a chance of tree-climbing lions in the Ishasha sector.
Entry and health rules depend on your nationality and change, so check the official source rather than a summary. For entry, see Uganda's National Citizenship and Immigration Control at immigration.go.ug. For health, see the Uganda page on TravelHealthPro (travelhealthpro.org.uk) or speak to your travel clinic, and ask about malaria prevention early.
On a tracking day you have a briefing at park headquarters, then walk with a guide to find the group. Treks vary from under an hour to most of a day, and you spend one hour with the gorillas. Game-drive and boat days are gentler. Journeys between parks can be long, so your guide breaks them with stops.
We tailor every trip. Gorilla permits are limited by day and sell out for the dry months, so send your dates, party size and interests through the enquiry form as early as you can. We reply by email with what is possible and a quote for your party. Payment is by invoice.
Next step
Tell us when you would like to go and how many of you are travelling. We will reply with what is possible and a quote for your party.
