Tourist activities in Uganda

Tourist activities in Uganda : There are different activities which are offered during tours around the destinations in the country and they include the following;

1. Wildlife Safaris:

Wildlife safaris in Uganda can be done across different destinations including wildlife reserves and national parks in the country.

During the search for the wildlife species found in Uganda, tourists take part in a variety of activities including game drives and guided nature walks. Game drives in Uganda can be done in the morning, afternoon and in the night during tours around the country.

Guided nature walks bring tourists closer to their natural surroundings and they can also encounter some of the wildlife species on foot when exploring different trails in the wilderness. When visiting Uganda, tourists can also enjoy off the beaten track experiences during safaris.

Destinations where wildlife safaris are done around the country include Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Lake Mburo national park.

Some of the wildlife species which can be seen during wildlife safaris in Uganda include lions, elephants, buffalos, leopards, impalas, hyenas, bushbucks, warthogs, kudu, Uganda kobs, giraffes, cheetahs, hippos, dik dik, elands, hartebeests among others. Rhinos can be seen during visits to the Zziwa rhino sanctuary which is the only destination where rhinos in Uganda can be seen.

The best time for wildlife safaris is during the dry season and Uganda experiences the dry seasons in December to February and also from June to September.

2. Gorilla Trekking and habituation

Gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation are among the popular activities carried out during wildlife safaris in Uganda.

During safaris in Uganda, tourists can see the mountain gorillas in Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park. Gorilla trekking allows tourists to observe the gorillas closely during treks in their natural habitat.

When visiting Bwindi national park, gorilla trekking tours are carried out in Buhoma sector, Nkuringo sector, Ruhija sector and Rushaga sector. Gorilla habituation experiences in Uganda are done in the Rushaga sector.

Different gorilla families which are habituated are visited during gorilla tours in Uganda. Gorilla permits are among the requirements for tourists to engage in gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation and a limited number of permits are issued daily.

A permit for gorilla trekking in Uganda costs 800 USD per person while a gorilla habituation permits costs 1500 USD per person. These gorilla permits are issued by Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and can be booked through licensed tour operators in Uganda. It is important to book these permits in advance since a limited number of permits are issued everyday in Bwindi national park and Mgahinga national park

3. Chimpanzee trekking and habituation

Another activity which can be done when visiting Uganda is chimpanzee trekking and tourists can also engage in chimpanzee habituation.

The destinations where chimpanzee trekking is done in Uganda include Kibale forest national park located in western Uganda, the Kyambura gorge in Queen Elizabeth national park and also the Budongo forest in Murchison falls national park.

Other destinations in Uganda where chimpanzees can be seen include the Ngamba island sanctuary, Semuliki national park, Kalinzu forest among other places.

Chimpanzee trekking experiences allows tourists to observe the chimpanzees in their natural habitat and also spend time with them.  The cost of a chimpanzee permit in Uganda is 200 USD per person in Kibale national park, 50 USD in Kyambura gorge and 140 USD per person in Budongo forest.

Chimpanzee habituation permits in Uganda cost 250 USD for foreign nonresidents, 200 USD for foreign residents and 200,000 Uganda shillings for East Africans.

4. Bird Watching:

Bird watching is another activity which is carried out during tours in Uganda which is home to over 1000 bird species.

There are different birding spots in Uganda and they include the Mabamba wetlands, Lutembe bay, Botanical gardens as well as different national parks around the country which offer amazing bird watching experiences during the year.

Some of the bird species which can be seen around Uganda include the Shoebill Stork, African Green Broadbill, Great Blue Turaco, Common ostrich, Gray crowned crane, Green-Breasted Pitta, Black bee-eater, Pink-backed Pelican, African Gray Parrot, African Fish Eagle among others.

The best time for bird watching in Uganda is during the months of March to May and also around November.

5. Cultural Experiences:

Uganda is known for its cultural diversity and there are many local communities that tourists can interact with during their tours around the country.

These cultural experiences involve interacting with the locals and learning about traditional customs and practices, visiting traditional homesteads, enjoying traditional dance performances, among other exciting activities.

6. Adventure tours:

Uganda also offers many adventure activities which can be done during tours in Uganda and they include hiking, white-water rafting on the River Nile, zip lining through dense forest canopies, bungee jumping, abseiling, quad biking, tubing among others.

Jinja is a town in eastern Uganda which is popular among tourist for adventure tours around the country.

7. Boat Safaris:

Boat safaris in Uganda are among the activities to do during a safari around the country and they can be done in the morning or in the afternoon.

Around national parks in Uganda, boat safaris can be done on the Victoria Nile to the bottom of the Murchison falls, boat safaris on Lake Mburo and Kazinga channel boat tours. During these boat tours, tourists can see wildlife species by the water shores including elephants, hippos, buffalos and Nile crocodiles as well as many bird species.

There are many other places in Uganda where boat rides are done including the source of the Nile, Lake Victoria, Lake Bunyonyi and many others.

8. Hiking and Nature Walks:

Hiking and nature walks are also done during tours around Uganda and some famous hiking destination include Mount Rwenzori which is the highest mountain in the country, Mount Elgon, Sipi falls hikes, Mount Moroto, Mount Sabyinyo, Mount Gahinga, Mount Muhabura among others.

Uganda has many rugged landscapes found in different destinations around the country where these hikes can be done.