Uganda safaris are mainly backed up by the awesome and amazing national park. Exploring Uganda parks gives you an advantage to encounter and experience various adventures. Uganda boosts for 10 National Parks, 12 Game Reserves. The 10 national parks are categorically Savannah, tropical forests and montane parks. This means various wild adventure experiences are expected when visited these amazing parks.
Parks and Wildlife reserves are under the management of Uganda Wildlife Authority. A government agency responsible for the sustainable management parks and reserves.
Uganda safari rich dwells into rich biodiversity that transfigure from the central African tropical forests, to the famous golden wider Savannah of East Africa. Parks are the top altered tourist destinations that suggest unrated safari exploits in Uganda. There are varies well developed tourist supporting facilities and amenities.
When on a Uganda safari exploring Uganda parks, expect experiences that vary according to the park’s nature including; gorilla trekking, Big Five Game viewing, Mountaineering, Bird watch, various Wild game viewing, Tree climbing, chimpanzee tracking, golden monkey tracking, Wild Boat Cruise, amazing landscape views among others.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park
The world’s top mountain gorilla trekking destinations. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has featured in several world travel accolades among the best tourist destinations to visit. The forest is home to almost half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas in the wild. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the second only forests that are endemic to the mountain gorillas. The other forest being the Virunga Conservation Areas shared among Rwanda, Uganda, and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is located in southwestern Uganda seated within the Albertine Rift valley on an area of 331sq/km. This amazing park features, the montane vegetation of the tropical climate. The volcanic nature of the forest, with thick tropics covering cones of the volcanoes has highly favored the drastic increase in the number of gorillas in the forest. Bwindi bids for special and thrilling gorilla safaris with about 18 habituated families, also offers gorilla habituation experiences.
Bwindi Impenetrable has 4 tracking sectors of Nkuringo, Buhoma, Rushaga and Ruhija. Besides being an endemic destination for mountain gorillas, the park home to various species of flora and fauna. These include about 300 species of birds, elephants, buffaloes, other primate species including red tailed monkeys, L’Hoest monkeys, chimps, bush bucks, about 400 species of plants and many others.
A safari to Bwindi introduces you to adventures like gorilla tracking, nature walks, bird watching, mountain biking, Batwa cultural experience, etc.
Murchison Falls National Park
A safari to Uganda without Murchison Falls National Park is considered incomplete. The only park that you visit and have a full list of the Big Five games with an en-route to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. It’s the safari most interesting park as far as adventure experiences are concerned in Uganda.
Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s largest protected area, covering an area of 3,778 kilometer squared. The park is located in the northwestern Uganda, along Gulu Kampala road. It’s about 4-hour drive from Kampala Capita. It’s the top safari destination in Uganda is the most visited national park in Uganda.
Murchison Falls National Park is famous for the mighty Murchison Waterfalls along the Victoria Nile. The Murchison waterfalls are considered to be the world’s most powerful waterfalls considering how the huge rapids force into a narrow gorge of 7m wide forming a thunderous roar.
The Victoria Nile continues to bisect the park into the south and northern sectors. The northern section widely features a golden Savannah dotted with palms that accommodates almost the highest number of wildlife in Uganda. The river continue with an amazing flow towards Lake Albert forming the Delta which is the park’s hub for wildlife games.
High expectations on what to watch when at Murchison Falls National Park, these include; big five lions, leopards, elephants, and buffaloes. Herds of antelope species, towers of giraffes, schools of hippos, warthogs, wild dogs, over 400 bird like the shoe bill stork and many more species.
When visited Murchison Falls National Park there is a long queue of adventure activities done including; game drive, boat cruise, visiting the top of the falls, climbing to the top of the falls, nature walks, community visits, wild camping, sports fishing among others.
Kidepo Valley National Park
In 2019, CNN named Kidepo Valley National Park among the best attractive destinations in Africa. And in 2021, the park featured in the World Tourism Awards list of best safari parks in African and safari booking in 2019 listed the park 11 among the best 50 national park in Africa.
The “True African Wildness,” Kidepo Valley National Park is a unique park in Uganda. It’s located in the rugged northeastern region at the borders of Sudan and Kenya. The amazing feature of Kidepo Valley National Park is a vast wider open landscape like no other in Uganda. A drive to access Kidepo Valley is a full day drive which possibly takes about 10 hours, and using a chartered or scheduled flight from Entebbe it’s about an hour.
Kidepo Valley settles into the northern plateau, and is famous into the Karamoja sub-region. This sub-region is known for its primitive dwellers who defiled the modern trails of civilization. The park is known for the two ecological sections of Narus valley and the Kidepo valley. The two valleys are water catchment areas attracting high concentration of wildlife even in the dry months. The eco – biodiversity of Kidepo consists of over 74 mammal species includes some of the big five mammals, antelope species, zebras, cheetahs, wild dog. There are about 470 bird species including ostriches, secretary birds among others.
Adventure activities to in Kidepo Valley National Park are game drive, nature walks, birding, mountain climbing, Karamoja cultural visits experiences.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Uganda’s most popular national park and the second largest park covering an area of 2056 kilometer square. After Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park is the second most visited in Uganda. Before, the park was called Kazinga Channel National Park, and following the Queen Elizabeth II visit to Uganda in 1954, the park was renamed commemorate Queen Elizabeth II visit.
Along the Great Western Rift Valley, and seats below Mt Rwenzori ranges in western Uganda. Queen Elizabeth National Park is great for several features among which include the stunning Kazinga channel that connects Lake Gorge and Lake Edward. Then, the Kyambura gorge which uniquely offers the two vegetation variations of the thick tropical and golden spreading Savannah. Formally, Queen Elizabeth National Park features the Savannah, woodlands, and the tropics.
It’s the lions center, antelope grazing species, mongoose are special species, over 600 bird species, some of the Big five and many other species. Sounding spots to be while in the park include Ishasha known for tree climbing lions, Kyambura for chimpanzee tracking, Kazinga an amazing boat cruise, Kasenyi a remarkable wild rewarding game drive, Katwe for special community activities among others.
Mountain Rwenzori National Park
Uganda highest peak at 5109m and African’s 3rd highest mountain. The snow capped peaks let to calling the mountain “the mountain of the moon”. Mountain Rwenzori National Park is located in Kasese district, western of Uganda at the border of Uganda and Congo. These series of mountains seats within the lining of Albertine Rift.
Its UNESCO world heritage site feature tropical, Savannah, bamboo, montane and alpine vegetation. Hiking Mountain Rwenzori gives those incredible challenges of hiking experience on the African continent. Hiking mountain Rwenzori is the world class hiking challenge reaching at its snow caped margherita peak 5,109m.
Hiking the mountain to its highest peak, takes a maximum of 14 days to and fro. However, there are several walking and hiking experiences ranging to half a day to 14 maximum days. Mt Rwenzori is also home to various animals, primates, birds and interesting flora.
Mountain Elgon National Park
It’s a solo national park located in the eastern part of Uganda. Mountain Elgon is unique of its widest world’s largest mountain Caldera. Its Uganda’s 2nd and Africa’s 4th highest park raised at a height 4,321m. Trekking to the peak, the longest trail takes a maximum of 7 day.
At the foothills are the Sipi falls in Kapichorwa dropping at its lower’s clips 100m above. Elgon is the oldest and largest solitary mountain in east Africa.
Mountain Elgon features various landscapes of slopping valleys and elevated cones, accompanied with savanna, and thicket green vegetation. The park accommodates several of wild animals including elephants, different antelope species, buffaloes, over five primate species and about 350 bird species.
Other interesting moments at Mount Elgon is watching caves that dates the ancient life of the Mabasaba tradition, hot springs, calderas. Cultural the Bamasaba (Gisu) cultural experience which is associated with male child circumcision.
Lake Mburo National Park
Uganda smallest Savannah park, it’s the closest from the Kampala capital about 3-hour drive according to the traffic flow. It’s located in western Uganda along Masaka – Mbarara road. Taking a trip to Lake Mburo National Park can be very possible for even one-day trip.
Lake Mburo National Park features the unique Precambrian metamorphic rocks that are believed to have formed 500 million years date back. The nature of the park is characterized by relatively flat landscapes, tropical forests, wider savanna covers and several small lakes and swamps.
The smaller Savannah park boosts for highest concentration of leopards, lions, Impalas, Uganda Kobs and many other species. This amazing park however doesn’t have elephants, this makes one of the best parks to do nature walks. It’s the best place to watch predators especially leopards. Lake Mburo National Park accommodates the highest number of antelope species including Uganda kobs, bush bucks, water bucks, dik dik, impalas, duikers, Jackson’s hartebeest, and elands among other.
A safari visit to Lake Mburo suggests these activities including; wild game drivers, the amazing boat launch, nature walks, the park special night game drive, safari balloons, horse riding, quad biking, bird watching among others.
Kibale Forest National Park
The world’s capital of primates, Kibale Forest National Park is primarily known to accommodate 1 primate species. Among the primates, Chimpanzees are most sounding, these are endangered species and Kibale accommodates about 5000 chimpanzee. The park suggests the best environment to track habituated chimpanzees.
The Park is located in western Uganda about 26km from Fort Portal city. This eco – biodiversity forest is as well home to various wild animals besides several primates. This is the finest tourist destination in African to track the endangered chimpanzees. Chimpanzees at Kibale National Park are fully habituated for a superb close up encounter for trackers.
It’s only at Kibale forest in Africa where tourist as well can take part in the habituation process. So, tourist at Kibale can do either tracking or habituation. Chimpanzee tracking here costs $200 and chimpanzee habituation costs $250 and spend the almost a full day with these giants.
Kibale National Park has two chimpanzee tracking sessions a day; the morning session starting at 8am and the afternoon session starting at 2pm.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is an endemic destination for the endangered mountain gorillas and golden monkeys. It’s Uganda’s tinniest national park located on the borders of Uganda, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo. Gorilla National Park is Uganda’s smallest park and the as well the 2nd farthest park. Mgahinga is part of the great Virunga Conservation Area which also shared with Volcanoes National Park of Rwanda and Virunga National Park of Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mgahinga is the second home for gorillas in Uganda, after the famous Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. At Mgahinga it’s very possible to find the golden monkeys living alongside the silver back which gave a name of where Gold meets Silver.
Mgahinga National Park has only one habituated gorilla family, this means only 8 people trek gorillas here. However, the park is believed to host about 100 gorillas, and most these gorillas are wild not habituated for trekking. When opting to trek gorillas here. Must book at least 4 months prior to your trekking date.
Mgahinga National Park is a chain of volcanoes which extends through the Virunga region. Among these volcanoes include; Mt. Gahinga, Mt. Sabyinyo ranging from 2,227m to 4,127m and Mt. Muhabura.
When visited Mgahinga Gorilla National Park for a safari can engage in activities including gorilla trekking, golden monkey tracking, volcanic hiking, Batwa cultural trail, nature walks, mountain biking, bird watching among others.
Semliki National Park
One of Uganda’s remotest park, Semliki National Park is located in Bundibugyo western Uganda. The park shares borders of Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo, and hosts on some species endemic to central African forests.
Semliki National Park climate can seem different from the rest of the parks in Uganda. The park experiences mainly the Central Africa climate and some of the wildlife here are endemic to central Africa forests. Semliki features the Savannah woodlands and thickets accommodating several wild animals like buffaloes, elephants, crocodiles and other reptiles. And about 400 bird species are recorded here with some of which are endemic to central African forests and others can be found anywhere in the world.
The hot spring are one of the most known attractions for travelers going to Semliki. The Kitagata hot springs are an amazing feature which local turned for ritual practicing. Travelers opting to visit some of the less crowded tourist destinations, semliki is the best recommendation. Activities done at Semliki National Park include game drives, nature walks, bird watching, community visits and hot spring trail tours.