Uganda National Parks

Birding

Birding is the prime wildlife activity to do in the park. The lake supports a diverse birdlife with notable species including pelicans, Bateleur, Grey-crowned cranes, and the Great Snipe. The park’s woodland area is also home to different birds and its resident population is boosted by the migratory birds.

Game drives

The park has well-developed game drive trails that enable you to explore the savanna ecosystem. Lake Nakuru Game drives are rewarding with sightings of rhinos, giraffes, and if lucky, tree-climbing lions.

Early morning and evening game drives are recommended for the best wildlife experiences as it is when animals are most active.

Nature walks

Lake Nakuru National Park can also be explored on guided nature walks. Nature walks bring you in close contact with nature. They are ideal for exploring small wildlife species like insects you do not see while on game drives.

Baboon Cliff Visit

The Baboon Cliff visit offers an incredible view of the lake and the surrounding ecosystem. The area has baboon troops that introduce you to the primate life of Lake Nakuru. It is generally ideal for photography and sightseeing.

Mountain Hiking

Hiking is the main Discovery Journeys adventure done in Mount Elgon National Park. The aim is to hike to Peak Wagagai, the Mountain’s highest point. This adventurous hike takes 4 to 5 days depending on one’s fitness.

It goes through the different mountain zones starting from the Montane forest area. It gets exciting as you hike through the Caldera with giant lobelia and unique mountain vegetation.

The Mount Elgon hike is among the most adventurous hikes and is highly recommended for those seeking exclusive adventures.

Sipi Falls Hike

Sipi Falls are a series of waterfalls along the Wanale ridge just outside the Mount Elgon National Park. The waters flow from the mountains forming impressive waterfalls of about 100 meters.

Sipi Falls is visited on excursions in Kapchorwa and offers amazing hiking experiences.

Birding

The Mountain offers exclusive birding experiences. It is renowned for its rare bird species that are endemic to the region. There are well-developed trails in the park that bring you in close contact with nature.

Nature walks

The mountain can also be explored on guided nature walks. These are ideal for birding journeys and botanical studies.

Mountain Climbing

Mountain climbing is the primary activity done in the Mountainous National Park. Hiking the third-highest peak tops the bucket list of many mountain climbers who visit Uganda to solely explore the mountain.

Hiking to the summit of the Rwenzori Mountains takes 5 to 7 days depending on one’s fitness and capability. The trek is strenuous and physically demanding and it is important to train for months before taking on the quest.

Rwenzori Mountain hike passes through the diverse mountain ecosystem allowing you to explore the rich wildlife in the mountains.

Birding

The rich birdlife of the Rwenzori Mountains makes it an ideal birding destination. The mountain’s location along the Albertine Rift Valley makes it more outstanding among the Uganda birding safari destinations. Notable birds on a birding safari to the Rwenzori Mountains include the Rwenzori Turaco, Bearded Vultures, long-eared owls, and the Rwenzori Batis.

Birding adventures in the Rwenzori mountains are exclusive offering the best birding experience along the Albertine Rift.

Guided Nature Walks

The Mountains of the Moon can also be explored on guided nature walks of up to 3 hours. Nature walks are done at the foothills of the mountains and are ideal for those interested in Botany. They are also recommended to those exploring the mountains but do not have time to hike to the summit.

Rwenzori Mountains Nature walks follow streams, Rivers, and Valleys bringing you closer to nature.

Community Visits

Any outstanding safari destination is well understood by the natives who are the primary guardians of the ecosystem. The Rwenzori Mountains have a vibrant community of Bakonzo, Bamba, Basongora, and several other tribes of the Bantu ethnicity.

They rely on the mountains for water since it is the primary water catchment area. A day with any of the tribes takes you back in time as they demonstrate their initial ways of life. Some people still hold onto their traditional values and practices.

Game drives

The Semuliki Valley is a great game drive area for savanna wildlife encounters. While there you get to see elephants, the Uganda Kob, waterbucks, and buffaloes.

Semuliki Valley National Park has a stable pygmy hippo population that is endemic to the park. For the best game drive experience we recommend early in the morning or the evening hours. Early morning game drives allows an opportunity to catch up with early risers and nocturnal wildlife.

Birding

Semuliki Valley National Park’s unique birdlife and diversity make it a top Uganda birding destination. 35 of its over 400 bird species are of the Guinea-Congo Forest Biome. It has 23 bird species endemic to the Albertine Rift Valley and 12 other species nearly endemic to the Valley.

The pre-historic Shoebill stork, Uganda’s most sought-after bird is also present in the park. Migratory birds from North Africa and Europe are present in the park from November to April making birding journeys more enjoyable.

March is a peak bird breeding season and the best time to visit the park for birding safaris.

Hotsprings Visit

Semuliki Valley National Park lies in an area with active Volcanicity. It has geysers and hot springs with hot waters ranging from 38 to 100 degress celsius.

The Sempaya hot springs is the most popular attraction. Its hot waters continuously gush out at a high pressure leaving you in awe of nature. While at the hot springs you get an opportunity to boil eggs that get ready in under 5 minutes.

The hot springs also have medicinal healing and significance to the local community.

Nature Walks

The park offers the best-guided nature walks of all Uganda safari destinations. Its major activities like birding, hot spring visits, and chimpanzee trekking are best enjoyed on foot. It has well-developed nature walk trails with impressive scenic views.

Batwa Community Visit

Discovery Journeys to Semuliki Valley National Park are complete with a community visit to the Batwa. These initially lived in the forest but were evicted to pave the way for wildlife conservation and ecosystem recovery.

They now live on the outskirts of the forest and have had to adapt to new ways of survival. The Batwa community visit takes you back in time as they demonstrate their initial ways of life. These include hunting and gathering using rudimentary tools.

Game drives

Game drives are the best ways to explore Lake Mburo National Park on exclusive Discovery Journeys. The park has a high animal concentration and several are sighted on game drives.

Game drives are more rewarding when guided by a ranger guide. Ranger guides have traversed the park for years and have first-hand information about the park’s wildlife and ecosystem. Early morning and evening game drives are recommended for the best safari experiences.

Boat cruise

Boat cruise safaris are done on Lake Mburo. They offer one an opportunity to explore the aquatic wildlife species and rich bird life.

The Lake has several schools of hippos and crocodiles. Water birds like the African Fish Eagle are also easily spotted on Lake Mburo’s boat safari. Boat cruises are exclusive and ideal for overall wildlife viewing and photography.

Nature Walks

Lake Mburo National Park offers the best-guided walking safaris of all Uganda tour destinations. The presence of a few deadly predators makes the park safe for nature walks as you closely explore the ecosystem.

The walk to the salt lick is very popular as the animals gather around making it easy to spot them. Giraffes, zebras, warthogs, and waterbuck sightings are highlights of the park’s walking safaris.

Horse riding

Lake Mburo National Park is the only protected area in Uganda with horse riding safaris. Horse riding safaris are adventurous and exciting as you explore the park on horseback. Safari animals are less disturbed by horses and get closer giving you better wildlife viewing opportunities.

Horse riding alone is an exciting experience and its more rewarding when done in diverse ecosystem like that of Lake Mburo National Park.

Cycling

Cycling is another adventurous way to explore the Lake Mburo National Park’s ecosystem. The park has well developed trails with cycling sessions lasting up to 3 hours. Cycling keeps one in shape and there is no better place to do that than in an exclusive Uganda safari destination.

Game drives

Game drives are the most commonly done activities in the park. They are rewarding with sightings of a number of wildlife the park has. Queen Elizabeth National Park has different game drive sectors including Kasenyi, Ishasha, and the Mweya peninsular area. The best time for game drives in the park is early mornings to catch up with the early risers, especially the predators as they return from hunting.

Evenings are also great times for game drives as you get to enjoy the views of the African sunset. Here you can also get to enjoy bush breakfasts or sundowners that are arranged by the different accommodation facilities in the park.

While on game drives expect to see animals like buffaloes, a number of antelope species, elephants, warthogs, and a number of birds.

Birding

The Park is one of Uganda’s best birding destinations. It’s one of the few places in Uganda where you can see flamingos that occur at Lake Munyayange. Other notable bird species in the park include the African Finfoot, Swamp Flycatcher, Black bee-eater, and great blue turaco among others.

Most of these birds are seen while on game drives or guided nature walks and birding expeditions. Birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park is doable any time of the year but for the best birding experiences visit from May to September. Those interested in migratory birds can visit the park from November to April.

Boat Cruises

Boat cruise experiences are very enjoyable in Queen Elizabeth National Park, especially along the Kazinga channel. The channel joins Lake Edward to Lake George and is most famous for its hippo population. Other notable wildlife seen along the channel include Nile crocodiles, birds, and major savanna animals that come down the channel to take water.

The 2 to 3-hour cruise here is very rewarding and highly recommended for those interested in true African wildlife.

Crater Drives

Queen Elizabeth National Park has a number of explosion craters. These are very magnificent and offer great scenic views. Some have lush vegetation with woodland and others have water to form Crater lakes.

The Katwe explosion crater is among the most visited in the park. It has rock salt that Is mined by the locals in the area and a visit to Lake Katwe enables you to learn about the local salt mining methods.

Chimpanzee Trekking

Chimpanzee trekking is done in the Kyambura Gorge forest. The forest is situated in an underground gorge and is home to chimpanzees and other primates. It is traversed by River Kyambura and it’s a great place to explore for nature lovers.

Adjacent to Queen Elizabeth National Park is Kalinzu forest which also has chimpanzees. The forest can easily be accessed especially for those staying at the edge of Kyambura escarpment. Those staying in Mweya and the Kasenyi area can also access the forest in about 30 to 40 minutes.

Nature Walks

These give one an opportunity to get close to wildlife. The bat cave in the Maramagambo forest adjacent to the park is a great place for nature walks. Other beautiful places for nature walks in the park include the Twin Lakes area, the Kyambura forest, and the Ishasha River areas.

Community Visits

Queen Elizabeth National Park has a number of local communities that offer great cultural and community visits. Here you will get to know about the local peoples’ ways of life by visiting people’s homesteads. You can also engage in a number of home activities like cooking.

Game Drives

Game drives in Murchison Falls National Park are very rewarding as you get to see the various wildlife species. These start early in the morning to catch up with the early risers, especially the predators. The Northern sector of the park is where most game drives are done. Notable animals seen include elephants, giraffes, buffaloes, waterbucks, and Uganda Kob among others.

Evening game drives are equally rewarding and best complimented by the night game drives where you can chance the nocturnal wildlife.

Boat Cruises

The great River Nile is an iconic feature in the park and offers an opportunity for boat cruises. Boat cruises are done to the bottom of the Murchison Falls where the Nile plunges about 7 meters down a narrow gorge. A boat cruise to the bottom of the falls offers a great adventurous experience as you get to enjoy the magnificent views of the River banks and the waterfalls itself

Notable wildlife species spotted along River banks while on the boat cruise include elephants, Hippos, baboons, and birds.

The Nile Delta boat cruise is another adventurous boat experience along the River Nile in Murchison Falls NP. It’s also very rewarding in terms of wildlife and offers great birding opportunities especially those interested in the shoebill stork. At the Nile Delta, there are a number of Hippo pools and you also get to see Lake Albert.

Hot Balloon Safaris

Murchison Falls National Park is the only national park in Uganda with balloon safari experiences. This offers an opportunity to have an aerial view of the park’s ecosystem and wildlife.

Balloon safaris in Murchison are operated by Dream Balloons Ltd. It’s recommended to book for this experience ahead of time especially in the peak tourist season to avoid missing out.

The best times for balloon safaris are early mornings and late evenings sometimes complemented by bush breakfast or sundowner.

Chimpanzee Trekking

This is done in the Budongo forest situated en route to the park. Budongo forest has large mahogany tree species over 80 meters tall. The forest supports a number of wildlife and is one of the best places in Uganda to see chimpanzees and other primates.

Chimpanzee trekking in Budongo will give you an opportunity to see a number of wildlife species. The trek starts with a briefing in the morning taking 2 to 4 hours depending on the movement of the chimpanzees.

Mountain Gorilla Trekking

Mountain gorilla trekking experiences in Mgahinga gorilla park are very exclusive given the park has only one habituated gorilla family. The park is covered in a light bamboo forest giving one great chance for spotting the mountain gorillas and Photography.

Just like in Bwindi impenetrable National Park, the gorilla trekking adventure starts with a briefing at the park headquarters. Here you are told about the gorilla trekking rules and regulations for one’s safety while in the park. The trek takes 2 to 4 hours depending on the movement of the gorillas.

Given that Mgahinga Gorilla Park has a variety of wildlife, gorilla trekking adventures here will reward you with other wildlife viewing, especially birds. By the end of the gorilla trek, one would have at least spotted a number of other wildlife species in the park.

Golden Monkey Trekking

Enjoy golden monkey trekking adventures in Mgahinga gorilla park where gold meets silver. The park is Among the only 3 major national parks in the region that are home to golden monkeys. Just like their names, golden monkeys are covered with golden fur. They also live in families or groups ranging up to 20 or 30 individuals.

Golden Monkeys also prefer the forest mountains and are often restricted near the bamboo forests. The golden monkey’s diet mainly consists of bamboo shoots, leaves, and fruits and occasionally eats some small insects.

They are very social primates and offer unforgettable primate trekking adventures.

Birding

Mgahinga Gorilla Park having over 180 bird species makes it one of the best birding destinations in Uganda. 14 species of the 180 bird species here are endemic to the Albertine Rift. There are also a number of migratory birds that are spotted in the park especially from November to April.

Some of the commonly seen birds here include the Black Kite, Speckled Mousebird, and African Paradise Flycatcher among others. Other Notable birds in the park include the Alpine Swift, Rwenzori Turaco, Kivu Ground thrush, olive woodpecker, and African Olive pigeons to mention but a few.

The best birding safaris in Mgahinga National Park can be enjoyed from April to May and from October to November. With the migratory birds visiting at the moment, it increases more chances for bird viewing.

Cultural Experiences

For one of the most authentic cultural experiences in Uganda, Mgahinga Gorilla Park got you covered. The park is adjacent to the Batwa pygmy communities which were initial forest dwellers. The Batwa entirely depended on the forest for survival by hunting some mammals and gathering wild fruits.

This however continuously threatened the wildlife in the forest, especially mountain gorillas. In order to foster wildlife conservation, the Batwa were relocated to the edge of the forest where they now live. Their lives were greatly affected by this as they now had to adapt to farming like other indigenous communities around (Bakiga and Bafumbira)

A visit to one of the Batwa homesteads is very humbling, giving you a glimpse into their ways of life. They also organised a Batwa trail experience where they led cultural trips back to the forest demonstrating their hunting and gathering skills.

The Batwa Trail experience is very iconic as the hike leads you to the Garama cave and to the sacred places of the Batwa. They also perform some folk dances and dances for entertainment.