Top 7 Uganda Safari Activities in 2025.
The top seven safari activities in Uganda in 2025: Because of its distinctive and captivating activities, Uganda is one of the most popular safari destinations worldwide and one of Africa’s most visited countries. Ten national parks can be found in Uganda: Lake Mburo National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Kidepo Valley National Park, Mount Rwenzori National Park, Semuliki National Park, Mount Elgon National Park, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, and Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Gorilla trekking, golden monkey trekking, chimpanzee trekking, mountain climbing, guided nature walks, wildlife viewing and drives, boat cruises, cultural excursions, and bird watching are just a few of the distinctive and fascinating activities that are available in each national park.
This article will highlight the top 7 safari activities that visitors should not miss in Uganda in 2025, out of the many exciting and intriguing safari activities the country provides. These activities include
Gorilla trekking in Uganda
The most well-known activity in Uganda is gorilla trekking, which entails walking through the tropical rainforest in pursuit of mountain gorillas and spending an hour with them in their natural environment. Over 459 mountain gorillas, belonging to roughly 22 habituated gorilla families, are found in Uganda and are accessible for daily hiking. In Uganda, gorilla trekking is conducted in two locations: Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
In both locations, gorilla trekking begins with a briefing at park headquarters about the guidelines to be followed. Following the briefing, you will be divided into groups of eight, with a park guide who is familiar with the gorilla trekking paths and a habituated gorilla family assigned to each group. Depending on where the mountain gorillas reside, hiking might take anywhere from 30 minutes to 7 hours.
While trekking, you can see a variety of animals, including as mammals, several bird species, plants, and other primates. You will be able to spend an hour with the gorillas in their natural habitat after they have been located.
This will allow you to observe their daily activities, such as feeding, nursing, and grooming their young, take pictures, and document the amazing moments to share with people back home after the safari. The gorilla trekking permit, which costs 800 USD per person for foreign non-residents, 700 USD per person for foreign residents, and 300,000 UGX per person for East African citizens, is necessary for tourists who wish to participate in this adventurous activity in Uganda.
Ugandan chimpanzee trekking
After gorilla trekking in Mgahinga Gorilla National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, chimpanzee trekking is the second-best activity in Uganda. Going into the tropical jungle to look for chimpanzees and spending an hour with them in their natural habitat is known as chimpanzee trekking.
In Uganda, chimpanzee trekking may be done in a variety of locations, such as the chimpanzee-rich Kibale Forest National Park, the Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Kalinzu Forest, the Budongo Forest in Murchison Falls National Park, and the Toro Semuliki Wildlife Reserve.
Similar to gorilla trekking, chimpanzee trekking in Uganda begins early in the morning with a briefing at the park headquarters. Following the lecture, a knowledgeable park guide will assign you to a habituated chimpanzee family and begin your forest adventure. Because chimpanzees like to roam about in search of food, trekking with them might take anything from thirty minutes to four hours, depending on their location.
You will be able to see other primates, plant and tree species, birds, and more while trekking. After you find the chimpanzees, you will be able to spend an hour with them in their natural habitat, where you can observe how they eat, hunt, fight, play, rest, take pictures, and record videos. The cost of chimpanzee trekking permits varies based on where you want to go. For instance, in Kibale Forest National Park, a permit costs 250 USD per person for non-resident foreigners, 200 USD per person for residents, and 200,000 UGX per person for citizens of East Africa.
Golden monkey trekking
In Uganda, golden monkey trekking is an exciting and strenuous sport that entails walking through the bush to find the rare golden monkeys and spending an hour with them in their natural environment. The Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is the only place in Uganda where golden monkey trekking is permitted. The activity begins with an explanation of the guidelines and expectations.
Because golden monkeys are energetic primates who like moving from one location to another in quest of food, trekking with them may take anything from thirty minutes to four hours, depending on where the monkeys are.
Trekking entails following paths, as well as remaining bamboo shoots, leaves, and fruits, among other things, until you come across golden monkeys. You will get the chance to spend an hour with them in their natural environment, which will enable you to see them leap up trees, feed, play, take pictures, and document the amazing moments to share with folks back home after the safari.
In Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, a golden monkey trekking permit costs 60 USD per person for non-resident foreigners, 60 USD per person for locals, and 40,000 UGX per person for inhabitants of East Africa.
Uganda bird watching
Uganda is one of the greatest places to go bird watching since it is home to over 1,085 known bird species, including 25 unique species of the Albertine Rift, water birds, forest birds, savannah birds, and migratory birds.
Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda’s top birding destination with over 600 species, Kidepo Valley National Park, Mabamba Swamp, Bigodi Wetland Sanctuary, botanical gardens, Budongo Forest, which has over 350 species, Murchison Falls National Park, which has over 450 species, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, which has over 350 species, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, which has over 180 species, Kibale Forest, which has over 375 species, Lake Mburo National Park, which has over 351 bird species, Semuliki National Park, which has over 441 species, and Rwenzori National Park, which has about 177 species, are just a few of the protected areas in Uganda.
Game drives
One of the main ways that tourists may see Uganda’s many wildlife species, including the big five mammals—elephants, buffaloes, lions, leopards, and rhinos—is by going on game drives or wildlife watching excursions. Kidepo Valley National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Lake Mburo National Park, and Pian Upe animals Reserve are the greatest places to see animals or go on game drives in Uganda.
In Uganda, game drives may take place in the morning or the afternoon in a cozy pop-up safari car accompanied by a qualified driving guide who knows the many wildlife trails to follow. If you’re lucky, you can see predators like lions, leopards, hyenas, and cheetahs during the game drives, as well as some bird species, buffaloes, waterbucks, elephants, Uganda kobs, Jackson’s hartebeest, oribi, impalas, elands, topi, zebras, giraffes, warthogs, and bushbucks. 2022’s Top 7 Safari Activities in Uganda.
Ugandan boat cruise
One of the most popular safari activities that visitors should not pass up in 2022 while in Uganda is a boat ride. Lake Victoria, Lake Bunyonyi in Kabale, the source of the Nile, the Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth National Park, the Nile River in Murchison Falls National Park, and Lake Mburo National Park are just a few of the places in Uganda where boat cruises are offered.
The boat excursion gives visitors the chance to take in the stunning surroundings, see various animals sipping water by the shoes, see enormous groups of hippos and Nile crocodiles in the water, and see aquatic bird species, among other things.
Ugandan cultural tours
An engaging activity in Uganda that allows visitors to engage with the locals in nearby communities is the cultural tour. The cultural tour includes visits to the Buganda royal palace, Toro palace, Busonga palace, Bunyoro palace, various museums in Uganda, and interactions with the Batwa/pygmies in Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park, as well as the Karamajong and IK people in Kidepo Valley national park.
Among other things, the cultural trip will allow you to visit the homesteads and farmlands of the locals, learn about their customs, culture, and way of life, eat their traditional cuisine, hear their age-old tales, and take in their cultural entertainment.
The ideal year to visit Buniga Forest and Batwa Trails for safari activities in Uganda.
Although safari activities in Uganda are possible throughout the year, the ideal time to go is in June, July, August, September, December, January, and February, which is also known as the peak season. Access roads and hiking routes will be dry and accessible during the dry season since there is little or no rainfall in the national parks.
Additionally, since there won’t be as much foliage during the dry season, it will be easier to see wildlife because animals would congregate around water sources to drink, giving you a clear view of a variety of wildlife.
The ideal time to see colorful migrating birds from Europe is during the wet/rainy season, which includes March, April, May, October, and November. This is why safari activities in Uganda may also be done during these months.
