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Uganda boats an impressive array of animal, bird, and plant species, making it one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. Often referred to as the Pearl of Africa, the country is estimated to hold 40% of Africa’s mammal species and 11% of the world’s total bird species.
The country is also home to 10 beautiful National Parks. In this blog, we will highlight 7 of the best national parks of Uganda. Interested in park entrance fees? You can find a detailed overview for each park on this page. Looking to plan your adventure? Get in touch with us for helpful information on driving times and distances between the most popular national parks.
It is hard to know where to begin when it comes to singing the praises of this biodiverse protected area.
With its open savannahs, stunning rainforests, thick papyrus swamps, and the expansive Lake George, it’s easy to see why Queen Elizabeth National Park has one of the highest biodiversity rates among game parks in East Africa.
Queen is conveniently situated between Kibale Forest National Park to the north and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park to the southwest. For many first-time visitors to Uganda, including Queen Elizabeth National Park in their safari plans is common.
A typical route might start in Entebbe, followed by Murchison Falls, Kibale Forest, then Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi, Lake Mburo, and back to Entebbe or Kampala. It’s advisable to spend two nights in Queen Elizabeth National Park, and if time permits, consider an additional night in Ishasha.
Murchison Falls is Uganda’s largest park, located in the north and about a 5-hour drive from Kampala.
The park encompasses a vast expanse of African savannah crisscrossed by the historic River Nile.
It is named for the stunning Murchison Falls, where the Nile rushes forcefully through a narrow gorge. Within the park, you’ll find sizable herds of elephants, buffalo, giraffes, and lions.
When traveling from Entebbe or Kampala to Murchison Falls, you’ll pass by the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, the only place in Uganda where you can see wild rhinos.
There are several routes to reach Murchison Falls. Many visitors choose to enter through the southern Masindi gate, as it is the closest to Kampala and offers a chance to visit Budongo Forest for chimp trekking.
Another option is to enter via the Northern gate (either Purongo or Takigate-Pakwach), which takes you past Karuma Falls.
This route is longer, but the road conditions are better, and it leads directly into the most exciting part of the park. Along this route, a stop at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary is a pleasant addition.
Located approximately a four-hour drive west of Uganda’s capital, Kampala, Lake Mburo National Park is the smallest savannah national park in the country.
Its landscape features vast acacia woodlands interspersed with numerous lakes. Although Lake Mburo is the smallest of Uganda’s savannah parks, it shouldn’t be underestimated.
The park is home to nearly 350 bird species and 68 mammal species, including zebras, giraffes, impalas, elands, buffalo, waterbucks, leopards, hippos, and hyenas.
Starting your safari trip from Kampala, you can reach Lake Mburo in about 3 to 4 hours.
Notable stops along the way include the Equator, where you cross from the Northern to the Southern Hemisphere and find various cafes, as well as Masaka town, where you can refuel your car, and grab refreshments.
Wild gorillas are the primary attraction of this renowned national park in Uganda.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, located in the southwest of the country, is home to nearly half of the world’s remaining mountain gorillas.
Covering an area of 321 km², the nearest larger towns are Kabale and the rugged highland town of Kisoro.
The name ‘Bwindi’ translates to Impenetrable, reflecting its mist-shrouded hillsides that are covered by one of Africa’s oldest and most biologically diverse rainforests.
Uganda not only offers almost guaranteed sightings of gorillas in their natural habitat and a good chance of spotting the African Big Five, but it is also the easiest place in Africa to track wild chimpanzees, our closest living relatives.
Kibale National Park is the best location for reliable chimp sightings, though other options like Kalinzu Forest, Budongo Forest, and Kyambura Gorge are more budget-friendly and less crowded. Kibale Forest has much more to offer beyond just chimpanzees.
During your visit, you may encounter a variety of monkey species, including Black and White Colobus, Blue Monkeys, and the Uganda Mangabey, which is unique to the region.
You’ll also find a wonderful array of colorful forest birds, such as the Great Blue Turaco, Double-toothed Barbet, Red-headed Bluebell, and the endemic African Green-breasted Pitta.
Nestled in the northeastern corner of Uganda, bordered by South Sudan and Kenya, Kidepo Valley National Park is off the typical tourist path.
Despite its tumultuous past, the park now welcomes adventurous travelers looking for an untamed and unique African experience, away from the usual safari crowds.
The journey from Uganda’s capital, Kampala, takes about ten hours, but this remoteness adds to its appeal as a hidden gem.
Spanning 1,444 km², the park features river valleys, rolling plains, and forested mountains, all supporting a stunning variety of wildlife. CNN has referred to it as “possibly the most picturesque park in Africa.”
In Kidepo, visitors can expect to see large herds of buffalo, substantial populations of elephants, and giraffes, as well as zebras, patas monkeys, and numerous antelope species.
Notably, Kidepo is the only place in Uganda where you can encounter all three Big Cats: lions, leopards, and cheetahs.
The park also boasts an impressive bird list of over 500 species, including the Common Ostrich and East Africa’s only wild population of the striking rose-ringed parakeet.
Mgahinga is often seen as the second-best spot for viewing mountain gorillas in Uganda, but this perception is quite unfair.
While it’s true that there is only one gorilla family available for visits, which limits the number of permits, this family is one of the most enjoyable to observe. It includes three large silverback males and typically inhabits a more open bamboo forest compared to the gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.
In addition to its gorilla experiences, Mgahinga offers many other attractions. It’s the only place in Uganda where you can embark on a beautiful hike to see golden monkeys.
Furthermore, the park’s stunning location on the forested slopes of the volcanic Virunga Mountains provides thrilling opportunities for challenging scenic day hikes up three of the volcanoes.
We hope this article about Uganda’s National Parks has inspired you to embark on your own adventure in this beautiful country. Ready to plan your Uganda journey? Contact our team at Greenway Nature Tours for rental cars, itineraries, and travel advice!
Since 2016 our tour company offers 4×4 car hire, safari itineraries with accommodation and guided tours for group and the independent traveler in East African countries of Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania.
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+256 704 324 972
info@greenwaynaturetours.com