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Uganda Attractions
Uganda's National Parks, From Gorilla Forests To The Mountains Of The Moon
Uganda is famous for mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi and Mgahinga and for chimpanzee tracking in Kibale, but the primates are only the beginning. In one trip you can cruise the Kazinga Channel past hippos and buffalo, watch the Victoria Nile force its way through the narrow gorge at Murchison Falls, search the fig trees of Ishasha for tree-climbing lions, and walk among giant lobelias on the Rwenzori, the fabled Mountains of the Moon.
Beyond the parks, the Nile at Jinja offers white-water rafting, and Lake Victoria offers boat trips from Entebbe. Below are the national parks we rate most highly, and what makes each one worth the journey.
We have been planning Uganda safaris since 1999. When you are ready to turn these highlights into a route, browse our Uganda safaris, choose a base from our Uganda lodges, or check road distances on the Uganda distance table.
Discover Uganda's National Parks
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site famed for mountain gorilla trekking. Its 321 km² of steep forested ridges on the edge of the Albertine Rift can only be explored on foot, and reaching a habituated gorilla family is unforgettable. Chimpanzees, elephants and around 350 bird species, including many Albertine Rift endemics, share the forest.
Kibale National Park
Kibale National Park is Uganda's chimpanzee country, a lush rainforest home to 13 primate species. The highlight is tracking habituated chimpanzees on foot from Kanyanchu, following their calls until you are watching them feed and groom at close range. Red colobus, L'Hoest's monkeys and the Uganda mangabey add to the thrill, and the park adjoins Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Lake Mburo National Park
Lake Mburo National Park is the smallest of Uganda's savannah parks and sits between Kampala and Mbarara. Five lakes lie within its borders, and together with their swamps these wetlands cover a fifth of the park. With no elephants, the acacia woodland grows thick, and zebra, impala and buffalo graze the slopes. Game drives, boat trips and guided walks complete the picture.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park is Uganda's smallest national park at just 33.7 km², protecting the Ugandan slopes of three extinct Virunga volcanoes: Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo. Alongside mountain gorilla trekking, it is the place to track the striking golden monkey through bamboo forest, and the Batwa Trail, led by Batwa guides, ends in the atmospheric Garama Cave.
Mount Elgon National Park
Mount Elgon National Park protects an extinct volcano on Uganda's eastern border with Kenya, crowned by a caldera about 8 km across, one of the largest in the world. Wagagai Peak reaches 4,321 m. Montane forest gives way to bamboo, heath and moorland dotted with giant groundsels and lobelias, while blue monkeys and black-and-white colobus reward walks on the lower slopes.
Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda's largest national park, cut in two by the Victoria Nile. At the falls, the whole river squeezes through a gorge only a few metres wide before thundering into the pool below, a spectacular sight on a boat trip from Paraa. Game drives reveal elephants, giraffes, buffalo and lions, and birders come for the shoebill.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park covers 1,978 km² of western Uganda and straddles the equator, packing savannah, crater lakes, papyrus swamps and forest into one magnificent park with more than 95 mammal species and more than 600 bird species. In the Ishasha sector, lions climb into the fig trees to rest, while Kazinga Channel boat trips bring you close to hippos, buffalo and elephants.
Rwenzori Mountains National Park
Rwenzori Mountains National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, protects the fabled Mountains of the Moon. Margherita Peak reaches 5,109 m, Africa's third-highest summit, and five vegetation zones climb from grassland and montane forest through bamboo and giant heather to Afro-alpine moorland studded with giant lobelias. Look out for the Rwenzori colobus, chimpanzees and L'Hoest's monkeys.
Semuliki National Park
Semuliki National Park lies in Bundibugyo District on the remote western side of the Rwenzori, where its lowland forest marks the eastern edge of the Congo Basin's Ituri Forest. Many Central African species reach the limit of their range here, more than 400 bird species have been recorded, and the steaming Sempaya hot springs are an unforgettable sight.
Map of Lodges in and around Uganda
Uganda Travel Topics
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Uganda the Pearl of Africa
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Bwindi Safari Experience Uganda
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