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African Safaris and Tours
Uganda Lodges
Uganda safari lodges, tented camps and hotels, area by area
In Uganda, where you sleep shapes the whole safari. The gorilla forests of the south-west, the chimpanzee country of Kibale and the open savannahs of Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and Kidepo each have their own lodges and tented camps. The right base puts you close to the trek, the boat trip or the game drive that brought you here, and a well-run lodge turns the hours in between into some of the best of the trip.
In Bwindi Impenetrable and Mgahinga Gorilla national parks, your lodge is the base for mountain gorilla treks; Mgahinga adds golden monkeys on the slopes of three extinct volcanoes. Kibale is the place for chimpanzee tracking, with 13 primate species in the forest. Queen Elizabeth National Park straddles the equator, with boat trips on the Kazinga Channel. Its Ishasha sector is renowned for tree-climbing lions, though numbers there have fallen sharply and the Uganda Wildlife Authority has launched a recovery programme.
Murchison Falls, Uganda's largest national park, is where the Victoria Nile forces its way through a narrow rock gorge. Lake Mburo is the smallest of Uganda's savannah parks, with five lakes inside its boundaries, while Kidepo Valley lies in the remote far north-east. Entebbe, on the shore of Lake Victoria beside the country's main international airport, covers your first and last nights.
We quote every property here as part of a complete tailor-made Uganda safari, not as a standalone room-only booking. Planning when to go? See when to visit Uganda. Ready to start? Send us your dates and we'll match the lodges to the way you like to travel. We've been doing it since 1999.
Uganda lodges by area
Bwindi Impenetrable Lodges
Gorilla country. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and treks set out on foot from separate sectors. Pick a Bwindi lodge in the same sector as your gorilla permit, or trek day could start with a long drive.
Queen Elizabeth National Park lodges
Queen Elizabeth National Park straddles the equator, and which side you stay on matters. Lodges on the Kazinga Channel side suit boat trips between Lake Edward and Lake George; the Ishasha sector, renowned for tree-climbing lions, is now a lion-recovery area.
Kibale National Park Lodges
Chimpanzee tracking sets out from Kanyanchu in Kibale National Park, where 13 primate species share the forest, the Uganda mangabey among them. The park adjoins Queen Elizabeth to the south, so a Kibale lodge pairs easily with a stay there.
Murchison Falls National Park Lodges
The Victoria Nile forces its way through a narrow rock gorge in Murchison Falls, Uganda's largest national park. Days here mix game drives on the savannah with boat trips on the river, and our Murchison lodges and camps sit in and around the park.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park Lodges
Uganda's smallest national park sits on the slopes of three extinct volcanoes: Muhabura, Gahinga and Sabyinyo. Mgahinga's lodges are the base for mountain gorilla and golden monkey treks and the Batwa Trail, with trekking on volcano slopes rather than Bwindi's forested valleys.
Victoria Nile Lodges
Near Jinja, the Victoria Nile leaves Lake Victoria on its long journey north. Our Victoria Nile lodges pair the river with white-water rafting and boat trips, and Jinja makes a natural first or last stop on a Uganda safari.
Lake Mburo National Park Lodges
No elephants, but plenty of water. Lake Mburo, the smallest of Uganda's savannah parks, holds five lakes within its boundaries, and wetlands cover a fifth of the park. It lies between Kampala and Mbarara, so its lodges break the long drive west.
Kidepo National Park Lodges
Remote and wild, Kidepo Valley National Park lies in Uganda's far north-east on the border with South Sudan, with Kenya close by. Unlike the south, the north has one rainy season, not two, which is worth knowing before you book a Kidepo lodge.
Entebbe Hotels
Your first and last nights in Uganda. Entebbe sits on the shore of Lake Victoria beside Entebbe International Airport, the country's main international gateway, and its hotels run from a quiet garden guesthouse to a lakeshore hotel.
Uganda lodges: frequently asked questions
Which area of Uganda should I choose a lodge in?
Choose by what you most want to see. Bwindi and Mgahinga are for mountain gorillas, Kibale for chimpanzee tracking, Queen Elizabeth for Kazinga Channel boat trips and the Ishasha sector, and Murchison Falls for the Nile and game drives. Kidepo suits remote savannah, and Entebbe covers arrival and departure nights.
What is the difference between a safari lodge and a tented camp?
A safari lodge has solid-walled rooms or cottages; a tented camp puts you under canvas, in a walk-in tent with proper beds. Comfort and price depend on the property rather than the label, so a tented camp can be every bit as polished as a lodge. Each lodge page describes its rooms, and we'll talk you through the differences.
Are Uganda's safari lodges inside the national parks?
Some are, and some sit just outside the boundary on community or private land. Staying inside puts you in the park from the moment you wake; staying outside means a drive to the park gate or trailhead for game drives and treks. If a lodge page doesn't say which side of the boundary a property sits on, ask us.
Can children stay at Uganda's safari lodges?
It depends on the lodge: each property sets its own child policy and minimum age, and we confirm it before booking. Activity limits are separate from lodge rules, and gorilla trekking has its own minimum age, covered on our Uganda safaris page. Tell us your children's ages and we'll shortlist lodges that welcome them.
How does Uyaphi price Uganda lodges?
We quote Uganda lodges as part of a complete tailor-made safari, not as standalone room-only bookings. Uganda's options run from simple camps to high-end lodges, and the mix you choose, together with transfers, activities and permits, sets the total. Tell us your dates, interests and budget, and we'll cost a trip around them.
What is included in a Uganda lodge stay?
Inclusions vary by property, so your itinerary quote spells out what each night covers, from the meal plan and drinks to activities and transfers. Gorilla trekking permits are a separate government fee, never part of a lodge rate; see our Uganda safaris page for how permits work.
How far ahead should I book a Uganda lodge?
Book as soon as your travel dates are fixed. If your trip includes gorilla trekking, your lodge nights have to line up with your permit date, so the two are best booked together. Everywhere else the rule is the same: the earlier you confirm, the wider your choice of lodges and rooms.
Map of Lodges in and around Uganda
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