Kalinzu forest reserve
Mount Elgon national park
Rwenzori mountains national park
Lake Mburo national park
Mgahinga Gorilla national park
Semuliki Valley National Park
Kibale National Park
Bwindi Impenetrable National park
Murchison Falls National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park – Uganda
Uganda National Parks
Uganda is wildly blessed with magnificent tourist attractions that are widely spread out across all of its national parks. Uganda safari tours offer a diverse range of experiences, from trekking mountain gorillas and chimpanzees to game drives in savannah parks and boat safaris on scenic waterways. Here are the top 5 safari destinations in Uganda.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the top safari destinations to explore in Uganda. The park is located in the southwestern corner of the country, in Kanungu District. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park was gazetted in 1991 and lies in south-western Uganda, covering 321 km2. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is home to mountain gorillas and is one of the few destinations in the world where you can explore with these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat. The park is home to approximately half of the world’s remaining mountain gorilla population, with over 400 mountain gorillas calling the park’s forest their natural habitat. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park has over 25 habituated mountain gorilla families, and gorilla trekking is the main highlight of any safari in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park as well as a highlight of any safari in Uganda, making it one of the most popular safari destinations in Uganda.
Beyond mountain gorillas, the park is home to about 350 bird species, 125 mammal species, 200 butterfly species, 324 tree species, and 12 other primates’ species, including chimpanzees.
Beyond the main highlight, gorilla trekking, the park offers other amazing safari activities to visitors on a Uganda safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Visitors on a gorilla trekking safari can also embark on other safari activities such as gorilla habituation experiences, nature walks or hikes, community encounters with the Batwa cultural group, and the indigenous community who are loving in the forested areas, among others.
Kibale Forest National Park
Kibale Forest National Park will be one of the renowned and top safari destinations in Uganda. The park is located in the western part of Uganda. Is a biodiverse haven known for its populations of primate species, particularly chimpanzees. Kibale National Park was gazetted in 1932 and is located in western Uganda, covering about 795 km2. Kibale National Park is often referred to as the “Primates Capital of the World” due to its high concentration of primates. It’s home to an estimated 1,500 chimpanzees, making it one of the best destinations in Africa to observe these intelligent and astonishing primates.
Besides the chimpanzees, Kibale Forest National Park is home to primates such as L’Hoest’s monkey, red colobus monkeys, black and white colobus, red-tailed monkeys, blue monkeys, olive baboons, golden cats, red and blue duikers, and Bush babies. The forest also contains other thrilling species such as buffaloes, elephants, leopards, a large number of reptiles, and butterflies, along with bird species such as the great blue turaco, African grey parrots, and the endemic green-breasted pitta, among others. During your safari in Kibale Forest National Park, you’ll have the opportunity to engage in various activities, including chimpanzee trekking, forest walks, chimpanzee habituation experiences, night walks, birding, cultural visitors, and children’s activities, among others.
Murchison Falls National Park
Murchison Falls National Park is also one of the top safari destinations to explore in Uganda. Murchison Falls National Park is located in the northwest part of Uganda, is the largest protected area in the country, and has one of the most widely diverse biodiversity. The park is home to a majestic waterfall and is named after Murchison Falls, a breathtaking natural wonder where the Victoria Nile River squeezes through a narrow gorge before plunging 43 meters into the mighty Albert Nile. Murchison Falls National Park is home to a diverse array of wildlife, including elephants, lions, buffaloes, leopards, giraffes, hyenas, warthogs, and various antelope’s species such as Uganda Kobs, Jackson’s heartbeats, primates like chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, and over 450 bird species. During your safari to Murchison Falls National Park, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in a number of numerous activities, such as game drives, nature walks and hikes, chimpanzee trekking in Budongo Forest, boat cruises, birdwatching, the hot air balloon experience, bush camping, and cultural encounters, among others.
Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo Valley is another top safari destination to explore in Uganda. Kidepo Valley, located in northeastern Uganda, is a remote and rugged wilderness area renowned for its tunning landscapes and abundant wildlife. Kidepo National Park is located in one of the most remote regions of Uganda, near the borders with South Sudan and Kenya. Its isolation helped preserve its pristine wilderness and limited tourist numbers, offering a truly off-beaten-path safari experience. Kidepo Valley National Park is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including large populations of elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, lions, leopards, cheetahs, and hyenas. It’s also known for its unique species, such as elusive striped hyenas and the endemic kidepo subspecies of the ostrich, as well as impressive bird species. During your safari in Kidepo National Park, you’ll have the chance to participate in a variety of activities, such as game drives, birding, nature walks and hikes, and community encounters, among others.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park is another top safari destination to visit in Uganda. The park, located in the southwestern part of Kasese district, is one of the most diverse and scenic national parks in Africa. The park was named after Queen Elizabeth II to commemorate her visit to Uganda in 1954. It was originally known as Kazinga National Park but was later renamed in her honor. Queen Elizabeth National Park is renowned for its rich biodiversity, with diverse ecosystems ranging from savannahs and wetlands to tropical forests. The park is the only place on the planet where you can spot tree-climbing lions. It is also home to an incredible variety of wildlife, including chimpanzees, buffaloes, giraffes, elephants, leopards, hippos, and over 600 species of birds. The park gives you spectacular views of the Rwenzori Mountains, Kazinga Channel, the large area of the swamp, the beauty of open savannah around Lake George, the beautiful crater lakes, and a lot more. During your safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park, you’ll have the opportunity to engage in different tourism activities such as boat cruises along the Kazinga Channel, game drives, chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge, bird watching, cultural encounters, and fishing, among others.
