Find places in Uganda

Must-Haves

• Kasubi Tombs (Kasubi)
  The UNESCO listed burial ground of the kings of Buganda, under a vast thatched dome.
• Uganda Museum (Kamwokya)
  East Africa's oldest museum, with traditional instruments, ethnography and natural history.
• Namirembe Cathedral (Namirembe)
  Uganda's oldest Anglican cathedral, crowning one of the city's original hills.

Fun for Everyone

• Ndere Centre (Ntinda)
  Evening shows by the Ndere Troupe bring dance and music from every corner of Uganda to one stage.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Rubaga Cathedral (Lubaga)
  The grand Catholic cathedral on Lubaga hill, with the tombs of Uganda's first African bishops.

Must-Haves

• Gaddafi National Mosque (Old Kampala)
  Climb the minaret for the finest panorama of Kampala's hills.
• Uganda Martyrs Shrine Namugongo (Namugongo)
  A striking basilica and lake marking the martyrs of 1886, busiest on Martyrs Day in June.

Off the Beaten Path

• Bahá'í House of Worship (Kikaya Hill)
  A peaceful domed temple with quiet gardens and views over the north of the city.

Fun for Everyone

• Independence Monument (City centre)
  The famous statue of a mother lifting her child, symbol of Uganda's independence.
• Kayabwe Equator line (Mpigi)
  Stand with a foot in each hemisphere at the equator markers on the Masaka road.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Kabaka's Lake (Ndeeba)
  A large man made lake dug for a Buganda king, good for a stroll and birdwatching.

Off the Beaten Path

• Ssezibwa Falls (Mukono)
  A sacred waterfall in the Buganda tradition, an easy and peaceful half day trip.
• Mpanga Forest (Mpigi)
  A small, quiet rainforest with butterflies and monkeys under an hour from the city.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Owino Market (St Balikuddembe) (City centre)
  A maze of secondhand clothes, fabrics and household goods that feels like a city of its own.
• Nakasero Market (Nakasero)
  Kampala's classic food market, piled high with tropical fruit, spices and matooke.
• Kikuubo (City centre)
  The wholesale heart of Kampala, chaotic and fascinating, best visited with a local friend.

Fun for Everyone

• Exposure Africa craft market (Buganda Road)
  Rows of stalls selling baskets, bark cloth, carvings and fabric souvenirs from across Uganda.
• Acacia Mall (Kisementi)
  A modern mall with cafés, a supermarket and a cinema for an easy, air conditioned break.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Wandegeya rolex stalls (Wandegeya)
  Student territory near Makerere University, with some of the best chapati and egg rolex in town.
• Ggaba fish market (Ggaba)
  Watch the boats come in on Lake Victoria and eat tilapia fried fresh by the shore.

Great for Date Night

• The Lawns (Kololo)
  A garden restaurant known for grilled meats and relaxed evenings under the trees.
• Khana Khazana (Kololo)
  A long established Indian restaurant in a quiet garden, a favourite for special dinners.
• Yujo Izakaya (Kololo)
  Japanese small plates and cocktails in a stylish spot loved by Kampala's foodies.

Fun for Everyone

• Café Javas (Kampala)
  Uganda's homegrown café chain, with huge menus and reliable coffee all over the city.

Must-Haves

• Endiro Coffee (Kololo)
  Ugandan grown coffee and good breakfasts from a social enterprise café.

Great for Date Night

• Prunes (Kololo)
  A pretty garden café for brunch, cakes and a quiet coffee away from the traffic.

Must-Haves

• Kabalagala nightlife strip (Kabalagala)
  Kampala's liveliest strip of bars, pork joints and clubs, busy until dawn.

Must-Haves

• Kampala Serena Hotel (Nakasero)
  A landmark central hotel set in landscaped gardens with pools and water features.

Fun for Everyone

• Speke Resort Munyonyo (Munyonyo)
  A big lakeside resort with pools, a marina and horse riding on the shore of Lake Victoria.

Great for Date Night

• Emin Pasha Hotel (Nakasero)
  A small boutique hotel in a colonial house with a garden pool and a fine restaurant.

Fun for Everyone

• Martyrs Day at Namugongo (Namugongo)
  Every 3 June, pilgrims who have walked from across East Africa gather for a huge open air mass.
• Independence Day celebrations (Kololo Ceremonial Grounds)
  Parades and national celebrations every 9 October, with festivities across the city.

Fun for Everyone

• Uganda Wildlife Conservation Education Centre (Entebbe)
  Uganda's wildlife centre by the lake, a gentle introduction to the country's animals for children.

Must-Haves

• Entebbe Botanical Gardens (Entebbe)
  Century old gardens on the lakeshore with colobus monkeys, hornbills and giant trees.
• Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary (Lake Victoria)
  A boat ride to an island refuge for orphaned chimpanzees, with feeding times you can watch.

Off the Beaten Path

• Mabamba Swamp (Kasanje)
  Glide through papyrus in a dugout canoe for one of the best chances to see a shoebill.

Off the Beaten Path

• Nakiwogo ferry to the Ssese Islands (Nakiwogo)
  Take the ferry to Bugala Island for sandy beaches, forest and lake sunsets.

Must-Haves

• Protea Hotel by Marriott Entebbe (Entebbe)
  A reliable lakeside hotel close to the airport for first and last nights.

Low Cost and Authentic

• The Boma Guest House (Entebbe)
  A homely colonial style guesthouse with a garden pool, popular before and after safaris.

Great for Date Night

• Lake Victoria Serena Golf Resort (Kigo)
  A grand lakeside resort with a golf course, spa and marina between Entebbe and Kampala.

Fun for Everyone

• Imperial Botanical Beach Hotel (Entebbe)
  A large beachfront hotel next to the botanical gardens with pools and lake views.

Must-Haves

• Source of the Nile (Jinja)
  Stand where the White Nile leaves Lake Victoria and take a boat to the spring itself.
• Nile River Explorers (Jinja)
  A pioneering rafting operator running full day trips through the Nile's big rapids.

Off the Beaten Path

• Mahatma Gandhi memorial (Source of the Nile gardens)
  A quiet memorial where some of Gandhi's ashes were scattered into the Nile.

Must-Haves

• Itanda Falls (Kayunga)
  A thundering set of Nile rapids with viewpoints and a local craft scene.

Fun for Everyone

• Mabira Forest (Najjembe)
  Central Uganda's largest rainforest, with trails, red-tailed monkeys and a zip line.

Off the Beaten Path

• Mabira Forest Rainforest Lodge (Mabira)
  Wooden cottages deep in the forest, with birdsong and monkeys from the veranda.

Great for Date Night

• Wildwaters Lodge (Kalagala)
  A luxury lodge on its own island surrounded by Nile rapids.

Must-Haves

• Nyege Nyege Festival (Jinja)
  A world famous four day festival of African electronic and experimental music by the Nile.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Jinja Central Market (Town centre)
  A busy covered market for fruit, fabric and the local rhythm of the town.

Must-Haves

• Top of the Falls (Murchison Falls)
  Feel the spray as the whole Nile squeezes through a gorge a few metres wide.
• Buligi game drive circuit (North bank)
  Tracks through palm savannah with giraffes, elephants, lions and Uganda kob.
• Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary (Nakasongola)
  Track Uganda's only wild rhinos on foot with rangers on the drive north.

Off the Beaten Path

• Kaniyo Pabidi chimpanzee tracking (Budongo Forest)
  Chimpanzee walks under tall mahogany trees in the Budongo Forest.

Must-Haves

• Launch trip to the bottom of the falls (Paraa)
  A boat safari past hippos, crocodiles and elephants to the foot of the waterfall.

Off the Beaten Path

• Nile delta boat trip (Lake Albert delta)
  A morning cruise through papyrus channels with a strong chance of shoebill.

Fun for Everyone

• Paraa ferry crossing (Paraa)
  The short vehicle ferry across the Nile is a small adventure in itself.

Must-Haves

• Paraa Safari Lodge (Paraa)
  A classic lodge above the Nile with a pool and views over the river.

Great for Date Night

• Chobe Safari Lodge (Chobe)
  A smart lodge by the Nile rapids in the east of the park, with a long infinity pool.
• Baker's Lodge (South bank)
  Stylish riverside cottages with hippos grunting below the decks.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Red Chilli Rest Camp (Paraa)
  Simple bandas and camping inside the park, popular with budget travellers.

Fun for Everyone

• Murchison River Lodge (South bank)
  Thatched cottages and safari tents with a pool near the Nile.

Must-Haves

• Kazinga Channel boat trip (Mweya)
  Cruise among hippos, buffalo, elephants and pelicans on the channel between two lakes.

Fun for Everyone

• Kikorongo Equator crossing (Kikorongo)
  A quick photo stop at the equator monument on the road through the park.

Must-Haves

• Ishasha sector (Ishasha)
  Look for lions resting in the branches of giant fig trees.
• Kasenyi plains (Kasenyi)
  Dawn game drives among Uganda kob herds and the lions that hunt them.

Off the Beaten Path

• Kyambura Gorge (Kyambura)
  A sunken forest in the savannah where you can track a small chimpanzee community.
• Maramagambo Forest bat cave (Maramagambo)
  A forest walk to a cave full of bats, where pythons sometimes lie in wait.

Fun for Everyone

• Explosion Craters drive (Northern sector)
  A scenic loop past volcanic craters, lakes and views to the Rwenzoris.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Lake Katwe salt works (Katwe)
  See salt harvested by hand from a crater lake, as it has been for centuries.

Must-Haves

• Mweya Safari Lodge (Mweya)
  A classic lodge on a peninsula above the Kazinga Channel with huge views.

Great for Date Night

• Kyambura Gorge Lodge (Kyambura)
  A stylish lodge in converted coffee stores overlooking the plains and gorge.

Off the Beaten Path

• Ishasha Wilderness Camp (Ishasha)
  A remote tented camp on a river where elephants pass by.

Fun for Everyone

• Katara Lodge (Kichwamba escarpment)
  Open fronted cottages on the rift escarpment with sweeping views over the park.

Must-Haves

• Gorilla trekking in Buhoma (Buhoma)
  The original gorilla trekking sector, with the most lodges and an easy link to Queen Elizabeth.
• Gorilla trekking in Rushaga (Rushaga)
  The sector with the most gorilla families and the gorilla habituation experience.

Off the Beaten Path

• Ruhija birding trails (Ruhija)
  High, cool forest trails famous for Albertine Rift endemics and the swamp walk to Mubwindi.
• Ivi River trail (Buhoma to Nkuringo)
  A long guided walk through the forest linking two sectors.

Fun for Everyone

• Munyaga River waterfall walk (Buhoma)
  A forest walk to waterfalls with tree ferns, monkeys and butterflies.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Ride 4 a Woman (Buhoma)
  A women's community project selling handmade crafts and clothing, with a café and guesthouse.

Great for Date Night

• Bwindi Lodge (Buhoma)
  Elegant cottages facing the forest wall, a short walk from the park office.
• Gorilla Forest Camp (Buhoma)
  Luxury tents hidden inside the forest, where gorillas sometimes pass through.

Must-Haves

• Buhoma Lodge (Buhoma)
  Wooden chalets on a slope above the forest, close to the trekking start.

Fun for Everyone

• Clouds Mountain Gorilla Lodge (Nkuringo)
  A high stone lodge with views of the Virunga volcanoes.