Things to do in Uganda

Hike through dense rainforest to spend a precious hour with a habituated mountain gorilla family, one of Africa’s most profound wildlife encounters.

Follow expert guides as you listen for pant-hoots and crash through the undergrowth to observe wild chimpanzees in their natural habitat.

Board a launch on the Victoria Nile to approach the thundering Murchison Falls, where the river squeezes through a 7-metre gorge and plunges 43 metres.

Paddle through grade‑5 rapids on the legendary White Nile, starting near the source of the world’s longest river.

Visit the spot where Lake Victoria spills into the Nile at Ripon Falls, marked by the Speke Monument.

Cruise the Ishasha sector to see Uganda’s famous lions draped over the branches of fig trees, an unusual behaviour found in few places.

Trek through bamboo forests and giant heather zones on a multi-day expedition to the third-highest peak in Africa, Margherita Peak (5,109 m).

Step inside the thatched royal enclosure that houses the tombs of four Buganda monarchs, a UNESCO World Heritage site and sacred spiritual centre.

Browse ethnographic exhibits, traditional musical instruments and archaeological finds at the country’s oldest museum.

Enjoy a vibrant evening of drumming, singing and dancing from all over Uganda in an open-air amphitheatre.

Walk with armed rangers through acacia woodland to stand within metres of southern white rhinos, extinct in the wild here until reintroduction.

Glide across the calm, island-dotted waters of Africa’s second-deepest lake in a traditional dugout.

Follow trails past coffee gardens and banana shambas to reach the tumbling cascades of Sipi, each plunging over basalt cliffs.

Wander through stalls of vibrant kitenge fabrics, woven baskets, wood carvings and beaded jewellery near the town centre.

Sail between 84 lush tropical islands aboard a traditional wooden dhow, stopping to swim, birdwatch and relax on deserted beaches.

Sip creative cocktails in a chic garden setting under fairy lights, then dance to Afrobeat and international hits.

Step onto the peaceful grounds of the nine-sided Baha’i Temple on Kikaya Hill, surrounded by manicured gardens.

Stand with one foot in the Northern and one in the Southern Hemisphere at this famous roadside monument.

Spend time with the indigenous Batwa community, who once lived as hunter-gatherers in the forest.

Pole through papyrus channels on a canoe in search of the elusive shoebill, a bizarre, dinosaur-like bird.

Clamber into limestone caves that local legend says are the breasts of the goddess Nyinamwiru.

Laze on the sandy shores of Lake Victoria at Entebbe’s popular Lido Beach.

Walk through semi-natural enclosures to see lion, giraffe, chimpanzee and shoebill at this rehabilitation centre on the shores of Lake Victoria.

Harness up and rappel face-first down the 100-metre main cascade of Sipi Falls, with torrents of water roaring beside you.

Board a small boat for a two-hour drift along the natural channel linking Lake Edward and Lake George.