What to see, what to do Uganda?

The national parks are open all year round. The entry of motor vehicles into the natural areas where they are allowed (Lake Mburo, Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls and Kidepo) is however prohibited between 7pm and 6am (the gates controlling access to the parks are closed during this interval). Inside the parks, most of the activities take place during the day. Chimpanzee tracking (Kyambura Gorge, Kibale Forest...) is scheduled at 8am and 2pm while gorilla tracking (Mgahinga National Park, Bwindi Forest) starts at 8.30am. The rare night drives (walk in the heart of the forest in Kibale, night game drive) are sometimes subject to conditions. The reserves managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) and those under the National Forestry Authority (NFA) are also open 365 days a year. Like the parks, almost all the activities are daytime. For those wishing to visit the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, no vehicles are allowed to enter the protected area after 9pm.

Museums, places of worship, historical sites, botanical gardens and others are open to visitors on a daily basis (with the exception of the Rwenzori Foundry which is closed on Sundays). The early morning ones welcome the public as early as 7am, but the bulk of the openings take place between 8.30am and 10am. In the evening, their doors are closed between 4pm and 7pm. Visits to religious buildings are sometimes restricted on weekends (services, celebrations...)

In Uganda, only a tiny portion of the sites and attractions, whether natural or cultural, require a reservation. For example, you don't need to make a reservation to see the collections in a museum or to drive a 4x4 on the tracks of a national park. The payment of your ticket or the payment of the entrance fees is done in situ, without any prior step. Similarly, most of the activities organized by UWA(nature walks, bird watching...) do not require any reservation. Nevertheless, we invite you to contact the UWA staff a few hours (at the latest) or, if possible, a few days before your visit to guarantee your guided tour. Finally, there are a handful of expeditions for which reservations are highly recommended, if not essential. The first of these is the tracking of gorillas in the Bwindi Forest. Whether you go through an agency or do it yourself, you will need to book your permit several months in advance (at least if your trip is scheduled in high season). If you intend to undertake your gorilla tracking in Mgahinga National Park, the situation is somewhat different as the Uganda Wildlife Authority does not issue permits in advance. You will have to go to Kisoro and inquire at the local UWA branch. If the gorillas are around, you can buy your sesame at the last minute. Finally, for the golden monkeys and chimpanzees, although you can register at the last minute, it is wise to book in advance at the UWA headquarters in Kampala, as the number of places is limited (for the chimpanzee tracking in Kibale Forest National Park, booking is almost a sine qua non during the high tourist season).

Museums, shrines, historical sites, palaces and places of worship. Entrance fees range from 10 to 35,000 Ush. Nearly 100% of shrines and places of worship in Uganda are freely accessible, but there are an infinitesimal number of exceptions such as the Namugongo Shrine (pilgrims are exempted from entrance fees) and the Great Mosque in Kampala (a guided tour is charged).

Parks and reserves managed by the Uganda Wildlife Authority. In this guide only the entrance fees forForeign Non Residents are mentioned. Expatriates and East Africans enjoy lower rates. Children under 15 years of age receive a discount. For those travelling with an agency, these fees are normally included in the service.

-Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Lake Mburo, Bwindi, Mgahinga, Kibale, Kidepo: US$40 for 24 hours (US$20 for a child aged 5-15).

-Semuliki, Rwenzori, Mount Elgon, Toro-Semliki, Katonga and Pian Upe: US$ 35 for 24 hours (US$ 5 per child).

-Other reserves: US$ 10 for 24 hours.

In addition to these expenses, for Murchison Falls, Queen Elizabeth, Lake Mburo and Kidepo parks, you will need to add an entrance fee of US$ 5 to 15 for a vehicle registered in Uganda and US$ 30 to 50 for a vehicle registered abroad. You will have to add between 20 and 40 000 Ush per vehicle for the crossing of the Nile (ferry at Paraa, in the national park of Murchison Falls, while waiting for the inauguration of the bridge...), 30 US$ per person for a cruise on the Nile or the Kazinga Channel, 20 US$ per vehicle to hire the services of a park guide for a day safari (not compulsory), 15 to 40 US$ per person for a nature walk, 200 US$ per person (entrance fee included) for a chimpanzee tracking in Kibale (50 US$ in Kyambura and 30 US$ in the Toro-Semliki reserve; entrance fees not included)... In short, quite a budget! The gorilla permit is 700 US$ (entrance fee in Bwindi or Mgahinga park included)

Good plans. In addition to the clever trick of sleeping on the edge of the parks (allowing substantial savings and good chances, even the certainty, of observing the fauna ignoring the limits of the protected areas...), you will be able to track chimpanzees in Kalinzu Forest (US$40 compared to US$90 in Kyambura and US$200 in Kibale) and to observe birds in the Bigodi swamps (50,000 Ush, or US$14) or on the Royal Mile (Budongo Forest) for less

We will not list here all the guided tours offered throughout the country, from Fort Portal to Mbale and from Kabale to Kitgum, as they are abundant. However, several of them stand out for their originality. For example, the exploration of Kampala - often overlooked by busy tourists and tour operators - on foot (Immersion Ug, Kampala Walking Tours...) or from the saddle of a boda-boda (Keefa Motor Tours, Walter's Boda Boda Tours...).

Ugandan guides are, for the most part, qualified and honest. Although very few in number, impostors and usurpers do exist. In order to avoid these improvised guides and their dubious knowledge and skills, gravitating around tourist sites (outside reserves and national parks) and/or self-proclaimed driver-guides, we refer you to the national and local associations and tour operators mentioned in this... travel guide. Independent visitors wishing to obtain a gorilla permit should contact the UWA directly, either online (www.ugandawildlife.org) or in person at its offices in Kampala or Kisoro, in order to avoid any possible malpractice...