Top 7 Uganda Safari Activities, Remarkable Things to do on a Uganda Safari in 2024/2025

Are you looking for the best safari activities to add to your Uganda travel itinerary? Uganda offers some of the best things to do as you discover its high tourism potential during your Uganda safari.

Gorilla trekking at Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the highlight of the Uganda safari activities, attracting various visitors on safari in Uganda to watch the endangered Mountain Gorillas in their natural habitat.

Uganda’s unique climate, vegetation, and general biodiversity make it home to various unique creatures, which are a great attraction to visitors who come to explore them through various safari activities.

Top safari activities in Uganda are mountain gorilla trekking and gorilla habituation, chimpanzee trekking, game drives, bird watching, cultural encounters, boat cruises, and mountain climbing, among others.

Below are the top safari activities or things to do on your safari to Uganda.

1. Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Gorilla trekking safaris are the highlight of Uganda tours. The adventure will bring you to either Bwindi Impenetrable National Park or Mgahinga Gorilla National Park to have an up close and personal experience with these primates in their natural habitat.

Prepare to spend one hour with the habituated Mountain Gorillas as you watch their life patterns for example feeding patterns, games, and grooming, among others.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park has 23 habituated Gorilla families that live in the four sectors of the park. These are the Buhoma sector, Nkuringo sector, Rushaga sector, and the Ruhija sector.

On the other hand, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park has one habituated Gorilla family called the Nyakagezi Gorilla family.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is also the only destination in Uganda where travelers can have Gorilla habituation experiences. This is a safari activity in which wild Mountain Gorillas are slowly introduced to the presence of human beings so they can get used to it. Much as the activity is the same as gorilla trekking, it takes a maximum of 4 hours to stay with the gorillas in their natural habitat

2. Chimpanzee Trekking Safaris in Uganda  

Chimpanzee trekking is a unique adventure that brings you closer to the chimpanzees who are man’s closest relatives. The activity is best done at Kibale Forest National Park which has about 1500 chimpanzees out of the estimated 5000 in the country.

Chimp trekking at the Kanyanchu Area will introduce you to a habituated chimpanzee family that you will spend one hour with as you watch them play, feed, and groom, among others.

Other places to go chimpanzee trekking in Uganda are the Kalinzu Forest Reserve near Queen Elizabeth National Park, Budongo Forest at Murchison Falls National Park, and Kyambura Gorge inside Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Ngamba Island is also a remarkable place to view the orphaned Uganda Chimpanzees that were rescued from the wild.

3. Safari Game Drives in Uganda

Take an exploration into the wild savannahs, a sanctuary to remarkable wild beasts where you can expect to see 4 of the African big five Elephants, Buffaloes, Leopards, and Lions.

Moreso, you will get to meet other common wild animals like the Zebras, Giraffes, and Antelopes on a large scale.

These beautiful game drives occur in the Murchison Falls National Park at the Victoria track, Chobe track, Buligi track, and the Albertine Delta track.

Game drives at Queen Elizabeth National Park occur at the Kasenyi plains, Ishasha sector, and the Mweya Peninsular.

Other destinations to enjoy beautiful games in Uganda are Lake Mburo National Park and Kidepo Valley National Park.

4. Birding Safaris in Uganda 

Birding safaris in Uganda are remarkable experiences that will introduce you to the various Uganda bird species! Given the country is home to more than 1,100 bird species, birders will enjoy adventures in finding forest species, water species, and savannah species.

Uganda also welcomes many migratory bird species from mostly Europe and South Africa from November to April because of the favorable weather conditions.

Additionally, Uganda has many protected areas also to watch the  Albertine Rift endemics. These include Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, Kibale Forest National Park, etc.

Watch for the big five birds which are the Shoebill, Great Blue Turaco, Long Crested Eagle, Grey Crowned Crane, and the Black and White Casqued Hornbill.

Other common or most sought-after bird species in Uganda are the African Green Broadbill, Shelley’s Crimsonwing, African Fish Eagle, Pelicans, Marabou Stork, Egrets, the Hammerkop, etc.

The best safari destinations to go birding in Uganda include Queen Elizabeth National Park (over 600 species), Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (over 350 bird species), Murchison Falls National Park (more than 556 bird species), Kibale Forest National Park (more than 370 bird species ), to mention but a few.

5. Cultural Safaris in Uganda 

As a country with more than 56 tribes, Uganda will surely ignite your knowledge about its amazing people and their ways.  Meet traditional tribes like the Karamojong, Batwa, and the IK.

This will give you the chance to learn about the different ways of life of these people as you interact with them.

The local people will lead you through an amazing experience of compelling storytelling, rhythmic dancing singing, cooking, brewing, and handy crafts. This will allow you to experience firsthand these cultures while you have a personal experience with them.

6. Boat Cruises in Uganda

A Uganda boat cruise is one of the top things to do in Uganda, given Uganda is blessed with various waterbodies mostly lakes and rivers.

The experience is a beautiful way to enjoy viewing water wildlife species and other animals drinking by the shores of the water bodies. These include the Hippos, Elephants, Waterbucks, Nile Crocodiles, Uganda Kobs, Lions, Shoebills, Hammerkop, and Pelicans, among others.

Murchison Falls National Park offers the bottom of the bottom of the falls cruise and the Lake Albert Delta Launch which takes about 2 to 3 hours.

Boat cruises at the Queen Elizabeth National Park occur at the Kazinga Channel, which flows 32 kilometers from Lake George to Lake Edward.

Alternatively, you can have a boat cruise at Lake Mburo National Park and the beautiful Lake Victoria which is also the largest freshwater lake in Uganda.

7. Mountain Climbing/Mountain Hiking Safaris in Uganda 

From the snowcapped peaks of the Rwenzori Mountains to the Virunga ranges and the Mount Elgon ranges, Uganda will provide you with exceptional mountain climbing experiences.

Each mountain is unique to provide you with exceptional experiences. For example, Mountain Rwenzori will lead you through different vegetation zones as you watch the distant beauty of the landscape.

While hiking, you will find different wildlife animals for example the Monkeys and Baboons.

Some nature walks may also lead you on a tremendous hiking adventure bringing you much closer to the different nature of the wildlife.

Other Safari Activities in Uganda 

A Uganda safari will lead you on a journey to discover more safari activities as you explore different destinations. These include

1. Golden monkey trekking which is exclusively done at Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.
2. Lion tracking in the Ishasha sector of Queen Elizabeth National Park
3. Rhino tracking on foot at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
4. Canoe rides
5. Sport fishing
6. Exploring the Jinja source of the Nile
7. Kampala City tour
8. Scenery views of the Sesse Islands

Conclusion

As you plan for a magnificent safari to Uganda, there are many safari activities to make your experiences much more memorable. Discover, the thrill, the beauty, and the memories that these activities give.

Inquire with our professional and trustworthy tour consultant who will help plan your memorable activities in the unique tour destinations.