Which visa do I need to visit Uganda?

In case you must have a visa before traveling to Uganda, you can obtain one from the Ugandan consulate in your country or on arrival at the Entebbe airport or any border Ugandan border crossing point. At immigration, you may take some time filling out all the visa application details, which may delay you if your Uganda safari is commencing on arrival. It is best to pre-apply for a Ugandan visa to avoid inconveniences on arrival.

Most Popular Safaris

4 Days Gorillas and Golden Monkey Safari

2 Day Bwindi Gorilla Safari through Kigali

3 Days Rwanda Gorilla Trekking Safari

5 Day off season Gorilla and Chimp Safari

5 Day Gorilla and Chimp Tracking Safari

16 Days Uganda Primates & Wildlife Safari

5 Day Gorilla & Chimp Tracking Safari

5 Day Low season Uganda Gorilla & Chimp Safari

5 Day Uganda Gorillas & Game Safari via Kigali

5 Day Gorilla Habituation & Chimps

To apply for a Ugandan visa, you must know about your visit to Uganda. As a tourist, you can apply for a tourist visa if traveling on a business bus, an illness visa, an education visa, or other types of visas.

If you travel to an East African country to Uganda, you can also apply for an East African Visa. This allows you entry into at least two East African countries, and Uganda is an active member of the East African community. Before traveling to Uganda, you can also request more details about the travel requirements people from your country must have.

Where to visit in Uganda?

If you are visiting Uganda for a safari, you can see some of these destinations.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park 

If gorilla safaris are on your bucket list, Uganda is the place to be and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the perfect destination. This park is a tropical rainforest located in the country's southwestern part. You can do gorilla trekking or gorilla habituation experience while on Uganda safari. Gorilla trekking is an adventure where a maximum of 8 tourists can follow a fully habituated gorilla family for one hour. The gorilla habituation experience allows you to accompany a team of researchers to trace a semi-habituated gorilla family for 4 hours.

Gorilla trekking permits for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park are booked according to area. This park is subdivided into four regions: Buhoma, Ruhija, Nkuringo, and Rushaga. Before securing accommodation for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, you must note which area your gorilla permits are booked.

Mgahinga National Park

Mgahinga National Park may be the smallest in size, but it is one of the homes of the mountain gorillas. One gorilla family called Nyakagezi is currently open for gorilla trekking in Mgahinga National Park. Gorilla permits for Mgahinga National Park are available for pre-booking since the family is steadily living in Uganda. In the past, the Nyakagezi gorilla family used to wander into Rwanda, and gorilla permits for Mgahinga National Park were booked according to availability.

Golden monkey safaris are available in Mgahinga National Park, but you also need a golden monkey permit.

By hiking any of the three mountains, mountaineering is possible in Mgahinga National Park: Mountain Gahinga, Mountain Sabyinyo, and Mountain Muhavura.

Murchison Falls National Park

Located astride River Nile is Murchison Falls National Park. This park is home to wild animals, which you may especially see on the Northern bank of this river. By taking a game drive on the Buligi track of Murchison Falls National Park, you may spot lions, leopards, herds of elephants, waterbucks, bushbucks, giraffes, and so many others. An array of water birds graces the shower line of the River Nile as they enjoy its freebies.

By taking a launch trip on the River Nile, you get to relax and enjoy the visiting wild animals on the shore of Victoria Nile. They come down to quench their thirst to cool offool off the day's heat. While you cone loser to the Murchison Falls, you feel a change in boat turbulence. You hear the roaring sound of the River Nile, but as its view unfolds, you feel the strength of the water.

River Nile squeezes through a 6-meter-wide bend to burst out vigorously, forming a cloudy appearance. On a clear day, you may see a rainbow form right before your eyes. By taking a hike to the top of the falls, you witness the power of the River Nile and see how powerful this water is as it stumbles over a bed of rocks for about 80 kilometers.

Chimpanzee trekking in Kaniyo Pabidi forest is worth adding to activities while in Murchison Falls National Park.

Queen Elizabeth National Park 

This biosphere reserve is home to several wild animals that spend their day on the floor of the Rift Valley. Queen Elizabeth National Park is a game-rich park where you may spot lions, especially the tree-climbing lions of Ishasha, herds of elephants, cape buffaloes, topis, warthogs, Mongoose, waterbucks, bushbucks, and Uganda Kobs, to mention but a few.

More than 605 bird species have been recorded as Queen Elizabeth National Park residents, including some foreign migrants escaping from the cold weather from as far as Europe.

A launch trip on the Kazinga channel is worth adding to your to-do activities in Queen Elizabeth National Park. This relaxing, about 3-hour return trip gives you a better view of the beauties on the Rift Valley floor. 

When you look at the shoreline all year, it is dotted by a range of bird species. On a clear day, you may also view the standing block of snowcapped Rwenzori mountain. 

Chimpanzee trekking in Kyambura Gorge is superb as you meet the man's closest relatives who live in the 100-meter-deep gorge.

Kibale National Park

Kibale National Park is home to the largest population of chimpanzees in Uganda. Kibale National Park is home to over 1500 chimpanzees. You must secure a chimpanzee trekking permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority to enjoy this adventure. 

You can engage in chimpanzee trekking, where only one hour is allowed with a fully habituated chimpanzee troop, or chimpanzee habituation experience, where four hours are allowed with semi-habituated chimpanzees. You must book a chimpanzee permit from the Uganda Wildlife Authority.

Kibale National Park is also home to other primates like bush babies, blue monkeys, grey-cheeked mangabey, olive baboons, grey-cheeked mangabey, black and white colobus, and others.

 Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is like the stopover point before proceeding to the safari destinations in western Uganda. This is the closest National park to Kampala or Entebbe within three hours.

While on a game drive in Lake Mburo National Park, you may spot animals like impalas, Uganda Kobs, Waterbucks, reedbucks, herds of elephants, herds of buffaloes, and sitatungas, to mention but a few.

 The boat trip on Lake Mburo is incredible as you spot several water birds.

Kidepo Valley National Park

Although Kidepo Valley National Park is the furthest in Uganda, located in the North Eastern part, it is a game-rich park; if you are interested in spotting the carnivores of Uganda, Kidepo Valley National Park offers you this opportunity. While on a game safari in Kidepo Valley National Park, you may spot animals like lions, leopards, bat-eared foxes, striped hyenas, black-backed and side-striped jackals, cheetahs, aardwolf, and others.

Other animals you may spot include zebras, elephants, Rothschild giraffes, and Jackson's hartebeests.

Semuliki National Park

Located in Bundibujo district on the floor of Rwenziri ranges is Semuliki National Park. This park is part of the ancient forest as it represents the easternmost limit of the great Ituri forest of the Congo basin. In this park, you can sport more of the central African species West African oil palms shade thatched huts.

Semuliki forest is a rich biosphere reserve, an ancient African forest hosting several bird species. The dry conditions of the last age period over 15-18000 years ago. For you to enjoy the unique vegetation cover in Africa, Semuliki National Park is one of the choices you may make. The Semuliki National Park hosts over 336 tree species, more than 441 bird species, 53 mammals, and much more.

This park has the pilling Sempaya hot springs, where you can see the male and female hot springs. To perform the egg boiling experiment at the Ssempaya hot springs.

Visit the source of the River Nile.

The source of the River Nile is located in Jinja, where Lake Victoria water dramatically separates from the River Nile. On the way to find the source of the River Nile, watch out for Riverine birds that linger on the shores of the River Nile. The eye-captivating evergreen vegetation covering the River Nile's banks can be seen along the way. Uganda is the only source of River Nile that goes through Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, the Sudan, and Egypt into the Mediterranean. River Nile is the lifeblood of these countries.

Uganda Cultural experience 

Uganda has a rich culture with multiple tribes living in the same boundary. The most famous cultures are the under kingdoms. The Buganda Kingdom, Bunyoro Kingdom, Tooro Kingdom, Busoga Kingdom and others.

These cultures have differences and similarities, so they are unique but exciting to learn about. The Uganda ethnic groups have different languages, dress codes, and other characteristics.

White water rafting on River Nile

There is no need to have any exine part in white water rafting because professional and experienced instructor actors are on the ground to take you through all the necessary steps. You peddle through the tough tides on a tube boat. Ensure you secure well your safety gear.

Although white water rafting on the River Nile has different levels, you can end where you most feel comfortable. You can do white water rafting on Itanda Falls or within Murchison Falls National Park on Victoria Nile.

Religious Tour in Uganda

The Uganda Martyrs Shrine in Namugongo is the most visited religious destination in Uganda, where over 20 young men were brutally burnt in infernal for the sake of religion. They were collected from spiritual dominions like Catholics, Anglicans, and Muslims. This brutal act is celebrated on 3rd June every year at the shrines.

Visit the different headquarters for each religion: Rubage catholic, Namirembe church for the Anglicans, Kibuli Mosque for the Muslims, Bahai Temple, the only one of its kind in Africa, and others.

Educational Tour in Uganda

If you would like to know more about the education system in Uganda, visit the highest education institution in Uganda, Makerere University. You may also visit the different schools in Uganda according to the scope of your tour interests.

Bungee jumping on River Nile

For some thrilling experience, engage in Bungee jumping from the cliff overlooking the River Nile down to touch its waters. You are held tightly by a single rope and let down slowly. Feel the cool breeze from the River Nile, and the rescue boat waits for your landing beneath the cliff.

Birding in Uganda

Keen birders have an excellent opportunity to identify several birds while on Uganda birding safari. Currently, Uganda boasts a population of over 1000 bird species, an unrivaled list in Africa. Depending on your interests, you need to plan and tailor the right Uganda birding itinerary.

 At Encounter Africa Safaris, our tour consultants are ready to work with you to tailor an itinerary that will suit your needs and interests. 

Some renowned Uganda birding destinations include Mabamba Swamp, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Mpanga Swamp, Kibale National Park, Mgahinga Forest, Semiliki National Park, and Queen Elizabeth National Park.

What must You carry for a Visit to Uganda?

• All necessary travel documents
• If you need a Ugandan visa per the requirements that one must have before traveling to Uganda, you need to apply for one in advance. Carry your country's identification documents like a passport or identity card.
• Carry some hard cash to exchange into local currency if you must make in-ground transactions. Credit cards are not commonly used in Uganda because of the lengthy process of obtaining money from them.
• Purchase travel insurance in case of any emergency 
• Pack the right gear for your visit to Uganda. You can skip packing but carry what is necessary.

Contact us for more information if you are planning to visit Uganda.