Uganda Attraction Tours and Guided Visits

October 30, 2026

Travel advisory, as of October 2026: Washington lists Uganda at Level 4, Do Not Travel, a rating issued in May 2026 during an Ebola outbreak that Uganda declared over in late August 2026 and one that also points to crime, terrorism and unrest. The UK FCDO has no blanket advice against travel but says attacks are very likely, national parks included. Same-sex sexual activity is illegal under the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023. Check the FCDO regional risks page and the US advisory before booking tours, and travel with an established operator.

How Guided Visits Work

Most of Uganda’s best attractions are inside national parks and are visited with a ranger or licensed guide. Gate fees, permits and launches are priced in US dollars, and park gates take cards or mobile money. Primate permits must be bought in advance, so tours are normally arranged before you arrive. The figures below are rounded and should be confirmed with a licensed operator.

Guided Gorilla Trek

Treks start at the park trailheads: Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga and Nkuringo in Bwindi, and Ntebeko for Mgahinga. A ranger briefing comes first thing in the morning, and the walk itself can last anywhere from about 30 minutes to 5 hours or more, depending on where the group moved overnight. The standard permit is about USD 800, or about USD 600 in April, May and November. You must be 15 or older, you stay 7 metres from the animals and your hour with them begins once they are found. Armed security escorts are routine in both parks, which lie near the Congo border.

Launch Cruises

Kazinga Channel launch from Mweya: about 2 hours, about USD 30 on the UWA boat. Queen Elizabeth National Park carries a warning: two tourists and their driver were killed there in October 2023. Use an established operator and avoid driving after dark.
Murchison Falls launch from Paraa to the base of the falls: roughly 2 to 3 hours depending on the operator, about USD 30. The Nile is squeezed through a gap about 7 metres wide before dropping about 43 metres.
Delta cruise at Murchison for shoebills: a separate trip, quoted around USD 55.
Top of the Falls guided hike: about USD 15, on foot for about an hour or less.

Mabamba Bay Shoebill Canoe

Canoeing at Mabamba Bay is done with a licensed guide, because self-guided paddling is not permitted. Count on about an hour’s drive from Entebbe and 1.5 to 2 hours from Kampala. Full-day packages typically run USD 80 to 200.

Ngamba Island and Ziwa

Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary lies about 23 km south-east of Entebbe and must be pre-booked through the Chimpanzee Trust at chimpanzeetrust.org . Boats leave Entebbe at 09:00 and 12:45, with a speedboat crossing of about 45 minutes. Feedings take place at 07:30, 11:00, 14:30 and 18:30, and about 50 chimpanzees live on the island.

Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, in Nakasongola, offers foot tracking of southern white rhinos with an armed ranger. It is about three hours each way from Kampala, so plan a long day.

Kampala Sights

The Uganda Museum in Kitante has been closed for renovation since August 2024 and has no reopening date, so leave it off the list. The Kasubi Tombs reopened to visitors in 2026. The Baha’i Mother Temple of Africa on Kikaaya Hill, consecrated in 1961, is open to people of all faiths; confirm hours by phone first.

Booking Tips

Book through an established licensed operator, because primate permits are issued to operators in advance. FCDO does not recommend matatus or boda-bodas, so arrange transport as part of the tour.

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