Top Uganda safari activities in 2022-2023; Uganda is one of the stunning safari destinations in the world due to the fact that its blessed with different biodiversity ranging from abundant wildlife species including the big five mammals, primates like gorillas, chimpanzees, golden monkeys, variety of bird species, snowcapped mountains, fresh water bodies like lake Victoria, Kazinga channel, Lake Bunyonyi, hospitable people among others. Uganda is a home of 10 national parks including Kidepo valley national park, Bwindi forest impenetrable national park, Murchison falls national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Lake Mburo national park, semuliki national park, Kibale forest national park, Mgahinga gorilla national park, Mount Rwenzori national park and Mount Elgon national park which offer different safari activities which include,
Top Uganda safari activities in 2022-2023
Gorilla trekking
Gorilla trekking is one of the top Uganda safari activities that attracts big numbers of tourists in the country. Gorilla trekking in Uganda is done in two national parks that is Bwindi impenetrable national park and Mgahinga gorilla national park both located in south western part of Uganda. Gorilla trekking in both destinations starts very early in the morning with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking.
After the briefing you will be subdivided into groups of 8 people where each group will be allocated a habituated gorilla family to trek and an experienced park guide who is well conversant with different gorilla trekking trails. Trekking of mountain gorillas in Uganda takes about 30 minutes to 7 hours depending on where the mountain gorillas are located because they like to move from one place to another in search of food. During trekking, you will be able to view other primate species, different bird species, trees among others and once the mountain gorillas are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their natural habitat which gives you an opportunity to learn about their behaviors, lifestyle, watch them feed, breastfeed, take photos and record videos to show people back home after the safari.
Chimpanzee trekking
Chimpanzee trekking is the second best safari activity that attracts many travelers after gorilla trekking. Chimpanzee trekking in Uganda is carried out in different destinations namely Kibale forest national park, Kyambura gorge in queen Elizabeth national park, Budongo forest in Murchison falls national park and Kalinzu forest. Chimpanzee trekking in all destinations starts early in the morning with a briefing about the rules and regulations to follow during trekking. After the briefing you will start trekking in the forest in search of the chimpanzees which takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours depending on where they are located. During trekking, you will be able to view other primates like black and white colobus monkeys, red tailed monkeys, grey cheeked mangabey, olive baboons, view variety of bird species, plant and tree species among others. Once the chimpanzees are found, you will be able to spend one hour with them which gives you an opportunity to learn more about their habits, behaviors, watch them carry out their daily activities like feeding, breastfeeding, grooming young ones, take photos and record the breathtaking moments.
Wildlife viewing / game drives
Game drive is an interesting activity in Uganda where visitors will be able to explore the savannah parks in a comfortable pop up safari vehicle with a professional driver guide. Game drives in Uganda are done in different savannah national parks including Murchison falls national park, Queen Elizabeth national park, Kidepo valley national park, Lake Mburo national park, Pian upe wildlife reserve among others. During the game drives which can either be made very early in the morning when animals are most active, in the afternoon or at night, you will be able to view different animals like elephants, buffaloes, rhinos, lions, leopards, Uganda kobs, elands, oribi, topi, impalas, giraffes, Jackson’s hartebeest, cheetahs, zebras, warthogs, waterbucks, bush bucks, giant forest hogs among others.
Golden monkey trekking
Golden monkey trekking is another top safari activity to engage in during your Uganda Safari . Golden monkey trekking is an active activity that is only done in Mgahinga gorilla national park and it involves visiting moving into the tropical rainforest in search of the golden monkeys. During trekking which takes about 30 minutes to 4 hours, you will follow trails of leftover bamboo shoots and leaves and once the golden monkeys are found, you will be allowed to spend one hour with them in their environment where you will be able to watch them play, feed, jump up in tree branches, take photos and record the beautiful moments.
Bird watching
Uganda is one of the top bird watching destinations in the world in that it’s a home of over 1,078 recorded bird species including 25 Albertine endemic species, water birds, forest birds, savannah birds and migratory bird species. Top birding areas in Uganda include Queen Elizabeth national park, Mabamba swamp, Bwindi impenetrable national park, Lutembe bay wetland, Kibale forest national park, Lake Mburo national park, Rwenzori mountain national park, Kidepo valley national park, Murchison falls national park, Mabira forest, Budongo forest, Semuliki national park, Bigodi swamp among others. Bird watching in Uganda can be done early in the morning or in the evening with an experienced park guide who will help you to spot different bird species including Ostrich, Hartlaubs duck, African pygmy-goose, white-faced whistling-duck, common Pochard, red-billed duck, Helmeted Guinea fowl, Nahan’s francolin, great crested grebe, greater and lesser flamingo, Abdims stork, marabou stork, long-tailed cormorant, pink-backed pelican, shoebill stork, goliath heron, little egret among others, Top Uganda safari activities in 2022-2023.
Cultural experience
Cultural experience is an exciting activity in Uganda where you will get a chance to interact with the local people in the community for example the Karamojong people, Batwa people, Ik people among others. During the cultural tour, you will be able to learn about their culture, tradition, lifestyle, way of living, visit their traditional homesteads, taste their local food, visit the museum where they sell handmade souvenirs, listen to their ancient stories, enjoy their traditional performances among others.
Mountain climbing
Uganda is a land of hills, mountains, volcanic mountains, valleys among others which offer adventurous hiking experiences. Mountain climbing in Uganda is done in different areas like Mount Rwenzori, Mount Elgon, Mount Moroto and the Virunga volcanic mountains in Mgahinga gorilla national park which include Mount Gahinga which is 3,474 meters, Mount Sabinyo which is 3,645 meters and Mount Muhavura which is 4,127 meters. During mountain climbing, you will be able to view different plant and tree species, birds, primates, animals among others.
Boat cruise
Boat cruise is another top Uganda safari activity to engage in during your safari as Uganda is blessed with different fresh water bodies. Boat cruise safari in Uganda is carried out on different water bodies including Lake Victoria, Lake Mburo, Kazinga channel in Queen Elizabeth national park, source of the Nile, Albertine Nile in Murchison falls national park, Lake Bunyonyi which is the deepest lake in Uganda among others. During the boat cruise, you will get an opportunity to enjoy stunning views of the landscape, animals like hippos and Nile crocodiles in water, view other animals like buffaloes, elephants, antelopes drinking water along the shores, view aquatic bird species like hornbills, cormorants, kingfishers, fish eagles among others, view fishermen preparing their fishing gears for night fishing among others.
Best time to go for a safari in Uganda
Uganda can be visited all year round though the best period is during the dry season in the months of June, July, August, September, December, January and February. During the dry season, there is less or little rainfall in the national parks therefore access roads and trekking trails will be dry and passable which makes gorilla and chimpanzee trekking easy. During the dry season, vegetation will be short which helps you to view different wildlife species clearly.
For more information about the top Uganda safari activities in 2022-2023, you can contact us at Achieve Global Safaris or visit our website to book an affordable safari package.
