East Africa is home to Uganda. It is bordered by Sudan, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo and covers 93,065 square miles/ 241,038 square kilometers. It is somewhat smaller than Oregon in the United States and equivalent in size to the United Kingdom. Although English and Swahili are official, many other languages are spoken, particularly in rural regions. Luganda is the most frequently said of these indigenous languages.

Kampala, Uganda’s capital, is located near Africa’s largest lake (Lake Victoria). It is a lovely spot to base your stay, built on many hills, and before the arrival of British colonialists in the 19th century, it served as the capital of the Buganda Kingdom. It now boasts a rich past and a flourishing modern culture built on a foundation of bustling taverns, restaurants, and nightclubs.

In Uganda, nature — varied and beautiful – looms large. And Ugandans have worked tirelessly to establish and manage national parks and conservation zones to protect the country’s fantastic biodiversity.

Rafting the mighty Victoria Nile River is a world-class adrenaline rush; the Nile River begins in the Rwenzoris, Africa’s highest mountain range, stretching through western Uganda, covered in mist and abounding with glaciers, waterfalls, and alpine lakes. At the same time, a safari will certainly show Africa’s Big Five. These ‘moon mountains’ are home to Uganda’s mountain gorillas, and tracking them through this magnificent habitat is one of the country’s most famous experiences. Because there are fewer visitors here than in other regions of East Africa, the main competitor for space will be the occasional hippo that wanders into your campground.

While gorilla tracking is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for wildlife enthusiasts and our principal emphasis, Uganda offers much more. And our complete safari showcases a range of wildlife encounters, including chimps in Kibale Forest, home to 13 primate species and colobus monkeys, as well as traditional big game and some of Africa’s most fabulous birding in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda’s most fantastic savannah reserve, including a total of 95 recorded mammal species and more than 610 species of birds.

Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister at the time, referred to Uganda as the “Pearl of Africa” because of its “magnificence, for its variety of shape and color, for its profusion of vivid life.” This landlocked East African country is a paradise of intriguing scenery and unique fauna, and Churchill was not exaggerating. It boasts a well-developed tourism infrastructure and high-grade national parks where tourists may get up and personal with endangered mountain gorillas, chimps, and many bird species.

The Bwindi Impenetrable forest is the land of tree climbing lions and the best location to track Mountain Gorillas, another magnificent luxuriant swathe across the steep ridges of the Albertine Rift Valley, ancient rainforest – one of the few in Africa to have flourished throughout the last Ice Age – is regarded to be one of the most biologically diverse forests in Africa with at least 90 mammal species, including 11 primates, and is ranked as one of the best in Uganda for forest birding, with 23 highly localized Albertine Rift endemics. Bwindi is also renowned for its Mountain Gorillas population; slightly more than half the world’s mountain gorilla population is resident there: about 280 – 320 individuals living in 15 groups. Looking at the expressive brown eyes of these gentle giants is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and an interaction completely unique in Africa.

While some travel operators will have you around the country on terrible roads and in substandard vehicles, we guarantee window seats to all participants and the best vehicles available in the country, avoiding the complex and lengthy roads by small planes or helicopters. These flights are the most exciting drives and a real highlight of the expedition. The views will remain in your memories forever.

We have secured spaces at the very best small lodges for lodging, and our guides are the best in the country without a doubt. They will work together with an NPE Senior Leader to guarantee that the operation is ideal and that every small group member –limited to 12 participants- achieves their primary objectives.

Start planning your next incredible safari now; contact our expedition specialist expeditionadvisor@npexpeditions.com and start realizing this wonderful dream!

UGANDA HIGHLIGHTS

• Chimpanzee trekking
• Gorilla trekking
• Kibale Forest
• Lake Bunyonyi
• Lake Mburo
• Lake Victoria
• Murchison Falls National Park
• Queen Elizabeth National Park

• Rwenzori Mountains
• Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
• Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
• Ishasha
• Jinja
• Victoria Nile River
• Volcanoes National Park

Time and Weather

Uganda has a warm temperature virtually all year due to its proximity to the equator, which is mitigated by the country’s height. The nation is sunny most of the year, with temperatures rarely exceeding 29 °C / 84.2 °F.

The rainy season lasts from April to May and then again from September to November. The dry season lasts from December to February, then from June to August.

The wettest month is often April, with the warmest months being December through February. Because of Uganda’s height, humidity is lower than predicted and is generally soft outside of the rainy season.

The higher areas are colder, and Mount Elgon, Uganda’s highest peak, is often covered with snow.

The best time to visit

Between December and February, and June and August, when the weather is ideal for hiking to view mountain gorillas and chimps, is The best time to visit Uganda.

Game viewing in national parks is also fantastic at this time of year and between February and March. From September through early October, large quantities of animals may be spotted in waterholes.

Temperatures in Uganda are very constant throughout the year, ranging from 24°C to 30°C so that you may come all year. At any time of year, the land is also excellent for bird watching.

Wildlife

Spending that precious time with the endangered mountain gorillas is the highlight of every excursion to Uganda; however, you may also spend equally gratifying time with chimps. A safari in Uganda’s national parks will allow you to see four of the Big 5 (rhinos are only located in a private sanctuary and have not yet been released into national parks). And also a plethora of plains game (zebra, giraffe, different antelope, and an overabundance of birdlife). 

The elusive forest elephant, gigantic forest hog, and shoebill are other uncommon animals you may meet. You may observe the rare Nubian giraffe and learn more about the significant conservation efforts to conserve this endangered species in Murchison Falls National Park, the largest in Uganda with 3,840 km², mainly lush grasslands. 

The highest diversity of wildlife is found on the open plains north of the Nile, where elephants, buffalos, giraffes, and a wide variety of antelope are regularly encountered. The Nile itself boasts one of Africa’s densest hippo and crocodile populations and a dazzling variety of water birds, including the world’s most accessible wild population of the rare shoebill. We will enjoy game drives in this fascinating park, which often includes oribi, waterbuck, hartebeest, topi, buffalo, bushbuck, warthog, bush pig, lion, leopard, mongoose, hyena, jackal, and bat-eared fox.