Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Ancient rainforest in the south-west and Uganda's main gorilla-trekking park. See our Bwindi guide and the park page.
Kibale National Park
Rainforest near Fort Portal with the best chimpanzee tracking in Uganda and many other primates. See chimpanzee trekking and the park page.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth spreads between Lakes Edward and George below the Rwenzori Mountains. A boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel brings you close to hippos, buffalo, elephants and countless birds, and in the southern Ishasha sector, lions are famous for resting in fig trees. Kyambura Gorge has chimpanzees.
Murchison Falls National Park
Uganda's largest national park, in the north-west. Here the Nile forces its way through a narrow gorge in a thundering waterfall. Boat trips up the river to the base of the falls pass hippos, crocodiles and elephants, and game drives north of the river find giraffes, lions and buffalo. See the park page.
Lake Mburo National Park
A small, easy-to-reach park between Kampala and the south-west, with lakes, zebras, impala and eland — and walking and boat safaris. A good stop on the way to or from Bwindi. See the park page.
Kidepo Valley National Park
Remote and spectacular, in the far north-east near the borders with South Sudan and Kenya. Wide valleys ringed by mountains, with lions, cheetahs, buffalo and few visitors. Usually reached by air. See the park page.
Beyond the national parks
- Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary — track rhinos on foot, on the way to Murchison Falls.
- Jinja — the source of the Nile, for rafting, kayaking and boat trips.
- Lake Bunyonyi — a peaceful lake of islands near Bwindi.
How to combine them
- 4 days: Bwindi for gorillas from Entebbe.
- 7 days: Kibale and Bwindi — chimps and gorillas.
- 10 days: Murchison Falls, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth and Bwindi.
- 14 days: the full circuit, adding rhinos, Lake Bunyonyi, Lake Mburo and Jinja.
See our Uganda safaris and Uganda destinations.
