Best Places to Visit for Wildlife Safaris in Uganda (2026-2027)

Wondering where you can go for wildlife safaris in Uganda? Discover the best places to visit for wildlife safaris in Uganda. This ultimate guide covers top destinations that offer the best Uganda wildlife tours or African safaris, from savanna to gorilla safari experiences.

Different wildlife safaris in Uganda are enjoyable across the country’s top national parks and reserves. Each session is expected to reward nature enthusiasts with amazing sightings from the Big 5 to primates.

Wildlife safaris in Uganda can be tailored to let you explore savanna species such as rhinos, leopards, lions, elephants, and buffaloes.

If your target is to see primates, then expect to explore chimpanzees, mountain gorillas, and golden monkeys.

Where to go for Uganda Wildlife Safaris and Tours

Best Savanna Parks in Uganda for Wildlife Safaris

1. Queen Elizabeth National Park
2. Lake Mburo National Park
3. Murchison Falls National Park
4. Kidepo Valley National Park

Best Forest-dominated Parks for Uganda Wildlife Safaris

1. Kibale National Park
2. Kyambura Gorge
3. Budongo Forest Reserve
4. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
5. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Visit Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of the best places to enjoy wildlife safaris in Uganda. Located in Rubirizi, Queen Elizabeth National Park is amazingly an enriching destination when it comes to wildlife safaris in Uganda.

The park spans over 1978 sq. km and has enriching game viewing tracks or sectors such as the Ishasha (popular for tree-climbing lion watching), Mweya Peninsula, Kazinga, Kasenyi, and Kyambura Gorge.

Best sectors for game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park include Ishasha and Kasenyi tracks.

Wildlife safaris in Queen Elizabeth Park come with astonishing sightings of savannah species such as lions, buffaloes, Uganda Kobs, topis, bush bucks, and warthogs.

Wildlife safaris in Queen Elizabeth National Park offer more than game sightings. Visitors also have a chance to explore some of the interesting birds. Up to 620 bird species exist in the scenic Queen Elizabeth National Park alone.

Keen birders can have sightings of birds along with wildlife in areas such as Kasenyi plains/sector. Kazinga Channel, Kyambura Gorge, Lake George, Maramagambo Forest, Katwe, Ishasha, and Bunyampaka Crater Lakes.

The amazing bird species to explore on a safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park include;

Martial eagles, lesser flamingos, African skimmers, African fish eagles, Great white pelicans, pied kingfishers, African fin foot, white-tailed larks, blue-headed bee-eaters, and common grey crowned cranes.

Western black-headed oriole, black bishop, dark-capped warblers, brown-eared woodpecker, little grebe, red-throated wryneck, croaking cisticola, green crombec, chestnut wattle-eye, African paradise flycatcher, and honey guide greenbul, and Sulphur-breasted bush shrike, and little grebe.

The common birds to identify in the Katwe circuit include pallid harrier, African moustached warblers, Eurasian marsh harrier, little stint, southern red bishops, croaking cisticola, curlew sandpiper, and many others.

Lake Mburo National Park

Visit Lake Mburo National Park to experience the best of Uganda wildlife safaris. Located in Kiruhura District, western Uganda, Lake Mburo Game Park is where you can explore the diversity of savannah species.

Lake Mburo National Park is popular for its unique animals, including the majestic elands, impalas, zebras, Rothschild giraffes, Defassa waterbucks, bushbucks, Bohor reedbucks, topi, duikers, and buffaloes.

Aquatic animals to interact with here include crocodiles, hippos, and sitatunga antelopes along the park’s papyrus fringes. The common predators in Lake Mburo include spotted hyenas and leopards.

The exceptional highlights that await you on wildlife safaris in Lake Mburo National Park include cycling, bird watching, boat cruise, game drives, & horseback riding.

Best Wildlife Safaris in Murchison Falls

Murchison Falls National Park is among the best places to visit for wildlife safaris in Uganda. Murchison isn’t just the biggest park but an iconic destination to explore a huge profusion of wildlife in the wild.

The 3840 sq. km protected area rewards wildlife enthusiasts with astonishing sightings such as the Rothschild giraffes, cape buffaloes, elephants, Uganda Kobs, Jackson’s hartebeests, leopards, waterbucks, and oribis.

The Nile Riverbanks reward with sights of diverse aquatic life often spotted on boat cruises. They include birds, hippos, and crocodiles.
Birds to find. Game viewing tours in Murchison also come with bird sightings.

A total of 450 species of birds exist in this park and include resident savanna species, migratory, and forest species.

Top Birding Sites in Murchison Falls

The ideal places to explore the majority of birds in Murchison Falls National Park include Paraa circuits, Nile Delta, Victoria Nile, Budongo Forest/Kaniyo Pabidi, and Savanna circuit.

Expected bird sightings

Wildlife safaris in Murchison allow you to come across birds such as the grey-crowned crane, shoebill storks, secretary birds, red-throated bee-eaters, African fish eagles, goliath heron, Abyssinian ground hornbill, and giant kingfishers.

Kidepo –best for Uganda wildlife safaris

Explore Kidepo Valley National Park in the Northeastern circuit of Uganda, a scenic protected area that expands over 1442 sq. km. Kidepo was established in 1962, and today it ranks among the top wildlife safari destinations.

What to see on wildlife safaris in Kidepo

Expect to find abundant wildlife in Kidepo, which is currently home to all the African Big 5 and diverse predators. The different wildlife present in Kidepo National Park include lions, rhinos, elephants, leopards, and buffaloes. The amazing predators to explore on a Kidepo

wildlife safari include bat-eared foxes, aardwolves, spotted hyenas, black-backed jackals, and cheetahs.

Additional wildlife include grazers and antelope families. They include the Rothschild giraffes and antelopes such as the oribis, Jackson’s hartebeests, elands, reedbucks, and Kudus.

What to expect on a wildlife safari in forest-dominated parks in Uganda

Kibale National Park

Explore the diversity of primates on a tour in Kibale Forest National Park.

The possible sightings in Kibale include wild chimpanzees (over 1500 of them are confined here), red-tailed monkeys, red colobus, grey-cheeked mangabeys, l’hoest monkeys, bush babies, Uganda mangabeys, blue monkeys, and olive baboons.

The unforgettable experiences to enjoy on a Kibale safari include chimpanzee tracking and a chimpanzee habituation experience.

Bwindi Impenetrable National Park

At Bwindi, expect to explore the world’s unique primates –mountain gorilla on a guided trek. The ideal spots to consider on a safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park include Rushaga, Buhoma, Nkuringo, and Ruhija.

Kyambura Gorge

A visit to Kyambura Gorge allows you to explore its unique chimpanzees. This is done in the eastern part of Queen Elizabeth National Park, where a section of chimpanzee communities resides.

Chimpanzee trekking safaris can be combined with normal savannah game drives along the Kasenyi or boat tours along the Kazinga Channel.

Top Uganda Wildlife Safari Activities

• Gorilla Trekking – Mgahinga/Bwindi
• Chimpanzee trekking –Kibale, Budongo Forest, Kalinzu, and Kyambura Gorge
• Golden monkey tracking –(Mgahinga)
• Game drives/wildlife viewing –all savanna parks
• Boat cruise –Kazinga Channel, Lake Mburo, Murchison Falls, and others.
• Uganda Bird watching/birding safaris.

Where to stay on wildlife safaris in Uganda

Lake Mburo National Park Accommodation (Lodges and Camps)

Budget accommodation: Hyena Hill Lodge, Mburo Eagle’s Nest, Leopard Rest Camp, Rwonyo Rest Camp, and Mbogo Safari Lodge.

Midrange lodges: Rwakobo Rock Lodge and Arcadia Cottages Lake Mburo. Luxury lodges include Kigambira Safari Lodge and Mihingo Lodge.

Accommodation in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Engiri Game Lodge, Queen Elizabeth Bush Lodge, Irungu Forest Lodge, Elephant Palins Lodge, Topi Lodge, Buffalo Safari Lodge, Mweya, Kalinzu Eco Lodge, Ishasha Wilderness Camp, and Bulbul Lodge.

Accommodation in Murchison Falls

Entikko Safari Lodge, Murchison River Camp, Sambiya River Lodge, Chobe Safari Lodge, Bwana Tembo Safari Camp, Paraa Safari Lodge, Fort Murchison Lodge, and Parkside Safari Lodge.

Places to stay in Kidepo

Katurum Lodge, Kidepo Savannah Lodge, Mara Safari Lodge, Adere Safari Lodge, and Apoka Safari Lodge.

Conclusion

Wildlife safaris in Uganda offer a rare opportunity for you to explore the country’s diverse wildlife in their habitat. Travellers have multiple wildlife safari destinations to begin their holiday in Uganda.

The journey to experience the best of Uganda wildlife safaris begins with you booking a tour with us. Contact us to secure a wildlife slot to your dream destination.