A country · 84 places · 4 regions

Uganda, all of it.

84 curated places across 4 regions — photographed, mapped, and noted with the season each is best in.

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest · via Wikimedia Commons

Uganda reads below in 4 chapters — Central Region, Western Region, Eastern Region and Northern Region — in any order you like.

Chapter I · Central Region · 26 places

Central Region

A relaxed peninsula town on Lake Victoria that hosts Uganda's international airport and the country's oldest botanical gardens. Most itineraries start or end here, with lakeside beaches, the wildlife education centre, and boat departures for Ngamba Island. Its slower pace makes it a gentler arrival point than Kampala.

Entebbe

Central Region, Uganda

✦ Year-round; drier December to February · $$

Uganda Museum

Central Region, Uganda

✦ Year-round · $

Kasubi Tombs

Central Region, Uganda

✦ Year-round · $

All 26 places in Central Region →

via Wikimedia Commons

Chapter II · Western Region · 26 places

Western Region

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Uganda's Albertine Rift that protects approximately half the world's remaining mountain gorilla population across four habituated gorilla groups accessible for daily one-hour trekking permits. The forest's name reflects the density of its undergrowth, which includes 200 tree species and 350 bird species in one of Africa's most biodiverse mountain forests. Treks typically last between two and eight hours depending on gorilla group location and ranger guidance.

✦ December to February, June to September · $$$

Meet Bwindi Impenetrable Forest All 26 places in Western Region →

Chapter III · Eastern Region · 9 places

Eastern Region

A series of three waterfalls tumbling off the foothills of Mount Elgon, the tallest dropping around 100 meters past cliffs and coffee gardens. Guided walks link the tiers through farmland, and abseiling next to the main drop is a popular add-on. The village setting keeps costs low for backpackers heading east.

Sipi Falls

Eastern Region, Uganda

✦ June to August and December to February · $

Itanda Falls

Eastern Region, Uganda

✦ Year-round; strongest flow March to May · $

Nyero rock paintings

Eastern Region, Uganda

✦ December to February · $

All 9 places in Eastern Region →

via Wikimedia Commons

Chapter IV · Northern Region · 5 places

Northern Region

Murchison Falls is Uganda's largest national park, bisected by the Nile as it squeezes through a 7-metre rock cleft and drops 43 metres in the most powerful waterfall on the river's entire course. Boat safaris from Paraa up the Victoria Nile to the base of the falls pass dense concentrations of hippopotami, Nile crocodiles, and shoebill storks in the papyrus swamps. The surrounding savanna supports lions, elephants, buffaloes, and large giraffe herds — Uganda's subspecies being the Rothschild's or Nubian giraffe.

✦ December to February, June to September · $$

Meet Murchison Falls National Park All 5 places in Northern Region →