Uganda is gifted by nature, and amazingly, it is referred to as the Pearl of Africa for many reasons. Ugandan National Parks contain a diversity of wildlife and other attractions of nature lovers’ interest in an African safari. The top attractions to explore on a visit to National Parks in Uganda include primates, big game, other mammals, reptiles, and more.
The experience in each of the parks in Uganda is completely different. Of the 10 National Parks, here are the best 5 that you should consider visiting in 2026.
Murchison Falls National Park
Lying at the edge of the Albertine rift, Northwestern Uganda is a magnificent Murchison Falls National Park, the home to 4 of the big five game and Murchison Falls –one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world. This is Uganda’s largest National Park and it was created in 1952 making it one of the oldest parks in the country. It takes its name from the powerful Murchison Falls and covers a land area of 3840sq.km.
Murchison Falls National Park isn’t only spectacular but also shelters diversity of wildlife making it a favorite wildlife tour destination. This Park is a host to over 76 species of mammals and includes waterbucks, African bush elephants, Nile crocodiles, spotted hyenas, cape buffaloes, lions, Rothschild giraffes, jackals, hippos, Jackson’s hartebeests, warthogs, bushbucks, oribis, and over 451 species of birds.
Birds to see on a tour in Murchison Falls National Park include rock pratincole, Denham’s bustard, yellow-fronted tinker bird, giant kingfishers, Abyssinian ground hornbill, shoebill stork, Senegal thick-knee, grey crowned crane, silver birds, blue-napped mouse bird, chestnut crowned sparrow weavers, white-bellied night heron, pel’s fishing owl, long-tailed and pennant winged, yellow-throated leaf love, grey-cheeked crane, goliath heron, red-winged grey warblers, squacco herons, speckle-fronted weavers, swamp flycatchers, sandpipers, and more.
The amazing safari activities to do in Murchison Falls National Park include guided game drives, a launch cruise, hiking to the top of the falls, birding, chimpanzee trekking, chimpanzee habituation experience in Budongo Forest, nature walks, visit the top of the falls, hot air balloon, and others.
Access to Murchison Falls National Park for a tour is easier by road or air. From Kampala, it takes visitors between 5 and 6 hours to drive via the Luweero-Gulu highway. Before reaching to this park, a stopover can be made at the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary for rhino tracking. By air, take a flight to available airstrips at Murchison Falls NP including Chobe and Bugungu airstrips.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
The popular Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is one of the must-visit Uganda National Park come 2023. This is a mountain gorilla haven with at least 459 of the world’s 1063 individuals residing within its lush tropical rainforest. Established in 1991, Bwindi occupies a compact area measuring 331sq.km and this features a lush impenetrable forest.
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Park is a recognized UNESCO Site –the status it attained in 1994. It holds a diversity of faunal and floral species which include 400 plant species, 360 bird species, and 120 mammal species. Mountain gorillas are the main attractions to see on a safari in Bwindi but there are other animal species including clawless otters, golden cats, side-stripe jackals, bats, black and yellow duikers, elephants, civets, buffaloes, bush pigs, giant forest hogs, chimpanzees, colobus monkeys, baboons and more.
Birds to identify on a tour in Bwindi Forest include black-billed turacos, blue flycatchers, African emerald cuckoos, Handsome francolins, Grauer’s warblers, Dwarf honey guide, black bee-eaters, Shelley’s greenbul, African green broadbill, Mountain yellow warblers, short-tailed warblers, red-throated alethe, Western green tinker bird, Rwenzori nightjar, bar-tailed trogon, black-faced rufous warblers, mountain masked apalis, Chapin’s flycatcher, Archer’s robin chat, Kivu ground thrush, fine-banded woodpecker, and more.
Available tourism activities to engage in Bwindi are many and include mountain gorilla trekking, birding, Batwa cultural experience, forest/nature walks, cycling/biking, and gorilla habituation experience
Access to Bwindi –by road, leave Kampala via the Masaka-Mbarara-Kabale route and spend about 8-9 hours driving. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park lies in Southwestern Uganda and it is possible to get there by air –fly-in tour starts from Entebbe airport or Kajjansi airfield to Kisoro or Kihihi airstrip.
Kibale National Park
Lying in Kabarole District, Western Uganda, Kibale National Park is most referred to as the primate capital of the world. This is a 795sq.km natural tropical forest park, and home to 13 species of primates. The Park’s primates include the grey-cheeked mangabeys, olive baboons, 1500 chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, black and white colobus monkeys, l’hoest monkeys, red colobus monkeys, pottos, and bush babies.
Kibale also supports a variety of amphibians, butterflies, forest elephants, reptiles, forest hogs, floral species, and 375 species of birds. The main activities to do include chimpanzee tracking, forest/nature walks, chimpanzee habituation experience, bird watching, bush walks, and guided nature walks in Bigodi Wetland.
Kidepo Valley National Park
Kidepo National Park is lying in far North-eastern Uganda within a semi-arid area and access to the park requires about 9-10 hours’ drive from Kampala city.
Kidepo was created in 1962 and has a land area measuring 1442sq.km, inhabiting important wildlife such as cheetahs, lions, leopards, giraffes, elephants, cape buffaloes, and more. Game drive, community visits, and hiking are among the interesting activities that Kidepo Valley National Park has to offer.
This Park sits in the sweeping plains of the Karamoja region and it is one of the least visited Uganda National Parks.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park is another premier savanna wildlife destination, home to the unique tree-climbing lions and other big game. Located in Western Uganda, this park was created in 1952 and renamed after the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1954. It is Uganda’s 2nd largest park with a land area measuring 1978sq.km and supports over 95 mammal species.
At Queen Elizabeth National Park, the notable wildlife to see includes leopards, lions, Nile crocodiles, hippos, cape buffaloes, antelope families, and many more. Primates to see especially in Maramagambo Forest and Kyambura Gorge include chimpanzees, black and white colobus monkeys, baboons, etc.
