Preparing for a one-month road trip in Uganda

Yiiihiiiiii😎

Hey everyone, and warm greetings to all you Southern African wanderers exploring the eastern lands of this African forum!

Four years later, I can finally create a new thread about my next trip—and not just any trip: Uganda! 🙂 A destination that’s been making me dream more and more over the past few years. Originally planned for 2019 but swapped for Tanzania, Kilimanjaro, and Zanzibar. Then pushed aside for another well-known African destination, Namibia, with 6 friends in 2021 (but ultimately done with just 2 because of Covid). 2022 was supposed to be the year of our Canada trip (initially planned for 2020 and canceled two years in a row for the same health reasons). The 2021 safari with friends finally happened in South Africa in 2023—a classic loop that didn’t require much planning and let me start dreaming about my next African destination while devouring all the Uganda travel journals, frustrated I couldn’t reply or comment. Uganda was then reconsidered for 2024 as a follow-up to a 6-week road trip in Finland and Norway, starting from Paris to save time, money, and the ecological footprint of a transatlantic round trip—but ultimately canceled due to budget constraints, the start of my freelance work (no more paid leave), the high cost of 6 weeks in Scandinavia, and no desire to cheapen our first Uganda trip.

Uganda will be the absolute priority for 2025! 😉 And I plan to use this time to prepare for the trip properly. I also hope to use this period to get back to writing our travel journals. By absolute priority, I mean minimal restrictions and compromises on budget and travel time. 🙂

So, we’re planning to spend a month in Uganda next summer (2025). The exact month will be decided in the coming weeks. Why a month? To explore a good part of the country (really want to go up to Kidepo), enjoy the stops, and avoid putting ourselves at risk on the roads. Also, several rental companies offered me 4x4 quotes with a 10% discount for 30+ days of rental...

Here’s my humble draft itinerary:

Day 1: Late arrival in Entebbe around 11 PM. Day 2: Pick up 4x4 vehicle. Night in Jinja.

Day 3: Drive and night in Sipi Falls. Day 4: Night in Sipi Falls. Day 5: Night in Moroto. Day 6: Night in Moroto. Day 7: Drive to Kidepo NP. Day 8: Safari in Kidepo NP. Day 9: Safari in Kidepo NP. Day 10: Full day drive to Murchison Falls. Day 11: Safari in Murchison Falls. Day 12: Safari in Murchison Falls. Day 13: Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary. Day 14: Lake Albert. Day 15: Full day drive to Kibale Forest. Day 16: Kibale Forest NP. Day 17: Drive to Kilembe (Rwenzori NP). Day 18: Hike in southern Rwenzori region. OR start Weismann’s Peak trek (Day 1). Day 19: Weismann’s Peak trek (Day 2). Day 20: Weismann’s Peak trek (Day 3). Day 21: Weismann’s Peak trek (Day 4). Day 22: Weismann’s Peak trek (Day 5), night in QENP. Day 23: QENP. Day 24: Visit Ishasha and drive to Lake Bunyonyi. Day 25: Drive to Ruhija. Day 26: Ruhija, Bwindi NP, gorilla tracking. Day 27: Mgahinga Gorilla NP... Day 28: Morning trek (gorillas or golden monkeys). Drive and night in Mburo NP.

Day 31: Visit Mburo NP and drive to Entebbe. Mabamba Swamp if we haven’t seen shoebills yet? Return 4x4 (30 days rental). Day 32: Departure from Entebbe (flight at 7:30 PM direct to Johannesburg with Uganda Airlines).

It’s not easy to visualize such a long itinerary. In terms of nights, it would look like this:

● Entebbe (1 night)

● Jinja (1 night)

● Sipi Falls (2 nights) ● Moroto (2 nights) ● Kidepo NP (3 nights) ● Murchison Falls (3 nights)

● Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary (1 night)

● Lake Albert (1 night) ● Kibale Forest (2 nights)

● Rwenzori NP (5 nights) ● QENP (2 nights)

● Lake Bunyonyi (1 night)

● Ruhija (2 nights)

● Mgahinga Gorilla NP (1 night?)

● Mburo NP (2 nights)

● Entebbe (1 night)

Obviously, I already have a lot of questions .

A question I really like: Where would you add extra nights? Keeping the 5 days in Rwenzori, we still have at least 2 nights to add to this itinerary.

Also, I don’t really have a clear idea about the loop’s direction. Instinctively, I thought of doing the gorillas last to end on a high note, but given the state of rental vehicles and traveler feedback, it seems we might not even make it to the end of the trip . Is there a meteorologically better direction? Given we’re likely leaving from early August to early September.

We’ve debated a lot about renting a vehicle with or without a guide, RAV4 or a proper 4x4, rooftop tent or not... In the end, after testing the guided experience in Tanzania and noting the relatively reasonable prices of hard lodgings (compared to Tanzania, Namibia, or Botswana, for example), the high cost of equipped 4x4s, and their unpredictable condition... We’re currently leaning toward a non-equipped 4x4, opting for the newest and most reliable vehicle possible to minimize breakdowns and missed stops. Any agencies/vehicles you’d recommend? Any recent feedback from the past few years?

Where’s the best place to see golden monkeys? I read that the southern part of QENP is no longer accessible. Can’t we go to Ishasha anymore? I’ve seen a lot of disappointed reviews about QENP, but it still seems like a good place to spot leopards and hyenas. If we stick with hard lodgings, which lodge is worth it in QENP, and how many nights should we plan? Are there night drives in Uganda to observe nocturnal wildlife? Initially, I thought of doing two gorilla treks—one in Bwindi (Ruhija) and another in Mgahinga Gorilla NP. But I got excited about Rwenzori (especially with the option to extend the stay a bit) and now I’m considering a trek there instead. However, the trek to Margherita Peak’s summit takes at least 7 days at 1580 $/person (plus extra rental days...), so I’m leaning toward the 5-day Weismann’s Peak trek. Has anyone done the Weissman’s Peak trek? If we skip the gorilla trek, is Mgahinga Gorilla NP still worth visiting?

Thanks in advance for all your comments, answers, feedback, favorite spots, and tips! 🙂

Looking forward to chatting with you all on this forum again! 😉

Pierre & Alison

Hey Pierre,

Great to see you back on the forum and welcome to working life! A couple of quick notes:

For the gorillas, I’d recommend doing your visit in Bwindi instead—it’ll save you an unnecessary detour. There’s nothing to do in Mgahinga besides the gorillas. Plus, Mgahinga only has one gorilla group habituated to humans, while Bwindi has 11, and I find the area much nicer.

You also forgot one must-see animal: the shoebill, which you can spot in the Mabamba Swamp next to Lake Victoria in Entebbe. You’ll find guides who can take you there.

I didn’t like the setup for seeing the chimpanzees—I think the tourist pressure is too high, and it’s poorly organized. As soon as they come down, the guides whistle, and all the tourist groups converge on them.

For everything else, I don’t know enough to help you out.

Happy planning!

Hey hi Régis! 🙂

Really happy to see you all again, and it’s perfect timing with the planning of my 2025 projects.

Glad to see you back on the forum and welcome to professional life.

Thanks, only 42 more years of contributions if my calculations are right!

But I missed an episode!!! You went to Uganda? Awesome, you’ve been talking about it for so long 🙂 Will there be a travel journal?

For the gorillas, I’d recommend doing your trek in Bwindi instead—it’ll save you an unnecessary detour. There’s nothing to do in Mgahinga except see the gorillas. Plus, Mgahinga only has one gorilla group habituated to humans, while Bwindi has 11, and I find the area nicer.

Thanks a lot for the feedback. We’ll probably stick to Bwindi and do the trek from Ruhija, I think. Still need to find a spot to see the golden monkeys. Mgahinga isn’t *that* far out of the way, though...

And you forgot one must-see animal: the shoebill, which you can observe in the Mabamba Swamp next to Lake Victoria in Entebbe. You’ll find guides who can take you there.

Oh no, I didn’t forget! It’s actually the shoebill that brought me back to Uganda. I had noted the gorillas, but it was a bit pricey for us, and I wasn’t super excited by the reviews of the national parks so far (less wildlife than in Southern Africa, roads cutting through the parks, kidnappings, and terrorist attacks...). It was really the birds that put Uganda back at the top of the list. I *really* wanted to see the shoebill ever since the Girardins shared their Zambia trip. I started looking into Zambia last year but wasn’t super impressed—I got the feeling there weren’t many shoebills and they were hard to spot. Then, while researching where to see them, I came across Uganda, where you can also observe tons of bird species we’ve never seen. So shoebills *will* be on the program. From what I’ve gathered, it’ll be Ziwa first, then Mabamba at the end of the trip.

I didn’t like the chimp trekking setup—I found the tourist pressure too high and the organization poor. As soon as the chimps come down, the guides whistle, and all the tourist groups converge on them.

Was that in Kibale? Do you think there’s a way to do it with other organizers? We were thinking of maybe adapting... Probably fewer tourists that way.

I don’t want to discourage you, but 42 is a bit optimistic. Plan for around 50 instead.

For the chimpanzees, Kibale was great. Actually, if you do it before the gorillas, it should be less disruptive. And I’m not sure if there are other places to see them.

Watch out for travel time—what seems like a short distance in kilometers can take much longer on the road.

For Uganda, I did a photo trip with a specialized agency, so I didn’t have to handle much myself. I’m not sure if I’ll write a travel journal about Uganda, but I *do* have one in progress about Ethiopia.

I travel differently now—I go more often with agencies specializing in photography than self-drive trips. But I’ve got a South Africa trip planned for 2026, for my retirement.

Thanks Régis,

I’ve been following your trip to Ethiopia closely—it’s been a while since I’ve been this interested in a destination. Thanks for sharing your experience, and the photos are stunning! It’d be a shame not to have your photo updates from Uganda too! 😉

Good evening! From afar, it really doesn’t seem bad at all (for the parts I know). What a fantastic idea to consider a Rwenzori trek—probably one of the most beautiful high-mountain sites in Africa. There’s very little feedback on this trek, as the mountain is known to be extremely challenging, though I don’t know the specific hike you’re planning. You’ll likely see a super interesting variety of birds.

For overnight stays, it’s not straightforward since it’s a long trip, which will allow for some flexibility and adaptations to any inconveniences. I don’t think there’s a real need to plan too strictly, but the far northeast will be easier in dry conditions than if it rains.

It’s best to leave Kampala as early as possible when heading to Jinja to avoid traffic as much as possible. Then, if you’re not doing anything special in Jinja, personally, I’d push on to Mbale (or even Sipi Falls). Otherwise, add an extra night in Jinja to spend the day there and do things like rafting.

Safe travels and what a great adventure in any case!

Hi Din,

Thanks for your message—I was hoping you’d chime in! 🙂

If we manage to see the golden monkeys, we’ll probably drop Mgahinga, which would leave us with one extra night around Bwindi/Mburo, plus the two remaining nights to add.

In that case, I’ll likely place one in the northeast and the other based on everyone’s feedback—maybe Murchison Falls, Kibale (after a long drive from Lake Albert, or along the shores of Lake Bunyonyi just to relax after the Rwenzori Mountains and before the gorillas...). QENP probably won’t make the cut, though

I’ve read mixed and even contradictory info about seasons and weather, but it seems like August is relatively dry across the country—am I wrong?

I’d noted some nice places near Jinja to break up the drive, which is supposed to be pretty long (I’ve budgeted 5 hours to Jinja). Is Mbale nicer? Any lodging recommendations? Thanks again!

Hello, When you arrive, will you be staying in Entebbe or Kampala? And will you pick up the vehicle the next day? The travel time to Jinja from your hotel will obviously depend on punctuality and the vehicle pickup time. If it's early enough, 5 hours seems like a stretch, but it's not a bad idea to allow a good margin.

For hotels in Mbale, the ones I know aren’t any better than in Jinja—it’s just that personally, I prefer one long leg of the journey over two medium-long ones. So, but that’s just my personal take, either I’d try to organize things to arrive in Mbale or even Sipi by late afternoon on the first day by leaving early. Or I’d add an extra night in Jinja to enjoy the town and the activities around the Nile in general.

Normally, we’ll arrive late, so we’ll spend the night in Entebbe and pick up the 4x4 the next day (another big question mark for the trip regarding the agency and the vehicle).

It’s true that with age and experience, we prefer to spend 2 nights in the same place, but for the first day of driving, a short stop might be better. We’ll decide once we’re in touch with the 4x4 rental agency during the final planning stages.

Are you heading back to Uganda soon?

Good evening! Good choice of rental company—I don’t know any myself. If I were you, on the evening of your arrival, I’d try to push on to Kampala. It’s not far, and at night, the roads are clear. Explorer Hub is a great hotel—well-located and really nice. But anyway, Entebbe is also very nice. I was in Uganda not long ago and might go back in the first half of 2025, maybe around Fort Portal this time.

Hello everyone! What a huge pleasure to reconnect with all the active members of this old forum, which was deserted for known reasons!! Since 2020, I’ve traveled to Botswana (Chobe-Savuti-Moremi-Boteti River-Nxai Pan-Kubu Island) in August 2021 (under COVID restrictions, it was epic for the trip via JNB), then Namibia in August 2022. Anyway, the passion hasn’t faded, and I’ll likely return to Botswana in 2026 to introduce some friends to it! In the meantime, I’ve had my eye on Uganda for a while, especially for the primates. I have a plan in place with a private guide—it almost happened last year, but we were a bit put off by the tragic events near Ishasha in the southern part of QENP in October 2023. Things *seem* to be under control now, and after reading the latest trip reports, I’m diving back into the planning. I’ll be less ambitious than you, Pierre, since I’ll only have a max of 15 days... To be continued—I’ll definitely share updates on this! Happy planning, Pierre, and looking forward to your amazing travel journals!

Hi Pierre,

I better understand your interest in our very recent trip to Uganda, which lasted 3 weeks between late August and mid-September. Your initial itinerary idea matches quite well with what we did, with two exceptions: - We didn’t go to the Rwenzori Mountains, so you’ll have an extra week - The direction of the country visit. Ending with the gorillas might actually be a good idea, especially since for me, the hardest part was traveling from Kidepo to Sipi Falls (and vice versa, of course). I mentioned in our trip report how tough that 17-hour journey was (instead of 8 hours): https://voyageforum.com/forum/retour-notre-circuit-primates-en-ouganda-d10553381/ So starting with the toughest part is probably worth considering.

A few additional comments based on the direction of your "theoretical" itinerary: - Sipi Falls: Two days are needed for hiking because the first day is mostly spent traveling from Jinja to Sipi Falls. One observation: roads in Uganda are very congested. Don’t forget there are 40 million Ugandans in a country twice as small as France, so travel times are significant. - Moroto: "Damn" it’s beautiful could sum up the Karamoja region in northeastern Uganda, which is still one of the poorest regions on the African continent. A striking contrast. - Kidepo is majestic. Check out a recent article by Africa Geographic on the subject: https://africageographic.com/stories/kidepo-valley-national-park-a-valley-of-wonders/?mc_cid=2f8bbee010&mc_eid=1ce27efaef But we were disappointed with the wildlife. Oh well, that’s the "game"—after all the safaris we’ve done, we know you never know what you’ll see in advance! But given how much we "suffered" to get there, the reward wasn’t quite what we’d hoped. - Murchison Falls National Park: Really nice and varied since you can do a car safari, boat ride, and walking safari. Just watch out for the distances and travel times between the east and west sides of the park near the falls. - Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary: We loved walking just a few meters away from 4-5 very calm rhinos. - Kibale Forest and the chimpanzee trek: Don’t hesitate to do it. But if you visit Bigodi Swamp, make sure to ask *before* paying whether you’ll actually cross the swamp—after paying and walking a bit, our guide told us we wouldn’t cross it because it was completely flooded, and we’d just go around the outside instead!!!!! We didn’t see much. - QENP: Surprisingly, we were lucky to see animals (lions, leopards, hyenas, and lots of herbivores). We had some great wildlife encounters on the Kazinga Channel during a boat tour (highly recommended). The Ishasha area is temporarily off-limits following the murders of two British tourists in 2023 and their guide by guerrillas. Maybe not worth going there??? - Lake Bunyoni: Nice, and the boat-hike combo is a good idea. - Bwindi Impenetrable National Park for gorilla trekking is highly recommended. First, because you’re guaranteed to see these majestic gorillas. Pro tip from an old-timer: When groups are being assigned, if you’re not feeling up to it, don’t hesitate to say so (which was especially true in my case). You might get assigned a closer gorilla family. That’s what happened to me—I got feedback from people who hiked for hours, while my "lazy" group only walked 20 minutes. Though some people *like* suffering!!!! - Mgahinga National Park: Rather disappointing because our visit conditions for seeing the golden monkeys weren’t ideal. The hike was too fast for my wife, who had a vagal episode (hard to walk fast with post-COVID symptoms). The monkeys were only in the trees and moving around, so they weren’t easy to photograph. - Lake Mburo: This park has an amazing history—it almost disappeared. https://africageographic.com/stories/lake-mburo-national-park/ Anyway, this small park is pretty nice. Try a walking safari with park rangers among giraffes and zebras. - Kampala: We only spent one night there, so I don’t have much of an opinion—it didn’t seem very interesting. - Entebbe: Much prettier, with lots of green spaces. - Shoebills: I’d dreamed of seeing them (my wife, not so much), but I did! We got within a few meters of a shoebill couple in Mabamba Swamp.

In summary: Uganda is very exotic with its equatorial climate—it’s super green (the opposite of Namibia). The population is huge (watch out for all the kids along the roads), and people are ready to help if you’re in trouble. That was our case when the car’s radiator sprang a leak, stranding us three times along the road. Warning: The vehicles are very old and far below the quality standards you’d find in South Africa or Namibia. The roads can also be really rough—though we were lucky not to get any rain. Weather: Good weather between August 24 and September 13, 2024. Just one storm in Murchison.

Feel free to reach out if you need anything else. Happy trip planning! Loïc

Hi Pierre

So glad to see you back on this forum... even if I won’t be adding much to the previous comments 😎 (my trip was back in 2018). All I can say is that Uganda holds a special place in my heart among my African travels (though I couldn’t tell you why). I loved everything about the trip (a bit more mixed feelings about QENP, but it depends on the experience)... so I’ll go check out Simon’s travel journal 😉 Happy planning

Thanks Muriel! 🙂

It’s really happening for us—we leave on July 31st and arrive in Entebbe on August 1st on a Rwandair flight. For the return, we’ll see, but for now we’ve given ourselves plenty of time (October 1st) since we’re not yet sure what we’ll do in September, but we’ll definitely still be in Africa.

Next step: renting the 4x4. I’ve set my sights on an authentic Landcruiser Troopy—something different from the Hilux.

Hopefully, I’ll have some time soon to get back to my travel journals. Next on the list is the Tanzania 2019 one. 😉

Hi there. First of all, thank you and well done on your trip report—it’s really helpful! We’re planning a trip to Uganda next January and I’m starting to gather good info.

Could you tell me which rental company you used?

I’ve also read that there are practically no road signs and that Google Maps isn’t reliable. How was your experience with that?

Thanks in advance! Serge

Hello,

I’m taking advantage of your post to gather some ideas/tips for planning my trip at the end of the year (3 weeks in December/January) 😉

Which rental company did you use for the 4x4? We’re planning to do a self-drive trip and stay in lodges (no camping). How did you organize the gorilla permits and other activities?

Thanks, and have a great weekend, Pascale

Hi Régis, I’d like to know if the trek through the gorges to see the chimpanzees in Queen Elizabeth National Park is any good, since it’s a lot cheaper 🙈 Thanks in advance! Serge