Uganda

When to Visit Uganda?

The best time to visit Uganda is during its 2 annual dry seasons from June to August and December to February. Heavy rainfalls are rare during these periods, which in turn provide you with the best conditions for gorilla trekking and other outdoor activities.

Gorilla trekking requires you to bushwhack your way through a thick forest to find the gorillas in their habitat. The time it takes to find one can range from 2-7 hours, depending on how deep they are in the forest, and the last thing you want is for it to rain on you.

Safaris and national parks are also teeming with life during these periods, so if you want to make your trip as enjoyable as possible, I highly recommend sticking with the suggested period.

How to Get To Uganda?

To get to Uganda, you are going to have to find a flight to Entebbe International Airport, which is the country's main travel hub.

From the US, there is no direct flight from the US to Entebbe, but there are airlines like Emirates, KLM, and Qatar that will fly from most major US cities to Entebbe with one transit at their headquarters. The journey will take a minimum of 20 hours, including transit time.

From Europe, you can also fly from places like London, Amsterdam, and Paris on Emirates or Qatar Airlines to Entebbe with transits in Dubai and Qatar, respectively.

From Asia, Qatar and Emirates Airlines remain the best options out there with flights connecting major cities in Asia such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, and Bangkok to Entebbe via Doha or Dubai respectively.

To find a cheap flight to Uganda, I would recommend you use Skyscanner or Expedia to look for the cheapest route and schedule so you can compare and choose the best one.

How to Get Around Uganda?

By Organized Tours: The easiest and most convenient way to travel around Uganda is to go on an organized tour that will handle all the logistics for you, without you having to worry about it, especially when it comes to more remote places where buses do not go.

Unfortunately, this is also the most expensive option as organized tours in Uganda are extremely expensive compared to places like Kenya and Tanzania due to lower demand.

That said, despite paying more here, you are definitely getting your money's worth with these tours as they will often go out of their way to make your trip as convenient as possible with smooth transfers, great accommodation, and more.

If you are looking for the most convenient way to explore Uganda and you don't mind paying a little more, I highly recommend that you browse through some of the tours here and pick the ones that will help you get to far-flung places like Murchison Falls and Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

By Boda Boda: For short distances, a boda boda (motor taxi) is a fast and affordable way to get around town or to navigate through busy streets. You will often find them in large cities like Entebbe and Kampala, congregating in front of streets, or you can flag them down from the road.

It is a fun and easy way to get around, but be sure to tell them to drive slowly if they are going too fast for your comfort. Also, the golden rule of using non-metered taxis still applies here. Make sure you agree upon the price before you get on.

By Buses/Matatus: For traveling between cities, you can rely (I say this very loosely here) on buses and matatus (taxis/vans) that often connect Kampala to other cities in the country like Mbale, Jinja, Kabale.

The problem with traveling independently in Uganda is dealing with the unreliability of its transportation infrastructure. The big buses run on schedule, but they are often unreliable and run late. The matatus only leave when they are full, and oftentimes, the conductors may try to jack up the price when they see new faces in town, and there is no way to know if you are paying the right price or not.

For those of you who are looking to save every bit of money while traveling in Uganda and do have the flexibility of time, traveling by buses and matatus may be a great option, although a bit adventurous, for you.

But for those with a fixed timeframe, I would recommend that you go with organized tours instead. You can find organized tours in Uganda here.

How Much Money Do I Need For 7 - 10 Days In Uganda?

Uganda is not a cheap destination to travel, especially if you want to go gorilla trekking, which is the most expensive activity of all. The permit alone costs 700 USD per person.

With that in mind, here is approximately how much money you will be spending in Uganda.

Accommodation: You will be spending around 5 nights independently with the itinerary, so you can expect to pay a minimum of around 170 USD (603,713 UGX) for accommodation.

Food: Food costs about 10,000 UGX per meal in Uganda on average, so you can expect to pay around 150,000 UGX for 5 days of traveling independently, while the rest will be included in the tour prices.

Transportation: A transfer from and to the airport in Entebbe should cost around 40 USD or 142,050 UGX, and that is it for transportation.

Activities: For a gorilla trekking tour to Bwindi ($1,850), Murchison Falls ($700), and Jinja & Sipi Falls ($490), you can expect to pay around $3,040 (10,795,809 UGX) for activities.

Total budget for 10 days in Uganda: 11,691,572 THB (3,292.24 USD)

I told you it isn't cheap here, but you can trim down the itinerary to make it cheaper. You can remove either the Murchison Falls or Jinja & Sipi Falls tours and make this a 7-day itinerary instead of a 10-day itinerary.

I wouldn't recommend removing Gorilla Trekking. It is a once-in-a-lifetime activity and one of the main reasons why you are probably visiting Uganda. It would be a shame if you missed out on it.

Is it Safe in Uganda?

All things considered, Uganda is relatively safer than Kenya or Tanzania, with friendlier people. The people here have a more relaxed and open vibe than anywhere else I've been to in East Africa.

That said, petty thefts may still occur if you are not careful, so make sure you take all the precautions while you are traveling in Uganda. Do not hold your phone near an open window, always agree upon prices before getting on taxis, and do your research well.

Stay away from crowded areas like Kampala; it can also help since the country shares the border with Congo, and there may be times when terrorist attacks spill over the borders into Uganda.

Believe it or not, the very day I arrived, there were two suicide bombs that went off near government buildings in Kampala, killing many people.

The locals were definitely on edge, but life went on as normal, especially outside of Kampala, where we will be spending the most time. Before traveling to Uganda, check the news and ensure that you are aware of the current situation on the ground.

Which tourist SIM card is best for Uganda?

There are many carriers in Uganda - MTN, Airtel, and many more. However, MTN and Airtel have the best coverage in the country. If you are traveling around Uganda, I highly recommend either one.

Personally, I used MTN during my 2-week trip in Uganda, and I got an LTE signal at almost every place I visited, except for one place. When I was in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, I tried to see if I had any access to data, but I only got a 2G signal, which is understandable as I was deep in the forest.

The SIM card from MTN will cost around 2,000 UGX, plus 500 UGX preloaded. With the SIM card, you can subscribe to several data bundles available, starting from 20,000 UGX for 3 GB of data up to over 550,000 UGX for 170 GB of data, both valid for 30 days.

I got the 30 GB one, which cost me about 100,000 UGX (30 USD), and it works great for 2 weeks with plenty of data left at the end. You can get the SIM card right at the terminal's exit and waiting area, where you will find 2 yellow and red kiosks for MTN and Airtel, respectively.

The process of activating your SIM card might take around 20 minutes, so please keep that in mind. The clerk at the kiosk will help you out with it, so do not worry. Once you get the SIM card activated by the clerk, you should have access to the Internet all over Uganda.

For more information about Uganda's local SIM card: Uganda's Prepaid Data SIM Card.

Tips: To stay connected with your loved ones at home, make sure to have a VPN service like NordVPN installed before traveling, so you can bypass any local Internet censorship you may encounter while in Uganda.

What to Pack for Uganda?

As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Uganda:

• Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.
• Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.
• Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi's jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.
• Fleece Jacket: For colder weather, layering is the key, and a fleece jacket makes an excellent insulating layer. I recommend the Columbia Steens Mountain Fleece (for women).
• Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It's lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.
• Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker's towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.
• Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.
• Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.
• Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It's a total game-changer.
• Universal Adapter: You'll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.
• Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.
• Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It's large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it's stylish as hell!
• Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can't go wrong with Osprey.

For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.