Uganda is one of the iconic and interesting destinations on an African safari that offers the best experience. A safari in Uganda is a blended mixture of primates, big five, scenic, and cultural communities.
Uganda is made up of over 10 national parks with diverse wildlife and attractions that you can encounter on a safari to Uganda in 2026. Some of the iconic national Parks in Uganda that you can consider on a safari in 2026 include;
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is situated in the southwestern Uganda at the international boundary of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is home to over half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas.
This park is situated on the rift valley edge, and it is forested throughout. It was opened up for a gorilla encounter in 1993.
Currently, the park has over 25 gorilla habituated families, where 9 of them are available for research and tourism activities. In this park, there are several activities that you can engage in for a safari in 2026, and they include gorilla trekking, gorilla habituation, birding, nature walks, and cultural encounters.
To engage in gorilla trekking, you are supposed to have acquired a gorilla trekking permit. A gorilla trekking permit is a legal document that is issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority to see the mountain gorillas.
For travelers to acquire a gorilla permit, you are supposed to use licensed and reliable tour operators. The cost of the gorilla is 800 USD for foreign non-residents, 700 USD for foreign residents, 500 USD for the rest of the African residents, and 300000 UGX for the East African residents.
Queen Elizabeth National Park.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the most popular savannah parks in Uganda, located in western Uganda at the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. This park is covered by a savannah type of vegetation, and it is also the second largest park in Uganda.
Initially, the park was called the Kazinga National Park in 1952 and later in 1954 it was named Queen Elizabeth National Park after the visit of Queen Elizabeth II of England.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is home to over 95 mammal species and over 600 bird species that can be encountered within the park. On a safari to this park, there are several activities that you can engage in and they include game drives, nature walks, chimpanzee trekking, birding, experiential activities, boat cruises, and many others.
Murchison Falls National Park.
The most popular and visited national savannah park in Uganda, which is located in northwestern Uganda. This park was the first savannah park that was gazetted in 1926 as a game reserve.
It gained a national park status in 1952 as the Kabalega National Park, and later on it was named the Murchison Falls National Park. This park lies in the northern end of the Albertain rift valley, and it is covered by the dotted palm vegetation, savannah grasslands, and tropical vegetation.
This park is crossed by the River Nile, which is one of the iconic rivers in Uganda. The park’s name originates from the Murchison Falls, which are the world’s strongest falls that are within the park.
Murchison Falls National Park is home to over 144 mammal species, 556 bird species, 51 reptile species, and 51 amphibian species. In a safari in 2026, there are several activities that you can participate in and they include game drives, chimpanzee trekking, nature walks, boat cruises, and many others.
Kibale National Park.
Kibale National Park is a primate habitat with several primate species that is within western Uganda, covering a total area of about 321 square kilometers at an altitude of 1160 to 2607 meters above sea level. This park is a great habitat of over 13 primate species that include chimpanzee, grey-checked mangabey, L’Host monkeys, colobus monkeys, black and white monkeys, and many others.
The prime activity is chimpanzee trekking, which was started in 1993 in Kanychu. The park has several habituated chimpanzee communities that you encounter on a safari to Uganda.
The other activities to engage in the Kibale National Park include Chimpanzee habituation, community visit, birding, nature walks, and many others. To engage in chimpanzee trekking, you are supposed to have a chimpanzee permit, which is issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority.
The cost of the chimpanzee trekking permit includes 250 USD for foreign non-residents, 200 USD for foreign residents, and 180000 UGX for East African residents. Tracked chimpanzee communities are first habituated for a period of 2 years for them to get used to the human presence.
Lake Mburo National Park.
This is the smallest savannah park in Uganda, in western Uganda, which is the nearest park to Kampala. Lake Mburo National Park is rich in biodiversity, scenic beauty, and cultural significance.
20% of the park’s total land is covered by the wetlands, where it forms a 50-kilometer-long wetland system that is connected to five lakes within the park. To take part in the Lake Mburo National Park in 2026, game drives, cultural community visits, nature walks, boat cruises, and many others are the activities that you can encounter on your safari.
Mountain Rwenzori National Park
Moutain Rwenzori National Park is part of the Rwenzori ranges, that is within western Uganda, where the park was declared a national park status in 1991 and in 1994 was declared as a UNESCO heritage site. The park is situated on the border of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The park is named after the mountain Rwenzori, which is the highest snow-capped mountain in Uganda at an altitude of 5109 meters above sea level. The highest peak of this mountain is the Margherita peak.
The park shelters over 70 mammal species, and 217 bird species, with 19 endemic species.
Some of the activities that you can engage in during the safaris to the mountain Rwenzori National Park include hiking, nature walks, birding, and many others.
Kidepo Valley National Park
This is the most remote National Park that is situated within the north eastern Uganda, and it is tagged as Uganda’s Ultimate wilderness experience. It is within the semi-arid region of Karamoja at the border of Uganda, Kenya, and South Sudan.
Kidepo Valley National Park is home to over 77 mammal species and 476 bird species. There are a variety of activities that you can engage in at this park that include game drives, cultural community visits, nature walks, birding, and many others.
What is the best time to engage in a safari in Uganda in the iconic National parks in 2026?
Uganda is open throughout the year for anyone planning a safari in 2026. The best time to engage in a safari in Uganda to the iconic National Parks in 2026 is during the dry season, June to October, and December to February.
During this time, the area is dry and clear for wildlife viewing, easily accessible, and offers better trekking routes.