There are 12 National Parks in Uganda despite being a landlocked country. Uganda is found in East Africa and covers an area of 241,037 square kilometers. Despite her small size, Uganda is blessed with incredible biodiversity that is second to none in Africa. The former British prime minister Winston Churchill described Uganda as the “peal of Africa” because of her remarkable biodiversity. Other visitors have used words like “gifted by nature”, or “mini Africa” just to mention a few. Uganda lies on the equator and as such the temperature and climate is just perfect. It is not too hot or too cold. This has contributed to the remarkable abundance of flora and fauna. But it is not just climate that accounts for Uganda’s remarkable beauty. Millions of years ago, earth movements and volcanic eruptions left behind amazing physical features like lakes, rivers and mountains. The best place to witness Uganda’s amazing biodiversity and landscape is in her 10 national parks. These national parks combine to offer everything a tourist would need to have a memorable African safari. Each park offers something special that is not found in the other. It could be the animals, terrain or vegetation.
Uganda’s National Parks are distributed evenly in all parts of the country. For instance, there is Murchison Falls national park towards the north and Kidepo national park in the north-eastern part of the country. In the western region, there is Kibale national park, Rwenzori Mountains National Park, Queen Elizabeth national park and Semuliki national park. The eastern part of the country has Mountain Elgon national park. The south-western part of the country has Bwindi impenetrable National park and Mgahinga national park. Lake Mburo National park is found in the central part of the country. It is important to mention that apart from the 10 national parks, Uganda has 13 wildlife reserves which are a topic for another day.
Uganda’s national parks offer unique and interesting wildlife species. You will find primates like mountain gorillas, bush babies, baboons, chimpanzees and over 13 monkey species. Then there are the big five animals (lions, elephants, leopards, buffaloes and Rhinos). Uganda also has common grazers like giraffes, Zebras, warthog and different species of antelopes. The other animals of note are hyenas, cheetahs, jackal and wild cats just to mention a few. Uganda has over 600 species of birds and is one of the best birding destinations on the world. Of all the wildlife mentioned Uganda’s most popular attraction are the mountain gorillas in Bwindi and Mgahinga National Park. Uganda has about half of the remaining population of mountain gorillas. The rest are shared by Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. If one is to visit all the national parks, they would need to spend at least 15 days in the country. Most tourists target specific national parks and visit the rest later on. Before we discuss the national parks in more detail, you might want to read about the game parks in Rwanda. We also have a similar article about the tourist attractions in Uganda.
Game Parks in Uganda
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Bwindi has gradually become one of the most popular national parks in Uganda and the whole of Africa due to the rapid development of primate tourism. There is a saying that a safari in Uganda isn’t complete without visiting Bwindi. Bwindi is nestled in the hills of Kigezi (south-western part of the country). The park is 
known for sheltering half of the total population of mountain gorillas in the world. Gorilla trekking in Bwindi is very popular because gorilla permits there cost $700 compared to the $1500 charged in Rwanda. The park has 17 habituated groups which are found in 4 sectors. Gorilla trekking is the main activity but there are also other attractions like monkeys, chimpanzees, forest elephants, birds, flowers and butterflies. The vegetation covers and the flowing streams are also something worth exploring. Bwindi is one of the best birding destinations in Africa. It is also one of the few parks where tourists can sight both mountain gorillas and chimpanzees. Unfortunately, the chimps in Bwindi are not habituated hence not open to tourism. However, one can sport them while on a nature walk or when tracking the gorillas. Bwindi also offers an opportunity to visit the Batwa pygmies for an amazing cultural experience. The Batwa community live at the edges of the park.
Kibale National Park
Kibale national park is a gazetted tropical rain-forest in the western region of Uganda. The park has one of the highest concentration of different primate species in Africa. Kibale has 13 different species of primates and these include chimpanzees, red-tailed monkeys, grey-cheeked 
mangabeys, blue monkeys, De-brazza monkeys, baboons, black and white colobus. The chimpanzees are the star attractions in Kibale forest making it the best place for chimpanzee trekking in Uganda. Chimps belong to the family of the great apes and are considered to be the closest relatives to humans. They are very intelligent primates with the ability to use tools and show compassion to one another. The aforementioned traits always leave visitors awestruck and yearning for more time to interact with the primates. Around Kibale National Park, there is an interesting cultural community close to the Bigodi Wetlands Sanctuary where travelers go to look at the different community projects for vulnerable people like widows and orphans. These vulnerable people are taught how to make bags, shoes, bangles, necklaces and different body accessories that you can buy as souvenir.
Kidepo Valley National Park
This is a renowned natural habitat for wildlife in the north-eastern part of Uganda – right at the border between Kenya and South Sudan. It is regarded as a true African wilderness because of its short savanna grassland which enables tourists to see all the animals clearly. 
Kidepo is relatively less visited and because of that remains unspoiled, less crowded and charming. It has been internationally recognized by CNN as one of the best destinations for viewing wildlife in Africa. Kidepo Valley National park has animals like buffaloes, elephants, lions, cheetahs, zebras, giraffes, bat-eared foxes, jackals and the ostriches. Kidepo is the only park in Uganda were one can see wild dogs. In addition, Kidepo valley national park is the only national park in Uganda with ostriches. Within the vicinity of kidepo national park, live the Karamojong and Ik people. These two tribal groups are considered primitive but value and take pride in their culture. The Karamojong behave and resemble the Masai people in Kenya. They are also nomadic pastoralists and have similar housing structures to the Masai. The Karamojong and Ik people live in harmony with the wild animals in Kidepo valley national park.
Lake Mburo National Park
This is one of the youngest national parks in Uganda. It became a protected area in 1983 and full national park in 1993. Lake Mburo National Park has a surface area of 260 square kilometers, making it the smallest savanna park in Uganda. 20% of the park is comprised of 
wetlands and lakes. Lake Mburo is the most strategically located wildlife destination in Uganda. It lies along the Mbarara – Kampala highway and is nearest park to the capital Kampala. Though a relatively small national park, Lake Mburo has lots of wildlife species like zebras, giraffes, elands, impalas, buffaloes and hippos. Lake Mburo also has over 350 bird species. While at Lake Mburo National park, visitors can take part in activities like game drives, boat rides, horse riding, quad biking and walking safaris because there are no lions. Mburo offers a different experience from other national parks of Uganda because the can easily be seen without much difficulty.
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park
This is also a more newly established national park in Uganda. It is the smallest national park in the country by size. Mgahinga national park is part of the greater Virunga conservation area which also include the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and the Virunga National Park in Congo. It is an alternative park for gorilla trekking in Uganda though this has only one large gorilla family to track. Although gorilla trekking in Mgahinga in the most popular activity, there are other 
attractions to look forward to. It is the only park where golden monkeys can be sighted in Uganda. Golden monkeys are an endangered sub-species of the blue monkey. They have a gold color on their backs and around their cheeks making them one of the most beautiful monkey species out there. Mgahinga National park is home to 3 Virunga Volcanoes – Gahinga, Muhavura and Sabyinyo. Hiking to the summit of any of these volcanos offer amazing views of the other 5 Virunga mountains and national parks in three countries. Mgahinga National Park is one of the original homes of the Batwa pygmies. The Batwa lived in the forests of Bwindi and Mgahinga for thousands of years as gatherers and hunters. They have very short stature and live a traditional way of life. Mgahinga offers the best Batwa cultural experience. Unlike the Batwa cultural experience in Bwindi, the one in Mgahinga is known as the Batwa Cultural Trail. This experience is more rewarding because it is organized inside the park and with the Batwa themselves as Guides. Tourists get to visit the former homes of the Batwa and learn how they used to survive deep in the jungle. A 4-day safari to Mgahinga national park often involves gorilla trekking, golden monkey tracking, hiking one of the volcanoes and the Batwa Trail.
Mount Elgon National Park
Mount Elgon National park is located in the eastern part of Uganda and at the border between Kenya and Uganda. This national park is different from most of the others 
since its main attraction is not the wildlife species but a mountain. This is not to say that the park doesn’t have its own wildlife or other attractions. In fact, the park is home to buffaloes, elephants, duikers, bushbuck, civet and small primates. Mount Elgon is the 8th highest Mountain in Africa and has the largest caldera in the world. The formation of the mountain left rich volcanic soils in areas around the park. Arabica coffee and bananas thrive on the slopes of the mountain as do other crops. The key activity is hiking to the top of the mountain. The reward is exploring the largest caldera in the world, mystical caves and amazing waterfalls. The most famous waterfalls along the slopes of Mount Elgon are the Sipi Falls. The Sipi falls are spectacle to watch and are one of the most visited sites by local tourists.
Murchison falls national park
This is one of the oldest and largest wildlife conservation sites in Africa. It is composed of savanna grasslands, woodlands, Budongo forest reserve and Kaniyo pabidii forest. It is found in the northern part of Uganda – 6 hours away from the capital Kampala. The park is 
one of the two most visited in Uganda. Murchison falls national park currently has the highest concentration of mammals. It used to be Queen Elizabeth National park but that’s no longer the case because it has lost some land and animals due to encroachments. We can confidently say that Murchison falls national park is a big 5 destinations if you add the nearby Ziwa Rhino sanctuary to your bucket list when visiting. Murchison falls national park has other animals like giraffes, elands, bush pigs, hyenas and a variety of bird species. Apart from the wildlife, let’s not forget to mention the Murchison Falls (from which the park gets its name), chimpanzee trekking in the park’s Budongo forest and the amazing boat cruise along the Nile. A safari in Murchison Falls is incomplete without visiting the top of the Murchison Falls or taking the boat cruise to view the savanna animals mixing with the aquatic mammals and birds. Please check out our 2 days Murchison Falls wildlife safari package.
Queen Elizabeth National Park
Queen Elizabeth National Park is located in the western part of Uganda (Kasese district). It has arguably the best landscape of all the parks in Uganda. The park was 
named after the current Queen of England and in recognition of her visit to the pack in the 1950’s. Queen Elizabeth is among the two most visited national parks in Uganda. Apart from the incredible variety of wildlife on offer, Queen Elizabeth National Park stands out because of the amazing landscape. From the savannah plains, underground forest to crater lakes, the park will appeal to nature lovers. The main attractions in Queen Elizabeth National Park are the Maramagambo forest, Kyambura Gorge, Kazinga Channel, Crater lakes, Lake Edward and George. Queen Elizabeth is a lion conservation unit and home to the rare tree climbing lions. These big cats are only found in the park, Lake Manyara in Tanzania and Kruger National Park in south Africa. The main activities in the park are game drives, a launch cruise along the Kazinga channel, chimpanzee tracking in Kyambura Gorge and lion tracking. Find out more by going through our 3 days Queen Elizabeth wildlife tour package or the shorter 2 days Queen Elizabeth safari package. There is even the longer 5 days Queen Elizabeth National Park safari package.
Rwenzori Mountains National Park
The Rwenzori mountains are the largest block of mountains in Africa. In terms of height, they are the third highest of all mountains in Africa. Thousands of mountaineers visit Uganda each year with the sole purpose of reaching the snow-capped Magherita peak. Reaching the three summits take between 9 to 10 days. As one ascends the mountains, they are rewarded with beautiful sightings of vegetation, lakes and rivers. On the lower slopes of the mountain, one can encounter Angola colobus monkeys, red-tailed monkeys, leopards, civets, wild cats, elephants, buffaloes and over 216 bird species.
Semuliki National Park
With a total surface area of 220 square kilometres, Semuliki was first gazetted as a forest reserve in 1932 but was later elevated to a national park in 1993. The park is found in Bwamba county in Bundibugyo District which is in the western part of Uganda. Semuliki National Park is an extension of the great Ituri Forest in Congo and because of that has creatures that are found nowhere else in Uganda. The park has 53 mammal species and over 400 of birds recorded. This makes it one of the best places for bird watching in Uganda. The park also has a very interesting natural wonder in the Sempaya hot spring. The spring gushes out hot water from the ground which is used by the locals for skin and body therapy.
