Best Time to Go on a Safari in Uganda: Uganda has excellent weather for your ideal safari, but the best times to go are typically during the dry season, which runs from June to August and December to February. The best times to see wildlife and have a great primate safari in the tropical jungle are during the dry seasons.
Primate safaris include chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest National Park and Budongo forest in Murchison Falls National Park, golden monkey tracking in Mgahinga National Park, and gorilla trekking, which takes place in two dependable safari destinations: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and Mgahinga National Park, which is home to endangered mountain gorillas and other small primates. The experience of trekking involves following trail heads in their natural habitat.
Rainfall is still a concern, though, as it may fall in the morning and the sky frequently open up to brilliant brightness during the day.
The ideal season to visit Uganda for a safari
The optimum times to visit all game parks and reserves are from June to August and December to February.
High season: June to September is typically Uganda’s high season, making it an excellent time to go on a gorilla trekking safari because the tracking paths may be too muddy and slick for the ideal safari. We do recommend, however, that anyone wishing to go gorilla trekking in Uganda reserve their gorilla permit in advance.
Low Season: March, April, May, October, and November are often the months with the lowest temperatures. Due to the high rains in the area, several lodges and camps may have to close during this time of year because there aren’t many visitors.
The best weather
The finest months to go on safari in Uganda’s National Park are typically January through February and June through July. There is hardly much rainfall in the nation at this time of year. The best safari location in Uganda is Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, which is situated in the southwest of the country and is about nine to ten hours’ drive from Kampala. It is home to half of the world’s surviving mountain gorillas.
The Ideal Time to Visit Uganda for a Safari
Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Gorilla Trekking in Queen Elizabeth National Park is a well-known safari destination for game drive adventure. It is ideal because of the rare tree climbing lions that can be seen perched on fig tree branches and other animal species.
Known as Uganda’s oldest and largest game park, Murchison Falls National Park is home to a variety of wildlife species and features some of the most powerful waterfalls in the world. Murchison Falls National Park is in the Northwestern area of Uganda, and the travel from Kampala to the park should take four to five hours.
Kidepo Valley National Park, home to a wide variety of wildlife and bird species, is renowned for being an unspoiled and unparalleled African wilderness. The best method to get there is by local flight “Aero Link Uganda,” which departs from Entebbe International Airport and lands at Lomej Airstrip in 1:45 hours.
Typical creatures to observe while on safari in Uganda
Carnivores include lions, leopards, hyenas, cheetahs, and African wildcats, among others.
Among other animals, herbivores include buffalos, elephants, giraffes, hippos, rhinos, zebras, antelopes, and Uganda kobs.
Crocodiles, pythons, snakes, monitor lizards, chameleons, and many more are examples of reptiles.
With over 1100 distinct bird species, Uganda is one of the best places to go on a birding safari. With more than 600 bird species, the best places to go bird watching in Uganda are Mambamba Wetland, Nyamuriro Swamp, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Semiliki Reserves, Kyambura Wildlife Reserve, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, and Queen Elizabeth National Park. Vultures, African Eagle Turacos, Fox’s Weaver, Grey Crowned Crane, Shelley’s Crimson Wing, Shoebill, Standard-winded, Rare Shoe Bill Stork, Marabou Stork, Crested Crane, Great Blue Turaco, African Green Broadbill, Doherty’s Bush Shrike, Saddle-billed Stork, and a few more are among the birds that can be seen on your Uganda Birding Tour.
The wet season, which runs from March to May, is the greatest time to go bird watching, and November through April is when migratory birds are most visible.
The worst weather occurs in March, April, and May, which are also the best times to go bird watching because there may be an abundance of fruits in the vicinity.
Numerous animals are newborns.
In the off-season, the savannah reserves’ landscape may be more verdant.
Road conditions are poor during this “wet season,” which frequently results in vehicles becoming trapped. Forest pathways become difficult and slick.
The driest months are June through August and December through February. This time of year is ideal for gorilla trekking because it’s the driest, making it easier to follow the tracking path.
It’s the ideal time of year to see wildlife.
The skies can be clear with more sunshine and less rain during the drier months of the year.
Booking your gorilla permits in advance is advised, particularly during the dry months.
Finally, the dry seasons of June to August and December to February are typically the finest times to visit Uganda for Gorilla Trekking Safaris, Luxury Gorilla Safaris, Honeymoon Safaris, and Family Safaris.
Golden Monkey Trekking Guide – Rwanda and Uganda
The golden monkey (Cercopithecus kandti) is one of Africa’s most striking and least-seen primates. With its brilliant golden-orange patch across its back and flanks contrasting with jet-black limbs, face, and tail, the golden monkey is unmistakable in the bamboo forests of the Virunga Mountains. The species is classified as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, with an estimated population of just 2,000-4,000 individuals surviving in the wild.
Golden monkey trekking is possible at two locations: Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda. Both parks offer habituated groups that are accustomed to human presence, making close observation of their lively, acrobatic behaviour possible throughout the year.
Golden Monkey Trekking in Rwanda
Volcanoes National Park has two habituated golden monkey groups. Permits cost USD 100 per person and can be booked through the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) or a licensed tour operator. The trek typically takes 1-3 hours depending on where the monkeys are found. Golden monkeys move quickly through the bamboo, leaping between stems and feeding acrobatically – bring a camera with fast autofocus.
Golden monkey trekking in Rwanda is most often combined with gorilla trekking for a “primate double” – two extraordinary encounters in one trip. The bamboo forests where golden monkeys live are at lower altitude than the main gorilla trekking zones, offering a different forest experience on the same day or the next morning.
Golden Monkey Trekking in Uganda
Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda’s Kigezi Highlands offers golden monkey trekking with a habituated group in the park’s bamboo zone. Permits cost USD 60 per person and are available through Uganda Wildlife Authority. Mgahinga also offers gorilla trekking and Sabyinyo volcano hiking, making it an excellent park for combining multiple activities in a compact area.
Recommended Tours: 4 Days Bwindi Gorilla Trekking Safari | 3 Days Bwindi Gorilla Trekking
