Walking safaris in Uganda is one of the most immersive, rewarding and stimulating form of safari that brings you up-close and personal to unspoilt wilderness, authentic cultures and a vast array of nature’s amazing wonders. A walking safari offers a holistic understanding of the bush and connects you to local environment, awakening all your senses, to touch, smell and feel as you explore the natural world on foot.
Uganda abounds with a variety of walking safari options where the top highlights include a trek up-close to mountain gorillas and chimpanzee in their natural rainforests, birding for regional endemic birds in ancient rainforests, to wildlife encounters with the iconic Africa Big 5-listers. Whatever your interests be, these walking options can be tailored to spice up your typical Ugandan tour for a wholesome rewarding safari experience.
Walking Safaris In Uganda
The Gorilla and Chimpanzee Walking Safaris
Uganda is a premier primate’s trekking destination known for its life-time treks along the gentle mountain gorillas, the chimpanzee and the golden monkey in their pristine rainforest homes. A combined trek up-close these man’s closest relative apes is considered a once-in-a-lifetime experience by most trekkers. Uganda hosts half of the world’s population of mountain gorillas in the UNESCO rainforests of Bwindi Impenetrable NP and Mgahinga Gorilla NP where daily treks are offered. Chimpanzee on the other hand occur across many of Uganda’s mid-altitude forests but Kibale NP is undoubtedly the best location to meet these charismatic apes.
Walking safari along the White Rhino at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary
The 70km2 Ziwa Rhino sanctuary offers a rewarding walk along the magnificent white rhino in its native habitat. The 2-hour guided walk brings you up-close to rhinos as they forage where the ranger guides explain a wide range of habits, social structure, behavior and local adaption of this Africa Big-5 species. The sanctuary’s rich woodland, savanna and wetland habitats host a rich bird life and knowledgeable guides are able to point several of these species and other angulates that call this sanctuary home.
Walking Safari in Lake Mburo National Park
A walking safari at Lake Mburo National Park is a popular highlight on Uganda’s classic wildlife safari and for good reason! Although Uganda’s smallest savanna park, Lake Mburo NP is the most scenic characterized by rolling hills, grasslands, acacia woodlands, vast wetlands and fresh-water lakes. Daily guided walking safaris at Lake Mburo begin very early mornings and evening when light is good but also that’s when most park wildlife is active. Here, you get to explore the unspoilt wilderness, coming up-close to Giraffes, Impala, Zebra, Bush buck, Water buck and even to the usually shy Eland and Topi. Birding is very excellent for a unique list of acacia associated specialists.
Walking Safaris in the wildness at Kidepo Valley National Park
Uganda’s remote Kidepo Valley National Park is Africa’s true wildness with exceptional and breathtaking landscapes. The park unique semi-arid vegetation host a diverse range of wildlife and birdlife not seen anywhere in Uganda. The stunning scenic landscape is dotted with rugged and rocky outcrops, towering lush mountain ranges, hot springs and vast golden open and lightly wooded savanna plains. Common walks here include following the Borassus palm lined riverbed of Sidepod river known for hundreds of Ostriches flocks, Eland and excellent birdlife. A wildlife targeted walking safari runs along the Narus valley which has an-all-year round water that attracts large herds of Cape Buffalo, Elephants and other local game. With time on the hands, a cultural hike visits the Ik community in Mt. Morungole ranges for an enriching cultural experience.
The Batwa Cultural Walk
The Batwa cultural walk offers a rewarding cultural experience where you explore the rich traditions of this indigenous community. Batwa are indigenous former forest dwellers that spread across montane rainforest across Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC where they lived a nomadic hunter gatherer lifestyle. In the late ’90s, they were resettled outside their former homes to create conservation areas for the endangered along the endangered mountain gorillas and other endemic fauna. The Batwa cultural walk occur around Bwindi Impenetrable NP and on Mgahinga Gorilla NP.
The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest Walk
Popular for its prime trekking experiences along the endangered Mountain Gorillas, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is an ancient rainforest with a diversity of both flora and fauna. Daily guided walking safaris follow excellent walking trails across various altitudes and vegetational zones exposing snow-white water falls and diverse plant life. The most rewarding is a 20km (6-8hrs) Nkulingo -Buhoma trail that runs at the heart of Bwindi rainforest which offers wonderful views of this ancient forest.
Katwe Salt Lake Walking Tour
Located near the western edges of Queen Elizabeth NP, is the shallow 2.5km2 wide saline lake where for over 600-years salt has and is extracted using traditional methods by locals. A maze of individual salt plot pans run on the lake edges where crystalized salt is collected but also salt rock is mined from bottom of this shallow crater.
A walking trail explores up-close a maze of salt pans or plots as the locals call them where salt is extracted using ancient traditional method for ages. Trail continues along the crater lake rim where panoramic views are afforded and then runs on the edges of the shallow nearby Munyanyange crater that hosts seasonal migrating Lesser Flamingos and other palearctic species of birds during the months of September-March.
Semuliki Hot Springs Walk
Lying on the northern edges of Rwenzori mountain edges, and south of L. Albert, the spectacular Semliki hot springs sit in the protected lowland forests of Semuliki NP. Named after the genders of “a male and female” hot springs, the pair holds cultural significance to the local Bamba residents. The splashing geysers shoot boiling water and steam with temperatures of about 700-900C from the deep earth crust rising to 2m above the surface. A walk here lasts up to 2-4hrs exploring the rich and magnificent lowland forest with its rare forests’ birds and primate species that only known from this location.
Scenic walking tours around Lake Bunyonyi
The island dotted Lake Bunyonyi sitting high at 2000m asl within the towering Kigezi highlands offers a wide range of walking options. Walks around this Africa’s second deepest lake include moderate hikes to the peaks of towering mountain ranges giving you excellent views of the lakes’ scenic islands and distant views of the Volcanoes. The walking tours here vary in duration and experience but anywhere between 4 to 6hrs is normal. On request, extended tours will combine hiking with canoeing, ending with a visit to a local herbalist and craft shops by local women groups to give you insights into the local lifestyle and culture.
The Sipi River Water Falls Walk
Located on the eastern slopes of Mt. Elgon is the exciting community-guided Sipi triple water falls walk conducted through the Sipi village. Sipi river originates high-up on Mt. Elgon, where on its way down hill, it cascades over hanging volcanic rocks to create stunning water falls that vary in height with the biggest drop being at 100m. The walk to the falls, combines an educative coffee experience that takes you through the whole process of the famous bean right from the farm, to brewing your own hot coffee.
Final Note: Whether one seeks adventure, cultural, primate, birdwatching, or just a close and personal walk-in nature, Uganda’s uncrowded wild places are the best to help one reconnect and rejuvenate his soul, spirit and body.