Where to See Wildlife: Uganda’s Best National Parks Ranked 

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Are you struggling to decide which of Uganda’s Best National Parks is ideal for viewing wildlife? Where will you find the best wildlife? Which parks warrant the hefty price tag? We did the hard work and visited all but two of Uganda’s national parks on our self-driving safari through the country. Let me help break it all down for you.

National Park tickets are pricey, and each visit adds up. These are the parks we thought were 100% worth the money and which we think you should prioritize during your time in Uganda. 

Uganda constantly impressed us as a wildlife destination. Neighboring Tanzania and Kenya are renowned for their safaris, but we actually had equally impressive, if not better, experiences in Uganda. So let’s rank them, whether you have time to visit one national park or five. 

Uganda’s Best National Parks: Our Picks

These are all of Uganda’s national parks in order of how much we enjoyed them. This takes into consideration landscape, wildlife, and overall experience in the park.

1. Queen Elizabeth National Park 

• Easiest Park to Self-Drive
• Offers Night Safari + Boat Safari (two unique experiences you should try at least once)
• Wildlife is least nervous here, allowing you to view predator species up close.
• Most Commonly Sighted Species: Lions + Elephants

This is the most impressive national park in Uganda when it comes to wildlife. You can expect up-close lion encounters, tree-climbing lions, night safari, boat safari, herds of elephants, a decent chance of spotting leopards, a rugged and less traversed gorge to trek for chimpanzees in, scenic camping, impressive luxury lodges, and it was by far the best park for self-driving. 

It’s often compared apples-to-apples to Murchison Falls, but I did not find them to be on equal footing for several reasons, which I’ll address later. 

Read my full self-drivers guide to Queen Elizabeth NP for more information. 

2. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park 

• Best Gorilla Trekking of all the locations.
• The lush jungle landscape offers a different environment than other parks.

Gorillas. If this experience is within your budget, it’s unforgettable. I put it number two on this list mainly because of the hefty $800 per person price tag, but trekking to see the mountain gorillas is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

There is also a really cool place to see endangered Pangolin called Pangolin Rescue Center in the Buhoma region of Bwindi. I highly recommend a visit.

Compare Gorilla Trekking experiences here to see if this particular park is right for you. Or head straight to my local contact to book your gorilla permits at the cheapest price.

3. Kidepo National Park 

• It’s great for self-driving if you visit during the DRY season. During the wet season, don’t bother; you won’t make it on the dirt roads.
• Stunning landscapes unlike anywhere else in Uganda.
• Hot Springs near the border with South Sudan. Not for swimming just viewing.

The national park that only self-drivers seem to make it to. Kidepo is a stunning, diverse park known for its incredible landscapes, which are tucked into the border with South Sudan. The road to reach it is long and rough, but I feel like that’s half the fun. My favorite campsite in all of Uganda is within this national park. While the wildlife viewing is admittedly lacking, you’ll mostly see Cape Buffalo, Zebra, Giraffe, and maybe an Eland if you’re lucky. It’s the culture and the landscape that makes it worth visiting. 

There are technically Cheetah within this range, but it’s extraordinarily unlikely that you’ll actually see one.

4. Murchison Falls National Park 

• Good for self-driving.
• Offers night safari and boat safari.
• Definitely worth a visit to Murchison Falls. Just know you must pay an additional fee (either boat tour or hiking fee to visit)
• Most Commonly Sighted Species: Giraffe + Lions

Murchison Falls is the oldest park in the country and, because of this, is often hailed as its best. But based on our experiences within the park in Sept 2024, I think the crown jewel of Uganda is past its prime. While wildlife sightings are still good — lions, the occasional leopard, elephant, Giraffe, and an array of antelope and ungulate species…the reserve is wildly mismanaged, and the already decreasing numbers of predators will likely continue to decline. 

The big problem seems to be that oil was recently found within the park. They are currently drilling for oil and have huge sections of the park under construction, which disrupts the animals. 

This is not to say Murchison Falls isn’t impressive. It’s number four on our list for a reason and definitely worth a visit if wildlife is what you are after. Just be aware it will be more crowded, with animals more skittish, and less impressive than nearby Queen Elizabeth. 

This is where you can take a boat safari to the base of Murchison Falls, an impressive cascade on the Nile. 

Read my full self-drive guide to Murchison Falls for more information. 

5. Kibale National Park 

• Chimpanzee Trekking.

This is the premiere Chimpanzee trekking region. You can choose to visit either here or Budongo Central Forest Reserve for a very good chance of success. I was worried about crowds since this is the #1 place to visit, but it’s about the same everywhere. 

We ended up trekking for chimpanzees in Kyambura Gorge in Queen Elizabeth. It’s an off-the-beaten-path spot inside a stunning gorge, but the success rate at finding the chimps is only 60%. 

6. Rwenzori Mountains National Park 

• Unique landscapes, excellent for hiking.

This is a park we have slated for a return trip to Uganda. It’s known for its impressive hikes and beautiful mountain landscapes. If you want to visit just be sure to give yourself time in the area. 

7. Mgahinga Gorilla National Park 

• An alternative to the more popular Bwindi NP for gorilla trekking.
• Offers Golden Monkey Trekking as well.

This park has numerous great ape trekking options, but it’s more of a backup park if the permits for the others run short. 

8. Lake Mburo National Park 

• Most Commonly Spotted Species: Zebra
• Night safari here increases your chance of seeing leopards.

It feels passive-aggressive to put this park dead last, but truthfully, I just think it’s not as impressive as all the other parks in Uganda. You’ll see all the wildlife here elsewhere, so why spend more money visiting a park with nothing unique to offer? 

Uganda’s Best National Parks for Wildlife Viewing 

There are no Rhinos currently in Uganda’s parks, so you will not see all the “big 5” at any park. Plans to reintroduce them in the near future, though, are underway. 

Queen Elizabeth National Park 

You can expect to see Hippos, massive herds of elephants, Cape Buffalo, Lions, including tree-climbing lions, Ugandan Kob, Waterbuck, Bushbuck, Grant’s Gazelle, the occasional leopard, flamingos (at the right time of year), Nile Crocodile, and loads of warthogs and bush pigs. Night Safari also lets you see Hyena and Jackals. There are other animals in the park as well, but these are the most common sightings. 

Murchison Falls National Park

Here, you can find lions, elephants, Hartebeest, Ugandan Kob, Grant’s Gazelle, the occasional hippo or leopard, Rothschild Giraffe, and Hyena/Jackal on the night safari. 

Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park

Mountain Gorillas are the main attraction, but we also saw many impressive birds, like the Blue Turaco and Ross’s Turaco, lots of smaller monkey species (black and white colobus, for one), and the sneaky Forest Duiker. 

Honorable Mention: Mabamba Swamp Reserve 

Although it’s not a national park, we really enjoyed seeing the Shoebill Stork in Mabamba Swamp. Our boat ride through the Papyrus also let us see tons of other rare bird species. I’m not a big bird person, but when a bird is as impressive and rare as the stock shoebill, I can be convinced. 

The Most Impressive National Park in Uganda for Landscapes 

If you’ve experienced your share of incredible wildlife and want to see some of my favorite landscapes in Uganda…head to this park right away.

Kidepo National Park 

What this park lacks in wildlife, it makes up for in stunning scenery. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. But the drive here is really half the fun.

Uganda’s Best National Parks for Hiking 

Lace up your sturdiest hiking books for this one.

Rwenzori Mountains National Park 

As I mentioned before, this is a park that deserves time and attention. The landscapes here are spectacular— you just have to hit the trails and hike to them. 

How Many National Parks are in Uganda?

There are 10 National Parks in Uganda, 12 Wildlife Reserves, 5 Community Wildlife Management Areas, and 13 Wildlife Sanctuaries. But all the ones covered above are Uganda’s Best National Parks (with good reason).

If you’re planning an East African safari, DO NOT make the mistake of thinking Uganda is only good for gorilla trekking. The country has so much more, from unique cultural experiences to exceptional wildlife. Let me know in the comments if you’ve visited any of the parks in Uganda and agree/disagree with my rankings! 

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