6 days / 5 nights
6 Day Uganda Family Safari
- Boat trips and game drives
- Shorter driving days
- Family-sized vehicle
From$1,850per person
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A compact savanna park with zebras and boat safaris
A compact savanna park with zebras and boat safaris
Lake Mburo National Park is Uganda's smallest savanna park, covering around 370 square kilometres in south-western Uganda, close to Mbarara and directly on the road between Kampala and the gorilla parks. Its compact size makes it easy to cover in a short visit, and its location makes it a natural first or last stop on a longer Uganda itinerary rather than a destination requiring a special detour.
The park is known for zebras, impalas, elands, buffalo and, less commonly, leopard, spread across a landscape of savanna, acacia woodland and several lakes. Lake Mburo itself supports boat trips that bring visitors close to hippos, crocodiles and water birds without the need for a long journey to a larger park.
What sets Lake Mburo apart from Uganda's other savanna parks is the range of ways to experience it. It is the only park in western Uganda offering walking safaris with an armed ranger, giving a different, quieter perspective on the bush than a vehicle allows, and it is one of the few parks in the country where horseback safaris are offered, run through a lodge based inside the park.
Because of its size, a single night is often enough to cover a game drive, a boat trip and a walk, though visitors who want to add a horseback safari or simply enjoy the quieter pace tend to stay two nights.
Morning and evening drives among zebra, impala, eland, buffalo and warthog, across a smaller network of tracks than Uganda's bigger savanna parks, which makes for shorter, more concentrated drives.
A gentle boat trip on the lake to see hippos, crocodiles and many water birds, including African fish eagles, at closer range than is usually possible from a vehicle.
A ranger-led walk that gets you close to the landscape and smaller wildlife such as zebra, impala and warthog on foot, an activity Lake Mburo offers that is not available in every Ugandan savanna park.
Ride through the savanna with a guide, arranged through Mihingo Lodge inside the park, one of the few places in Uganda where a horseback safari is offered and a distinctive way to approach grazing animals that tolerate horses better than vehicles.
Guided cycling on park tracks, offered as an alternative way to cover ground and see wildlife at a slower pace than a vehicle.
A strong bird list for a park this size, including the African fish eagle, several kingfisher species and, for dedicated birders, chances at localised species around the lakeshore and acacia woodland.
The dry seasons, generally December to February and June to September, are the easiest for game viewing, with better visibility across the open savanna and firmer ground for walking and horseback safaris. The park can be visited comfortably year-round given its short drive from Kampala.
The park is reached by road from Kampala or Mbarara, around 3.5 to 4 hours (roughly 240 km) on a mostly paved route, making it one of the more accessible parks in the country without a domestic flight. It sits directly on the road to Bwindi and Queen Elizabeth National Park, which makes it a natural stopover to break up those longer journeys rather than a standalone detour.
Budget
Simple, clean accommodation and a popular budget choice near Lake Mburo.
Mid-range
Comfortable lodge with meals included, a popular midrange choice near Lake Mburo.
Luxury
Upmarket lodge with guided activities, a popular luxury choice near Lake Mburo.
Yes. It breaks up the long drive and adds a different landscape to the trip.
Yes, day visits are possible, though an overnight stay gives time for a boat trip and a walk in addition to a game drive.
Walking safaris are led by an armed park ranger and follow routes chosen for lower predator density, which is part of why Lake Mburo is able to offer this activity when many other Ugandan parks with more lions cannot.
Zebra, impala, eland, buffalo and warthog are commonly seen given the park's relatively high density of grazers in a compact area, though as with any wild park, sightings are never guaranteed.
Yes, both apply nationally. Uganda requires an e-visa obtained online in advance and a yellow fever vaccination certificate on arrival.
6 days / 5 nights
From$1,850per person
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7 days / 6 nights
From$2,450per person
Enquire1 day
From$220per person
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