Uganda Travel Information

Best Time to Visit Uganda

Knowledge base for Seasons and Weather in Uganda

Uganda’s year-round Holiday Weather is another advantage for visitors to the Pearl of Africa. Though on the equator, Uganda has a temperate climate due to its elevation, vast lakes, and mountains such as the Rwenzori Mountains, the Virunga Volcanoes, and the Gorilla Highlands.

The best months of the year to visit Uganda are June through September and December through March. Even during its two rainy seasons, the sun still comes out each day.

The Benefit of taking a safari during the off-season is that there will be fewer people, more permits, and more choices at lodges. A reason that some choose April, May, and November

Language 

Uganda’s official languages are English and Kiswahili, spoken throughout East Africa is also widely spoken throughout the country. Uganda is home to many ethnic groups and so around forty different languages are used in the country. Ugandan English is a kind of local variant dialect. The most spoken language in Uganda is Luganda, spoken predominantly in central Uganda and the Capital of Kampala but also across all major cities in the country.

Visa Requirements

When traveling to Uganda, you will be required to show a visa to enter Uganda. All visa and work permit (E-Visa and E-permits) applications must be completed via the Uganda Immigration portal. Under the new application process, you must apply online for all immigration services such as visas, permits, and passes at least two weeks prior to travel. The fee for a single entry tourist visa is $50.

Uganda is also one of the countries covered by the new East Africa Tourist Visa, and for those also visiting Kenya and Rwanda on the same trip it is a cheaper alternative. The visa costs US$100, is valid for 90 days and is multiple entry – it is available upon arrival or from embassies abroad.

What is the Currency Used in Uganda?

The official currency in Uganda is the Ugandan Shilling. Euros, British Pounds, US Dollars, South African Rand and other major currencies can be exchanged locally or in advance of departure. Additionally, exchange facilities are available at various bureaus de change and banks in major towns have ATMs. It’s advisable to request bank notes in smaller denominations, as it can sometimes be hard to get change from large notes and smaller notes are handy for smaller purchases and gratuities.
Traveller’s Cheques are not recommended as they’re often difficult to exchange and incur high fees.

Medical Information and Vaccinations

Yellow-fever vaccination certificates are compulsory for entry. Make sure your health insurance covers you while overseas and consider supplemental insurance that includes medical evacuation. As a guide Polio, Diphtheria, Hepatitis A & B and Tetanus are strongly recommended. Rabies and Meningitis are also recommended. Medical facilities in Uganda are limited and only equipped to handle minor medical emergencies. Travelers are therefore advised to carry their own supplies of prescription drugs and preventive medicines.

Ugandan food tends to consist of a meat-based stews or sauce dishes accompanied by ugali, a thick doughy paste made from maize, or matoke, cooked and mashed green banana. Aside from meat and vegetables, beans and ground nuts are also added to stews for texture and cassava, yams and sweet potato all make regular appearances on the dinner table. Thanks to its many rivers, Ugandans also eat a lot of fish, particularly tiger fish and tilapia. Uganda is largely considered Africa’s fruit bowl with a variety of fruits available, including the popular Jackfruit.

About the Tipping Culture in Uganda

There is no minimum wage in Uganda, which means that many workers in the service industry earn very little and have to make it stretch a long way. Safari guides should be tipped the equivalent of USD $10-15 per person per day and a few dollars should be put in a communal tip jar for the driver, cook and porters. If you eat in a restaurant then 10% on top of the bill is a suitable amount to leave. When it comes to taxis, rounding up the fare is a nice way to show your appreciation.

Foreign women, and particularly white women, attract a lot of attention in Uganda so be prepared for people to want to talk to you, touch your skin and invite you to their house. For the vast majority of the time, this attention stems from pure curiosity and is not meant in a threatening or harmful way.