Travel to Uganda: gorilla trekking, safaris and itineraries

International flights land at Entebbe, on Lake Victoria, about 40 kilometres from Kampala, an hour's drive outside rush hour. Entebbe deserves a quiet night for its botanical garden and the Ngamba Island chimpanzee sanctuary, an hour away by boat. Kampala, built on hills, can be seen in a day: the national mosque and its minaret, the UNESCO-listed royal Kasubi Tombs, and the Namugongo Martyrs Shrine, which draws crowds of pilgrims every 3 June.

Mountain gorillas live in the forests of Bwindi and Mgahinga, in the far southwest, a full day's drive from Kampala or a domestic flight to Kisoro or Kihihi. The permit, issued by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, is booked several months in advance and is among the biggest items of the budget. The walk lasts from one hour to a full day depending on the family tracked, for exactly one hour with the animals. These parks border the DRC: check the official travel advice map before booking. Nearby Lake Bunyonyi then offers two days of rest by dugout canoe.

Kibale Forest is the benchmark for seeing habituated chimpanzees, with a high success rate on morning outings. The park has around a dozen primate species, including the red colobus and the mangabey. Around Fort Portal, about five hours by road from Kampala, dozens of crater lakes are good for swimming and hiking. Two nights are enough: chimpanzee tracking in the morning, then the walk through Bigodi swamp in the afternoon for birdlife.

Queen Elizabeth National Park stretches between Lakes George and Edward, joined by the Kazinga Channel. The two-hour cruise on the channel is the highlight: hippos, buffaloes, elephants and a remarkable density of birds. In the Ishasha sector, lions are known for climbing fig trees. The park also runs along the Congolese border, where official travel advice applies. Plan two nights and early morning game drives, when animals are most active.

The country's largest park, Murchison Falls takes its name from the falls where the Nile squeezes into a gorge a few metres wide before plunging some forty metres. The boat cruise to the foot of the falls and the walk up to the top fit into the same day. The northern bank offers Rothschild's giraffes, lions and elephants. On the road from Kampala, about five to six hours, the Ziwa sanctuary lets you track the country's only white rhinos on foot.

Two hours by road east of Kampala, Jinja marks the place where the Nile leaves Lake Victoria on its journey to the Mediterranean. People come for rafting, still offered despite dams that flooded some rapids, kayaking, bungee jumping above the river and a boat ride to the marked point of the source. One or two nights are enough, often placed at the start or end of a circuit because it is close to the airport.

In the east, near the Kenya border, the Sipi Falls tumble down the slopes of Mount Elgon in three tiers, seen on a half-day hike through arabica coffee plantations. In the west, the UNESCO-listed Rwenzori range peaks at Margherita at 5,109 metres: the full ascent takes about a week of trekking through mud and giant heather forests, with a mandatory guide. Check the safety advice, as the range borders the DRC.