Uganda Travel Advice – What to Know Before Traveling to Uganda?

If you are planning to travel to Uganda, here are some travel advice and tips to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip. Remember to plan your trip in advance, make necessary bookings for accommodations and activities, and have a flexible itinerary that allows you to explore the beauty of Uganda while ensuring your safety and well-being.

Uganda Travel Advice Guidelines

Valid Passport and Visa

Ensure that your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your intended stay in Uganda. Check the visa requirements for your country of citizenship and obtain the necessary visa before your trip.

Health and Vaccinations

Consult a travel health professional or your doctor at least 4-6 weeks before your trip to Uganda to get up-to-date information on recommended vaccinations and health precautions. Common vaccinations include those for yellow fever, typhoid, hepatitis A and B, and tetanus. Malaria is prevalent in Uganda, so consider taking prophylactic medication and using mosquito repellents and bed nets.

Travel Insurance

It is highly recommended to have comprehensive travel insurance that covers medical emergencies, trip cancellation, and personal belongings.

Safety and Security

Uganda is generally a safe destination for travellers. However, it’s advisable to take common-sense precautions. Avoid walking alone at night, especially in unfamiliar areas, and keep an eye on your belongings. Be cautious of your surroundings and be aware of any travel advisories or alerts issued by your government.

Currency and Money Matters

The currency of Uganda is the Ugandan Shilling (UGX). Credit cards are widely accepted in major establishments, but it’s advisable to carry some cash for smaller businesses and remote areas. ATMs are available in major towns and cities. Notify your bank about your travel plans to avoid any issues with card usage.

Transportation

Public transportation in Uganda can be crowded and unreliable. It’s recommended to use reputable taxi services or hire a private driver for long-distance travel. If you plan to drive, ensure you have an international driver’s license and be cautious of road conditions.

Respect Local Customs and Etiquette

Uganda has a diverse cultural landscape, and it’s important to respect local customs and traditions. Dress modestly, particularly in religious and rural areas. Seek permission before taking photographs of individuals, especially in local communities.

Wildlife Encounters

If you are visiting national parks or engaging in wildlife activities, follow the instructions of park rangers and guides for your safety and the well-being of the animals. Maintain a safe distance from wildlife, do not feed them, and never attempt to touch or disturb them.

Local Laws and Regulations

Familiarize yourself with the local laws and regulations of Uganda. Engaging in illegal activities or possessing illegal substances can lead to severe penalties.

Stay Informed

Keep yourself updated with the latest travel advisories and information from your government or embassy regarding travel to Uganda.

Unforgetable journey 10 days in Uganda with Ovacado Adventures was the best journey of my life. Safaris, trekkings, great views, local communities meetings and a lot more! Thanks to Robert, everything was on time, lodges were in high standard and food was delicious. Great drivers - Martin and Chance, who apart from driving also shared with us knowledge about country and nature. Uganda, the Pearl of Africa is beautiful country and I wish everyone to visit it, with Ovacado Adventures of course.

Adam

2022-12-12

A dream come true The trip we had was excellent! The program of the 10-day trip was rich in experiences that cannot be simply described ... Two trekking trips - one to the chimpanzees, the other to the gorillas. It was a very emotional experience that evokes tears of emotion. Wonderful nature, beautiful landscapes and ethnic diversity create the unique character of Uganda.... in the morning sounds of nature better than any alarm clock... And all this thanks to Robert who can organize everything perfectly! We also will not forget best driver - Martin and Chance - great fun - we loved it!

werkaczmarska

2022-12-11

The most important is that every single person is very happy after tour in Uganda I’ve cooperate with Ovacado Adventures Ltd for two years. Yesterday we finished another tour which was organized for the group of 12 people. Definitely I have to admit that everything was organized perfectly, we had excellent accomodation, delicious food, high quality cars. The itinerary was realized in more than 100 percent. All the time I had support from Robert and the excellent drivers who were were very good experienced in their work. Definitely I will come back with my next group of tourists from Poland. Ovacado Adventures Ltd is definitely recommendedBeata

Beata K

2022-12-09

Great professionals Just back from a 7 days tour in Uganda with Robert from Ovacado adventures and his guide Chance.Excellent program studied according to our wishes, very good choice of hotels with a great service of all the staff, and all the most interesting parks to discover the great apes in their habitats but also elephants, Lions, Leopards and beautiful meetings with the inhabitants of this magnificent country.A great trip and great memories with my son.

bgirardotmiglierina

2022-10-19

Great individual experience My partner and I just returned from a 15 day trip combining both Ruanda and Uganda. Robert proposed a trip according to our wishes - we added some suggestions and always had a good communication before our arrival. Some of our stops were: Kigali with the genocide memorial and the Kandt house. We continued to Musanze visiting the caves and the Dian Fossey Memorial. Continuing to Lake Bunyonyi, we spent the day at the lake with a combined Kajak/boat tour and a community walk with an external guide. My partner went Gorilla tracking which he liked a lot. We continued with Chimps tracking and some game drives in 2 national parks also including some boat tours during which we saw a lot of birds, crocodiles and hippos. Another highlight was Murchison waterfall and seeing the Nile. We also had the chance to see how banana beer is made and how local prople prepare their coffee. At the end of the trip we got to know Kampala and even saw a shoebill with a baby near Entebbe which was one of the highlights of our tour.What we liked most about our tour was that we really got an idea of how life is like in Uganda - we got in touch with many locals and also had the chance to try local food. The accomodations were in most cases very nice - even though we had planned a budget trip. We saw so many things we would never have expected - but never felt stressed. Robert and our guide Brian were very knowledgeable about all the animals and told us interesting background stories about life in the two countries. All in all we had a great time and would recommend Ovacado tours to everyone.

Eva G

2022-08-29

AMAZING TRIP!! We have just returned from a wonderful 16 day trip to Uganda and Rwanda organised by Robert of Ovacado. He devised a trip that perfectly accommodated our wishes and budget. Nothing was too much trouble and his response to any questions was exceptional. Chance was our amazing, knowledgeable guide and highly skilled driver. It was great fun travelling with him. We can recommend Ovacado to everybody for a personalised and very enjoyable trip.

Liz L

2022-07-05

Excellent experience The whole 19-day trip around Uganda was excellent. Everything was perfectly organized by Ovacado Adventures. Uganda is really amazing country, but Ovacado Adventures provided the highest quality of service. Can’t wait to come back again 😊 thank you so much for everything

2021-07-23

19 Day Safari / Uganda Tour I worked with Ovacado Adventures to custom make a 19 Day Safari / Uganda tour for my first solo trip to Africa. Robert, the owner, was super helpful and very responsive to all my questions. This was a big trip for me and the tour package that Robert put together exceed all my expectations! This kind of trip is a must if you are trying to see the Big 5 along with the Mountain Gorillas, Chimpanzee tracking and more. I also want to give a big shot-out to our guild/drive Stanley who help make this experience amazing. This company strives to make sure your solely focused on enjoying your trip. I highly recommend you work with them for your safari adventure!

Ernesto D

2021-07-21

Amazing trip From my initial contact with Robert we devised a tailor made trip for 15 days as I was going solo. He was super flexible on the plan and even personally joined along with the guide for entire duration of the trip. Highlight included many fantastic experiences such as gorilla tracking in bwindi national park and game drives and boat cruises along with white water rafting in jinja!. I highly recommend contacting them to work a personal itinerary.

marktravel

2020-12-31

Relaxed and my dream trip Having never seen this company before I wasn’t sure what to expect. This was a big trip for us, and my girlfriend Babi. We decided to go with Ovacado Adventures and were so happy that we did. It’s a fresh company. We had a great experience with our trip planner and this travel company. We had a trip of a lifetime. Every stop was perfect. Our tour guides were phenomenal and we learned so much from them. I was very impressed with how our agent organized our trip. Our transportation was always right on time and we moved through the day without a hiccup. It made for a flawless flow of the trip where we didn't have to worry about tickets, nothing! We were able to focus solely on enjoying. We recommend everyone to go with Ovacado Adventures Ltd ! Two thumbs up

margret k

2019-06-07