Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park lies in Kiruhura District, about 30 km east of Mbarara and close to the Kampala to Mbarara highway. It has been a national park since 1983.

Why go

Lake Mburo is the closest savannah park to Kampala and Entebbe, and the easiest to fit into a short trip or a drive to the gorillas. It is the best place in Uganda to see zebras and eland, and you are very likely to meet impala, topi, buffaloes, warthogs and hippos. Rothschild’s giraffes were brought here in 2015. More than 300 bird species have been recorded, including the African finfoot and the papyrus gonolek.

What you can do

• Morning and afternoon game drives, and night drives, when leopards are sometimes seen.
• A boat trip on the lake, close to hippos and water birds.
• Guided walks with an armed UWA ranger among zebras and antelope.
• Cycling inside the park.
• Horse riding, run privately by a lodge next to the park.
• Birding and sport fishing.

The people side

Around the park live Banyankole and Bahima families, famous for their Ankole cattle with very large, curved horns. Our community visits here are with local groups such as the Rurambira Community Conservancy (RCC), where landowners east of the park share their land between cattle and wildlife. The visit is run by the community and included in your trip, so what you pay goes to your hosts. On the road west, the Igongo Cultural Centre at Biharwe, near Mbarara, has a museum of Ankole culture, a craft shop and a restaurant, and makes a good lunch stop.

Best time to visit

Lake Mburo is good all year. The drier months, June to August and December to February, are best for walking. It is warm, about 25 to 28 C, with fairly low rainfall.

Getting there

Allow 4 to 5 hours by road from Kampala, and about 1 hour more from Entebbe. There are no regular flights. On the way you can stop at Mpanga Forest, the Mpambire drum makers and the Equator.

Good to know

There are no elephants here, and lions are not regular residents, so come for zebras, walking and calm, not for big cats. That quiet is exactly why you can explore on foot, by bicycle or on horseback. The land is rolling hills, acacia woodland, lakes and swamps, and most activities are relaxed or easy. One night here is a good first or last stop on a trip to Bwindi or Lake Bunyonyi. UWA’s current prices are valid to 31 December 2026; new UWA prices start on 1 January 2027.