When to Go to Uganda
Which months suit gorilla trekking, game drives and birding, and what the rain actually means.
When to go to Uganda depends less on temperature than on rain. The country sits on the equator, so days are warm and nights cool all year, with altitude doing more to set the temperature than the calendar does. What changes is how often it rains, and that affects trails, roads and game viewing.
The two dry seasons
Most of Uganda has two drier periods and two wetter ones:
- December to February: dry and warm, a popular time to travel.
- March to May: the long rains, usually the wettest months.
- June to September: the main dry season and the busiest time for gorilla trekking.
- October to November: the short rains.
Rain in Uganda usually comes as heavy afternoon showers rather than days of grey drizzle, so even in the wetter months most mornings are good for activities.
Gorillas and chimpanzees
Gorilla treks in Bwindi and chimpanzee tracking in Kibale run every day of the year. The dry months make steep forest trails firmer and easier, which is why permits for June to September and December to February sell out first. In the wetter months the trails are muddier, but the gorillas are found just as reliably, and lodges are quieter.
If your dates are fixed in the dry season, book permits as early as possible. If you're flexible, the shoulder months, such as early June or late November, can be a good balance.
Savannah parks
In Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth, the dry seasons bring shorter grass and animals that stay closer to water, so game drives are more productive. In the wetter months the parks turn green, some tracks become harder going and game is more spread out, but boat trips such as the launch to the foot of Murchison Falls and the Kazinga Channel cruise run whatever the weather.
Kidepo is different
Kidepo Valley, in the dry northeast, has one long rainy season, roughly April to October. November to March is the best time to visit, when animals gather in the Narus Valley around the remaining water.
Birding
Uganda has more than a thousand recorded bird species, and birding is good all year. Migrant birds from Europe and Asia are present from about November to April, and many resident species breed in the wetter months, when they are in their brightest plumage.
The case for the green season
March to May and October to November bring lower lodge rates at many properties, easier permit availability and far fewer vehicles. Landscapes are at their most beautiful. If you don't mind an afternoon downpour and some mud, it is a very good time to travel. Our safari pages show green-season prices where they apply.
Month by month
- January–February: dry and warm; excellent for gorillas and game drives.
- March–May: the long rains; green, quiet and often lower lodge rates.
- June–August: the main dry season and the busiest months; book permits early.
- September: still mostly dry, with fewer visitors than August.
- October–November: the short rains; good value and lush scenery.
- December: dry again, with festive-season demand around Christmas.
And if you're adding Rwanda
Rwanda's seasons are similar. The long dry season runs from June to September, with a shorter dry spell from December to February, and the heaviest rains fall from March to May. Gorilla trekking in Volcanoes National Park runs all year, so the same planning applies to a combined trip.
