Welcome to Kampala city, a city of its own in East Africa.
Kampala is the capital city of Uganda and it is in this city you find all the cultural, religious, museums, universities, hotels, theatres, shopping malls, churches, and cathedrals of Uganda.
When you plan for your safari to Uganda do not miss to take the amazing day or night Kampala city tour.
When you travel to Uganda you will have to arrive at the Entebbe International Airport.
If you have a tour operator taking care of your safari definitely you will find company representative waiting for you at the airport.
For those who are on your private travel you can easily get Airport tax from the Airport to your hotel either in Entebbe or Kampala.
The drive from Entebbe to Kampala it is about 45 minutes without traffic but with traffic it approximately 1 hour, and in about 4 km at Najjanankumbi a suburb of Kampala you can have a clear view of the city.
Kampala city sits on over 7 hills which include the Rubaga, Namirembe, Old Kampala, Mengo, Makerere, Nakasero, and Kibuli, and what is so unique each of the hills sits churches, schools and hotels and offering a beautiful view of the Kampala city.
Today the Kampala City Council Authority under the tourism department has come up with the possible means of visiting Kampala.
If you are in Kampala to take a city tour, there is a modern bus for you.
While on Kampala city tour, here are tourist attractions to visit.
You can start from the King’s Palace (for a visit to the Buganda Parliament and Amin’s torture chambers), Kabaka’s man-made Lake, Kasubi Tombs and the Uganda Museum.
More on list is the Makerere Art Gallery, Baha’i Temple, Namugongo Shrine, Uganda National Theater, Uganda Parliament and the historical landmarks like Independence monument found near the perimeter fence of Sheraton Hotel among others.
On your visit to Kampala, there are several hotels to stay which include Luxury, Mid-range, and Budget Hotels and among the budget, you can stay in Guest Houses or Motels.
Among luxury hotels include the Sheraton Hotel Kampala, Serena Hotel Kampala, Imperial Hotels (Grand and Royale), Golf Course Hotel, Protea Hotel, Speke Hotel.
All these mentioned are found in the heart of Kampala and you can stay in a room of your category and all have gardens where you can relax when you are tired of the indoor environment.
Mid-range Hotels in Kampala include the Hotel Africana, Metropole Hotel, City Blue Hotel, Emin Pasha Hotel, Tulip Court Hotel, Far Way Hotel, Humura Hotel, Cassia Lodge among others and you can book your hotel in advance.
Then budget hotels include the Namirembe Guest House that is located at the Namirembe hill and on your stay at this hotel you can have a clear view of the city and when it comes at night different lights of Kampala can be spotted.
If you want to spend your Sunday in Church there are several churches that you can visit.
For the Anglican you can go to Namirembe Church, Kampala All Saints, Catholics go to the Rubaga Cathedral, Christ the King among others.
Moslem you can either go to Kibuli Mosque or Gadafi National Mosque at Old Kampala, and this one has been ranked among the Kampala tourist attractions.
Then if you want to go to the born again churches you can either go to Kampala Miracle Center – Rubaga, Kampala Pentecostal Church among others.
Kampala at Night becomes so interesting as there is so many hangout places that you can spend time with friends.
For corporate, you can hang out at clubs like Guvnor, Slick, Ngenoir, Ambiance, and other places exit for the local people that they visit buzz.
How to travel to and in Kampala is so simple and if you are from overseas you can come by airplane and land at Entebbe Airport and then take a private Airport taxi to Kampala.
Then from districts nearing Kampala, you can come with the public buses, Matatu or Boda Boda.
More so if you want to drive your self around Kampala you can rent private cars from several car rental agencies in Kampala.
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Also, there are so several safari companies offering the best Uganda safari tours in Uganda and you can experience wildlife safaris and gorilla tours in Africa.
They offer safaris that start from Entebbe, Uganda, or Kigali, Rwanda.
If you want to combine with other tourist regions in East and Central Africa, we have travel experts with the knowledge to organize these amazing trips.
Ugandan Tour
Tour of Uganda
Nature Adventure Uganda
Gorilla Safaris Tours
Budget Gorilla Trekking
Eco-Tours Rwanda
Eco-Tours Kenya
Kampala city has several local craft markets where tourists can visit to buy African souvenirs after their safaris to take back home.
Among them include the Uganda National Theater along Buganda Road.
After you can visit the local markets offering fresh fruits and these include the Nakasero and Owino market and much more fresh fruits are found.
Tourist Places to Visit in Kampala
- Kabaka Lake
This is a man-made Lake that is managed by the Buganda Kingdom government and it was formed by the Lake King Mwanga.
His plan was to connect this into Lake Victoria at Munyonyo. This Lake is found in Ndeeba town a suburb of Kampala in the Rubaga division.
The Lake is a birding hub spot for birders in Uganda and also during the Buganda tourism events competitions like Boat rides take place open by the Buganda King, His Majesty Ronald Muwenda Mutebi II.
The Buganda government has a plan to modernize this place to meet the international level and a moving hotel will be opened in the future.
- Kasubi Tombs
Kasubi tombs are situated on Kasubi hill with Kampala Uganda. The Kasubi tombs site is an active religious place in the Buganda kingdom.
In Buganda, the Kabaka is an unquestioned symbol of the spiritual, political, and social state of the Buganda nation.
- Rubaga Cathedral
Saint Mary’s Cathedral Rubaga, commonly referred to as Rubaga Cathedral, is the parent cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kampala, the oldest Roman Catholic diocese in Uganda.
- Namirembe Cathedral
Saint Paul’s Cathedral Namirembe, commonly referred to as Namirembe Cathedral, is the oldest cathedral in Uganda.
It serves as the provincial cathedral of the church of Uganda and the diocesan cathedral of Namirembe Diocese, the first diocesan to be founded in the church of Uganda province in 1890.
- Munyonyo Martyrs Shrine
The Munyonyo Martyrs shrine is a Roman Catholic shrine dedicated to the Ugandan Martyrs.
It was at Munyonyo where King Mwanga took the fateful decision to begin putting Christians to death. The blood of Ugandan’s martyrs was shed on the soil around Munyonyo.
- The Kabaka Monument
The monument whose centerpiece is a gigantic split drum called Engalabi in Luganda; is in the middle of the stretch from the Bulange headquarters of the Buganda government and the Lubiri the King’s palace.
The stretch also is known as the Royal Mile or King’s way, the structure rises 11 meters above the ground and the area has a diameter of 12.8 meters.
The spear and shield hanging in the middle of the split drum represent the kingdom emblem seen on the Buganda flag.
- Bahai Temple
The Mashriqu’I-Adhkar situated on 8. 5 hectares (21.5 acres of and on Kikaya Hill on the outskirts of Kampala, Uganda
- Kabaka’s Lake
This is the largest man-made lake in Uganda located in Ndeeba, Rubaga Division Kampala City, Uganda.
It was constructed by the 52 clans of Buganda from 1885-1888 during the reign of Ssekabaka Mwanga 11.
The plan of the king was to construct a channel wide enough for him to travel by boat to Lake Victoria for swimming and fishing.
- World War Memorial
Kampala’s oldest monument was built by the protectorate government in memory of Ugandans who died during the two world wars.
Upon return, world war veterans played an important role in the struggle for Uganda’s independence.
- Parliamentary Building
A monumental building, designed by Peat field and Bodegener to herald the optimism of the late 1950s with Uganda soon to be declared independent.
The light on top of the tower, when switched on, signifies that the House is sitting. A spectacular wooden mural showing Uganda’s rich flora and fauna can be seen in the foyer.
- Hindu Temple
The Hindu Temple is open to open to all visitors during the day. The only requirement is to maintain silence and remove your shoes at the entrance.
Here you will be able to see the various Hindu gods and watch their faithful feed and dress them. Photography is allowed as long as you silence your shutter sound.
- The straddle
This monument was built in memory of the hosting of the Common Wealth Heads of government, (CHOGM) in 2007; it is about 1 km away with a short distance from the major upmarket hotels in Kampala. It is situated just behind the parliament of Uganda in front of the Kampala Serena Hotel.
- Independence Monument
The construction of the independence monument was funded by the British Colonial government in the days leading up to Uganda’s first independence celebrations on October 9th, 1962.
Depicting a man un-wrapping his child and raising it to touch the sky, the towering sculpture a newborn country let free the bondages of colonization.
- Uganda Museum
The Uganda Museum is a museum in Kampala, Uganda, which displays and exhibits ethnological, natural history, and traditional life collections of Uganda’s cultural heritage.
The museum was founded in 1908 after governor George Wilson called for “all articles of interest” on Uganda to be procured.
- KCCA Katale/Nakasero Market
Though not exactly monuments, the KCCA Katale held on Sundays and Nakasero market is not to be skipped during your walking tour of Kampala city, perfect for travelers who love to shop and are looking for colorful places to photograph
- The Gaddafi Mosque
Gaddafi National Mosque is located at Kampala Hill in the Old Kampala area of Kampala, Uganda.
Completed in 2006, it can hold up to 20,000 visitors at once. From the top of the tower, visitors can enjoy views of the whole of Kampala.
- Makerere University Main Building
The administrative building for East Africa’s oldest University established in 1922, constructed with funding from the colonial development fund, the building was designed to partly resemble the senate building at the University of London to which Makerere College was then affiliated.
- The Journey
The Journey depicts five youthful individuals, among which three of them are carrying a flag, taking steps up on a pedestal the five decades Uganda has passed through as an independent state. It can be found at the Kololo independence grounds.
- Education Monuments
Various Institutional contain monuments depicting the role of education.
Kyambogo University had a monument with three kids struggling to touch a book and it was put in commemoration of 100 years of the education sector in Uganda. The monument was unveiled by Kintu Musoke in 1996.
The 75th Anniversary Monument at the CoNAS, school of statistics, and planning Roundabout, Makerere University it is titled hatching a new generation in front of the college of Natural Sciences.
It depicts the new dawn in the world of academics in Uganda with the rising of many institutions under the example of the fully established Makerere University.
- The Centenary Monument
This is positioned in the famous Centenary Park along Jinja road in close proximity to Hotel Africana.
It commemorates the centenary of the Kampala City Council, the governing body of Kampala city.
This feature was designed by a Makerere University Artist, Sylvia Katende and it stretches up to 6 feet.
Kampala is bordering with 2 districts which include Mukono and Wakiso and they also offer tourist places that you can visit while on your visit to Kampala.
Jinja is also not so far from Kampala it is 80 km and most of the visitors in Kampala visit this region for its interesting tourist activities like White water rafting, bungee jumping, and a boat ride along the River Nile. To Be Continued…………
