Things to do in Entebbe | Untamed Uganda Safaris

Entebbe is the main gateway of Uganda to the world, set in a lush green environment along the northern lakeshores of Africa’s biggest inland sea – Lake Victoria. This historic town hosts Uganda’s only international airport, boasts a serene tropical environment, quiet streets, variety of hotels and guesthouses making it a perfect base for tourists and visitors set to explore Uganda’s attractions far inland and beyond.

Entebbe town lies only 40 km south of the capital city Kampala and a home to Uganda’s international airport. Entebbe is a destination in its own right offering a wide range of adventures activities and attraction that can be easily explored from just 2-hrs to full-day tours.

Read on…

Things to do and Day Tours while in Entebbe

Entebbe offers numerous day to multi day tour options tailored to the visitors’ available time, interests and adventure appetite. These tours range from a short 30mins walk to the craft market, or 2hrs-boat-cruise on Lake Victoria, to a-half-a-day chimpanzee visit at Ngamba Island to a day adventure outside Entebbe town.

Here are a few recommendations to our Untamed travellers with time in Entebbe;

Go birding for the Shoebill at Mabamba Wetlands

Both birders and enthusiasts with time to spare in Entebbe can explore the vast Mabamba wetlands, a popular birding hotspot that offer the most reliable chances to encounter the Shoebill in its native habitat. The Shoebill is a prehistoric and rare species, often encountered singly or in pairs and is known from a handful hotspots across Africa. Whereas Uganda has various other hotspots to see the Shoebill, Mabamba wetland is the most accessible and reliable while its closeness to Entebbe makes it even more convenient to explore on a day-trip to tick off this prehistoric species.

Mabamba Shoebill tour begins from the community office that lie only 1hr-drive west of Entebbe town while a quicker alternative is a 40-mins boat ride that lead you straight into the marshland to begin the excursion. The activity duration lasts between 2-3 hour and is carried out on motorized canoes across a maze of channels to access the interior of the vast marshland of Mabamba.

Dedicated birdwatchers can explore further for restricted wetland specialists including; the beautiful Papyrus Gonolek, the dashing and quick Lesser Jacana, Carruthers’ Cisticola, the skulking White-winged Swamp Warbler, the Northern Brown-throated Weaver, the Blue-breasted Bee-eater and more.

Go birding at Lutembe Bay

Even closer to the town Entebbe is the Ramsar Site and an Important Bird Area of Lutembe. This extensive marsh, lies some 20km north of Entebbe and the best place to see visiting Palearctic migrants between September-April including up to a million White-winged Terns, thousands of Whiskered Terns, Slender-billed Gulls, and several Sandpipers species. Local waders include Grey-headed Gull, Purple and Grey Heron, Spur-winged Goose, African Marsh Harrier and more.

*Knob-billed Duck at Lutembe Ramsar Site*

Explore the Entebbe Botanical Gardens

Established in 1898 as the first agricultural research unit, Entebbe Botanical Gardens offer a quick exposure tour to Uganda’s rich vegetational diversity and a picnic setting. The layout of the gardens reflect and portrays the rich Ugandan biodiversity of habitats consisting of rainforests, savanna woodlands, tropical forests, open water and wetlands. Of interest to visitors here, is a wide variety of local herbs and medicinal varieties that are used across Uganda. The botanical gardens is also a seed bank with over 5000 seed specimens preserved here.

For naturalists and enthusiasts, Entebbe botanical gardens offer a great introduction to Uganda’s natural diversity ranging from over 200 bird species checklist to a variety-list of butterflies and more. The 1.5km Lake Victoria shore line is a good place to tick off various migrant and local waders plus pairs of Nile Monitor while the mature fruit trees attract Guereza, Vervet and Red-tailed Monkeys.

Visit the Chimpanzee Island of Ngamba

For visitors in Entebbe with short time to travel to the far western Uganda to trek along the chimpanzee in their tropical forest homes, a day trip to Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary Island offers an incredible expereince. Ngamba Island sits some 23km off Entebbe mainland and reached by speed boat for 45-60 mins. Ngamba Island hosts a chimpanzee population of up to 52 individuals composed mainly of rescued individuals from pet traders across the region.

Booked tours to the chimpanzee island fall on either a half/full day program that coincide with supplementary feeding schedules of chimpanzee at the sanctuary. On these schedules, visitors are able to watch and observe various social behavior and human-like traits as chimpanzee come to the feeding platform. Transport from the mainland is by boat and takes up to 45 minutes. With lots of time, take overnights at the on-ground lovely eco lodge overlooking the expansive Lake Victoria.

Take a Guided Walking Tour and Visit local Food and Craft markets

Entebbe just like anywhere across Uganda is a vibrant town with large markets. In these spaces visitors can appreciate varied colors, appreciate Uganda’s rich diversity of produce and the most of all – interact and engage ordinary citizens as they go about their day today business. On tour, purchase and eat a variety of home grown organic fresh fruits or visit local hotels to taste the country’s variety of dishes.

Take a Visit to the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC)

While in Entebbe, visit the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre (UWEC) formerly called the Zoo, an animal sanctuary set for educational purposes on Uganda’s rich fauna. Sitting on the shores of Lake Victoria, the education center offers interpretive tours and up-close experience to several mammals here. Resident wildlife include 4 of the famous Big 5 list, dozens of Chimps, Lions, Leopard, Cheater and a great collection of foreign species the latest being a pair of Tigers.

Take a Sunset Cruise to the Equator Crossing on Lake Victoria

With an afternoon to spare while in Entebbe, take a boat cruise to the equator crossing located just an hour off Nakiwogo ferry landing. At Latitude 0 disembark from your boat for photographs. Take it slow while here to enjoy the incredible sunset and watch merchant and fishermen boats heading out for night expeditions on this Africa’s biggest inland sea.

Other Exciting Day-Trips out of Entebbe include;