Lake Mburo National Park is situated in the highly scenic western Uganda. It is the most accessible national park for wildlife safaris in Uganda, and perfect spot for short weekend trips from Kampala.

This Uganda safaris park is located about 3-hour drive from Uganda’s capital, Kampala and a few hour-drives from the Uganda gorilla trekking forests of the south west. Lake Mburo National Park is the smallest savannah park in Uganda. It covers around 260 km². And lies on ancient Precambrian metamorphic rocks that date back more than 500 million years.

In spite of the small size, Mburo’s great mix habitats make for a wide range of mammals and birds. And its tranquil atmosphere and soothing views provide welcome relief after long Uganda safaris. Unique to Lake Mburo National Park is the availability of horseback rides, walking safaris and cycling tours with in the park.

These unique Uganda safari activities allows for closer viewing and exceptional photographs of abundant plains game such as zebra, giraffe, buffalo, and antelopes. You can even take a boat cruise on Lake Mburo to see Hippos, Crocodiles and water birds.

How To Get To Lake Mburo National Park?

Lake Mburo National Park is found in Mbarara district along Kampala – Mbarara highway. The park is usually visited on a tour, possibly as an overnight stop when driving between Kampala and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, the home of Mountain Gorillas. Lake Mburo is located in western Uganda, 240km from Kampala and 250km to 300km from Bwindi, depending on which gorilla trekking sector you are headed to.

Road Trip To Lake Mburo

The drive from Kampala takes about 3 to 4 hours and the drive on to Bwindi about 6 to 7 hours.

From Kampala, the park is reached via Kampala – Masaka –Mbarara Road. Along the way you can make some stopovers to visit the Drum makers at Mpambire trading centre. You can also make a stop at the Equator Monument in Kayabwe.

Uganda is one of the few countries on Earth where you can cross this imaginary geographical line on land. Here you can also observe how water swirls in opposite directions on either side of the equator and take some photos.

From there, the drive will continue to Lake Mburo National Park and look out for the herds of the beautiful long-horned Ankole cattle on the way to the entrance. From Kampala, Lake Mburo National Park is accessed by 2 Gates; from Mbarara, the first gate is Sanga gate accessed through Sanga trading centre while the next one is Nshara gate.

It is about 2 kilometers from each of the gates to arrive Rwonyo where the park headquarters are found.

Note: If you are flying into Uganda, note that Entebbe airport will be your entry and it is 46 kilometers from the capital city — Kampala so keep it in mind to have your accommodation and pick up arrangements handled by your Uganda tour operator or if you wish to transfer directly to the park, keep note that early arrival is necessary.

Domestic Flights To Lake Mburo National Park

Bar Aviation offers domestic flights that depart from Entebbe International Airport daily at 7:05 am and arrive at Mbarara Airstrip near Lake Mburo National Park at 7:50 am. Return flights depart from Mbarara airstrip at 10:45 am and arrive at Entebbe airport at 11:25 am.

READ MORE About Uganda Fly-in Safaris.

Lake Mburo National Park Tour Packages

Here are some of our Lake Mburo National Park safari packages. These packages are designed to give you some suggestions for what is possible when you are planning a tour to Lake Mburo.

Attractions In Lake Mburo National Park

1. Landscape & Scenery

Lake Mburo Park lies on an altitude of about 1219m and 1828m. The park has the most extensive acacia woodland of any Uganda parks.

Lake Mburo, the largest of the 5 lakes with in the park is part of a 50 km-long wetland system that is linked by swamps. High hills and rocky, eroded ridges characterize the western part of the park.

Here, deep valleys support the forest found nowhere else. In the eastern sector of Mburo, the rolling, wooded hills are intersected by wide, flat bottomed valleys, which are seasonally flooded and drain into the swamps and lakes. The Ruizi River flows in a south-easterly direction and forms part of the park’s western boundary.

2. Lake Mburo National Park Animals

Lake Mburo National Park is known for plenty herbivores (animals which feed on plants). This is partially due to the presence of few predators to feed on them. Only one lion is known to live in the park. Other predators are in small numbers such as Leopard and Hyena.

Back to herbivores, Lake Mburo is the only park where you can see the Impala antelopes on Uganda wildlife safaris. The elusive gigantic Eland antelopes can best be spotted here too, often found grazing in the woodland areas.

Other antelopes include Defassa Waterbuck, Bushbuck, Topi, Oribi, Bohor reedbuck, Statunga, and Klipspringer. The beautiful Plains Zebras which are found in only one other Uganda park (remote Kidepo National Park) live here in large number.

The mighty African Buffaloes are also easy to see in the open savanna and near water sources. Lake Mburo is home to many hippos and crocodiles. A group of Rothschild’s Giraffes was brought into the park in 2015 thus improving on the diversity of wildlife in the park. The park is also home to Vervet monkey, Olive baboon, Galago/Bush baby, Genet and many types of mongoose.

3. Birds In Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is a top spot for Uganda bird watching tours. The park’s diverse habitats of wetlands, acacia woodland, lakes, and grasslands host over 350 species of Uganda birds. Lake Mburo is probably the best place to find the iconic Grey-crowned Crane (Uganda’s national bird).

Other avian gems of Lake Mburo National Park include: African finfoot, Papyrus Gonolek, African Fish Eagle, African Marsh Harrier, Red-faced Barbet, Rufous-bellied Heron, Ross’s Turaco, Lappet-faced Vulture, Narina trogon, Lilac-breasted Roller, Brown Snake Eagle, Green Wood Hoopoe, Common Scimitarbill, Bateleur, Coqui Francolin and White-backed heron.

4. People And Culture

Aside with the wildlife attractions, Lake Mburo National Park is located at the heart of the ancestral home of the Bahima. The park has a lot to offer in terms of cultural tours in Uganda. The Bahima people are famed cattle herders who rear the beautiful and iconic Ankole long-horned cattle that can be seen grazing on the drive to the park. The Igongo Cultural Centre is located a few kilometres from the park and tells the story of the history and traditions of the Ankole King.

Lake Mburo National Park Entrance Fees

All Lake Mburo National Park fees are payable at the gate at time of entrance. Park fees are valid for 24 hours.

Visitor Category	Fee
Foreign non-residents (Adult)	US Dollars 40
Foreign residents (Adult)	US Dollars 30
Children foreign non-residents	US Dollars 20
Children foreign residents	US Dollars 10
East African Citizens (Adults)	Uganda Shillings 20,000
East African Citizens (Child)	Uganda Shillings 5,000

Lake Mburo National Park Activities

1. Day Game Drives

Lake Mburo National Park is a small park that’s easy to explore on a game drive and in such a short time you’ll have spotted plenty of wildlife.

The early morning hours are most favorable for game viewing and to catch the magical sunrise over the breathtaking savannah landscape dotted with acacia and lakes. With the early morning game drive you are chanced to catch the elusive leopard and hyena that are out on a hunt, and you could spot hippos before retreating to Lake Mburo.

The herbivores are also very active by this time. The park has wide tracks for easy access to many areas of the park.

2. Night Game Drive

A whole new world of animal species (nocturnal) awaits you on a night game drive in Lake Mburo National Park. Mburo is one of the few national parks in Uganda that offers night game drives.

Accompanied by Uganda Wildlife Authority rager, the night drives starts at 7.00 pm and last up to 3 hours. They offer the best chance of spotting the elusive and solitary leopard, the most secretive of the big cats.

You might also see genet, bush baby, white-tailed mangoes, spotted hyena, and nightjar. Your ranger guide may use a spotlight to assist in identifying some of this sometimes hard-to-see wildlife. 

3. Lake Mburo Boat Cruise

Lake Mburo National Park offers boats cruises on Lake Mburo after which the park is named. The boat ride is a scheduled activity. It departs every 2 hours and lasts up to 2 hours allowing guests to relax while viewing wildlife closer than they would in a safari jeep.

Lake Mburo supports a variety of aquatic life like hippos, crocodiles, lizards, and water birds which are best observed from the boat trip. For birders, the best time for the boat cruise is definitely in the morning.

The elusive African Finfoot is the most sought after bird there. Other includes species of Kingfishers and Herons among others. To see animals, the hot afternoon is the better timing when the Hippos and Crocodiles are by the shores of the lake and other big game such as Buffaloes and Antelopes come to the drink and cool off.

4. Game Walk

Lake Mburo National Park offer one of the most interesting game walks in Uganda, in a beautiful area with a knowledgeable local guide.

The nature walk offers an opportunity to see various species of birds, antelopes, and primates, as well as Hyena, Buffalo, Giraffe, Zebra and Warthog. All this in a beautiful savannah landscape dotted with great Acacia trees.

Nature walks begin between 6:30 am and 7:00 am and last about 2 hours or more depending on your interests. It is a great way to get closer to wildlife and take great photos during your Uganda safari tours.

5. Bird Watching

Lake Mburo National Park is great birding spot with more than 350 bird species in this rather small protected area. Birding watching adventures can be enjoyed in the car, on boat, or even more exciting on foot. Birds are not hard to spot

SOme of the species that top the list include the White-winged Warbler, Papyrus gonolek, Red-faced Barbet, Abyssinian ground hornbill, Verreaux’s eagle, Saddle-billed stork, and African finfoot.

The closed canopy of the Rubanga Forest located west of the lake is home to a variety of bird species, including White-winged Warbler, Crested Francolin, Greenwood Hoopoe, Brown Parrot, Red-necked Spurfowl, Black-billed Barbet, Lilac-breasted Roller, African-grey Hornbill and the Nubian Woodpecker.

6. Cycling Tour

Lake Mburo National Park is one of the popular biking destinations in Uganda. Ride across the lush hills and through the game tracks to observe plenty of game and enjoy the breathtaking scenery. You’re very likely to see zebra, impala, warthogs as well as a variety of other antelope.

Cycling tours are customized to the interests and abilities of various guests. Trips can range from one hour to as long as you can ride although the cooler hours of the day, especially in the early mornings. You are assigned a ranger guide to lead you and to ensure your safety

7. Horseback Riding

Other than taking a nature walk, cycling, game drive or boat cruise, the bush of Lake Mburo National Park can be explored on a horseback offering you another great chance to get closer to wildlife.

You will ride for two full hours sighting zebra, giraffes, buffalo, while also enjoying the beautiful landscapes en route. The horses are well trained and maintained by their German owners. There are horses available for riders of different levels of experience. Two guides will often accompany tourists.

8. Sport fishing

Lake Mburo National Park’s 5 akes offer excellent opportunities for fishing adventures. Tilapia is the most common species of fish although anglers are likely to catch several other species. You are advised to carry your own fishing equipment

9. Cultural Tours (Community Visits)

Community cultural tours around Lake Mburo National Park can be done on a bike or on foot. You will come across the grazing land where wildlife and livestock mingle and can learn about their culture and traditions and even have a go at milking the famous Ankole cows or making some cow’s ghee.

You can also visit the Igongo Cultural Centre which features one of the best museums in all of Uganda. Here you can learn about learn about the history and traditions of the Ankole Kingdom.

Lake Mburo National Park Accommodation

Lake Mburo National Park has got one of the best and affordable Uganda Safari Lodges (accommodation facilities). Lodges in Lake Mburo National Park range from of luxury, mid-range, and budget options:

Mihingo Lodge	Luxury
Mburo Safari Lodge	Luxury
Rwakobo Rock Lodge	Midrange
Arcadia Lodge	Midrange
Mpogo Safari Lodge	Midrange
Eagles Nest Mburo	Budget
Leopard Rest Camp	Budget
Rwonyo Rest Camp	Budget

Lake Mburo National Park Weather

Lake Mburo National Park is located near the Uganda equator line. The rainfall pattern is bimodal.  Long rains occur from March to June and the short rains from September to December. The rainfall is rather erratic.

But most rain tends to fall in April and November. Lake Mburo National Park average recorded temperature is 26°C. Daily variations range from 14°C to 32°C. The hottest months are July and August.

In the evening or on a rainy day it can get quite chilly no matter which time of the year it is. On a sunny day it will always be hot and feel even hotter in the rainy season because of the increased humidity. Generally Lake Mburo has nearly the perfect climate with warm, but not over hot days and slightly colder nights.

FAQs About Lake Mburo National Park

More Uganda Safari Packages Featuring Lake Mburo