Day tours in Kampala City and Excursions

Day tours in Kampala, fondly known as the green city in the sun; Kampala is the commercial and administrative capital of Uganda. Spread over more than twenty hills, Kampala city is one of the fastest growing cities in Africa. Its architecture is a mixture of the modern, the colonial and the Indian. Its roads are its four million inhabitants.

Sitting at an altitude of 1,180m above sea level, the city enjoys pleasant weather, with annual temperatures averaging 17 degrees Celsius (minimum) and 27 degrees Celsius (maximum). To the south of the city is Lake Victoria, the world’s second largest fresh water lake and the source of the longest river in the world, the River Nile.

The history of Kampala city, like that of many other cities in the world, is wrapped in both folklore and historical facts which you will learn about on our day tours. According to folklore, swamps and hills dominated much of the area where present-day Kampala stands.This made it an ideal habitat for Impala and other members of the antelope family.

The animals grazed on the slopes of the hills and came down to the swamps for water. The palace of the Kabaka (king) of Buganda, located on the landscape rich in Impala herds. The king thus turned it into his hunting grounds.

Folklore merged with history when the British Empire builders arrived at the end of the 19th century. “Impala” was the English name for that particular antelope family. So the British referred to the area as the “hill of the Impala”, which the Baganda translated into Luganda as “kasozi k’empala” and eventually “kampala”.Kasozi means hill.

So whenever the kabaka left the palace to go hunting his favorite game, royal courtiers would say “the kabaka has gone to Kampala to hunt”, thus the name was born. The tag “the hill of the Impala”, however, specifically referred to the hill on which colonial victory, Captain Fredrick Lugard, of the Imperial British East African Company, established base in 1890.

Now known as Old Kampala, this hill would be the administrative headquarters of the company (and Uganda) until 1894 when the administrative headquarters of the British Protectorate were transferred to Entebbe. In 1962 upon attainment of independence, Kampala regained its status as the capital city of Uganda. From a small hamlet occupying 19 square kilometers, Kampala had spread to seven hills by the time of independence, earning the tag “city of seven hills”.

The original seven hills are: Mengo, Rubaga, Namirembe, Makerere, Kololo, Nakasero, and Kampala (Old Kampala) and each hill has unique tourist attractions. Today, greater Kampala stands on at least 21 hills. On our Kampala Excursions and Tours, we take you through the prominent hills that form modern Kampala and their signature to the city’s political and socio-economic life, starting with the original seven.

Kampala Day Tours and Excursions

Kampala Half Day City Tour – USD 50

Come and see the world’s remaining mountain gorillas from the wild of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, the best park for tracking the endangered mountain gorillas. This Mountain gorilla trip starts from Kampala, the safari capital of Uganda. Have one of the most rare poignant wildlife adventure experiences of looking deep into the expressive brown. Details of the Trip > Inquire

Kampala Full Day Excursion – USD 120

Join this Classic Uganda Safari combining mountain gorilla trekking and wildlife (game viewing) in Queen Elizabeth National Park. On this tour see the endangered mountain gorillas and visit Queen Elizabeth National Park, one of the world’s largest biosphere reserve. Enjoy your Safari through Uganda through the open savannah grasslands, rainforests, papyrus swamps and crater lakes.Book Early – Few Gorilla Permits Remaining! Details of the Trip > Inquire

Kampala Religious Sites Tour – USD 120

Visit Uganda’s most famous national parks on this 7 days Uganda Safari. Go chimpanzee trekking in Kibale Forest, game viewing in Queen Elizabeth National park and Mountain Gorilla Trekking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park. Explore Uganda’s most national parks containing the most astonishing number of species – ! Details of the Trip > Inquire >

Kampala Cultural Sites Tour – USD 120

Hike the fabled ” Mountains of The Moon ” lieng in Western Uganda on the Congolese border, with snow-covered, equatorial peaks rising to height of 5110 m and lower slopes blanketed in moorland and rich montane forest. Discover the incomparable, beautiful, mist-shrouded peaks provide a unique backdrop to one of Uganda’s most magnificent parks. Details of the Safari >Inquire

Kampala Jinja Adventure Trip – USD 230

12 days Uganda Safari Adventure Trip. Tour Kampala, Lake Mburo National Park, Bwindi Gorilla Forest, Queen Elizabeth, Kibale Forest and Murchison Falls. On this trip, go white water rafting in Jinja and tour Jinja, home to the Source of the Nile. On this Uganda Tour go gorilla trekking, track the endangered chimpanzees and enjoy game viewing in Uganda National Parks. Details of the Tour >Inquire

BOOKING AN AFRICAN SAFARI WITH US

To book our Kampala Tours and Excursions, please send us your inquiry through info@cycadssafaris.com or by filling out the short booking form. You can as well make your safari booking by calling our Tours and Travel Desk through +256772507241. For free travel advice, inquiry or request for further information about our safaris, travel information, safety and security you fill out the Inquiry Form or call our helpline +256-414-573775
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