Uganda Family Safari: Best Ages, Parks and Pacing

Uganda is a wonderful family destination, but it works a little differently from a classic safari. The big primate treks have age limits, some drives are long, and the best days for children are often the quiet ones: a canoe on a lake, a wetland walk, a boat past hippos.

This guide covers what children can and cannot do, which parks suit families, how to pace the trip and what it costs. Prices are in US dollars per person.

The short answer

Families of any age can enjoy Uganda. What changes with age is the activity list: gorilla trekking starts at 15, and chimpanzee tracking at 12 on our family itineraries. Younger children join supervised programmes while parents trek.

• Gorilla trekking: minimum age 15.
• Chimpanzee tracking in Kibale: minimum age 12 on our family itineraries. We confirm the current rule for your dates.
• Everything else: game drives, boat trips, canoeing, walks, cultural visits and swimming suit most ages.

What children do while parents trek

This is the question every family asks. On our family itineraries, children under the age limit do not wait around in the lodge. They take part in supervised programmes while the adults trek: forest-edge nature walks, conservation education, a Bigodi Wetland visit and scouting-style activities. At Bwindi they can also join a Batwa cultural visit, with music, dance, storytelling and simple hands-on activities.

If you have teenagers of 15 or over, they can trek the gorillas with you. Each trekker needs a permit of their own, which is $800 per person for foreign non-residents, or $600 in April, May and November. UWA publishes the rates on its tariff page. Our gorilla trekking cost guide goes through the options, and our permit guide explains the booking.

Parks and places that work well for families

• Lake Mburo: Uganda's most relaxed savannah park. It has game drives, a boat trip on the lake and guided walks, which are rare in Uganda and a favourite with children.
• Queen Elizabeth and Ishasha: a boat cruise on the Kazinga Channel, where hippos and elephants come to the water, and the Ishasha sector's famous tree-climbing lions.
• Kibale and Bigodi Wetland: chimpanzees in the forest, plus a wetland walk with monkeys and birds that younger children can do while older family members track.
• Lake Bunyonyi: the best rest stop on the route. It is deep and free of hippos, crocodiles and bilharzia, so children can swim supervised at the lodge shore, and dugout canoes are a highlight.
• The Equator: a quick roadside stop on the way, with a water experiment that children tend to remember.

Pacing: how not to wear everyone out

Uganda is a trip of long, scenic drives. Individual transfers can take three to six hours, for example 3 to 4 hours from Bwindi to Lake Bunyonyi and 5 to 6 hours from Bunyonyi to Lake Mburo. Our family routes are built to share this out.

• Keep the days short. Aim for one main activity a day, not two.
• Build in lake days. Bunyonyi gives everyone a full day to swim, canoe and do nothing.
• Pack for the car. Books, snacks, games and a small speaker help on the long transfers.
• Choose a shorter trip if your children are young. More days is not always better. Our guide to how many days you really need compares the options.

Two family itineraries

• 14 days, about $4,900 per person for six ($5,160 for five and $6,210 for three): Best of Uganda Family Safari. Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Ishasha, Bwindi, Lake Bunyonyi and Lake Mburo. It includes gorilla tracking and a chimpanzee hike for the parents, and scouting activities for the children.
• 17 days, about $8,820 per adult (child rate about $5,970, based on two adults and one child): Pearl of Africa Family Trip. A slower, half-board trip with lodges chosen for families, children's meals and supervised programmes during the treks.

Family prices vary with the ages and number of children, so we quote each family individually. Our guide to how much a Uganda safari costs shows how these compare with our other trips.

Health, with children

Uganda no longer asks for a yellow fever certificate at entry, but the WHO and the CDC recommend the vaccine from nine months of age, and babies under nine months should not have it. Our yellow fever guide has the details. The CDC also recommends prescription malaria medicine for visitors, so ask a travel clinic what suits each child. Travel insurance is a must for a family trip, and it should cover medical evacuation.

When to go

School holidays often fall in the drier months, which are good for walking and for roads. They are also the busiest, so book three to six months ahead for the best lodges. Our guide to the best time to visit Uganda explains the seasons, including the wetter months when gorilla permits are cheaper but cannot be rescheduled.

Where to start

Take a look at the Best of Uganda Family Safari or the Pearl of Africa Family Trip. You can compare every Uganda option on our Uganda safari tours page, and our Uganda page covers the country in more depth. Visas are separate for each traveller, and Uganda's eVisa is $50 through the official portal.

Tell us your children's ages, your dates and what matters most, and we'll shape the trip and reply within 24 hours. You can start your enquiry here.