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Lake Mburo National Park Uganda: Best Activities, Fee + Map

Welcome to the smallest savannah park in Uganda, Lake Mburo National Park, a hidden gem spanning the western districts of Mbarara, Isingiro, and Kiruhura.

With just a leisurely 4-hour drive away from Kampala, Lake Mburo stands out as the most accessible park from the capital and international airport as compared to other Uganda national parks.

This park was gazetted in 1933 as a controlled hunting area and then after, it was upgraded into a reserve in 1963 and in 1983 it was designated as a national park. Spanning a mere 270 square kilometers, Lake Mburo National Park might be small, but it’s a sanctuary bursting with life and charm.

Why is it called Lake Mburo National Park?

Lake Mburo National Park draws its name from the mesmerizing Lake Mburo that graces its landscape.

Attractions in Lake Mburo National Park:

Wildlife;

Although small in size, this park hosts an array of wildlife such as lions, African buffaloes, leopards and the iconic zebras.

It is also a home to the Rothschild giraffes, hippos, and a diverse assortment of antelopes including the elegant impalas and the stately elands.

Birds;

For bird enthusiasts, Lake Mburo becomes a theater for more than 330 bird species. The acacia-dotted savannahs are painted with the hues of martial eagles and the melody of red-faced barbets.

Visit the wetlands to catch glimpses of papyrus yellow warblers and the elusive African fin foots. The tranquil waters become a canvas for a vivid exhibition featuring malachite kingfishers, African fish eagles and an ensemble of feathered wonders.

Lakes, Forests and More;

It also consists of 13 beautiful lakes including Lake Mburo; and not leave out its dotted savanna grassland and forested gorges plus some patches of papyrus swamp and narrow bands of lush riparian woodland line many lakes.

Best Activities to Do in Lake Mburo National Park:

Boat Ride;

Boat rides/cruise in Lake Mburo National Park are done along Lake Mburo and gets you a chance to see huge concentration of hippos, crocodiles, water bird as well as antelopes, buffaloes and other wildlife species that come roaming around shores of the lake.

The birds to identify while on a boat ride include malachite kingfishers, African Fish eagles, blue headed weavers, Rufous long tailed starlings, the pied kingfishers, Hammer kop, Herons, pelicans, the rare shoebill and cormorants.

Game Drives;

The best way to explore and experience Lake Mburo National Park is by embarking on a game drive and you need a good 4×4 drive safari car.

A game drive at Lake Mburo National Park rewards you with amazing sights at diverse wildlife species including Rothschild giraffes, leopards, lions, buffaloes, Burchell’s Zebras, elands, impalas as well as bird species.

You can decide to embark on this activity in the morning or in afternoon.

Bird Watching;

Lake Mburo National Park is an incredible birder’s paradise in Uganda. The birds to identify in this park include the Coqui Francolin, Emerald-spotted Wood, Rufous-bellied Heron, Bateleur, Brown-chested Lapwing, Grey Crowned Crane, Bare-faced Go-away-bird, Red-faced Barbet and others.

Birding tours in this Lake Mburo National Park are best done at swampy valleys of Miriti and the Warukiri as well as the roadsides between Rwonyo camp and jetty.

You can as well visit Rubanga forest for a nature walk which will reward you with incredible bird sight at the red-faced Barbet. Bird Watching Safari to Lake Mburo National park: 7 Days Uganda Birding Safari.

Sport Fishing;

For avid anglers, sport fishing is one amazing experience you need not to miss out while on safari in Lake Mburo National Park. There are 6 fish species and they include; Tilapia, lung fish, mud fish as well as the Haplochromes.

By using the hooks, the visitors can also spend some of their time as they catch this fish, a shade is also provided at the campsite in order to ensure the maximum relaxation for the visitors as they are at the lake.

There is also an observation point which is located in a wooden hide out that offers a good chance to view the 4 different species of animals at any time as they lick the salty soil.

Horseback Riding;

Explore Lake Mburo National Park in a unique way by embarking on horseback riding tour. This will allow you to catch a glimpse at the elands, buffaloes, warthog, antelopes (such as topis, impala, duiker, bushbuck, waterbuck) and zebras.

Nature Walks;

Nature walks are in this park are conducted at Rwonyo and takes visitors about 2 hours. It offers a chance to explore different habitats in and around Lake Mburo National Park.

Lake Mburo National Park Fees:

	Foreign Non Residents	Foreign Residents		East African Citizens
Entrance Fees	$40	$30		UG Shs 20,000
Day Game Drive	$20	$20		UG Shs 20,000
Night Game Drive Per Person	$30	$30		UG Shs 50,000
Boat Cruise	$30	$30		UG Shs 30,000
Nature Walk	$15	$15		UG Shs 10,000
Vehicle Entrance Fee	UG Shs 30,000 for East African Cars		$50-120 for International Vehicles

Accommodation at Lake Mburo National Park:

The accommodations alternatives in this park include Mihingo safari lodge, Mantana tented camp, Lake Mburo safari Lodge. Eagle’s nest, Rwonyo rest camp is perfect for budget tourists.

Best time to Visit Lake Mburo National Park:

Lake Mburo National Park can be visited at anytime of the year. However, the dry season is the best time to visit this park and it starts from June to September and December to February.

This is ideal for game viewing since most of the wildlife species confine in the few sources of water thus offering incredible sight at variety.

The rainy season from March to May and October to November creates a vibrant setting perfect for birding.

Getting to Lake Mburo National Park:

Lake Mburo National Park is in western Uganda about 4 hours’ drive from Kampala. To get to this park, you need a good 4×4 drive safari car and your journey can start from Entebbe or Kampala via Masaka route with a chance to make a stopover at the equator for photo taking.

Lake Mburo National Park Map:

Ideal Uganda Safaris to Lake Mburo;

1 Day Lake Mburo Safari will guide you through Lake Mburo national park Uganda for a game drive as you will spot various animals found in the park. Our 1 Day Lake Mburo Safari will then further lead you out for a launch cruise on Lake Mburo as you view the various bird species along the lake.

The 14 Days Primates and Big Five Safari takes you to the western part of Uganda to visit the major tourist destinations and spotting out primates like Chimpanzees, Mountain Gorillas, black and white colobus monkeys, vervet monkeys, cheeky monkeys among others and viewing the big five like…