Uganda is the "Pearl of Africa," and it's best known as the one country where you can track mountain gorillas, sit with wild chimpanzees, and watch lions on the savannah in the same trip.

It holds almost half the world's remaining mountain gorillas in Bwindi, and it's the greenest, most biodiverse corner of East Africa. The source of the White Nile at Jinja adds a very different kind of highlight.

Mountain gorilla trekking happens in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and, less often, Mgahinga Gorilla National Park.

The permit is US$800 per person in high season, dropping to US$600 in the low-season months of April, May, and November, notably cheaper than Rwanda's US$1,500. A longer four-hour gorilla habituation experience is US$1,500.

Permits are limited and must be paid in full to secure, so book well ahead.

The dry seasons, roughly June to September and December to February, make forest trails and park roads easier, and are the most reliable for gorilla and chimp trekking.

That said, Uganda is a year-round destination, and the wetter months of April, May, and November bring discounted gorilla permits and far fewer visitors.

Birdlife is exceptional throughout.

Three days is the minimum for a gorilla trek with travel either side. To pair gorillas with chimpanzees in Kibale and a savannah safari in Queen Elizabeth, plan on 7 to 10 days.

Uganda's distances are longer than Rwanda's and the roads slower, so it pays not to over-pack the itinerary, a light internal flight or two can save a full day of driving.

Queen Elizabeth is Uganda's most popular savannah park, famous for the tree-climbing lions of its Ishasha sector and for the Kazinga Channel, where a boat cruise passes some of the densest concentrations of hippos, elephants, and water birds in Africa.

It sits between the Rwenzori Mountains and Lake Edward, and pairs naturally with a gorilla trek in nearby Bwindi.

Kibale is East Africa's chimpanzee capital, home to a large, well-habituated population and more than a dozen primate species in total.

A chimpanzee tracking permit is US$250 per person in high season, dropping to US$200 in the low-season months.

Most travellers combine Kibale with Queen Elizabeth, which is close by, for a forest-and-savannah pairing.

Murchison Falls is Uganda's largest national park, built around the moment the entire Nile is forced through a gap barely seven metres wide before crashing down and spilling into big-game country.

Below the falls, a boat cruise brings you close to hippos, crocodiles, and elephants, while the northern plains hold lions, giraffes, and buffalo.

The delta is one of the best places in Africa to look for the rare shoebill.

Unlike Kenya, Uganda still requires a visa, applied for online before you trave, there is no visa on arrival.

A single-entry tourist e-visa costs US$50 and is valid for 90 days, applied for through the official government portal only, as fake sites charge two to four times the real fee.

If you're combining Uganda with Kenya and Rwanda, the East Africa Tourist Visa (US$100) covers all three. A yellow fever certificate is required to enter.

A yellow fever vaccination certificate is mandatory for everyone over one year old entering Uganda, regardless of where you're travelling from.

Get it at least 10 days before arrival; the certificate is then valid for life.

Malaria is present across most of the country too, so most travellers take antimalarial tablets. See a travel clinic four to six weeks before departure to arrange everything in good time.

The national parks and main tourist routes are well established and welcome visitors safely throughout the year. As anywhere, travelling with a reputable operator, keeping valuables discreet in towns, and following local guidance is the sensible approach.

A good guide keeps you on the well-travelled circuit and away from the few remote border areas that carry travel advisories.

Most trips begin at Entebbe, near Kampala, and travel by 4x4 with a driver-guide. Distances are real: Bwindi is roughly an 8-to-10-hour drive from Entebbe, or about a 90-minute flight to a nearby airstrip.

Many itineraries mix driving, to see the country and its scenery, with the odd internal flight to protect time on longer routes.

The East Africa Tourist Visa covers Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda on one document, and short flights link Entebbe with Nairobi and Kigali.

A popular combination pairs Uganda's gorillas and chimps with a classic Kenyan savannah safari, or with Rwanda for a second gorilla experience. We plan and route the whole journey so the flights, permits, and border timings line up.

Thinking about a Uganda safari, on its own or alongside Kenya and Rwanda? We build each trip around what you most want to see and handle the permits, transfers, and borders for you. Tell us what you have in mind and we'll map out a route.