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What to Pack for a Uganda Safari: Beyond Gorilla Trekking Game drives in the savanna parks Game drives in Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls, Lake Mburo and Kidepo usually start around dawn, when it can be surprisingly cool in an open vehicle, and end in the heat of the day. For a Uganda safari that goes beyond the gorilla trek, pack light, neutral-coloured layers that work from cold early-morning game drives to hot afternoons, a rain jacket, a warm fleece, a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, binoculars, insect repellent and sunscreen, plus your trekking boots and gloves for the forest days. Keep it to a soft bag of about 15 kg if you are taking domestic flights. Most lodges offer laundry, so a week’s worth of clothes is enough for a two-week trip. Our gorilla trekking packing list covers trek day in detail; this guide covers everything else.
What to Pack for a Uganda Safari: Beyond Gorilla Trekking
Game drives in the savanna parks
Game drives in Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls, Lake Mburo and Kidepo usually start around dawn, when it can be surprisingly cool in an open vehicle, and end in the heat of the day. Dress in layers: a T-shirt, a light long-sleeved shirt and a fleece you can take off as the sun rises. Choose khaki, olive, beige or grey. Avoid dark blue and black, which attract tsetse flies in some parks, and bright white, which shows dust and stands out to animals. A hat, sunglasses and sunscreen matter more than you expect near the equator.
Binoculars make the biggest difference to a game drive, ideally one pair per person, 8x or 10x magnification. Bring a scarf or buff against dust on dry roads and a soft cover or bag to protect your camera. Our guide to Queen Elizabeth National Park describes the drives and the Kazinga Channel boat trip, where sun protection is essential.
Forest days: gorillas and chimpanzees
Gorilla and chimpanzee tracking need the same core kit: broken-in waterproof boots with good grip, long trousers you can tuck into your socks, a long-sleeved top, gardening gloves, a rain jacket and a small daypack with water and snacks. Chimp tracking in Kibale is often faster, following animals that move quickly on the ground and through the trees, so comfortable footwear and light clothing matter. See our guide to chimpanzee tracking in Kibale.
Highlands, lakes and towns
Bwindi, Ruhija, Mgahinga and Lake Bunyonyi are high and cool, with nights that can drop to around 10°C, so bring a warm fleece or light down jacket, a long-sleeved top for evenings and warm socks. For the lakes and the Nile at Jinja, pack swimwear, quick-drying clothes and sandals; ask locally where swimming is considered safe. In towns and villages, modest clothing is appreciated: shorts are fine in parks and lodges, but trousers or skirts below the knee are more respectful when visiting communities, schools or churches.
Health and comfort
Pack insect repellent containing DEET or picaridin, your antimalarial tablets, high-factor sunscreen, lip balm with SPF, rehydration sachets, basic painkillers, plasters, blister treatment, antihistamines and any prescription medicines in their original packaging. A headtorch is useful when lodge generators turn off at night, and a refillable water bottle cuts plastic waste. See our guide to malaria prevention for Uganda.
Documents, money and electronics
Carry your passport, printed e-visa approval, yellow fever certificate, insurance details and gorilla permit copies together, with photos saved on your phone. Bring US dollars in clean notes printed in 2009 or later, plus a card for larger payments. Uganda uses the British three-pin plug (type G) at 240 V, so bring adapters and a power bank, since many lodges have limited charging hours. Our guide to Uganda’s entry requirements covers the documents in detail.
Luggage and what to leave at home
Domestic flights to Bwindi and other parks usually allow about 15 kg per person in a soft bag, so pack in a duffel rather than a hard suitcase; see our guide to domestic flights in Uganda. Even on road safaris, soft bags fit vehicles better. Leave behind military-style camouflage clothing, which civilians are not allowed to wear in Uganda, thin plastic carrier bags, which are restricted, and drones, which need special permission. Expensive jewellery is better left at home too.
Most lodges wash clothes for a small fee or include laundry, though many will not wash underwear for cultural reasons, so bring travel wash for those. With laundry every few days, you need far fewer clothes than you think.
Frequently asked questions
Neutral colours such as khaki, olive and beige. Avoid dark blue and black, which attract tsetse flies in some parks.
Yes, on early game drives and at night in the highlands around Bwindi, where temperatures can fall to about 10°C.
British three-pin plugs (type G) at 240 V.
About 15 kg in a soft bag if you take domestic flights; more on road safaris, but soft bags are still best.
