Updated 19 October 2026

A one-day rhino trekking trip from Kampala or Entebbe goes to Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary in Nakasongola, about three hours north of Kampala, where you walk with rangers to see southern white rhinos on foot. Ziwa is the only place in Uganda where most visitors can see rhinos, which were wiped out in the country by the early 1980s and reintroduced here from 2005.

The walk itself usually takes one to two hours, so the day is mostly travel: leave early and you are back in Kampala by evening. Many travellers instead stop at Ziwa on the way to Murchison Falls.

The story of Ziwa’s rhinos

Uganda once had both black and northern white rhinos, but poaching and conflict in the 1970s and early 1980s destroyed them. Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary was created by the Rhino Fund Uganda with the Uganda Wildlife Authority to bring rhinos back.

The first southern white rhinos arrived in 2005 and 2006 from Kenya and from Disney’s Animal Kingdom in the United States, and in 2009 Ziwa recorded the first rhino born in Uganda in decades. The herd has grown steadily since, and the long-term aim is to return rhinos to Uganda’s national parks. Read more about the return of rhinos to Uganda.

How the rhino trek works

On arrival, you pay the sanctuary fee and get a short briefing. Rangers, who monitor every rhino around the clock, take you by vehicle to the area where a group was last seen, then you walk the final stretch through grass and bush. You approach quietly to a safe distance, usually around 20–30 m, and watch the rhinos grazing or resting, often with calves. Rangers explain each animal’s history. Wear closed shoes, long trousers and a hat, and follow instructions carefully: white rhinos are calm but large, and you must stay together.

A one-day itinerary

Leave Kampala or Entebbe by about 6:30 am to avoid traffic, and drive north on the Gulu road for roughly three hours; see our Kampala traffic guide. Do the rhino walk in the morning, have lunch at the sanctuary lodge, and if you have time, add a short nature walk or birding before driving back in the afternoon. Ziwa also offers a canoe trip in the Lugogo swamp where shoebills are sometimes seen, best done early in the morning.

Combining Ziwa with Murchison Falls

Ziwa lies on the main road to Murchison Falls National Park, so the most efficient plan is to stop for the rhino walk on the way north and continue to Murchison the same day, a further 2–3 hours. Murchison then offers game drives, a Nile boat trip and the falls themselves. See our guide to Murchison Falls National Park and our 12-day safari itinerary, which includes Ziwa.

Practical tips

Bring water, sun protection and insect repellent; it can be hot in the middle of the day. The sanctuary has a lodge and simpler accommodation if you would rather stay overnight and walk in the cooler early morning. Fees are paid at the sanctuary and change from time to time, so check the current rate when you plan. Children are welcome, and the walk is fairly easy compared with gorilla trekking. For Uganda’s other big animals, see our guide to where to see the Big Five in Uganda.

Frequently asked questions