Updated
For a first visit to Uganda, the essentials are: apply for an e-visa or East Africa Tourist Visa online before you travel, carry a yellow fever certificate, take malaria precautions, bring clean US dollar notes printed after 2009, and plan long road journeys with daylight in mind. Ugandans are friendly and polite, greetings matter, and modest dress is appreciated outside cities.
Entry and health
Apply for your visa on the official online portal before you fly; avoid unofficial sites. You need a yellow fever vaccination certificate. Take antimalarial tablets, use repellent and sleep under nets. Typhoid and hepatitis A vaccines are recommended. See our guide to entry requirements.
Money
The currency is the Uganda shilling. US dollars are widely accepted for permits, lodges and tips, but notes should be clean and printed after 2009, as older or damaged notes are often refused. ATMs are common in towns but rare near parks, and mobile money is widely used. See our guide to money in Uganda.
Getting around
Uganda drives on the left. Roads between the main parks are long, and some final sections are unpaved, so journeys take longer than distances suggest. Avoid driving at night. Domestic flights to park airstrips save time. In cities, app-based taxis are safer than unregistered cars, and boda boda motorbikes are best avoided.
Culture and etiquette
Greet people before asking questions, and use your right hand to give or receive. Ask before photographing people, and never photograph military or government buildings. Dress modestly in rural areas and at religious sites. Public displays of affection are frowned upon, and same-sex relations are criminalised, so LGBTQ+ travellers should take care.
Practicalities
Power sockets are the three-pin British type G, at 240 volts. Buy a local SIM card from MTN or Airtel at the airport for affordable data. Drink bottled or filtered water. Tipping guides, porters and lodge staff is customary. The gorilla permit costs US$800, or US$600 in April, May and November. See our guides to safety in Uganda and SIM cards.
Frequently asked questions
Most visitors need an e-visa or East Africa Tourist Visa, applied for online before travel.
Yes, a yellow fever certificate is required.
Yes, but bring clean notes printed after 2009.
The three-pin British type G, at 240 volts.
