If you are visiting Uganda, we highly recommend spending some time in its capital city Kampala. We’ve already covered in depth all our favourite things to do in Kampala, but we appreciate that if you don’t have time to do everything, you may be wondering how best to spend a day in Kampala.
Well, with that question in mind, we have put together this one day Kampala itinerary. It covers the main highlights that we recommend seeing, which would be perfect for a first time visitor. It covers the major attractions that most visitors are likely to want to see, and is doable in a busy day of sightseeing with some careful planning.
Of course, as with any of our itineraries, we recommend adjusting this to suit your own personal pace and interests. If you like to go a bit slower and spend longer at attractions, then of course you can change it up.
This itinerary though should give you a great starting point for how to spend a day in Uganda’s capital city. Let’s get started.
A 1 Day Kampala Itinerary
We have visited Kampala a number of times and have visited the majority of the attractions across the city. When we visit Uganda we normally try to have at least a day to explore Kampala, but we have also spent longer in the city at the end of a trip before heading on to our next destination.
Based on our experiences, we put together this itinerary which encompasses some of our favourite activities in Kampala that we think cover the main highlights that visitors will enjoy seeing.
After this detailed 1-day itinerary, we’ll also share some other suggested itineraries based around different themes, to give you even more ideas for your day in Kampala. So those are each focused specifically on those with a specific area of interest such as history, culture, food, art, wildlife, etc.
But first, let’s look at our recommended way to spend a day in Kampala.
Stop 1: Take 3-hour walking tour of central Kampala @ 9am
Our recommendation for your first activity of the day would be to take a walking tour with a knowledgeable local guide. This will help give you a good idea of the history of Kampala, learn about cultural practices, and be able to ask questions to help guide the rest of your time in the city.
Central Kampala can be a bit overwhelming, especially to the first-time visitor, so having a guide with you who handles the logistics of where you are going and keeping you safe can be a good idea.
There are a number of different walking tours available of Kampala which generally last 3 to 4 hours. Sights visited will vary, but the majority of tours will include the main highlights of central Kampala. So that might include visiting a market or two, seeing central historical sites and buildings, sampling local foods, and visiting monuments in Kampala including the Independence Monument.
We took this excellent walking tour of the highlights of central Kampala with guide Arthur who is a part of the ImmersionUG tour company. It is the top company we can personally recommend for walking tours as we have taken several walking and food tours from them during our visits to Uganda. You can see all their tours here.
Many tours of Kampala also give you the option to visit the Uganda National Mosque as part of your tour. Depending on the tour, this will normally extend the tour time by around an hour. It’s also in a different part of the city to that which most foot tours focus on, so normally requires either a boda-boda or taxi ride to another area of the city.
If you do this then you might be a bit pressed to do everything else in this itinerary and also have lunch, but obviously it’s up to you what your priorities are.
If you decide to visit the mosque and still want to visit the rest of the recommend places in the afternoon, I’d recommend asking your guide about grabbing a quick sandwich or snack for lunch at the end of the walking tour or consider picking up a couple of things at the market during the tour. You can also come prepared with some snacks and fruit in your day bag to eat during your day.
Another option would be to book a walking tour which has an earlier start time, such as this private tour which lets you start at 8am.
Some other popular walking tours to consider in Kampala include:
National Mosque is an optional stop on some walking tours
Stop 2: Lunch @ 12pm
At midday, after your walking tour is finished, we recommend stopping for lunch. You’ve just spent around 3-4 hours walking around, so a pause for lunch before continuing your sightseeing is probably a good idea.
If you are taking a full day tour, your tour will likely include a stop for lunch and the price is often included as part of the tour.
If you are not taking a full-day tour, we recommend asking your walking tour guide for a good lunch recommendation. One of the benefits of taking a guided tour is that you can ask your guide for recommendations for other sights as well as where to eat lunch. That’s why when we take a walking tour in a city we are visiting for a few days, we always try to do it near the start of our stay so we can take advantage of the guides recommendations for our remaining days.
There are lots of quick street food stalls and carts that cater to locals if you just want a rolex (omelette wrapped in flatbread), plate of kikomando (chapati and fried beans), meat skewer, or a hot sandwich/wrap (often a chapati wrap with filling). These are quick, cheap, and filling.
There are also buffet style lunch spots where you can sit down and try several dishes at once. These tend to be a very good value. If you are looking for some popular local foods to try other than a rolex, we would suggest kikomando (fried beans and chapati), matoke or matooke (boiled and mashed green bananas), luwombo (a stew cooked in banana leaves that can include meat, fish, and/or peanuts), local fish (e.g., Nile perch, tilapia), posho or ugali (cornmeal porridge that is a staple across East Africa), and grilled meats.
Your guide can help suggest a spot for you based on what you are looking for, and you just want to make sure the place looks sanitary and the food is served hot. Avoid fresh veggies and salad, cold dishes, unbottled water, undercooked items, etc.
If you prefer a nicer sit down place and have a bit more time, we recommend heading to a local hotel restaurant. Most hotels have restaurants that serve both hotel guests and visitors.
Of course you can also save time by just bringing along some food with you (e.g., fruit, nuts, granola bars, jerky, etc.) and having it as you go during the day if you prefer. Even if you are not ready for lunch, breaking at least for a coffee, tea, or soda though can be nice after a long walking tour.
Kabaka’s Palace @ 1pm
The focus of the remainder of the day is on a number of cultural sights that will help you understand the history of Uganda, from pre-colonial times through to the more modern age.
The first stop we recommend for your afternoon is the Kabaka’s Palace. The Kabaka is the King of the Kingdom of Buganda, which is one of the five kingdoms which makes up modern day Uganda. Buganda is the largest Kingdom, and its capital was also Kampala. The Buganda monarchy dates back over 800 years and is still alive and well today.
Traditionally, the Kabaka has had his palace on top of one of the many hills of Kampala. Today’s palace, known as Lubiri or Mengo palace, is no different. It is found on top of Mengo Hill, where the palace has been situated since the mid 19th century. However, the building was extensively damaged during the 1966 civil war, following which it was used by Idi Amin during his oppressive regime. The palace is no longer occupied by the Kabaka, who only visits for ceremonial reasons.
Without a Royal person to keep safe from prying eyes, the palace grounds are now open to visitors. The palace itself is closed, but you get good views of its exterior. The palace grounds can only be visited by tour, which is simple to arrange, just go to the main gate, pay an entry fee, and a guide will show you around.
Your tour will normally include a good oral history of the palace and its grounds, as well as the main events that shaped what you see today. You will also tour the infamous torture chambers of Idi Amin, who had up to 200,000 people imprisoned and murdered here during his regime. This dark period of history and the negative association is the main reason that the palace and its grounds are no longer occupied by the Kabaka.
We really enjoyed our tour of Kabaka’s Palace and grounds. The tour guide was excellent, and we learnt a lot about Uganda’s history, including recent and more distant history. We also enjoyed learning about traditional bark cloth making and some of the local games that locals like to play.
A tour will generally last around an hour and we think is an excellent way to learn more about the history of Uganda. You also get a good view of Kampala from Mengo Hill.
Kasubi Tombs @ 2:45pm
Just 10 minutes drive (depending on traffic!) from Kabaka’s Palace are the Kasubi Tombs. These are also related to the Royal family, being the final resting place of a number of the Buganda Kings.
Traditionally, the Kabaka, or King of Buganda, would choose a unique location for their burial. So the Kasubi tombs are unusual because they are home to four Kabaka’s, as well as a number of their descendants. The tombs date from 1882, with the first burial in 1884, and the most recent in 1971.
There are a number of structures on the site, with the huge main circular building being the main attraction. This 102ft wide, 25ft high building is where the tombs of the four kings are actually found. The huge building is primarily constructed from natural materials in the traditional style. It’s unique size and traditional construction methods led to it being listed as a UNESCO world heritage site in 2001.
As well as the main central building, there are a number of other buildings on the site which can be seen when you visit. These include the Royal drum house, as well as the homes for the Kabaka’s widows and family members. Traditionally these family members would live on site to tend the graves.
Tragedy befell the site in 2010 when a huge fire caused a great deal of destruction, but following intensive reconstruction efforts using traditional materials, the site is once again open for visitors. There’s a fee to visit, which includes an excellent tour of the grounds. Expect to spend around an hour to 90 minutes here.
We enjoyed our visit to the Kasubi tombs, although they were still undergoing renovations when we last visited. Those have now been completed. Our tour included all the main sights, and our guide was also very good, really bringing to life everything that we saw.
Uganda National Museum @ 4pm
After visiting the Kasubi Tombs, if you still wish to continue sightseeing and learning about Uganda, then we highly recommend taking the ten-minute drive to the Uganda National Museum.
This dates from 1908, making it the oldest museum in East Africa, and it is the place to come to learn all about Uganda’s cultural heritage and history.
There are a number of exhibits on display, which cover everything from traditional musical instruments to art, medicine, clothing, fossils and much much more. You can basically learn all about the history of the region from pre-history to the present day.
One of our favorite parts of the museum is the outside area, where you’ll find a number of different traditional buildings. These represent some of the different tribes and time periods of Uganda across the years, and each building also contains a number of historically accurate exhibits.
This isn’t a massive museum, so even if you don’t have a lot of time left on your schedule we think you’ll still enjoy a visit. There’s a fee to visit and it’s definitely somewhere you can visit on a self-guided basis as there’s plenty of information available in English.
Break @ 5:30pm
At this point in the day, you’ve done a lot and we’re going to recommend taking a break, likely heading back to your hotel if you are staying in Kampala, before your evening activity. Perhaps a drink, a nap, or a quick dip in the pool before getting ready for dinner.
If you are not staying in the city, I’d head to a cafe or bar for a coffee, soda, juice, or beer and a nice break.
Ndere Cultural Center @ 7pm
We would recommend, if possible, planning your visit to Kampala so the evening co-incides with one of the cultural performances at the Ndere Cultural Center. These performances run a few times a week and were one of our highlights of our last visit to Kampala.
The performance takes place outside under a huge mango tree, and showcases the best of Uganda culture across the various tribes who make up the land. An excellent compere introduces each performance to give you context and understanding of what you are seeing, and really helps bring the experience to the next level.
It’s also possible to have dinner as part of the show for an extra fee, with a number of traditional dishes included. We can recommend doing this as it will give you a good opportunity to try some local food and not have to worry about finding dinner.
We arrived a little early for our show so we could explore the grounds a little bit and look at the art on display. We then sat down to watch the show as the daylight faded into night, and really enjoyed the energy and enthusiasm of the performers.
This was a really fun experience and one of our favourite things to do in Kampala. We can highly recommend it!
Alternative 1 Day Kampala Itinerary Options
If you’d like some more inspiration for spending a day in Kampala, we have some suggestions for you. We’ve put together some additional options themed around some specific categories like history, food, culture and so on.
Feel free to mix and match across the attractions to come up with your own perfect 1-day itinerary. We’d suggest that planning to visit 3 or 4 attractions in a day would make sense for most visitors, although do note that activities located outside the city like the Mabamba Swamp tour or Entebbe Zoo are going to take up more time. You can also read our guide to things to do in Kampala for more ideas and information on all the sites we recommend.
In terms of planning a day like this, you can either do everything yourself, or you can reach out to a tour operator who can put together a private custom tour based on your interests, such as this one. They should handle all your transportation and also ensure that your sightseeing goals are achievable in the time you have.
History Itinerary
Kampala has plenty to offer those who are interested in learning about the history of the city and Uganda in general. We’d suggest an itinerary that looks something like the following:
- Morning: City tour such as this one
- Afternoon: Uganda Museum, Kabaka’s Palace, and Kasubi Tombs
It’s also possible to book a tour which includes these sights as well as a number of others, such as this full day tour.
Food Focused Itinerary
If you’d like to learn more about the food of Kampala, then you can put together a day which focuses on exploring local markets, learning about local foods and dishes, and eating some of the many traditional dishes of the city. A day might look as follows:
Arts and Culture Itinerary
There’s no shortage of art and cultural attractions to enjoy in Kampala. Here’s an idea for a day focused on exploring the artistic and cultural attractions in the city.
Religious / Spiritual Itinerary
Uganda has a rich spiritual life, with a number of religions being practiced in the country. These include Christianity and Islam, as well as Judaism, Hinduism, Baha’i, and traditional beliefs and practices.
Over the years, and particularly with the arrival of colonists, religious practices shifted dramatically in Uganda. As is often the way, this was not a frictionless process, with a number of lives lost in the process. As a result, there are a great many sights of religious significance as well as places of worship across Kampala and the surrounding region. It might be challenging to fit everything into one day given how much there is to see, but an idea would be:
- Morning: Uganda Martyrs Catholic Shrine Basilica, Baha’i House of Worship
- Afternoon: Uganda National Mosque, Saint Paul’s Cathedral Namirembe, St. Mary’s Cathedral Rubaga
The majority of these sights are visited as part of this religious tour of Kampala. This is a similar tour.
If you are visiting Uganda as a Catholic pilgrim, the Uganda Martyrs Catholic Shrine and Basilica is probably a must-see. It is located a 30 minute drive outside of the city in Namugongo, but you can can take a taxi or join a tour to reach it.
Also worth mentioning is the very interesting Shree Sanatan Dharma Mandal Hindi temple. It is located in central Kampala and is sometimes visited in city walking tours.
And for those of you who are particularly interested in the story of how Christianity came to Uganda, a visit to the Kasingi landing site near Entebbe may also be of interest. Just note that it’s quite an effort to get here and is best if you have a driver and you may need to go through a security check as it is located near the airport.
Markets/ Shopping focused itinerary:
Kampala has lots of good markets to explore, from markets which focus on arts and crafts through to more traditional food markets serving the needs of the local population. You could easily spend a day visiting the markets in Kampala, which might look as follows:
- Morning: Owino Market, Nakasero Market
- Afternoon: Bagala Craft Market / Exposure Africa / Nommo Gallery
This full day walking tour of Kampala includes the majority of these markets, as well as a number of other attractions in the city. There is also a half-day tour which also covers the main markets in the city.
If you are also heading to Entebbe, we would also recommend the Entebbe Juakali Centre (Entebbe Craft Market) and the little craft store within the Victoria Mall across the street for local crafts and souvenirs. There is also the Kitooro Market in Entebbe, a covered market that focuses more on produce, meat, and everyday items.
Wildlife based itinerary
Many people visiting Uganda are here for the incredible wildlife opportunities, with chimpanzee trekking and gorilla trekking being high on the list of things to do.
Whilst those activities primarily take place as part of a longer multi-day safari, there are a number of other wildlife experiences that you can have in and around Kampala. Some of these experiences are a bit longer, so will take up most of the day.
Here’s a suggested day, followed by some more ideas for wildlife focused activities around Kampala. Note that while you can do urban birding in Kampala, most other wildlife activities and attractions are located in or around Entebbe. But these are still easy to do as a day trip from Kampala.
- Morning: Mabamba Swamp tour like this or urban birding around Kampala
- Afternoon: Entebbe Zoo, Botanical gardens in Entebbe
Another option would be to visit the Ngamba Island chimpanzee sanctuary (tour like this). If you don’t have the time to do a trip out to the areas of Uganda where chimpanzee trekking is possible, then you can visit Ngamba island instead. This is on Lake Victoria and is home to a number of rescued chimpanzees.
If you enjoy birds, you can see lots of birds in Kampala without leaving the city, especially in the mornings. In fact there are over 300 species you could see in Kampala! We spotted a number on electric wires and poles, in our hotels’ gardens, at popular attractions (Kabaka’s Palace, Kasubi Tombs, Uganda Martyrs Shrine, Baha’i Temple) and around golf courses.
So you will likely spot several bird species by just going to popular places if you keep your eyes open. But it can be tricky to do birdwatching in a large and congested city, so just be careful.
Kampala Local Life Itinerary
If you’d like to learn more about life in Kampala, then we’d recommend taking a tour or two with a Kampala local. They’ll be able to take you to places you probably wouldn’t have thought to go on your own, as well as share their insights on life in the city. You can choose a tour (or tours) that meet your interests. An example itinerary might look as follows:
As you can see, there are myriad ways to fill a day (or more!) in Kampala.
Booking your Day Tour in Kampala
You have a few different options for getting around Kampala, including doing everything yourself using ride shares, taxis or buses. However, for a more seamless experience, we think most visitors are going to find it easier to arrange some sort of transport.
We have done both, and having a driver for the day was definitely easier. If you are visiting Uganda as part of a longer trip where you have a tour company, then they will likely be able to include some time in Kampala as part of your trip. Just let them know where you want to go and what you want to see.
Another option is just to hire a private driver for the day. They can worry about the traffic, parking, and the route, and you can enjoy yourself with sightseeing.
Finally, you can book a tour that covers the sights you want to see. There are both private and group tours available. When comparing tours, always check what is and isn’t included. For example, some tours include entry fees, transport, food and water, whilst others may not. It’s also important to check any refund or cancellation policies before booking.
When we travel, we nearly always book our tours in advance with either GetYourGuide or Viator which both offer a 24-hour cancellation policy for most tickets and tours. This means you can cancel a tour up to 24 hours before it starts and receive a full refund. This allows for flexibility if our travel plans unexpectedly change.
Here are a number of tour options we suggest which will offer a good experience for your day in Kampala. Note that if a private tour doesn’t visit all the sights you want to see, you may be able to reach out to the operator for a custom itinerary.
- This private custom tour guide service will allow you to specify exactly what you want to do and see with your day in Kampala.
- This full day private tour with transport includes Kabaka’s Palace, National Mosque, a sit-down lunch, the Kasubi Tombs, Bagala Craft Market and Bahá’i Temple. Admission fees and lunch are included.
- This full day private tour includes Bagala Craft Market, Baha’i temple, National Mosque, Kasubi tombs, Kabala’s Palace, Basilica of the Uganda Martrys and a sit-down meal. Lunch and admission fees are included.
- This full day private tour includes a visit to Kabaka’s Palace, the Kasubi Tombs, Uganda National Mosque, the Baha’i Temple, and the Namugongo Martyr’s Museum. It includes admission fees and lunch.
- This full day group tour includes Kabaka’s Palace, the Uganda National Mosque, Nakasero market, the Uganda Museum, and an arts and crafts market. Admission fees are included but not food.
- We’ve found two full day tours, this one and this one, which focus more on the religious sites in and around Kampala, including the Uganda Martyrs Catholic Shrine, the major cathedrals in the city, the Uganda National Mosque and the Baha’i temple.
- There are also shorter tours of Kampala, including this half day food tour, and this half-day walking tour. We have done both these tours, and they would be a good option for the first half of your day if you are following our itinerary.
As you can see there are lots of tour options for your time in Kampala!
Further Reading
That sums up our guide to spending a day in Kampala. We hope you found it useful! Before you head off, we wanted to share some links to other content we think you might find useful in planning your trip to Uganda and the wider region.
- We have a comprehensive guide to things to do in Kampala, to give you more inspiration for what to do in the city.
- We have a detailed guide to things to do in Entebbe, to help you plan more of your trip.
- We have a detailed guide to chimpanzee trekking in Uganda as well as gorilla trekking in Uganda. These are both popular activities for visitors to Uganda and well worth doing in our opinion
- We have a guide to choosing the best safari camera, and a guide to getting better photos on safari, so you can ensure you get great memories of your trip.
- We also have a detailed safari packing list to help you decide what to bring with you
- If you are planning on visiting Kenya, check out our guide to things to do in Nairobi and our suggested 1 day Nairobi itinerary, which has lots of ideas for the city
- We have a guide to getting online when travelling, to help you stay connected in Uganda
- You’re going to need to power all your devices when you travel – see our guide to the best travel adapters so you can choose the right one for Uganda
- If you’d like a travel guide, consider the Uganda Bradt Travel Guide, which is generally regarded as the best option for Uganda. We’ve used the past edition and can highly recommend this book as it has everything from the history of the country and it’s people, through to packing tips, planning advice and more. It also includes detailed information on chimp and gorilla trekking.
- Book wise, we also pack and travel with both the Pocket Guide: Birds of East Africa and the Pocket Guide to the Mammals of East Africa. These are both very conveniently sized and will let you identify a lot of what you see on a visit to any east African country.
And that’s it! As always, we hope you found this guide useful. If you have any questions or comments, just pop them in the comments section below and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
