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Capital · Uganda

Kampala

Give Kampala 2 nights, not 4: the city is a base for the Kasubi Tombs, the National Mosque minaret and food, and traffic eats whole afternoons.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
UGX
Best months
Jun–Aug, Dec–Feb (drier)
avoid Apr and Nov (heaviest rain)
Airport
EBB
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 9Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…Carry the yellow fever certificate on every leg of a mult…
  • Africa ↗When a route touches a yellow-fever country — even a transit of 12 hours or more — keep the original yellow card (ICVP) in your hand luggage; health desks and airlines can refuse boarding or entry without it.
  • Africa ↗Nine African countries on this site have no trip line because governments advise against travel; several others have no-go regions. Read your government's advice for every country on the route before paying deposits.
  • East Africa ↗Carry the yellow fever certificate on every leg of a multi-country trip: Uganda and Burundi check it for all arrivals, and a stop in Kenya or Ethiopia makes the next border ask for it.
  • East Africa ↗Advice for Ethiopia, Somaliland, Eritrea, Somalia, South Sudan and the Congo border areas can change within days; read your government's page the week you fly and before every regional flight.
  • East Africa ↗Price park, reserve and permit fees before comparing lodges: they are charged per person per day, often with VAT, and are fixed whatever bed you choose.
  • Uganda ↗Get the Uganda e-visa or East Africa Tourist Visa on the official immigration portal before flying, and carry a yellow fever certificate: Uganda asks all arriving travellers for one.
  • Uganda ↗Book a travel-clinic visit several weeks ahead for malaria prevention, and check current outbreak notices: Ebola and Marburg outbreaks have occurred in the region, most recently in 2026.
  • Uganda ↗Book gorilla and chimpanzee trekking permits before you fix dates; the lodge booking follows the permit, not the other way round.
  • Uganda ↗Domestic light aircraft to the parks have strict baggage limits, usually soft-sided bags only and a low total weight (often around 15 kg); confirm the limit with your operator.

Kampala is Uganda's capital and biggest city, built over hills about 35 km from Entebbe airport. Most travellers pass through for a night or two before a gorilla or safari trip, and that is usually right: the sights are real but spread out, and jams between hills can turn a 6 km hop into an hour. Use it for culture, food and errands, then move on.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Kampala, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or tea in a caféUGX 8,000–15,000
  • Beerbar bottle / supermarketUGX 6,000–10,000UGX 4,000–6,000
  • Museum or sight ticketUganda Museum entry (non-Ugandan)UGX 15,000
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per personUGX 45,000
  • Mid-range bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomUGX 250,000
  • High-end bedMid-range double room, a night, per roomUGX 450,000

A day, not counting the bed: Budget UGX 120,000 · Mid UGX 250,000 · High UGX 500,000

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Kasubi Tombs (UNESCO)Uganda National Mosque minaretUganda MuseumNdere Troupe dance showsLake Victoria beaches at Ggaba
Airports
EBB Entebbe International (About 35 km southwest of central Kampala; road transfer 1–2 h depending on traffic.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Kampala: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

29°C

18°C

8 rd

Feb

29°C

18°C

9 rd

Mar

29°C

18°C

13 rd

Apr

28°C

18°C

17 rd

May

27°C

18°C

15 rd

Jun

27°C

18°C

9 rd

Jul

27°C

17°C

8 rd

Aug

27°C

17°C

10 rd

Sep

28°C

17°C

12 rd

Oct

28°C

17°C

15 rd

Nov

27°C

18°C

16 rd

Dec

28°C

18°C

11 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Three options: boda-boda (motorcycle taxi, fastest, riskiest), matatu (minibus, cheapest, slow) and special hire (taxi) or app ride. Agree every fare before you move. App-based bodas (SafeBoda, Uber, Bolt, Faras) show the price up front and supply a helmet.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Entebbego

Door to door: 1–2 h

Private hire, app ride or the Entebbe–Jinja shuttle from the centre

Botanical gardens, lake shore and the airport; pairs with a late flight.

Ssese Islands

overnight

Door to door: 3–5 h

Ferry from Nakiwogo or Bukakata, then a boat

Too far for a day return; sleep at least one night.

Masaka

caution

Door to door: 2.5–3.5 h

Matatu or bus from the new taxi park, or self-drive on the Masaka road

A long day; better as a stop on the way west.

Jinja

overnight

Door to door: 2–3 h

Bus or matatu east, or self-drive

Nile rafting and the source of the Nile; give it a night or two.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Nakasero and Kololo

Central, walkable to the National Theatre and Nommo Gallery; most hotels and embassies. Priciest.

Bugolobi and Naguru

Quieter, greener, restaurant-heavy; 10–20 min by car from the centre outside peak hours.

Munyonyo and Ggaba

Lake Victoria edge, resorts and beaches; good for a rest day, far from the sights.

Entebbe

Sleep here on a late arrival or early flight instead of crossing the city at night.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
UGX 120,000–200,000 excl. bed
Mid
UGX 200,000–400,000 excl. bed
High
UGX 400,000+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range double room1 × 2 nights × UGX 250,000UGX 500,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × UGX 250,000UGX 1,000,000
App boda-boda across the centre, one trip2 × UGX 7,000 · checkUGX 14,000
eSIM, about a week of data2 × UGX 40,000 · checkUGX 80,000
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUGX 159,000
Trip total≈ UGX 438,000 per person per day, bed includedUGX 1,753,000

2026 estimate in Ugandan shillings; flights, gorilla permits and safari lodges excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or tea in a caféUGX 8,000–15,000
Local plate (matoke, beans, groundnut sauce)UGX 10,000–20,000
Beer: bar bottle / supermarketUGX 6,000–10,000 / UGX 4,000–6,000
Matatu ride in the cityUGX 1,500–3,000
App boda-boda across the centreUGX 5,000–15,000
Uganda Museum entry (non-Ugandan)UGX 15,000
National Mosque entry with minaret guideUGX 20,000

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Kampala is generally safe by day in the central and hotel districts; the real risks are boda-boda crashes, unlit pavements at night, and bag-snatching in crowded markets and taxi parks. Use app rides after dark.
  • Boda-boda crashes are the main traffic risk; wear the helmet and skip the fastest drivers.
  • Most taxis have no meter: fix the fare before you get in.
  • Matatus pack beyond the licensed 14 seats; keep bags on your lap.
  • Kasubi Tombs and Wamala Tombs were both fire-damaged and rebuilt: check what is open before you go.
  • Lake Victoria beaches carry a bilharzia (schistosomiasis) risk: do not swim in still water.
  • Carry your yellow fever certificate; Uganda checks it on arrival.

Emergency numbers

Police
999
Ambulance and fire
112

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

KampalaKampala

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Ntwala ku ndagiriro enoTake me to this address, please

Emergency

  • Police999
  • Ambulance and fire112

Embassy

Most embassies and high commissions sit in Nakasero and Kololo; check your own country's address before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Entebbe airport → central Kampala, private hire: from about UGX 80,000, 1–2 h
  • Entebbe airport → Kampala, app ride: from about UGX 80,000, 1–2 h
  • Matatu, city centre to suburb: UGX 1,500–3,000

Say or show

  • Oli otya — Hello (oh-lee OH-chah)
  • Webale — Thank you (weh-BAH-leh)
  • Sente mmeka? — How much is it? (SEN-teh m-MEH-kah)
  • Yimirira wano — Stop here, please (yee-mee-REE-rah WAH-noh)
  • Ssaagala — I don't want it (ssah-GAH-lah)
  • Enyumba y'ekyaama eri ludda wa? — Where is the toilet? (eh-NYOO-mbah yeh-chah-AH-mah eh-ree LOOD-dah wah)

Luganda phrases are a courtesy; English works everywhere in the city.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Kampala. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Jun–Aug, Dec–Feb (drier) · avoid Apr and Nov (heaviest rain) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 6 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for EBB: last transfer times, app-ride fallback, overnight rung at Entebbe.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Nakasero and the National Theatre, Old Kampala hill, Mengo and Lubaga, Ggaba lakefront.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Kasubi Tombs, National Mosque, Uganda Museum, Ndere Centre) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Golden and hostile arrival fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Uganda

Sources