Lake Mburo National Park
A compact acacia savannah jewel in western Uganda, famous for walking safaris, horse riding, mountain biking, and large herds of Burchell's zebras and elands.
Distance from Kampala
240 km (~4 Hours Driving)
Ideal Stay
1 to 2 Nights
Key Wildlife
Zebras, Impalas, Elands, Leopards
Signature Experience
Walking Safari & Night Game Drives
Whispering Acacia Woodlands
Covering 370 square kilometres of rolling hills and open acacia woodland, Lake Mburo is Uganda’s most accessible savannah park and the ideal stepping stone between Entebbe and the southwest.
It is the only national park in southwestern Uganda with impalas and one of the best locations to observe large herds of Burchell's zebra and giant eland antelopes grazing together.
Active Walking & Biking Safaris
Because Lake Mburo lacks large lion prides, it offers one of Uganda’s rare opportunities to step outside the safari vehicle for guided nature walks and mountain biking excursions alongside armed UWA rangers.
Trek on foot to Kazuma Lookout for 360-degree vistas spanning five distinct lake systems within the park basin.
The Realm of Elands & Impalas
The eland is Africa’s largest antelope, weighing up to 900 kilograms. Lake Mburo protects Uganda’s largest population alongside defassa waterbucks, bushbucks, warthogs, and topis.
Night game drives with high-powered spotlights frequently locate solitary leopards on the hunt, white-tailed mongooses, and bushbabies.
Lake Mburo Boat Cruise & Birding
A 2-hour boat safari on Lake Mburo reveals dense gatherings of hippos, Nile crocodiles, and African fish eagles scanning the quiet shoreline.
For birding enthusiasts, the park protects over 350 species, including the rare African finfoot, papyrus yellow warbler, and saddle-billed stork.
Private Safaris Featuring Lake Mburo
Explore published private routes from the Empathy Tours team, fully customizable around your dates and travel pace.
Private safariUganda8-day Uganda gorilla trekking and wildlife safari
8 days
Gorilla trekking sits at the centre of this eight-day western Uganda circuit. Lake Mburo breaks up the journey south, Bwindi provides the forest trek, Queen Elizabeth adds two days of savannah and the Kazinga Channel, and Kibale closes the wildlife section with chimpanzee tracking. The route moves regularly, but each stop serves a clear purpose rather than adding parks for the sake of a longer list.
Private safariUganda10-day Uganda safari: Murchison, Kibale, Queen Elizabeth, Bwindi and Lake Mburo
10 days
Ten days is enough to connect Uganda's major western wildlife areas without turning every park into a one-night stop. The route begins with rhinos and Murchison Falls, moves through Kibale and Queen Elizabeth, reaches Bwindi for gorilla trekking, then uses Lake Mburo as the final wildlife stop on the return toward Kampala or Entebbe. The pace stays active. There are long road transfers and several early starts, but each move leads to a different experience: chimpanzees in Kibale, the Kazinga Channel in Queen Elizabeth, gorillas in Bwindi and open savannah again at Lake Mburo. It suits travellers who want broad coverage in a limited window and are comfortable changing lodges regularly.
Private safariRwanda11-day Rwanda safari: Akagera, Nyungwe, Lake Kivu and gorillas
11 days
Over eleven days, the route moves through four distinct parts of Rwanda: Kigali, Akagera's savannah, Nyungwe's rainforest, Lake Kivu and the volcanic north around Volcanoes National Park. Game drives and a Lake Ihema boat safari come first, chimpanzee tracking follows in Nyungwe, Lake Kivu slows the pace, and gorilla trekking closes the journey before the return to Kigali.
