Lake Mburo

Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo National Park is a national park located in Nyabushozi County, Kiruhura District near Mbarara in Uganda. It is the smallest of Uganda’s savannah national parks and is located conveniently close to the highway that connects Kampala to the parks of western Uganda. Together with 13 other lakes in the area, Lake Mburo forms part of a 50km-long wetland system linked by a swamp. Five of these lakes lie within the park’s borders.
Zebras

Great Sightings

Lake Mburo National Park is home to 350 bird species as well as zebra, impala, eland, buffalo, oribi, Defassa waterbuck, leopard, hippo, hyena, topi and reedbuck.

Famous For

Uganda is home to the continent’s most iconic wildlife, including the impala. This species is well represented at Lake Mburo National Park, whose magnificent fauna consists of zebra, eland, buffalo, oribi, deffasa water back, leopard, hippo, reed back and more. This place has everything: It’s a small enclave where the diversity of life thrives. Lake Mburo National Park is the perfect place to take your family and friends. Where you can enjoy a relaxing day with your family.

Getting There

We recommend visiting the Lake Mburo National Park during the dryer seasons from June to August and December to January. However, if you’re up for an adventure, we strongly encourage you to visit during the wetter seasons from March to May and September to November.

Park Fees

Adult foreign non-residents pay 40$, Children foreign non-residents pay 20$ , Adult foreign residents pay 30$, children foreign residents pay 10$, East African adult citizens pay ugx15,000 and children pay ugx5,000 per day.

When to Visit

We recommend visiting the Lake Mburo National Park during the dryer seasons from June to August and December to January. However, if you’re up for an adventure, we strongly encourage you to visit during the wetter seasons from March to May and September to November.

Experience the best of Lake Mburo National Park

Lake Mburo at a glance

Lake Mburo National Park is over 260 square kilometres, it is the smallest savannah park in Uganda, and it has a varied topography: grasslands, rocky outcrops, dry hillside, wooded savannah forest, bush thickets and swamps. Though the smallest savannah park in Uganda, its 260 square kilometer size provides an enchanting range of habitats. Here, you'll find a mosaic habitat filled with swamps, lakes, and bush thickets. The savannas, forests and wetlands that cover much of this region are lush, and seldom seen by man. The rain shadow of the great Rwenzori mountains looms over this region stretching up to Lake Victoria.

This wildlife-rich lake, nestled in the shadows of Mount Rwenzori, where soaring glaciers bathe the landscape in a sublime blanket of snow and mist, makes for a perfect day-trip from Kampala. Lying between the towns of Masaka and Mbarara, It is located close to the main south western road that links Kampala to Bwindi Impenetrable, Kabale town, Lake Bunyonyi, and Mgahinga gorilla national park, creating an easily accessible, quality experience that makes it easy to connect with and experience the wild in other national parks.

Each a distinctive and separate ecosystem, the 13 Lakes in and around the park are one of the most biodiverse. Together with Lake Mburo, they make up an entire 50KM long wetland system that was once joined together. The area is so stunning you might need to hike over the hills or canoe across it to fully appreciate the beauty and biodiversity of the region. Each lake has its own history and personality, story, and a special role to play in the community.

Lake Mburo National Park is an oasis for wild animals and plants. The park is surprisingly lush, green and beautiful. It is crisscrossed with swamps, hills, bushy thickets and lakes, a painter's canvas for the playful imaginations of safari guides everywhere. Soak up a stunning landscape diving into Lake Mburo’s vast pools filled with the most gorgeous colours, brimming with water life and home to hippos and sitatungas as 20% of the park is covered by wetlands.

Though small in size, Lake Mburo National Park shelters a rich variety of plant and animal life. It's no wonder Lake Mburo national park is a hot spot for bird watching. With 69 mammal species and 332 species of birds, the diversity of habitats offers ample inspiration for an active imagination: you never know what you might see!

Lake Mburo national park is the only place in Uganda where you can find impalas and also the only park in Uganda that protects bush rats, slender mongoose, and the rare dik-dik. Impalas are antelopes and subspecies of bongos. When they run they leap like rabbits to avoid predators and are some of the fastest mammals on earth. Lake Mburo is also the only park in western Uganda with Zebras and elands. Besides these, it boasts a large number of Topi. The wildlife experience, throughout - day or night, is like no other. You'll see Warthogs, Reedbuck and Waterbuck in the open plains. In the reedbeds, you'll be treated to glimpses of the bizarre sitatunga antelope and dwarf mongoose. There are other animals in the park and they are all unique including Leopards, Hippos and crocodiles.

The list of animal species was expanded in 2015 when several Rothschild's Giraffes were relocated from the larger Murchison falls national park. The addition of new animals and habitats will help create future conservation success stories. The aim of this bold move wasn’t to remedy overhunting that had happened before; it was to re-wild a landscape and bring balance back to an ecosystem. The variety of wildlife here is astounding. Even better, it's only a few hours away from Kampala, the capital of Uganda. When you are planning a wildlife safari, game viewing or birding safari in Uganda, consider Lake Mburo National Park as a destination. It is one of the best places to experience the beauty and diversity of Uganda’s natural landscape.

Destination Must Do

Game Drives

Lake Mburo is a breathtakingly beautiful place with activities that appeal to all: the thrill seeker, nature lover, and relaxation journeyer alike. The vastness of the park makes it a great destination for family vacations. The park offers a range of fun activities that can be combined or enjoyed individually, game drives being one of them. The park hosts zebra, hippopotamus, impala, warthog, common eland, African buffalo, predators may include the leopards, hyenas, genets, civets, jackals and serval cats, among others.

Game drives in Lake Mburo national park capture the essence of wildlife viewing with a balanced mix of sightings and true wilderness. Sleep under the stars and smell the wildness at its fullest. It is an experience you will always remember. Forever.

Birding

Lake Mburo is home to an infinite number of bird species with diverse colour patterns and personalities. Just watch the way that flocks of birds freely soar amidst dense patches of leaves and branches. The national park has got over 313 bird species that include; the rare white-winged warbler, emerald spotted wood dove, the crested francolin. It also includes Nubian woodpecker, the brown parrot, barefaced go way bird, the common Francolin, the greenwood hoopoe, the blue napped mousebird, the trilling cisticola, black-billed barbet, as well as the African grey hornbill.

Lake Mburo is the wellspring of great adventures in Uganda. It's an aquatic wonderland for birders, paddlers and photographers and it's a great base for exploring other areas of the country. If a safari is on your bucket list, consider this prime destination. It is highly recommended.

Horseback Safaris

Experience nature in its purest form, explore and respect the animals from up close. No fumes, no vibration, no engine sounds. Only the sounds of nature and your horse. Do so on a horseback safari, where you can see the park in all its glory and take in stunning vistas at a pace that’s comfortable for you and your guide. There's a special joy that comes from seeing wild animals in the wild. Getting up close and personal with nature from the back of a horse is an experience you'll never forget.

It's thrilling to discover the wilder side of life from horseback and Lake Mburo is just the place to do it. The park’s rich ecosystems, cultural significance, and cattle-herding pastoral activity give this park a rich and distinct character that makes for an unforgettable riding experience.

Nature Walks / Hiking

Although horseback riding is an exhilarating way to explore the park and its landscapes, the activities may not appeal to guests of all abilities. We offer mountain biking, hiking and other activities that allow maximum interaction with nature while increasing your physical activity levels.

Lake Mburo is your next adventure. Here, you can embark on guided walks with ranger guides and spot impala, bushbuck, pangolins and more! These walks are a great way to learn more about the park and its residents. It's also a great way to experience the thrill of walking with wild animals in their natural habitat. It should be noted that there is an absence of lions and elephants in the park making it safe for these kinds of activities. The trails lead you to the salt lick – a place where different types of animals gather around to drink the salt found in the soils. This is a shallow water hole found in the middle of the park that’s filled with muddy earth and what looks like dried up black coffee. You can feel it on your hands, taste it on your lips, and smell its subtle scent

Explore Lake Mburo

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