Kampala City

Attractions in Kampala City

Covering an area of about 189 sq kilometers, Kampala city is undoubtedly the biggest of all Uganda’s cities and that’s the reason why it is the country’s capital. Located central of the region, about 36 km from Uganda’s main airport (Entebbe) this city is full of some amazing attractions to visit when in Uganda.

From the airport which is located in Entebbe, it takes about an hour of driving to Kampala using the Kampala-Entebbe highway and that’s because of the traffic on this road because it is always busy and congested with a lot of vehicles going and coming from the city. But if you want a quicker route there’s an alternative high-way to use and to beat the traffic, even though this route can’t be accessed  without payments it is really useful for those who would want to reach Kampala on time. The Kampala-Entebbe Express-way helps travelers to catch up with time and arrive on time to catch their engagements and meetings.

Travelers who use this road pay tolls and it is 5000 Uganda shillings per vehicle, per trip. But its worth the money for those who doesn’t want to reach late to their destinations because of less traffic on this road and it actually takes about 30 minutes of driving from Entebbe to Kampala using this high-way.

For travelers, who would want to experience Uganda’s countryside, the Kampala-Entebbe express way is recommended to use, because its located just on the outskirts of the city and you will see beautiful views of the country and the famous swamps just on your way to the capital but if you would want to see how Ugandan’s live their day to day lives and how they access the city on a congested basis daily, then you really need to use the old highway.

Reaching Kampala city is actually easy even for first time travelers to the country because of the wide range of transportation services at the Airport. If you dont have someone to pick you up from the airport, Airport taxis are really helpful for a drop off to Kampala at around 30000 shillings and also in Entebbe town just about 10 mins from the Airport, public transport is always available 24 hours and 7 days a week. You can opt to use the famous Matatu Vans which are the most used mode of transport for locals and it costs about 5000 shillings from Entebbe to Kampala.

Tourist Attractions in Kampala

Kampala has a wide range of tourist attractions you can take-on and visit when on your stay to Uganda. Most of the attractions are located within the city center and you can visit them all in a day. Most of these destinations are normally guided to give tourists broad knowledge and historical back-grounds when on their visit and you are advised to use either a registered tour operator or a local guide when visiting these places.

Some of the attractions you can visit while in Kampala are below;

THE UGANDA MUSEUM

Located just few minutes from the city center about 10 minutes of driving, near the Uganda Wildlife Authority Headquarters, the Uganda Museum is the place where the country’s ethnological, natural-historical and ancient traditional collections are exhibited from.

It was founded in 1908 after Governor George Wilson said that all articles of Uganda’s interests should be procured and it led to the construction of the Museum. This little museum is full of almost everything concerning the ancient of East Africa’s history and traditions but basically its more of Uganda’s.

Entrance for East African residents is 10000 shillings of the country’s currency and for foreign non-residents its 30000 shillings per person.

THE MENGO PALACE (KING’S PALACE)

The king’s palace is the most sought after destination for most of the tourists visiting Kampala. It is located just 10 minutes of driving from the city center to reach this place. This where the King of the biggest and most strongest kingdom in the country rules he’s people from. The Buganda Kingdom is the biggest kingdom in Uganda and the people from the kingdom are called the “Baganda” and the language they speak is called “Ganda” or famously Luganda. These people cover almost the country’s central region and from here their language is actually the most spoken and widespread all over the country.

Visiting the palace will give you the historical background of Uganda and the Kingdom, and from here you will learn how the local people benefit from their King and how culture is run here. Even though tourists are not allowed to enter the main building of the palace because it is only accessed by the King and that’s culture. Tourists are allowed to access other surroundings of the palace and the historical torture chambers which were constructed by the former Uganda’s President.  Entrance is the same as that of the Uganda museum.

THE GADAFFI MOSQUE

Who visits Kampala and doesn’t visit Uganda’s National Mosque?! The Gaddafi mosque is located just up on the Old Kampala Hill about five minutes of driving from the City center. It is without doubt the biggest of all East Africa’s mosques and it is the second biggest on the African continent. It can accommodate up to 20000 worshipers and  for most tourists who visit Kampala, it is an ideal place to learn more about the Islamic region.

Entrance is the same as for the King’s Palace.

OWINO MARKET

Being just down in the middle of the city, this market is indeed worth a visit when in Kampala. Its mostly local people who operates in this market and almost everything sold in this place is cheaper compared to other places. This is where the chaos of Kampala can be experienced from and tourists are advised to be on high alert to protect their belongings to avoid being taken away from them.

The Owino market is an ideal place, if you want to buy something for yourself on a cheaper price and from here, clients experience a lot of the history of the city and how local people manage to get something to support their families

There’s no funds needed to access this area.

KAMPALA CITY MONUMENTS

Kampala has a lot of history and traditional art experiences, tourists always walk on foot to explore the city and it’s the moat recommended way if you are to enjoy the exploration. A lot of monuments located in the city can be explored and if your with a guide its the better idea because you will get to know the history behind them. Some of them are, the Independence Monument, the Centenary monument, Sir Edward Muteesa monument, World war memorial monument and so many others.

THE UGANDA MARTY’S SHRINE

The Uganda Marty’s shrine famously known as the Namugongo Shrine, is located in an area called Namugongo just on the outskirts of Kampala city. About 40 minutes of driving from Kampala, it is where you find this Roman Catholic basilica which was dedicated to the Uganda Marty’s.

It is one of the biggest pilgrimage destinations in Africa and it was opened in 1975. It is actually a must visit for travelers visiting Kampala because there’s a lot of history about the martyred 22 people by the then former King of the Buganda Kingdom.