What is the best time to visit Uganda?

The drier months — June to August and December to February — are the easiest for forest trekking and give the firmest trails. The wetter months are greener and quieter, and both countries are worth visiting year round; the parks do not close.

What is the best month for gorilla trekking?

June and July are typically the driest and so the most comfortable underfoot. They are also the busiest, and permits for those months go first, so book well ahead.

Is April a bad month to trek gorillas?

April is the wettest month in the gorilla forests, so trails are slippery and a trek takes longer. It is not a bad month — the gorillas are there and the forest is at its greenest — and in Uganda a permit costs US$600 rather than US$800 in April, May and November. It suits a traveller who would rather have fewer people and a lower cost than dry boots.

When is the best time for savannah game drives?

The drier months concentrate wildlife around water and thin the grass, which makes animals easier to spot. Uganda's savannah parks travel well in any month, so the seasonal choice matters less here than it does for forest trekking.

When to go

Best time to visit Uganda & Rwanda

The drier windows — June to August and December to February — give the firmest forest trails and the easiest trekking, with June and July typically driest. Neither country has a season worth avoiding: the parks stay open, the wetter months are greener and quieter, and in Uganda a gorilla permit costs less in April, May and November.

What each month is like

Rainfall shown as bands rather than millimetres. Published annual figures disagree sharply depending on provider and elevation, so the shape of the year is what matters here — every source agrees on that.

Place	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Entebbe	January: Light rain, high 25.2°C, low 20.2°C	February: Light rain, high 25.6°C, low 20.7°C	March: Wet, high 24.9°C, low 20.6°C	April: Wettest, high 23.9°C, low 20.2°C	May: Wet, high 23.8°C, low 19.9°C	June: Light rain, high 23.8°C, low 19.4°C	July: Driest, high 23.7°C, low 19.1°C	August: Light rain, high 23.9°C, low 19.1°C	September: Light rain, high 24.4°C, low 19.5°C	October: Wet, high 24.3°C, low 19.8°C	November: Wettest, high 24°C, low 19.6°C	December: Wet, high 24.3°C, low 19.8°C
Kigali	January: Light rain, high 27°C, low 16°C	February: Light rain, high 27°C, low 16°C	March: Wet, high 27°C, low 16°C	April: Wettest, high 26°C, low 16°C	May: Wet, high 26°C, low 16°C	June: Driest, high 27°C, low 15°C	July: Driest, high 28°C, low 15°C	August: Driest, high 28°C, low 17°C	September: Light rain, high 28°C, low 16°C	October: Wet, high 26°C, low 16°C	November: Wettest, high 26°C, low 16°C	December: Light rain, high 26°C, low 16°C
Bwindi Impenetrable	January: Light rain, high 22°C, low 12°C	February: Light rain, high 22°C, low 12°C	March: Wet, high 22°C, low 12°C	April: Wettest, high 22°C, low 12°C	May: Wet, high 22°C, low 12°C	June: Driest, high 21°C, low 12°C	July: Driest, high 21°C, low 12°C	August: Light rain, high 22°C, low 12°C	September: Wet, high 22°C, low 12°C	October: Wettest, high 22°C, low 12°C	November: Wettest, high 22°C, low 12°C	December: Light rain, high 22°C, low 12°C
Kibale Forest	January: Driest, high 27°C, low 17°C	February: Driest, high 27°C, low 17°C	March: Wet, high 27°C, low 17°C	April: Wettest, high 26°C, low 16°C	May: Wet, high 26°C, low 16°C	June: Driest, high 26°C, low 16°C	July: Driest, high 26°C, low 16°C	August: Wet, high 26°C, low 16°C	September: Wettest, high 26°C, low 16°C	October: Wettest, high 26°C, low 16°C	November: Wettest, high 26°C, low 16°C	December: Wet, high 27°C, low 16°C
Queen Elizabeth	January: Light rain, high 28°C, low 17°C	February: Light rain, high 28°C, low 17°C	March: Wet, high 28°C, low 18°C	April: Wettest, high 28°C, low 18°C	May: Wet, high 28°C, low 18°C	June: Driest, high 28°C, low 17°C	July: Driest, high 28°C, low 17°C	August: Wet, high 28°C, low 17°C	September: Wet, high 28°C, low 17°C	October: Wet, high 28°C, low 18°C	November: Wet, high 28°C, low 18°C	December: Light rain, high 28°C, low 17°C
Murchison Falls	January: Driest, high 31°C, low 20°C	February: Driest, high 31°C, low 20°C	March: Light rain, high 30°C, low 19°C	April: Wet, high 30°C, low 19°C	May: Wet, high 30°C, low 19°C	June: Light rain, high 29°C, low 19°C	July: Light rain, high 29°C, low 19°C	August: Wet, high 30°C, low 19°C	September: Wet, high 30°C, low 19°C	October: Wettest, high 30°C, low 19°C	November: Wet, high 30°C, low 19°C	December: Driest, high 31°C, low 20°C
Volcanoes NP	January: Light rain, high 15°C, low 7°C	February: Light rain, high 15°C, low 7°C	March: Wettest, high 15°C, low 7°C	April: Wettest, high 15°C, low 7°C	May: Wet, high 15°C, low 7°C	June: Driest, high 15°C, low 7°C	July: Driest, high 15°C, low 7°C	August: Light rain, high 15°C, low 7°C	September: Wet, high 15°C, low 7°C	October: Wet, high 15°C, low 7°C	November: Wettest, high 15°C, low 7°C	December: Light rain, high 15°C, low 7°C
Nyungwe Forest	January: Light rain, high 20°C, low 11°C	February: Light rain, high 20°C, low 11°C	March: Wet, high 20°C, low 11°C	April: Wettest, high 20°C, low 11°C	May: Wet, high 20°C, low 11°C	June: Driest, high 19°C, low 11°C	July: Driest, high 19°C, low 11°C	August: Driest, high 19°C, low 11°C	September: Light rain, high 20°C, low 11°C	October: Wet, high 20°C, low 11°C	November: Wettest, high 20°C, low 11°C	December: Wet, high 20°C, low 11°C

Driest
Light rain
Wet
Wettest

Best months, by what you came for

Birding

EntebbeJune–August and December–February: Mabamba shoebill canoe trips run year-round; calmer water and firmer tracks in the drier windows. Palearctic migrants boost lists November to April.
Bwindi ImpenetrableMarch–May and September–November: Albertine Rift endemics are resident year-round; the wetter months bring breeding activity and full song, at the cost of slippery trails.
Kibale ForestJanuary–June: The Green-breasted Pitta displays at dawn mainly in the wetter months; Bigodi's papyrus specials show year-round.
Queen ElizabethNovember–April: Over 600 species; Palearctic migrants swell the lists from November to April.
Murchison FallsNovember–March: Shoebill chances on the delta boat are best in the drier months; migrants add depth November to April.
Nyungwe ForestMarch–May: Bird activity peaks in the rains — Nyungwe is one of the Albertine Rift's finest montane birding forests, with more than 300 species and some 29 regional endemics.

Hiking

KigaliJune–August and December–February: Kigali is pleasant year-round at around 1,550 m; the June–August dry season is the most reliable for city walking and day trips.
Volcanoes NPJune–August: Dian Fossey trail and crater-lake hikes are at their best in the long dry season.

Gorilla trekking

Bwindi ImpenetrableJune–August and December–February: The two drier windows mean firmer trails and easier trekking — June–July is driest. Permits are limited daily; book well ahead, especially for these months.
Volcanoes NPJune–August and December–February: June–July are the most reliable underfoot. Treks run all year — the bamboo slopes are simply muddier in the rains.

Chimpanzee tracking

Kibale ForestJanuary–February and June–July: Drier trails make the morning treks easier, and sighting success in Kibale is high year-round — May and December are also good.
Nyungwe ForestJune–September: The June–September dry window keeps the steep forest trails manageable; the canopy walkway is spectacular whenever the mist allows.

Savannah game drives

Queen ElizabethJanuary–February and June–July: Drier spells concentrate wildlife and keep Ishasha's tracks passable; the Kazinga Channel boat is superb in any month.
Murchison FallsJune–July and December–February: The dry months pull game to the Nile and the delta; afternoon heat peaks above 30 °C, so drives run early and late.

Permit figures compiled from the authorities’ published tariffs as reported in June 2026. Fees are set by the wildlife authorities and change on their schedule, not ours.

Common questions

What is the best time to visit Uganda?: The drier months — June to August and December to February — are the easiest for forest trekking and give the firmest trails. The wetter months are greener and quieter, and both countries are worth visiting year round; the parks do not close.
What is the best month for gorilla trekking?: June and July are typically the driest and so the most comfortable underfoot. They are also the busiest, and permits for those months go first, so book well ahead.
Is April a bad month to trek gorillas?: April is the wettest month in the gorilla forests, so trails are slippery and a trek takes longer. It is not a bad month — the gorillas are there and the forest is at its greenest — and in Uganda a permit costs US$600 rather than US$800 in April, May and November. It suits a traveller who would rather have fewer people and a lower cost than dry boots.
When is the best time for savannah game drives?: The drier months concentrate wildlife around water and thin the grass, which makes animals easier to spot. Uganda's savannah parks travel well in any month, so the seasonal choice matters less here than it does for forest trekking.

Know roughly when you can travel?

Tell us the window and we will say what it is like on the ground then, which parks suit it, and whether permits are likely to still be available.

Tell us your dates Uganda or Rwanda?