Uganda is opening its national parks for free across three days in late September, on the 25th, 26th and 27th, letting both Ugandans and foreign visitors walk into the participating parks and reserves without paying the usual entrance fee. The Open National Park Days run as a goodwill window announced by the Uganda Wildlife Authority, and you can build a full Uganda safari around them by pairing the free park access with the country’s headline experiences. Uganda sits in East Africa, straddling the equator, and holds ten national parks that range from the gorilla forests of the southwest to the Nile at Murchison Falls and the remote plains of Kidepo in the far northeast.

A quick point worth being clear about from the start. For the 2026 edition, UWA has confirmed that the park entrance fee is waived at the parks and reserves in the scheme, for locals and foreign visitors alike. What has not been confirmed for 2026 is whether the extras, the game drives, boat cruises and guided walks, are included or still carry their usual charge, so treat those as payable until UWA says otherwise and confirm them when you book. The two gorilla and chimp parks, Bwindi and Kibale, are not in the scheme at all, so a gorilla trekking safari or a chimpanzee tracking permit is booked and paid for separately, at the usual price, whatever the dates.

Uganda Open National Park Days: What the Free Entry Safari Window Offers

For three days, the park entrance fee is waived for both Ugandans and foreign visitors. UWA has named four national parks for the 2026 edition, Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls, Kidepo Valley and Lake Mburo, along with several wildlife reserves, among them Ajai, Pian Upe, Katonga and Toro-Semuliki. The waiver UWA has confirmed is on the entrance fee. Whether the game drives, boat cruises and guided walks are free or still charged has not been confirmed for this edition, so plan for them as payable and check closer to the date. The two primate parks sit outside the scheme completely. Bwindi Impenetrable, home to the mountain gorillas, and Kibale Forest, known for its chimpanzees, run on a trekking permit rather than a gate fee, so those are booked and paid separately. The idea behind the open days is simple. Get more people into the parks, grow the habit of local travel, and show off what the country protects.

The practical effect for someone planning a trip is a saving on daily entry and a park that feels a little more alive with local families. If you time a self drive or a guided tour to land inside those dates, you skip the gate fee at each park you visit. Pair two or three parks and the free days start to shape a genuinely good value safari route through western and northern Uganda.

Plan the free days as your park hopping window and slot any permit based activity, gorillas or chimps, on the days either side. The permit is booked to a fixed date, so lock those first, then arrange the free entry parks around them.

Mountain Gorilla Trekking Safaris in Bwindi During September

A mountain gorilla trekking safari in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the reason most people fly to Uganda, and September is a strong month for it. Bwindi shelters close to half the world’s remaining mountain gorillas, and the most recent census put Uganda’s population at a stable figure in the hundreds, part of the wider recovery of the species. The forest sits in the far southwest, folded into steep, misty hills near the border with Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The gorilla trekking day starts early with a briefing at one of the four trailhead sectors, Buhoma, Ruhija, Rushaga or Nkuringo. Rangers assign you to a habituated family, then you set off on foot into thick forest. A trek can run anywhere from one hour to most of a day, since the gorillas move where the food is and the terrain climbs hard in places. Sightings on a permitted trek are very reliable, though nothing wild is ever fully guaranteed, and you get one hour with the family once found.

Bwindi sits outside the free entry days, since access here runs through the gorilla permit rather than a gate fee, so the permit carries its own cost and its own booked date whatever the calendar says. Treat it as the fixed anchor of the trip and build the free entry parks around it.

Queen Elizabeth National Park Game Drive Safaris

A game drive safari in Queen Elizabeth National Park is the classic savanna half of a Uganda itinerary, and it sits within easy reach of Bwindi, which makes the two a natural pair. The park spreads across the floor of the western Rift Valley, between lakes Edward and George, with the Kazinga Channel running through the middle.

Morning drives on the Kasenyi plains put you among elephants, buffalo, Uganda kob and, with luck, lions. Down in the southern Ishasha sector, the lions have a habit of draping themselves in the branches of fig trees, one of the few places in Africa where that behaviour is regular rather than rare. A boat cruise along the Kazinga Channel is the other draw, gliding past hippos, crocodiles and one of the densest gatherings of water birds in the region. During the open days the park entrance fee is waived. Whether the game drives are included for 2026 has not been confirmed, so budget for a guided drive and confirm it when you book, and treat the Kazinga boat cruise as payable, since boat rides normally carry a separate charge.

Kasenyi Plains Game Drive: Open grassland with strong odds of lions, elephants and large kob herds on an early morning safari.

Ishasha Tree Climbing Lion Safari: The southern sector where lions rest in fig trees through the heat of the day.

Kazinga Channel Boat Safari: A slow water cruise past hippos, crocodiles and heavy concentrations of birdlife.

Murchison Falls Safari Tours Along the Nile

A Murchison Falls safari takes in Uganda’s largest park and one of its most dramatic sights, the point where the Nile squeezes through a gap barely seven metres wide before crashing down. The park lies in the northwest, a five to six hour drive from Kampala, and splits into a northern game rich bank and a southern woodland side.

The northern plains carry good numbers of giraffe, elephant, buffalo and antelope, with lions and the occasional leopard working the same ground. A launch trip upriver to the base of the falls is the signature outing, and it doubles as a fine way to see hippos, crocodiles and shoebills along the banks. The top of the falls, reached on a short hike, gives you the full force of the water up close. With the park entrance fee waived on the open days, a Murchison leg becomes an easy add on to a northern loop. The launch trip to the base of the falls is a boat ride, so plan for that one to carry its usual charge.

Chimpanzee Tracking Safaris in Kibale Forest

A chimpanzee tracking safari in Kibale Forest National Park rounds out the primate side of a Uganda trip and slots neatly between Queen Elizabeth and the crater lakes region. Kibale holds one of the highest densities of primates in Africa, chimpanzees among more than a dozen species that share the canopy.

Tracking sets off from Kanyanchu with a ranger, following calls and fresh signs through tall forest until the group is found. When the chimps are feeding low or moving on the ground, you watch them go about a noisy, social afternoon of grooming, squabbling and travel. Kibale, like Bwindi, sits outside the free entry days, since the chimp permit covers your access here rather than a gate fee. Book it to a set date and let the free entry parks fill the gaps around it. Nearby Bigodi wetland adds a gentle guided walk for birds and monkeys if you want a slower morning.

Kidepo Valley Safari Adventures in the Far Northeast

A Kidepo Valley safari is the wild card of a Uganda trip, a remote park tucked into the semi arid corner where Uganda meets South Sudan and Kenya. Few travellers make it this far, which is exactly the appeal. The Narus Valley holds surprising density of game in the dry months, and Kidepo carries species you will not easily find elsewhere in the country, including ostrich, cheetah and greater kudu.

Because it is far from everything, most people fly in rather than drive the long roads north. That distance keeps the crowds thin and the sense of space wide. During the open days the park entry is free, a small bonus on a trip whose real cost is the getting there. If your idea of a safari leans toward big, empty country and few other vehicles, Kidepo earns the effort.

Why Late September Suits a Uganda Safari

Late September falls at the tail of Uganda’s long dry season, and that timing works in your favour for most of the country. Trails in the gorilla and chimp forests tend to be firmer, the savanna parks stay open and passable, and wildlife gathers around shrinking water. It is not bone dry everywhere, since the short rains can start creeping in from October, yet the window around the open park days usually sits in a sweet spot of decent weather and green enough scenery.

June to September: The main dry season. Firmer forest trails for trekking and easier savanna game viewing as animals cluster near water.

Late September: End of the long dry spell. Good conditions across most parks, with the short rains still a few weeks off in many areas.

December to February: The second drier window, another reliable stretch for a Uganda safari and gorilla trekking.

One honest caveat. Uganda sits on the equator and rain can arrive on any afternoon, forest especially. Pack for a shower even in a dry month and you will rarely be caught out.

Getting to Uganda’s Parks for Your Safari

Most trips start at Entebbe International Airport, on the shore of Lake Victoria near Kampala. From there the parks fan out by road or light aircraft. Murchison Falls sits about five to six hours north by vehicle. Queen Elizabeth is roughly six to seven hours southwest, often broken with a night near Kibale. Bwindi is the long haul, eight to nine hours by road, which is why many travellers fly into the Kihihi or Kisoro airstrips instead and save a day.

Kidepo, in the far northeast, is really a fly in park for most itineraries, given the driving distance. Road transfers give you the scenery and the villages along the way, while light flights buy back time on a shorter trip. A good operator will mix the two, driving the western circuit and flying the far corners, so the free park days stay the focus rather than the road.

Frequently Asked Questions About a Uganda Safari

Is gorilla trekking free during the Open National Park Days?

No. Bwindi is not part of the free entry days, and the gorilla trekking permit is a separate, dated activity that currently costs around 800 US dollars per person for foreign non residents, booked ahead through a licensed operator. The open days waive the park entrance fee at the parks and reserves in the scheme, and Bwindi is not one of them, so the gorilla permit is paid in full as always.

Which parks are included in the free entry days?

For 2026, UWA has named four national parks, Queen Elizabeth, Murchison Falls, Kidepo Valley and Lake Mburo, along with several wildlife reserves, among them Ajai, Pian Upe, Katonga and Toro-Semuliki. The confirmed waiver is on the park entrance fee. Bwindi and Kibale, the gorilla and chimp parks, are not on the list, so their permits are paid as normal.

What still has to be paid during the free entry days?

For 2026, UWA has confirmed only that the park entrance fee is waived. Everything else should be treated as payable until UWA confirms otherwise, so plan for the game drives, boat cruises, guided walks, your vehicle, the fuel, the driver or guide, the accommodation and any community run activities or cultural visits, whatever your nationality. The gorilla and chimp permits at Bwindi and Kibale are separate again and paid in full. It is worth confirming the activity inclusions with your operator or with UWA closer to the date.

How much does a Uganda park entry fee normally cost?

Outside the free days, foreign non resident entry runs about 40 US dollars per person for parks such as Queen Elizabeth, Kidepo, Kibale and Lake Mburo, and around 45 US dollars for Murchison Falls, each ticket valid for 24 hours. In Bwindi the park access is folded into the trekking permit rather than charged on its own.

What does a chimpanzee tracking permit cost in Kibale?

A chimpanzee tracking permit in Kibale Forest currently costs about 250 US dollars per person for foreign non residents. Like the gorilla permit, it is booked to a fixed date and sits outside the free entry window, so plan it as one of your anchor activities.

How long is a gorilla trekking safari on the day?

The trek itself can last from about one hour to a full day, depending on where the gorilla family has moved. Once the group is found, you spend one hour with them. Fitness helps, since Bwindi is steep and the forest is thick, though rangers match trekkers to nearer or further families where they can.

Can I combine several parks around the free days?

Yes, and that is the smart way to use them. A common loop pairs Bwindi for gorillas with Queen Elizabeth for game drives, or runs a northern route through Murchison and Kibale. Book any permit based activity first to fixed dates, then arrange the free entry parks around those to get the most out of the waived gate fees.

Are wildlife sightings guaranteed on a Uganda safari?

Permitted gorilla and chimp treks have very high success rates because rangers track the families daily, though no wild sighting is ever fully certain. On savanna game drives, lions, leopards and other big animals are seen often in the dry months but never on demand. Honest expectation setting beats a promise every time.

If your trip might also cross into Kenya, our guide to a quiet Kenya safari shows how to enjoy the big parks away from the crowds.

A safari is a personal thing, and how it comes together, and when, is yours to decide. Ancient Africa Safaris is owner led and East Africa is all we do, so you deal with people who know Bwindi, Queen Elizabeth and the far corners of Uganda first hand, and who will tell you plainly what is worth your time in that late September window. Once you decide to go ahead, the permits and the small print are quietly ours to carry.

There is no rush. Whenever it feels right, write to us at Ancient Africa Safaris and one of our team will reply in person.

Uganda’s Open National Park Days: A September Safari Guide