1-Day Kampala City and Cultural Tour

This Kampala city and cultural tour will take you to explore the unique landmarks, including commercial, religious, cultural, and historical sites. You will visit the Kasubi Tombs, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its remarkable buildings made of plant materials and the largest grass-thatched hut in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Other notable sites include Kabaka’s Palace, Gaddafi Mosque, Nakasero market, or Owino Market, which offers a great view of the city, and the Uganda Museum, showcasing Uganda’s social, economic, and cultural changes. The tour concludes with visits to Kabaka’s palace and Idi Amin’s torture chambers. There will be a lunch break, leisure time, and dinner, with an option for a nightlife experience in the evening.

Upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport, our company representative and English-speaking safari guide will greet you. You will then get transferred to your booked hotel in Kampala for dinner and an overnight stay.

Rise up early, have your hearty breakfast. Our company driver guide will pick you up and after embark on a Kampala City Tour to explore exciting and historical places and landmarks. You will visit Nakasero Market, a place known for fresh food stuffs, cheap electronics, spices, vegetables, fruits, textiles, and shoes.

After, you will visit Owino Market, one of the ancient markets in the country that has supported quite a number of low-income earners to earn a living. The market is famous for second-hand clothes and various products. Then, you will visit the Gadhafi Mosque, the largest mosque in East Africa and the second largest in Africa, after the King Hassan Mosque in Morocco. This mosque, completed in 2006, can hold 15,000 worshippers and offers a stunning view of Kampala from its top arch.

After, visit the Kasubi Tombs, which are located about 5 kilometers from Kampala City center on Kasubi Hill. They serve as the burial grounds for four late Kabakas and other members of the Buganda Royal family, making it an important site for the Ganda people and exhibiting their traditional architecture. The structures are made from local materials, contributing to their status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

During the tour, visitors will explore the Kasubi Tombs, which are considered as the largest grass-thatched house in the world, and visit the Royal Gallery with several traditional crafts and symbols of regalia. This tour will wind up the first session with unique cultural experiences, such as local dish preparation, cultural dance, bark-cloth harvesting, with a lunch break of traditional food prepared by both visitors and local chefs.

After lunch, visit the Kabaka’s Palace (Twekobe), located in Mengo on Mengo Hill. This is the official residence of the Kabaka (the King of Buganda). This palace is significant for Buganda cultural events and royal functions such as those involving royal drums, which play important roles in announcing the new king and the births of royal princes or princesses. When a royal family member dies, the drums are also used to inform the kingdom.

In Buganda culture, it is believed that the king does not die but rather “rests behind the reed.” The palace, covering about square miles, was built in 1885 by King Daniel Mwanga II Mukasa, the 31st Kabaka of Buganda. A guided visit to the Kabaka’s Palace will include Iddi Amin’s dungeon, where many Ugandans lost their lives between 1971 and 1985. You can relax at your hotel in the evening or visit the Ndere Cultural Center for cultural shows on Wednesdays, Fridays, or Sundays to enjoy Ugandan culture.

Meal Plan: Lunch