Kampala City Tour: Explore Ugandan History and Local Markets in the Capital City

Embark on a private guided tour of Kampala, Uganda’s capital city, and discover its rich history, vibrant local markets, historical monuments, temples, Buganda kingdom, Gadhafi mosque, Makerere University, and the Uganda National Museum.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Kampala - Begin your journey in Kampala Central and explore the city’s suburbs. Highlights in up-town Kampala include: The Independence Monument, Mutesa II Monument, World War II Monument, the Parliamentary Building, Bank of Uganda (established in 1966), Uganda National Cultural Centre (since December 1959), and Kampala Capital City Authority headquarters.

Make a stop at Nakasero Market: Established in 1895, initially at Lubiri and later moved to its current location in the city center in 1905. Enjoy the sights of Hindu temples such as Shree Swaminarayan Mandir and other cultural landmarks.

  • Kabaka’s Palace - Continue to the Buganda Kingdom and visit the Kabaka’s (king’s) Palace. See the Idd Amin Armoury, a historic machine gun, the palace pictorial, and explore Buganda’s rich history with a drive past Kabaka’s Lake. The Buganda trail includes the Nantawetwa monument, built exclusively for the King and only opened when he is driven to or from the palace to the Buganda Parliament. Drive along the Royal Mile to see Bulange (Buganda Parliament), Kabaka’s monument, Zakaria Kisingiri House, and the Buganda Clan Symbols.

  • Gaddafi National Mosque - Make a stop at Gaddafi Mosque, established by the late Col. Muammar Gaddafi. Climb the tower (minaret) for a 360-degree bird’s eye view of the city’s famous 7 Hills, including Fort Lugard (established in 1800 by Capt. Frederick Lugard) and Old Kampala Senior Secondary School (over 60 years old, with Rwanda’s President Kagame as a former student).

  • Kasubi Tombs - Visit the Kasubi Tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This renowned spiritual site for the Baganda preserves traditional and cultural practices. It is a significant burial ground for the previous four Kings (Kabakas) of Buganda, making it a religious center for the Royal family where important traditional rituals related to Buganda culture are held.

  • Makerere University - From Kasubi, take a sightseeing tour through Makerere University, Uganda’s largest and oldest university (established in 1922) and Africa’s third oldest. At Makerere, see landmarks such as the Old University Library (established in 1949) and the Main Administration Building (since 1941), along with the Education monument.

  • Baha’i Temple - Head to Kikaya Hill to explore the Baha’i Temple and learn about the Baha’i Faith in Uganda. This is the only Baha’i temple in Africa, located northeast of Kampala. Enjoy a moment of self-meditation and take pictures in the lush gardens.

Special Note 01: The Temple is closed on Mondays and Fridays.

From the Temple, you will be dropped off at your starting point.

Special Note 02: Transfers outside Entebbe require an additional cost. Please communicate this in advance for a reasonable quote.

  • Uganda Museum - The Museum is temporarily closed for renovations.

Stop at the Uganda National Museum, East Africa’s first and oldest museum (established by the British government in 1908 and moved to its current site in 1954). This serves as a summary of our city tour and the rest of Uganda. The Museum is temporarily closed for renovations.

What's Included
  • Entrance fee to selected stopovers
  • Mineral water provided on tour
  • City tour route map copy
  • Photos of your tour
  • Transport in a Minibus/Minivan
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
  • Drop-off outside our radius
  • Optional activities at stopovers
  • Expenses of a personal nature
Additional Information

Ends at: Uganda Museum
Pick-up: 08:30AM or 01:00PM / Drop-off: 02:00PM or 06:00PM

Trip Overview:
Kampala is the capital and largest city in Uganda. The city is subdivided into 5 divisions; Central division, Kawempe division (North), Makindye division (South), Nakawa division (East) and Rubaga division (West) respectively. Kampala started as an urban settlement in in 1890 with the arrival of Sir Frederick Lugard on Old Kampala hill, later in 1900 it became Uganda’s capital following the signing of the Buganda agreement and in 1950 the city got its first mayor. This tour is the easiest and safest way to explore Kampala, its people, its history and economic engagements. After this tour, you will become a storyteller! This is a private guided tour ensuring a personalized service and authentic experiences!

Highlights:
Kampala’s historical monuments
Religious Temples
Visit Buganda Kingdom
Gadhafi Mosque
Makerere University
Uganda Museum
The 7 hills of Kampala
Explore local Markets

Location
Kampala
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(9 Ratings)
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Adaptivate
Apr 29, 2024
Wowa Kampala!! - Terrific day tour of Kampala. Hillary was a fantastic guide. He shuttled me around to the main sites and also customized the tour. Very interactive and interesting day. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Caitlin_w
Feb 23, 2023
Get to know Kampala in a day! - This experience was amazing! Mathew was such a patient and informative host. His excitement toward Ugandan history, culture, etc. is evident; he is bursting with energy and knowledge. I didn’t study Ugandan history well prior to my trip to Kampala, and after this experience I feel like I have a good understanding and an interest in learning more.
Review provided by Viator
Kellyn_b
Feb 11, 2023
Kampala Day Tour. - Fun and informative tour. My guide, Matthew, was knowledgeable and entertaining. A good way to see Kampala, without question.
Review provided by Viator
Lesliep69
Nov 12, 2022
Matthew was fantastic - We took a Kampala city tour and it was excellent. Matthew was helpful, funny and very enthusiastic. We loved his company, he’s really cook. We had a hangover because of partying the night before but he made our day🙂
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Toi254
Sep 25, 2022
Best 6hrs in Kampala - I didn't have a lot of time for sight seeing in Kampala and this half tour with Gazelle Safari was the best decision ever. Mathew was my guide and he was all that and then some more. He was very polite and professional the entire time. He didn't rush me through any of the sites we visited and was very accommodating as-needed. He is very knowledgeable and learnt so much about Uganda than I would have ever thought! He is very passionate about his job too. Honestly I could go on and on about my experience but truly it was 100%. You should def book this tour and ask for Mathew. He will make you feel like you are the most important client ever!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chloe
Aug 7, 2022
Look for Mathew for an extraordinary city tour - Think you know all about Kampala? My multi-bachelors guide Mathew/Matthew will definitely suggest you otherwise (he has degrees in digital marketing, human resources, and very soon, law). To name but a few, knowledgable, critical, friendly, hospitable, are some prime qualities of Mathew. Despite only having spent half day with Mathew, I had gained a lifetime of knowledge and a lifelong friend. I am constantly overwhelmed and impressed by his passion in Kampala's history, his insights in Uganda's social situation, and his interests in sharing with me Uganda's culture. From our visits to the Kabaka's Palace, to our visits in the Uganda National Mosque and the Uganda Museum, Mathew provided all the essential information that I needed to know and provided critical answers to each question that I wished to know. Mathew knows all about the city and is also a global citizen who has in-depth knowledge of other countries, very likely even your own home country! You will be amazed as you engage in constructive conversations with Mathew. I will also have to thank you Gazelle's founder Annabel/Ann for arranging and organising this half-day tour on my last day in Uganda. This is certainly a perfect semicolon (not a full stop!) to my 8 days Uganda trip. As a solo traveller, there was never a dull moment with Mathew, who had also been entertaining, talkative and caring. Words simply cannot encapsulate how professional Mathew is. If you want something extraordinary, Mathew is the guide-to-go.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Zoey_p
Jun 14, 2022
Kampala Driving Tour - I took this tour on my own after arriving in Kampala, and it was a great way to explore the city. I learned a lot about the history and culture, and I had a great experience! My tour guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. The tour was by car and very comfortable, it was on time, and it was very easy to arrange/schedule.
Review provided by Viator
Leo54324
Feb 18, 2020
An absolute must in Kampala - I got a gap after a conference and wanted to squeeze in a half day tour of Kampala. After looking at all the options, decided to go Gazelle Tours. That was a great experience and fun. We visited the Bahai Temple, peaceful with awesome acoustics. After then visited to the 2nd largest mosque in Africa, interesting and a testing climb to the top of the tower. I had tried to do it, as the views are spectacular. Then off to the palace and visited Idi Amins torture chamber from the 70's. We then asked our guide to take us to a bar frequented by the average Ugandan. He then took us into the ghetto and what an experience. People there were very-friendly and so excited to see. Just over 4or5 hours had flown by. I would strongly recommend these tours and does a great job.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andrew
Jul 16, 2019
Amazing experience getting to know Kampala! - Laban and Matthew did an excellent job on this tour of Kampala. I'm a solo traveler and it was my first time in Kampala, and uganda for that matter. I quickly warmed up to Laban and Matthew, and they acted more as my close friends than people I paid to take me around! They gave me so much historical info on almost EVERY SINGLE thing we passed, and were constantly sharing their own experiences with local culture. We went to many places, including the kings palace, bahai temple, and gad mosque. Not only was it great to see these places, but the two made me feel like a movie star by having me pose in front of the buildings for some nice shots to take home! This trip is one I will not forget for my trip to kampala. Book this if you'd like to get a better idea of the past, present, and future of Kampala!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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