Where To Do Night Game Drives In Uganda

Night game drives in Uganda: Night game drives are some of the memorable experiences awaiting you on the Uganda safari. Unlike day game viewing, night game drives offer remarkable opportunities for you to encounter nocturnal species as most of them become active. Like other wildlife safaris, visitors on a night game drive are accompanied by experienced park guides to ensure maximum safety while in the wild searching for nocturnal animals.

So where do I go for game drives in Uganda? Uganda has a total of 10 National Parks each offering distinct wildlife experiences or adventures. A few of them are ideal for guided night game drives and they include Lake Mburo National Park, Murchison Falls National Park, Semuliki National Park, and Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Best places to visit for night game drives

We recommend the following places for game drives in Uganda

Lake Mburo National Park

Located in Western Uganda, Lake Mburo National Park is known for its exceptional night game drive experiences. The park is compact in size and comes with abundant wildlife including over 68 mammal species.

A night game drive in Lake Mburo NP is a lifetime opportunity to encounter nocturnal animals such as side-stripped jackals, white-tailed mongooses, aardvarks, hyenas, leopards, genet cats, porcupines, black galagos, hippos, bush pigs, to mention but a few.

Murchison Falls National Park

Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda’s largest national park, home to the biodiversity of species. The park is divided into 2 sections by the Victoria Nile River which creates the Southern and Northern sections. The savanna grassland dominates the Northern area and the Southern side is comprised of the rainforest.

Murchison Falls NP holds over 76 mammal species, and 451 bird species and for night game viewing, the possible sightings include hyenas, lions, leopards, genet cats, porcupines, nightjar birds, hippos, bush babies, civets, and more.

Other animal species in Murchison Falls National Park include waterbucks, buffaloes, elephants, Jackson’s hartebeest, Uganda Kobs, the Rothschild giraffes, oribis, bushbucks, primates like chimpanzees, olive baboons, black and white colobus monkeys.

Birds of Murchison Falls National Park include black-billed bustards, Abyssinian ground hornbill, marabou storks, papyrus gonoleks, shoebill storks, and others. On a night game drive tour, the Northern section will be the main area of interest.

Queen Elizabeth National Park

Queen Elizabeth National Park is Uganda’s 2^nd biggest park, located on the Western side of the country. The 1978 sq. km Queen Elizabeth NP is home to over 95 mammal species and boasts of its breathtaking landscape characterized by sweeping savanna plains, Crater Lakes, Kazinga channel, tropical rainforest, and at the backdrop, there are Rwenzori Mountain ranges.

The park’s animal species to see include bushbucks, hippos, lions (tree-climbing lions), African elephants, mongooses, waterbucks, and others.

Night game drives in Queen Elizabeth National park are excellently done around the Mweya Peninsula. Possible sightings on a guided night game drive include leopards, serval cats, banded mongooses, bush babies, civets, hyenas, hippos, and many others.

Important things to carry for a night game drive in Uganda

Essentials for your memorable guided night game drive in Uganda include a 4×4 drive vehicle, a camera with additional batteries, mosquito repellent, bottled drinking water, spotlight torches, and others.

Guidelines to observe

• Always observe the park guide’s instructions
• To participate in a night game drive, you should be above 15 years
• Avoid making a loud noise
• Avoid using deemed light.

How much is a night game drive in Uganda

The total cost of Uganda night game drives varies depending on certain factors like transport, accommodation, and meals. However, it costs USD 30 per person for guests using a private vehicle, and if you are using a UWA car for a night game drive, you pay USD 40- this applies to foreign and foreign non-residents. The East African citizens pay Uganda shillings 50,000 for a private car & 40,000 for UWA cars.

You can plan and book your memorable night game drive tour in Uganda with an expert on the ground. We are a recognized tour operator based in Uganda with vast experience in arranging the best Uganda safaris across its destinations.