1 day Entebbe City Tour, Entebbe city is situated on the shores of Lake Victoria, making for one of the beautiful towns in Uganda. Gifted by nature, the town offers tropical white sand beaches, islands, fascinating scenery, and is home to the national zoo and botanical gardens which display Uganda’s rich biodiversity at glance. Entebbe was once the colonial capital when Uganda was still a protectorate of the British Empire.
It was also the seat of Mugula, one of the prominent royal chiefs of Buganda kingdom. This 1-day Entebbe city tour allows you to visit the best attractions of Entebbe town. The tour starts early in the morning with a pickup from your place of stay by a knowledgeable guide who will drive you around.
Detailed 1 day Entebbe city tour itinerary
Visit Ntebbe Za Mugala rocks
Start off with a visit to Entebbe Za Mugula rocks located in Kigungu 10 km from Entebbe airport to learn where the name Entebbe came from. The historical site was an administrative seat of Chief Mugula in the 1700s. The chair like surface rocks provided a good seat for him to preside over community meetings. Remembered for his authoritative stance, the locals referred to the place as Ntebe Za Mugula in Luganda, the language spoken among the Kingdom.
The British couldn’t pronounce the word and shortened it to Entebbe which became the official name. The huge rocks provide spectacular scenery and there are traditional healers around you can visit for his stunning metaphysics.
Explore the Entebbe botanical gardens
From Kigungu, your next destination is Entebbe botanical gardens founded in 1898. A walk through the gardens can last for 1 to 2 hours depending on individual interests. Covering 40 hectares on the shores of Lake Victoria, the gardens contain a variety of ecosystems including rainforest, woodlands and savanna with over 398 plant and tree species including brown Mahogany. There are ornamental plants available for purchase such as Mediterranean cypress, lilac, canon ball tree, coconut and oil palms. The gardens are home to 34 bird species and primates such as black and white colobus monkeys.
Visit the Uganda Wildlife Education Center
Visit UWEC to get a glimpse of the rich biodiversity of Uganda. There are 253 animals under veterinary care including two Bengal tigers that were recently brought from India. You can simply observe animals safely from the back of the fence or participate in one of the experiential activities that allow you to interact and feed the wildlife including chimps, giraffe, and shoebill. The most recommended are the Behind-the-Scenes and A Keeper for a Day program for both adults and kids. UWEC also has children’s play area, and games.
Once you’re done with touring UWEC, you go for lunch at the Entebbe craft village, one of the best places to shop for souvenirs. After lunch, go for a refreshing boat trip on Lake Victoria to Luwaji Island via Nakiwogo landing site. Quite off the beaten path, Luwaji Island is one of the 3 places to stand at the equator monument for photo shoots. Among other equator monuments are found at Kayabwe and Queen Elizabeth national park.
Tour of Nakiwogo market and Calvary Chapel
Return to Nakiwogo and experience Ugandan local living at Nakiwogo market. Visit Calvary Chapel NGO and enjoy local food and coffee at the Café Phileo. Take a stroll around and witness how Ugandans from young children, teenagers to adults both men and women go about making a living. Continue to the Calvary Chapel to learn about the redemptive story of Pastor Craig and his wife Loren who founded the born-again church in 2006. The majestic religious landmark stands at a site where many people had been killed during Idi Amin’s regime in the 1970s.
The place remained desolate for many years because it was feared by locals due to dark spirits that haunted them. The story changed with the arrival of Craig, what was a dark fearful place is now peaceful. The Chapel is registered as an NGO in Uganda and supports many children in the area through education and giving jobs. It also operates Café Phileo where you will sit and relax and order your favorite Ugandan dish. From there, you can end your 1-day Entebbe city tour with a visit to one of the beaches in Entebbe or go straight to your place of stay. End of 1 day Entebbe city tour.