Are you planning to take a safari in Uganda? Many travelers wonder about the fun things to do in Kampala during their holiday in Uganda. Kampala is considered to be “Mecca” of activities. It’s a city with obvious tourist attractions and finding things to keep you occupied can be easy. Rejoice! Here’s a little list of some things that new arrivals, tourists, or even folks who’ve lived here for years might want to check out.
Attend One of Kampala’s Annual Events
There’s a lot that happens each year in Kampala. Check out this list of annual events in Kampala to see if your time here matches up with one of the city’s yearly activities. Everything from marathons to music festivals to food fairs to rally car racing.
Attend New Year’s Day in Kampala in January—Expect fireworks and parties at its clubs and bars alongside large crowds and plenty of fun lasting well into the early hours of New Year’s Day
Catch up with Motocross Championship in March staged every year at the Uganda Motorsports Arena in Kampala and attracting some of Africa’s best bike riders
Don’t miss Amakula Kampala International Film Festival in May that showcases films in all their various guises, from contemporary to classic.
Be present at the Speke Resort Munyonyo in September for Royal Ascot Goat Races with crowds of folk coming to place a bet on the goat they think is most likely to cross the finishing line first
Be in Kampala in early October for Kampala Contemporary Art Festival with exhibitions held at Nommo Gallery and the Afro-art Gallery, Spare time to attend Kampala Food Festival–a one day event that showcases the country’s finest flavors, as well as the creative culinary work of the country’s top chefs and lastly enjoy the Big Birding Day–a 24-hour event during which crowds of ornithologists converge in Uganda to collect sightings of resident bird species
MTN Kampala Marathon is my favorite event in Kampala. The MTN Kampala marathon is the biggest sporting event in Uganda organized by MTN. Every year, people from all walks of life take part in this annual event. The city filled with character and the streets are always bustling with people – unlike the rest of the city’s sleepy streets. Some take part for fun, others for charity and others compete to win. MTN Marathon attracts all kinds of people with little regard to status, race, size, height and origin–It’s awesome.
Visit an Art Gallery
The art scene in Kampala is small but growing. Each month, we see new art shows and developments. Nommo art gallery and African Village on Buganda road are two of the more established galleries but afro art gallery at national theatre is a recent addition that has done a lot of great work. Spend an hour or two looking through their galleries, watching the artists and work, or just hanging out in their cool, friendly, spaces.
Go to the Library
Kampala has a first-class national public library located on Buganda road. Not only is it in a snazzy building with a beautiful but it’s also a great idea and the first library in the country. The last time I was there, the organization of the books needed a bit of work but there’s something charming about finding cookbooks mixed in with bibles and biographies. You can try to read from Makerere University’s main library. There is a fee you are supposed to pay but the reward is just impressive. It is very well organized with all the reading content you would want. Makerere is the oldest university in East Africa established in 1922-Have a life time chance to visit Uganda’s most ranking education facility to feel the magic of surrounding trees and buildings.
Watch Live Music
Live music is not a big problem in Kampala–experience live music and live bands play at night in night clubs and hang out places. The common places to get the live band entertainment include National Theatre, club Obligato, Sabrina’s Pub, Centenary Park, Jazville Bugolobi, Kampala Sheraton Hotel and many other places. Go for live music every Thursday at Mishmash located along Acacia Avenue, Kololo and join Ndere troupe at Ndere centre for traditional dance and Music.
Go to a Movie
Cineplex located at Garden city is Kampala’s best movie theatre. The cinema is equipped with 3D and even have something called the ’4D Experience’ which I have yet to try out. They get the latest movies and it’s a fun night out. Try out many more movie theatres including cinemax located in Nalya, century cinema located on acacia mall in Kamwokya and cinema magic. Enjoy the feel of Hollywood while on your vacation in Uganda.
Go to the Casino
Kampala can be an entertaining place to live. We have an almost endless list of bars and nightclubs, parties, restaurants, poetry nights, live music, dancehalls, and a variety of art openings. But even with all of this, there’s always room for a little more vice. Enter the casino: the all-in-one adult thunder dome that will supply us all with enough sin to last a lifetime. No high rollers or showgirls here – just Indian men gambling quietly as the waitresses bring around trays of complimentary cold samosas. But as someone who doesn’t really like gambling all that much and often feels intimidated by card tables, I like it here! It’s relaxed, welcoming, and, as its open until 2am, it makes a fun stop after dinner. Simba often seems like the most obvious option however other casinos can work for you including myfair, pyramid and Kampala casino where Players and spectators may enjoy gambling at Roulette tables, Black Jack or Mini Baccarat tables.
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