Location Highlights

Kibuli Mosque stands on its own hill a few minutes away, one of the oldest mosques in Kampala, with views across the city. Visitors should dress modestly and ask permission before entering. The view at sunset over the hills is excellent.

Ggaba landing site on Lake Victoria, to the south, is a lively fishing village with a market selling fresh tilapia and Nile perch, which small restaurants grill on the spot. Boats leave from here and from nearby Munyonyo for Ngamba Island, a sanctuary caring for orphaned chimpanzees. Day trips must be booked ahead.

In Old Kampala, the Uganda National Mosque, often still called the Gaddafi Mosque, allows visitors to climb its minaret for one of the best panoramas of the city's seven hills. Guides are provided at the entrance, and women receive coverings.

The Kasubi Tombs, burial place of the kings of Buganda and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lie in the northwest of the city. The main thatched building burned in 2010 and has been carefully reconstructed using traditional techniques. Local guides explain the history of the Buganda kingdom.

For evenings, the Ndere Cultural Centre presents traditional music and dance from across Uganda's many ethnic groups. Food in Kampala is simple and filling: try a rolex, a chapati rolled with omelette and vegetables, from a street stall, and luwombo, a stew steamed in banana leaves, in a local restaurant.