Top 10 Best Things To Do In Kampala

Top 10 Best Things To Do In Kampala

Top 10 Best Things To Do In Kampala, it is Uganda’s capital which is one of the craziest cities in Africa! Visiting Kampala is such a wild adventure when selecting a city to travel. On arrival of the city you can sense the intensity, but it is only gotten better when you start exploring the city.

This is your guide for the best places to visit and things to do in and around Kampala, based on the experience of the special guides found within the city.

Here are the Top 10 Things to Do in Kampala

1. The Uganda National Museum

If you are a fan of museums, then a trip to the Uganda National Museum may interest you to go and visit. It is the biggest and oldest in the city, you will be able to find the most exhibits and artifacts at this museum. The Uganda national museum displays Uganda’s cultural heritage nonetheless.

2. The Baha’i Temple

There are thousands of people in Uganda that do practice in the Baha’i faith and there are only seven Baha’i temples in the world.

One of these temples is located on the outskirts of Kampala, on top of one of their many hills around Mulago areas. You can walk through the beautiful gardens, or get a short tour and explanation of the Baha’i faith and related information about the temple. It is a very peaceful and peaceful environment with impressive views.

3. The Kasubi Tombs

Kasubi tombs have so much history that can be explored in Kampala city, studying all the way back to the 14th century. And kampala is a part of the Buganda Kingdom found within the central region, which is currently ruled by his majesty Ronald Edward Frederick Muwenda Mutebi II.

The burial grounds of past kings and their family members, known as the Kasubi Tombs were destroyed in a fire, and are being rebuilt, to allow in tourists for viewing and studying the historical background.

The site is a unique example of traditional architecture, and has been described as one of the most remarkable buildings using purely vegetal materials in the entire region of sub-Saharan Africa.

4. Kabaka’s Palace

Kabaka’s Palace is a home to the Buganda kingdom, sits on Mengo Hill Road, in the Lubiri area. The masengere building is also called the haunted mansion, because so many people were killed on the grounds of Idi Amin’s torture chambers. The palace is mostly uninhabited and being repaired, so it’s inaccessible for tourists.

5. Rubaga Cathedral (Saint Mary’s Cathedral)

There are many cathedrals and other places of worship in Kampala, and at least one is always included in visitors’ itinerary of things to do in Kampala. Rubaga Cathedral or Saint Mary’s Cathedral as it’s also known, is located on one of Kampala’s original hills, Lubaga it is the base of the Catholic Church in Uganda.

The Cathedral was built in the early 20th century, on land donated by the King of Buganda to missionaries and a Bishop.

The views from the cathedral are interesting, the cathedral’s exterior and the building itself are very grand and well built. There’s also a statue of St. Mary in the front and a memorial to the first African Catholic bishop in Uganda.

6. Makerere University

Makerere University is the first university in Kampala and also in Britain’s East African colonies, the university is still the most highly regarded university in East Africa. The university boasts interesting architecture and wide-ranging gardens.

Alumni include prime ministers and well known intellectuals. Nobel Prize-winning author V.S. Naipaul spent time here as a writer-in-residence, and American travel writer and novelist Paul Theroux once taught at Makerere University

7. Craft Market.

Kampala is given with colorful crafts markets which are also called crafts villages selling vibrant crafts ranging from prints, baskets, paintings, pottery, jewelry and many more. While some are in permanent locations such as the Crafts Village behind the National Theatre and Crafts Centre on Buganda Road, some are weekly and monthly including one in Mengo and one at Accacia Mall AT Kololo. Get a chance to interact with the artists and even ask them to make something especially for your best interest.

8. Walk the Royal Mile of the Buganda Kingdom

The Royal Mile is a tourist attraction in Kampala that is tree lined lane which leads from the parliament of the Bungada Kingdom (Bulange) in one straight line towards the Palace. It is a beautiful sight a little away from the city center; it is within walk able distance for any traveler can manage to walk.

9. Independence Monument

Amidst the city near City Square Park you can find the Uganda Independence Monument. It represents a wrapped up man standing straight and holding up a child. It is one of the most symbolic and identically landmarks of Kampala.

It was constructed by the Maloba, a Kenyan student at the Makerere University just before the independence of Uganda in October 1962 and signifies a new born culture unwrapped and freed from its colonial masters.  Around the independence monument there are some sign posts guiding you through the history of Uganda.

       10. Uganda Martyr’s Shrine

This religious site has a very sad history. Its structure resembles the shape of a typical African hut and features 22 copper pillars. The church’s interior is spectacular – it has a thrilling vaulted ceiling and amazing wood carvings on the doors. The stained glass windows are a representation of the 22 martyrs who lost their lives because of their faith, in 1886 by the orders of king Mwanga.

The Uganda Martyr’s Shrines in Namugongo are very significant as they honor the local martyrs. Every year on Uganda’s Martyrs Day (June 3^rd), thousands of Catholic pilgrims from across the country visit the shrines to attend prayers in remembrance of the martyrs. June 3^rd is a public holiday in Uganda.