15 Things to do and see in Kasese

The 15 top Things to do and see in Kasese which every traveler should try when in and around Kasese.

Kasese is strategically located in the middle of over 4 of Uganda’s 10 national parks. From Queen Elizabeth national park, Rwenzori mountains national park, Kibale forest national park, Semliki national park and Bwindi Impenetrable forest national park.

Do yo need something to keep you busy as you spend your day around Kasese town? or Do you need a weekend gate away around Kasese town? These activities will leave you enjoying your stay around Kasese.

All these are between 30 minutes to 3 hours from Kasese.

15 Top Things to do and see in Kasese

Nature walk in the Rwenzori mountains national park and community visit.
Rwenzori mountains trekking
Queen Elizabeth national park
Kiwa heritage hotsprings
Kibenge hotsprings and community tour
Kilembe mines
Bird watching
Rwenzori founders
Ikamiro Royal palace
Kororo falls and Kyondo twin falls
Mubuku Irrigation scheme
Cycling
Cultural tour and traditional dance performances.
Crater lakes visit
Sebwe/Bughalitsa falls hike on the Mbunga-Bughalitsa trail

Nature walk in Rwenzori mountains national park and community visit.

The number one thing to do while in or around Kasese is a nature walk in the Rwenzori mountains national park.

The 120km long national park stretching across the Uganda-DR Congo border is most easily accessed from Kasese.

With over 3 park gates and community trails, you will be able to visit and explore this amazing park.

The park was recognised as a world heritage site in 1994 by UNESCO.

The Rwenzori mountains national park is home to the famed three horned chameleone, Red duiker, forest elephants, chimpanzees and the beautiful Rwenzori Turaco.

The park has over 217 bird species and 70 mammals and plenty of Montane and alpine vegetation.

The cool atmosphere and natural vegetation and forests will leave you in awe as you walk through the park.

Rwenzori mountains trekking

Probably the best trekking destination in Africa, the Rwenzori mountains are a world class mountaineering destination.

The Rwenzori mountains are a unique range comprising of over 6 mountains, several peaks, mountain snow lakes and over 5 permanent glaciers.

Named the mountains of the moon, they give a snow experience across the Equator at latitude 0.

The Rwenzori mountains will give you a mystical hiking challenge like no other in Africa and world over.

Experienced and physically fit climbers can summit to Margherita peak in 5 days 4 nights.

The standard trekking time to summit to the highest point is 7 days or more depending on the number of peaks climbed and the trekking route used.

Queen Elizabeth national park

Queen Elizabeth national park formerly known as Kazinga national park is Uganda’s second largest national park after Murchison falls national park also known as Kabalega national park.

It is famed for the tree climbing lions in it’s southern sector of Ishasha, the natural wonder of the Kazinga channel stretching 44km from Lake George in Uganda to Lake Edward, the beautiful Kyambura escarpment and Kyambura gorge and several crater lakes.

This vast savannah park gives you plenty to see and explore that you need at least 2 days to fully explore it.

A game drive in the Kasenyi plains is very rewarding allowing you to spot the elusive leopard, lions, buffalos, Antelopes, hippos, crested cranes and crocodiles on the banks of Lake George, etc.

Don’t miss an afternoon boat cruise along Kazinga channel to watch different animals and birds upclose near the water shores.

Visit the Kyambura gorge to soak in the magical views down the gorge, stand on the viewing point of the Kyambura escarpment to have views of the 1,978 square km savannah park.

There are over 600 bird species and 95 species of mammals in the park. This makes it a good birding destination.

Kiwa heritage hotsprings.

Just located 2km from the centre of Kasese town, Kiwa heritage is a popular hang out around Kasese town.

This makes it one of the 15 Things to do and see in Kasese.

The natural hotspring is believed to have natural healing capabilities. Several travellers to Kasese can’t miss having a dive in the hotspring for a sauna experience.

Kiwa heritage is also a developed cultural and community tourism site with a museum and cultural performances by traditional performers.

The site has a stone preserved for Uganda’s legendary singer the late Mowzey Radio of the internationally known music duo Radio and Weasel.

This was one of the places Mowzey Radio last visited before his incidental death on 1st February, 2018 leaving lots of memories with some scenes near Kiwa heritage hotspring captured in a video of his last recorded song titled “Tambula nange”.

Kiwa heritage also organises local cultural food dishes to have a feel of the Bakonzo tradional recipes and culinary experience.

Entrance fees to the site range from Ugx 2,000 to Ugx 5,000 for East Africans minus other activities.

The site allows you to explore the River Nyamwamba valley to witness the effects of the horrific floods that occasionally occur.

Kibenge hotsprings and community tour

Kibenge hotsprings is another hotspring located just 2km from the centre of Kasese town. The hotspring is managed on behalf of the Rwenzururu Kingdom.

It is an agri-tourism site surrounded by farms and fish ponds which will give you a rich farming and sightseeing experience when you’re around Kasese.

Kilembe mines

These historical copper mines are located in Kilembe valley just 10km from Kasese town.

A visit to the mines can be arranged on appointment for you to have an experience of where and how copper mining was done in Uganda.

The Kilembe valley nevertheless offers you amazing views and a cool atmosphere away from Kasese town.

Bird watching

Kasese has lots of birding areas around town as well as protected conservation areas in Kasese.

Bird lovers will be glad to walk around the outskirts of Kasese town to discover plenty of bird species within Kasese.

Rwenzori founders

Rwenzori Founders is an outstanding artisan bronze casting foundry found in Kemihoko village about 1km branching off from Fort portal-Kasese road at Ssebwe River bridge 11km from Kasese round about.

Located at the foothills of the Rwenzori mountains, Rwenzori founders offers rewarding views, scenery away from the hot tropical savannah and busy Kasese town.

Rwenzori founders’ main focus is on art, environment and health.

They have an outstanding award winning sculpture gallery with a small coffee bar offering coffee, tea, cold drinks and snacks.

Visit for a guided tour of the bronze casting foundry. The centre also has a nature walk and a hiking trail to the surrounding hills as high as 3,000m asl.

They have a growing outdoor sculpture park showcasing some outstanding bronze sculptures.

Rwenzori founders also offers residencies to both local and international artists.

The area currently has 193 bird species with a serene environment making it a perfect place for bird watching. There is also a growing mammal population surrounding the centre.

Rwenzori founders plans to open up birding and a trail on the grounds in future.

Rwenzori founders hopes to be gazetted as a public private park and an animal sanctuary.

The centre has a small community clinic that caters for the health of people in the surrounding community and beyond.

Currently they also have a 35 bed hospital under construction to offer more and better health services to the people of Kasese.

As part of their Corporate Social Responsibility, they maintain a gravitational water scheme for the community and maintain roads within the same locality.

They do not charge entry fees to the gallery but ask for a modest donation of $10 per head for a guided tour that showcases the process of the traditional lost wax method of bronze casting.

For a fully guided tour, it’s advisable to book an appointment. Also to have the experience at the foundry, it’s advisable to visit during week days when there is work at the foundry.

You can enjoy the rest of the activities and facilities at Rwenzori founders anytime.

Ikamiro Royal palace

Ikamiro Royal palace is a cultural palace carrying out conservation activities with animals like Carmels, horses, donkeys and birds like the Ostritches.

The area is part of the Bazira estate and they plan to use it exclusively for environmental conservation and cultural tourism.

They are developing hiking trails, camp sites, botanical gardens, museums and galleries, an environmental learning centre and other facilities.

The idea is to have a full slate of tourism and nature conservation services as well as environmental projects.

The centre has worked to stop sand mining and charcoal burning to stop environmental degradation around River Nyamwamba in Kasese.

This has seen an increased tree cover around the area.

The area is now an important sanctuary for nesting birds and for other animals that are fleeing due to habitat around Kasese municipality.

At Ikamiro Royal palace you will enjoy a guided horse ride, carmels, watching Ostritches, indigenous cattle. Learn about the local Basongora pastoral culture and history.

Have a tour of the cultural museum with artifacts and symbols of their culture.

Enjoy and learn the local “yoghurt” and cow ghee making process in the museum, local music instruments and fighting equipment.

Ikamiro Royal palace is located 500m off Kasese – Fort portal highway after the Nyamwamba river bridge.

Ikamiro Royal palace can offer a free tour of the centre on booking. However; activities like horse riding are charged Uganda shillings 20,000 per person.

When visiting, it’s good to book an appointment.

Kororo falls and Kyondo twin falls

The Kororo falls and Kyondo twin falls are some other amazing places to visit while in Kasese.

Both falls offer you a wonderful hike as you go through local homesteads in the community.

The Kyondo twin falls are managed by Nyamughasana community tours a local community organisation offering nature walks along the Kyondo-Nyamughasana trail in the Rwenzori mountains.

You will enjoy various stories, myths and the history about the falls. You can swim in the falls to have a feel of the ice cold water from the Rwenzori mountains.

Mubuku Irrigation scheme

Mubuku Irrigation Scheme is an agricultural extension scheme located about 8km from Kasese town.

Cycling

Kasese is perfect for a cycling/biking tour through the park or through the valleys of the Rwenzori mountains for sightseeing. Bikes for rental can be obtained around Kasese town to allow you enjoy your experience.

Cultural tour and traditional dance performances.

Several groups are available in Kasese to offer you a traditional dance performance and an experience of the Bakonzo culture with drums, spears, Xylophones, etc

Crater lakes visit

Kasese historically has the most productive and most important Crater lakes in Uganda with two salt lakes of Katwe and Bunyampaka in Kasenyi.

Both crater lakes can be accessed on a day safari to Queen Elizabeth national park or a biking trip to the crater lakes.

Sebwe/Bughalitsa falls hike on the Mbunga-Bughalitsa trail

The Mbunga-Bughalitsa trail offers a challenging hike from the base of Kilembe town in the River Nyamwamba valley 10km Northwest of Kasese town.

The trail offers you a live experience with the Bakonzo ancestral spirits from a local traditional healer or medium which allows you to communicate with the spirits physically.

The trail can be accessed from Rukoki or from Kilembe.

On top of the hike, you will enjoy exhilarating views of the valleys down in Kilembe and Kasese town, Lake George and Queen Elizabeth national park.

Hiking from Rukoki allows you to reach the amazing Sebwe falls.

Other interesting activities to do around Kasese include;

Picnics
The Rwenzori Theluji Festival

The Rwenzori Theluji festival is an annual tourism festival that was first held in September 2022 and happens every year climaxing with Miss Tourism Rwenzori, Community bio-diversity run, Tree planting activities to combat climate change and the Mt Rwenzori Marathon usually held in the first week of September every year.